Riding The Crest 2009

SECTION I   TUOLUMNE MEADOWS TO SONORA PASS

July 7 - July 12

On July 7 we were up at 6 at the Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp. Ralph turned on the generator and made egg, cheese, and bacon sandwiches. William was still short of breath from the altitude but okay. By 8:30 Mike and Mary and Hope were gathered around the horses watching while I finished packing. They took some pictures of me and I got my kiss and started off at 8:45. (I later realized I forgot my gloves and my fleece-ugh!) Half way through the day I lost my duster and a hiker found it and brought it down to me. Also lost the SPOT and had to recover that. Slowly I was finding ways to attach everything securely to the saddle. The trail was pretty rocky right off but it became extremely rocky to the point of uncomfortable, in the Glen Aulin area. It was just a tough trail. The scenery was fabulous with waterfalls and rock mountains. We did pass quite a few hikers, mostly day hikers. After we went over Conness Creek at the bridge to the High Sierra Pack Station, we turned up Yosemite Canyon. There was one tree to cut out of the trail but mostly rock to climb over. The mile down to Virginia Canyon was all down. At the bottom of the canyon is Spiller Creek then a tough climb to Miller Lake. I might not have attempted it so late in the first day except we needed to make close to 20 miles as we planned to do this section in four days and it was 76 miles. Each day just as difficult with steep climbs and descents in and out of canyons. It was hot and the mosquitoes were out. Miller Lake made a lovely camp.

The following day continued to be very rocky and some of the worst footing yet. It was a hard ride, some of the hardest yet as we had rock steps and climbs and descents, snow and wet, slippery rocks and cobblestone steps in the trail (very uneven and treacherous). I saw hikers while I was still packing up at Miller Lake amongst the deer. I then passed them on and off throughout the day. It was a beautiful day and started with a steep climb down into Matahorn Canyon. After lunch in the same mosquito infested meadow that Norstrider and Vee (hikers I met at Kelso Valley Road) were resting at, we climbed through solid rock again. As beautiful as the High Sierras are, I was ready to be done with this section. Sections H &I are NOT for horses or even mules. Just too rocky and too many chances of a broken leg. We traversed more rock around Smedberg Lake. On the far side Harmony went down in a sprawl on some wet flat rock. I was about to get off (my feet were on the ground, out of the stirrups) when he scrambled up and we went on without apparent harm. I had wanted to make it over Seavy Pass to Lower Kirrick Canyon but was ready to call it a day! I met up with Norstrider and Vee again and they said the same. We were both thinking Benson Lake would do for a camp. The day was gorgeous and I was blessed to be here. In the afternoon we also encountered snow on the trail. I made the mistake of forcing Jur, who I was leading with Harmony tied behind, to go along the edge of the 10’ bank. He refused and jumped up on the rocks I was leading him from, knocking me down and kicking my right calf in the process. I had a huge and sore knot immediately. I was thankful it was not broken but it was very sore walking because it pulled on that muscle and it was sore to ride because it was up against the saddle. After I got them back we continued uphill and I went around the few more snow banks on trail. There was also a tree down with protruding limbs I had to cut so they would not rip the packs. On the way to Benson Lake Jur went down. I thought he went down on some rocks and just was taking his time getting up he was so tired. It was later I realized he was going down to roll and was colicing. When I got to Benson Lake and started unpacking he started rolling several times, some with the packs still on. That is what got me thinking something was going on. As I watched he showed signs of distress and was kicking at his belly and trying to bite at his belly. I continued to unpack as fast as I could. I led the horses to the lake but they would not drink. I carried water in the collapsible buckets and only Harmony drank. I started giving water to Jur via a large syringe. It was not much but it was all I had. I administered 2cc of Bute and late that evening 2cc more. I tied his head up high on a large tree limb to keep him up. Now I went from worry to scared. (A horse with colic rolls to give themselves relief but it twists their gut and they die from the twisted gut- a result of the colic. You HAVE to stop them from rolling which means you HAVE to get them relief from their pain.) I could very well lose my horse out here. I went over every choice including trying to pack up and start walking in the dark. I decided to eat my dinner (not allow myself to sick) and see how he was in another hour. I ate my homemade beef jerky and nothing else as I was so stressed. At 800 miles I am getting very tired of my food. I checked on Jur several more times and left my tent flap open so I could watch him. It was actually getting too distressful for me to watch. I had been praying all this time and now I prayed that God would heal him because I had no further way of treating him and even if I did it might not work. If he was no worse or better in the morning I could start the 40 miles out but it would be doubtful if I could haul a sick horse that far in time. I laid down and prayed and told God I would leave it to him and try to sleep since there was NOTHING I could do and losing sleep and making bad decisions because of lack of sleep would not help. I prayed and dozed and prayed and dozed, checking Jur throughout. At some point in the middle of the night I felt sick. I thought at first I was having hunger pains as I did not eat much but the beef jerky, not having an appetite in my concern for Jur. So I ate half of a power bar. But I started vomiting violently and really came to the  “end of my rope.” I had food poisoning. Now Jur and I were in the same predicament. I was so ill I knew I could not help Jur. I was helpless but not hopeless. I prayed that God would take care of this as He had the whole trip. I did not have the faith to believe he would though I prayed. I really thought Jur would be worse in the morning and continue to go into death throes. I tried to think of anything else I could do. Since I felt awful I thought of Tums I had in my emergency kit. Then I thought I’d share it with Jur. I gave half a roll to Jur. By the time I got back in the tent I was nauseous again. I wanted cry but was so sick I couldn’t spend the energy. I told God that it was up to Him and there was nothing more I could do. He answered “that’s right, there never was.” And I realized there really wasn’t. Even applying the best medicine and care horses die every day from colic. I fell back to sleep. By morning I had finished emptying my digestive tract and had slept on and off. I thought of Jur first thing. 

