This and That

It's Tuesday, week of leaving for Trinity 2 day ride...brain is whirring with packing thoughts but body is very much not up to speed thanks to an awful ear/tooth ache. I need to get my wisdom teeth out and they are reminding me painfully of it today. I was supposed to ride Chief today but wasn't feeling up to it..so here is some random catching up...

Saturday I went to an ACTHA Trail Trial in Pilot Hill, to volunteer as a judge. Some of the proceeds from the ride went to the Back in the Saddle Project, a worthy local cause, and I wanted to help out. It was a long haul over there (towing a couple of BITs horses for judges to ride out, I was along for the ride in a carpool) and by the time I was on my "walk" out to judge Obstacle 2, the log drag, it was already quite warm. It was a beautiful area, trails had nice footing, but plenty of exposure and ahem, some good hill conditioning! My little herd of Arabs back home would have been snorting with laughter as I puffed and huffed my way along with my thick rope and cones. I was a mockery of an endurance rider sweating and swearing my way up hills looking for the (unmarked) spot I was supposed to set up at. Meanwhile merry joggers passed me on the hills chatting and laughing..*grumblegrumble* Fortunately I had my Cool Medics vest on and a water bottle but I wasn't prepared for that journey otherwise. My feet got wet at the start of the walk and the resulting sweaty damp environment rubbed my toes raw in no time. Lessons in preparedness, here!

View from the hike

 The judging itself was fun, easy, most people had great success at dragging the log from cone to cone and soon it was afternoon, hotter than ever, and time to hike back. I made it the first uphill mile and rested in the shade at Obstacle 1 with some other volunteers, then a fellow BITS volunteer showed up on faithful steed Emmy and offered me the reins. Yup, I was that desperate, I broke my always-wear-a-helmet rule and dragged myself up in that saddle and sidled nose to tail behind the ACTHA riders back to the trailhead. Bless you Emmy.

 I had a wonderful case of heat stroke on the drive home and into the night, and was just out of that yesterday morning to take a quick 7 mile ride up the ridge on Desire. I had to go down a size on two of her boots with the fresh trim but the boots I chose all stayed on just fine and she feels fit and ready for Trinity.

Now hopefully her rider will be, too! Must get over this wisdom tooth baloney and get myself organized for a big weekend!