The cows left behind at weaning the other day are now in the Mesa Pasture. It was a frosty ride at the beginning.
It’s a difficult walk on a good day… add the snow, and Panama and I just eased along… me perpetually hanging on against Panama’s expected stumbles.
The cows had gathered themselves into a rough corner, rocky, slick, the closest way out, a steep draw. I’ve ridden that way once… not a fan on a dry day. My only reassurance was that my horse didn’t want to fall down either!
The trees all held icicles on their shaded branches… offerings to winter.
We drop down, used trails are now slick with mud. The cows walk eagerly, ready to leave the snow behind.
Each mile shrinks the snow, the elevation dropping. Although it looks bare, the snow lingers at the base of grasses, causing slips and trips and long sliding hoof prints in the mud.
Work completed, we have to ride a few extra miles to where the horse trailer is parked at the edge of the serious mud.
Find me here!
I can’t imagine that much time in the saddle, in those conditions, I visit Rocky Mountain Nat. Park every fall, go on a two hr. trail ride at Estes Park, rough trail part of the time, this year I rode Joker again, haven’t been on him for 3 years, 1 st. time was in 2012, he was young & I hadn’t been on a horse for 40 plus years, I was 65, he was 4, was an interesting ride to say the least, this year we were both “old hands” was a great ride, but after 2 hours I could hardly walk when I dis mounted! Guess you all are truly “old hands”!
I can feel the cols all the way here. BBBRRRR