I opened my eyes when there was just enough light to see by and the bird song had awoken me as it often had on this trail. I unzipped the sleeping bag and then the tent door and then the tent fly. There was Jur not 15 feet from my tent. He was upright and seemed normal. I continued to watch. I stared so hard at him my eyes burned but I did not want to look away in case I missed a sign of colic. But he seemed normal. He was barely twitching. I looked for a sign of manure, a sign that he will recover from the colic. There was none. Not good! I must have dozed some more and awoke to stare some more. Still no manure but no sign of distress either. I wanted to get dressed and give water and managed to get clothes on but could not find the strength to stand up. So I just continued to watch. Later in the morning Norstrider and Vee started up to the trail, passing my tent. When I looked out Norstrider greeted me and asked how I slept. I told him, “not well, I was very sick in the night as was my horse.” Briefly I told him what was going on and he and Vee immediately asked what they could do. I said, “first I need water as I drank all of it in my dehydration during the night. And the horses need water too.” They took off their packs and Vee sat with me while Norstrider went for water. When he finished that he asked what else and could they help me walk the horses the 40 miles out. I said I could not ask that but if he could walk Jur it would help so Jur would defecate. So Norstrider started walking Jur along the sand. He came back in about ten minutes to tell me Jur had pooped! I said Thank God and tears gathered again. I thanked them and thanked them, and said, “now I can get some rest.” They went on to hike north with a note carried to leave at the trailhead for Ralph (as did some other hikers). Then I got some sleep. I did get up several times in the day to water the horses. By 5 o’clock I had gotten a full day’s rest and was feeling normal. I made some grits to put food back in my stomach. I saw no hikers until almost six when a man yelled, “Is that Pepperoni?” I answered it was and who was asking. It was Rocketman (who helped me with a tree removal on Fuller Ridge back in early May). I went and hugged him and when he asked how I was I gave him some of the last 24 hours. When he asked what he could do I said “hike with me.” Rocketman was with a friend, Big Red, and another hiker, Dirk (I met and Snow Creek). The help of the hikers has been invaluable. They have been generous with their time and efforts. They have been a wonderful help to me.

