Riding The Crest 2009

APRIL 21 - 27, 2009:

Ralph and I with William following in his van left Georgia on Tuesday, April 21. We did 12 hours on the road the first day! We did not plan to but there was a tractor-trailer accident that shut down I-20 West of Atlanta. After three hours of sitting on the Interstate  we moved into AL, only to encounter road construction that narrowed two slow lanes into one barely moving lane. We were exhausted from two weeks of packing and one long day of driving by the time we made our destination, a camp in Bienville National Forest in Forest, MS at 7pm. Even with trains going by within 1000’ and a helicopter making a pass overhead we fell asleep by nine. 

On the road my major stress was keeping the horses fit but getting on the road was an incredible undertaking. I was amazed at all that went into preparing for the trip, so different than ’07. The American Adventure in 2007 was five years of saving and logistical planning and then shutting down our house and getting on the road. The PCT trip of 2009 was only in the plans for a year and half and, with the economy in shambles, entailed very little time for saving. We were instead flying by the seat of our pants, with our savings restricting us from anything but fuel, feed, and facility fees. If we needed to adjust we did so from the trail. I did research my equipment: what was best for the weight, the conditions (so varying) and the money and then searched for it via the Internet. I updated the website and contacted sponsors (which we did not have in ’07). I was thrilled with the sponsors we had and their encouragement to us. The outpouring of encouragement from the horse world was also tremendous, from the endurance riding community, Trail Angels, and others with experience on the Pacific Crest Trail. From all over California, I got e-mails of encouragement and offers of help. It was a tremendous psychological boost to hear from total strangers that they would do anything they could! There was an incredible network and developing tapestry of helping hands from one coast to the other and from Mexico to Canada. I imagine the end count of those assisting in one way or another was over 500. 

With the endless hands helping I had a chance of reaching the goal: riding a horse from the Mexican border in CA to the Canadian border in Washington State, 2656 miles of every kind of terrain - desert to alpine mountain top. I  wanted to take our friends, family, and anyone who wanted to join in, so I maintained this website as well. We (Ralph and I and William) wanted to have fun (riding a horse long distance is not for everyone but fortunately I love it) and we wanted to share the fun with others. Personally I had two more goals: to write a book about the trip and to develop a business making these trips possible for others. Many people have asked “why?” For me it was the adventure itself, and seeing the incredible country we live in, and meeting the awesome people that make it up. Together those three elements “made” the trip for me.  

The second day got us through Louisiana and into Texas, where it is reading, writing, and rodeo. There were signs of the horse and cattle industry everywhere. Of course, the common dress is cowboy boots and cowboy hats. I looked like the tourist I was in plaid shorts and cotton knit top. Our new pup, Ech (pronounced "Etch") was adjusting to road life too after a rough start. The third day was Western Texas. We pulled into the West Texas Horse Center on Moss Road, Odessa about four. Though parked within view of the expressway and alongside Moss Road and a railroad track we got some sleep. We had electricity and water and the horses in 12’ X 12’ stalls. Bud, the owner welcomed us with Texas sized hospitality and did not charge for William. The fourth day was only 250 miles as we spent more than five hours getting William's van tires, alignment and a new starter, thankfully all within 500’ in El Paso. We got as far as Demming, NM and camped in the Demming Stockyards. But the fifth and final day we really did the mileage. The real trooper was William driving with no air conditioning or company across Interstate 10 and 8 in lower New Mexico and Arizona and into California with very little sleep. We arrived in Manzanita Campground in Boulevard, CA at 7pm on April 25, 2009. We were camping 20 miles from the Mexican border and our starting point on the Pacific Crest Trail. Sandra, who would ride the first two weeks with me, and her husband were there to greet us. Ralph and I, William and our dog, Ech, as well as the horses were glad to finally arrive after our 2225 mile drive.  

We rested, if you call getting ready for a 2600 mile ride resting, all Sunday. We had hoped to meet up with National Geographic who were doing a special on the Pacific Crest Trail and asked for an interview, but their truck broke down. We had 2656 miles of trail in front of us and we were grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to grasp that we were actually starting to ride the entire United States from south to north. 

  THE BOOK REVIEW

 So many trails - So little time!

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