HYRUM SADDLE CLUB: Trail??? We Don't Need No Stinking Trail!

On Saturday May 15, a group of 12 Hyrum Saddle Club members and guests gathered near the Blacksmith Fork River, about 3 miles west of Hardware Ranch. It was a beautiful spring morning in the Cache National Forest. We enjoyed a nice breakfast prepared by Danny and Lorraine Scholes. Afterward, the riders assembled, crossed the river and headed south, up Cottonwood Canyon. We followed a deer trail that winded along the east side of the creek for a several hundred yards and then crossed the creek. From this point, the trail became less distinguishable and the horses began their steep climb upward. We climbed steadily along the side of the valley for several miles. For most of this time, I never saw the hint of a trail. Along the way we spotted a moose running uphill and away from us. We lost sight of him in the trees, but it was definitely a mature moose. After seeing Bullwinkle, the group decided to head downhill south, back to the creek. We were searching for a pond, which had been discovered on a previous ride. As we reached the creek, we came across several small pools of water, which the horses greatly enjoyed. After resting for a few minutes, we continued up the creek toward the fabled pond. The ride began to get easier as the narrow creek bed opened up to a flat area sparsely covered with budding Aspen trees. We finally arrived at the pond location and discovered the pond was gone and the creek bed completely dry. At this point in the ride we decided to enjoy a snack. We rested the horses and ourselves for about 30 minutes, then saddled up and followed an old dirt road up the wash. Finally, we had found a REAL trail to ride on! We stayed on the dirt road for about ½ mile, then followed a fork in the road uphill to the left and headed due east for a time. The road eventually turned north and we decided it was time to head back to camp. We followed the road to a large open mountain meadow crossing. On the east edge of the meadow, we spotted a herd of 30 grazing elk. They also spotted us and after a looking back at us a few times, gathered together and headed off to hide in the cedars. We then turned slightly west to follow a deer trail leading north. Losing sight of any discernable trail, we slowly began to descend back toward the valley floor. The terrain was rough and rocky and strewn with scrub oak and fallen trees. The horses lined up single file as we traversed through these obstacle courses. The only incident of the day occurred as we passed a large fallen tree; a branch from the tree got lodged in my stirrup and pulled my leg backwards as my horse continued forward. Thankfully, the branch broke before either the saddle or I were seriously damaged. We continued steadily downward, finally coming across our original trail which led back to the creek. In all, the ride took about 5 hours. We covered approximately 7 miles, starting at an elevation near 5,000 feet and climbing to well over 7,000 feet. It was a great ride, enjoyed by all who attended.

Steve Sluder