Pathfinder Ride 07-17-05

What a trip that was! We had six folks along, three were veterans. Attila still here for his second week. Patty from Al. and her dad Julian from N.M. Our first timers were Lilly from New Orleans a fun Cajun queen and Mike and Kevin from Shreveport. Cassady came along with us too.

We spent Sunday night at Govina corrals about 60 miles north of here with the plan to head out in the morning and complete the crossing of the Wagontongue Mtns. I thought I had a new route figured out. Thought is the key word here

We were on the trail about 9:30am and things went well the first couple hours, riding a really nice canyon but getting drawn farther and farther west until we came out in the village of Aragon. There we got caught behind a bunch of fences those farmers there put everywhere. We took a sketchy elk trail back east up a steep ridge trying to get away from the low country. Four hours later we were just about back where we started. The horses had a long day all ready so we watered them in Tularosa Creek and headed back up to the east finding a decent trail that took us to the top of the mountain. Thunder and lightning and wind started whipping up, our trail faded and we were often on foot due to thick juniper trees and steep rocky terrain. We all ran out of water about 5pm. We were up at a bit over 10,000 feet when we had to admit we were not making it to camp that night. We dropped off a ridge into a tight canyon where we spent the night with no food, no water and no bedrolls. Just saddle pads and slickers for a bed. The canyon was a deep V with no flat bottom. You could have you head up on the east side while your feet were up on the west. The horses we just tied to trees. They were so worn out they hardly moved at all during the night.

I have to brag on my kid. There are very few 9 year olds that could have done what he did. We rode 11 hours covering over 35 miles of rough stuff. Probably about seven miles we walked leading our horses over rocks and through trees, up and down. Lightning splintered the sky and thunder crashed. The night was cold and the ground hard. Our thirst kept us awake.

But he was right there the whole way. When I hollered back asking how he was doing he always replied “Good” tho I knew he was no more good than the rest of us. That night all he was worried about was his horse Scout who like the rest had worked hard and now was going the night with no water. That’s my kid…horses first and people second. He could tell his buddies at home what he did but they wouldn’t believe him, they could not imagine what he did. He’s my hero.

Dawn was so slow in coming. When it finally did we had to walk more to get out of the canyon. When we finally were able to get horseback it was in a real nice traveling canyon that led us once again back to the west. Our first concern was getting the horses to some water so they could get us to some. About four hours later we found a spring. What a welcome oasis it was. We since called it Bear Shit Spring. There was bear shit all over the place. I’ve never seen any thing like it. The water was cold and the grass sweet so we let our horses have an hour to eat, drink and relax. Then we moved on.

People were getting weak and grumpy so I rode ahead and went to the village and hollered up a kid at a house getting permission to fill a couple canteens. I then rode back and gave it to the crew. How damn good that water tasted after 16 hours with a dry mouth.

I was able to get in touch with Lyndsey and Nate earlier in the day on the radio so they knew were we planning on coming out near the village. It was only a half-hour later they showed up with more water and food. We were all pretty much done in. Of the last 26 hours we had been moving for 17.

We loaded the horses and headed back the three hours to the H.Q. to change horses and make a new plan.

The original plan had been for Cassady to meet Margaret at our second night camp so he could ride with her to Albq. where he was to meet his mom for a cross-country road trip while Maggie left for Oregon for a family reunion. We didn’t have time to make the meet so Lyndsey drove him up to Albq. just before dinner. It was a tearful goodbye for us knowing it was a long, long time till we see each other at Christmas.

I figured that with all he had been through the last 24 hours he would be asleep in a minute of getting in the truck. Nope, Lyndsey said he talked all the way there.

That afternoon we all had a hot shower and a good meal then everyone headed to bed before dark.

Wednesday

Julian and Patty pulled out today. They said they’d had more adventure in two days than they had figured on for the week so they were headed out to tour New Mexico by SUV rather than a horse.

Lia took Mike and Kevin out for a ride through the open country showing them some thing besides trees. Even tho they said they had no interest in working cattle she talked them into moving a couple dozen strays they came across out in 7HL pasture down the canyon and into Loco Pasture.

Attila and Lilly trailered over to Don and Jeannie’s place with Nate and me to help them gather and move their cattle to new pasture. We got there about 10am and helped Jeannie get some off the Collins Park windmill and moved them south towards Elk Mountain. A few hours’ later Dons partners showed up. They are some Arizona cowboys. I had never met them and they sure were busy. They did things a bit different than we do. It’s all fast and loud. They stampeded the herd roping a calf and half the cattle ran up a steep mountainside giving Jeannie and Nate a bit of a work out getting them down. I spent part of the time moving trailers with Don so I missed a bit more action Attila told me about. He thought they were doing it for Lilly’s benefit.

There is a fire on Elk Mountain. We crossed the saddle just as the wind shifted and brought the smoke billowing over us. The fire was about two miles to our east. The smoke watered our eyes and burned the throat. At times there was ash falling like snow. The sky turned a strange amber color. We were done moving the cattle about 2:30pm. A short day we didn’t mind at all.

The others got in about 5pm; they put down some good miles out there. The day was pretty warm, up to about 83 before some clouds came and cooled things off back to about 49 for a lo.

Thursday

Nate headed to Datil for a load of hay today; enjoying the day in an A/C treated truck. He brought back a nice load of grass/alfalfa mix hay.

Lia took the riders out on a big loop checking some gates and looking things over. Lilly went with her today leaving Attila and I to go help the neighbors again. The Az. cowboys were there again but much more laid back. I guess with Lilly not with us there was no audience for a show. The fire had crept a bit closer to the road, the smoke was thicker but the cattle moved better today than the bunch yesterday. Once again we were done about 3pm.

The trail riders got home about 4pm. It sure looked like some rain was coming our way but ended up with nothing more than a sprinkle here.

The day ended with everyone helping out unloading the hay…except me.

The hi was 80, sunfactor was about 90. overnight was really warm, 52.

Friday

We loaded up all the riders and horses and headed out to Harleyville. From there Lia, Nate and Lyndsey with the riders along headed across Aeroplane Mesa and dropped off into the middle fork of the Gila river for a loop through the wilderness. After seeing them on their way Dakota and I trailered from there out to S.S. Basin where we went hunting strays. We soon found a dozen and got them headed back west towards Loco pasture, about five miles. We put them through the gate and headed back to get our trailer. Along the way I spotted another dozen head making their way towards the tank in the basin. They got there about the time we did and after letting them drink we moved them up to the gate into Loco. We then headed back for the trailer again. And again about half way back I came across nine more head, so we turned around and pushed them back to the Loco gate. Finally we headed back and got our trailer and drove down to Snow Lake where we left it for the other riders and then rode back up Loco Canyon to Harleyville to get the second trailer, which we drove down to the lake. We got there just as the riders were coming out of the wilderness about 6pm. I figure Dakota and I traveled about 30 miles for the day and he was just perfect every step of it. He loves working cattle alone. I decided I’d give all my other horses away before I’d ever sell him.

So Pathfinder didn’t work out as we had planned. But the folks who stuck around got to see a lot more variety of country than we would have seen on the ride. They only missed out on the camping.