We began in Mohave Valley, AZ. February 2008 Crossed into California at Needles and dropped south to Blythe. Back across the Colorado, east into Arizona-Phoenix, Sedona and up to Flagstaff, east again into New Mexico- Albuquerque, Pecos N.F. Raton.Skimmed Colorado’s southeast corner into Kansas- Garden City, Nicodemus. North into Nebraska-North Platte, Alliance, Chadron. South Dakota- Edgemont. Wyoming- Newcastle, Moorcroft, Rockypoint. Montana-Broadus, Forysth, Roundup, White Sulphur Springs. Cross the Rocky Mountains into Helena, then north into Ovando, Seeley Lake and Kalispell, Home to Trego. Arrived November 5th, 2008
July 8th, 2008 – journal entry
Bernice is in Springfield , Colorado, nearly to Kansas. She writes:
This is a mail pickup and 4 day lay over. We rode steady from Cimarron, N.M. in great heat and long flat open stretch’s that make the days go slow and laborious. Yet we have arrived thus far and once again we have been greeted warmly by the community, I will give a talk at the senior center tomorrow. We are camped at the fairgrounds and are taken here and there by an elderly couple that are enjoying the oddity and excitement as they must show everyone this “lady long rider” they have come upon. This is enormous country, so open and generous when there is water. But there is no water this year and it is dry between towns, the rattlers are everywhere and make me anxious, I must always be vigilant and watch carefully, leading the horses most days. This is the first year Claire is able to ride and it is SO helpful to be able to hoist her up on Essie Pearl and have her safely out of harms way. She does not ride much but she seems to be alright with riding, I am far from satisfied with her support saddle. Her doggie moccasins are holding up well and I am satisfied with the new design I came up with. This has thus far been a pretty easy ride, all in all not to difficult. Still I feel I have so damn much to learn, the care of the horses, myself and just being more careful with all that I do. LONG RIDING, a great teacher if you can hold up to her…
For more information on this ride, please visit the ARCHIVES section, or visit the Flikr Account which has many of my photos to browse through!