On Friday, July 10, I was up with the sun and the bird song again. I started packing and breaking camp. I felt very good. I was so thankful and know I had seen a miracle. Jur looked normal but I still did not see much poop or drinking. The guys offered to hike with me for safety and company in case there were further problems. Thinking I’d be slower (I was leading the horses rather than riding) I set off. I was pretty much alone the whole day but knew the guys were behind me and planned to camp at Wilma Lake 14.7 miles away. The day was easier than the previous two but still had some wicked rock climbs and descents. As we got to the end of Wilma Lake and where the campsites were, there was a railroad tie foot crossing for the hikers but no bridge for the equestrian. I would have to transverse a very deep ditch into some reeds and out again. Harmony was not liking it AT ALL! It took quite a bit to get him to do it and then when he lunged out of the ditch he was lame in his right rear. This was all I needed! I got off and led him toward the campsites. The campsites were under trees with lots of grass and a trail junction. The Ranger Station was out of sight but I had no sooner taken the packs off Jur and started putting up the highline than Ranger Rachel came with her pack on and said, “you must be the woman who was very sick.” I was very surprised! The hikers had stopped to tell her. She immediately started helping me. I was almost in tears again. I told her about Harmony going lame on that crossing and she said she was going to make a report and see if they could get it changed. So maybe some good will come of that. There is already too much of this trail not practical for horses without such bad crossings. Rachel got Ralph’s number and climbed a hill where she could get phone connection and left him a message. This was the night I should have gotten to the trailhead where Ralph was waiting. I was so grateful for everyone’s help and generosity. Rocketman, Big Red, and Dirk arrived and set up on the other side of the fire ring from me and we all enjoyed a fire together. It was a very enjoyable evening and I slept pretty well though I checked the horses at least four times.

The next morning Harmony looked fine and was using his leg. I decided that I would saddle him as usual and pack Jur and then lead them, not chancing the weigh on Harmony. I hoped to walk twenty miles, leaving only 10 for Sunday. Dirk planned to do the same and it would again give me help if I stayed with him. So we set off together, Rocketman and Big Red still packing up. Dirk and I hiked 9 miles together by 12:30. We stopped at Dorothy Lake where Big Red and Rocketman joined us and we ate. They each took a dip in the lake but it was just too cold for me. We all rested and at 2pm Dirk and I set off again, still leading the horses. After another few miles I got on Harmony and he did great. But at a stream crossing he pulled the same leg action and I got off and led him for more miles. The terrain was much better than all the previous days. Still some rock scrambling but also a lot of forest floor. It was also a landmark day as we reached the 1000 mile mark! We got to Kennedy Creek Canyon at 6 and after a half hour crossed a creek and set up camp on the other side along with several other nearby campers. The horses grazed until I put them on the highline. I ate the last of the corn chowder given to me by Sarah and Josh and then set up my tent and worked on my journal until ten. (On the same day, Ralph went to Bridgeport to get phone messages. He sometimes had to drive a distance to get within cell phone range. He also took the laundry while making phone calls. He was at the laundry mat, listening to a message left by Norstrider, and Norstrider walks into the same laundry mat and recognized Ralph. Norstrider delivered the note I had sent by him. So Ralph got the phone message and the written note at the same time. Ralph also called Gretchen M. who had contacted me before I came out from GA about boarding Harmony for me. Ralph called her just to say hello and let them know how things were going. Her husband, Mike, retired Calif. Hwy. Patrol, heard Ralph was going up to Sonora Pass with our 30’ trailer and would not hear of it. He told Ralph of the curve called million dollar curve for all the vehicles it has claimed and the incredibly steep grade. At 26% it is the steepest road in California. Mike insisted that Ralph use his two horse trailer and had use of it for five days! How wonderful!)

Kirt and I started up the trail to Sonora Pass at about 8:15 the next morning. Both horses looked great and I was in the saddle. We were headed toward Sonora Pass at over 10,000 feet. We had gone less than a mile when the horses gave a jump. A horse was coming up behind us. The horseman said “you must be Janice” and I answered yes. He introduced himself as Craig R. and was come to tell me about the bad snow on Sonora Pass. Ralph had gone to his Leavitt Meadows Pack Station to ask about Sonora Pass. Ralph had explained that I had been sick as well as the horses and was headed out that pass. So Craig and Ralph went to look at the pass (the day before) and  decided it was too much snow to ride through. Then Craig volunteered to go in and lead me out an alternative route. He got up at 4 in the morning to ride in four hours and try to intercept me. He succeeded. Craig took me out the alternative route by Leavitt Lake and we stabled our horses at his pack station. While there, farrier Tony P, looked at Harmony and, finding a stone bruise, we made the decision to have him put steel shoes on to protect Harmony further for a time. Ralph and I and William were camped at Sonora Bridge Campground in the Humbolt-Toyabe National Forest.  

NEXT: Rocks, Hills, Snow and Meadows!

 So many trails - So little time!

This website is intended to share our adventure with you.
Visit as often J (or as little L ) as you like.  

We 'd like to hear from you. Please sign our guest book and/or e-mail us.

Janice will be your commentator.