From Castle to a Tent to a Resort

Mercutio resting in our portable Corrals 2 Go corral after the long trailer ride.  

From the Sacramento Pass campground near Ely, Nevada, we traveled to the Rose Ranch Resort (http://roseranchresort.com/) near Marysville, UT.  Now, they don't advertise as horse motel, but I was desperate for a place to spend the night so we wouldn't have to spend too much time on the road.  Nathan Marshall, the owner, was willing to put us up for the night and he was extremely kind to do so.

We would have loved to book a cabin, but they were all reserved so we ended up pitching a tent and putting up the portable corral.

Rose Ranch used to be a working guest ranch with horses, but they got rid of the horses in the 2008 recession when people were dumping horses.  The stables are gone.  The Marshalls are the new owners, and they turned it into an RV park where they rent out ATVs to guests.

All the trails that used to be used for guided horse rides are now used by the ATVs, so we were obliged to use a small trail that can't be used by ATVs.

Here I am on the short trail by the creek.  We could hear the sound of water running through the creek by our tent.  The trail was hard pack and sand.

Once again, I got to set up my kitchen and we had a nice shady area on a lawn.  The resort even provided an extension cord, so we could plug in our fridge/freezer.  There was wireless internet, but it was spotty.

I am a little peeved by the use of the word "resort" here.  In my mind, a resort has a place to eat, a small store, a pool, a jacuzzi, maybe tennis courts and a golf course.  The Rose Ranch Resort had none of those things.  There were two unisex bathrooms with showers (single stall -bring your own toilet paper, single shower) and an ice freezer where we could purchase ice.  We were grateful for a place to spend the night and we purchased two bags of ice for our coolers.

The horses were thrilled that we were allowed to locate the corral on a beautiful lawn.

When we departed, this is what was left of the lawn.  You can see where the corral was and where the horses pretty much ate every scrap of grass they could find and were starting to tear up the dirt.  This is after a single night.

Our next stop was at Tasha Equestrian Campground near Richfield, UT.  At this point, we were seven days into our trip and out of hay.  So we stopped in Richfield, hoping to find a feed store with bales of hay or alfalfa.  There are three feed stores in Richfield; which, by the way, is a pretty small town.  There were more feed stores than Starbucks and McDonalds.  None of the feed stores carried bales.  We ended up buying two 50 lbs sacks of alfalfa cubes because horses need to eat.

We had just pulled out of the feed store and were at a light when a local in the car next to us signaled me to roll down my window.  When I did, he advised me that one of the trailer tires had a bulge in it.  I thanked him.  Ari pulled onto a side street and we got out to check the tire.

See the bulge in the tire in the lower right?

Well, we couldn't drive on that.  Yes, we have a spare and the spare is a real tire, not one of those odd ones, but if we are in a town where we can buy a tire, I would rather do that then burn the spare.

I quickly pulled up 'local tire stores' on my cell phone and found a Big O Tires a half a mile from our location.

We pulled into the Big O Tires place and they took care of us right away.  We didn't even have to take the horses out of the trailer.  As you can see from the video, they jacked up the trailer with the horses inside.  We were taken care of in about 15 minutes.  It cost us about $120 for the new tire and the service, plus they checked the air pressure in the remaining tires to make sure they were OK.

Driving to Tasha Equestrian https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233150, we could still see snow on the mountains and the temperature was in the mid-60s.

We were greeted at the campsite by the hostess who handed us a trail map.  It was fairly easy to locate our campsite because my name was on it.

There were three pipe corrals, so the horses were secure.  The horses were introduced to alfalfa cubes at dinner, which we poured into their grain bins.  Both horses were extremely upset about the menu change.  What is this you are trying to feed us?  Where is the real food?  They dumped their grain bins and stomped all over the alfalfa cubes to show their displeasure.  Lennox urinated all over his dinner, but by breakfast his hunger had made him less choosy.  Breakfast was gobbled down by both horses.

The mosquitoes were out in force, so I put Mercutio's Rastafarian headband on to keep the insects at bay.  Ari talked to one of the other campers who told him that they had been there a week and already gone through two cans of Cutter's insect spray.  Apparently, the snow had only recently thawed, the mosquito larvae had hatched and now there were millions of new-born mosquitoes hungry and lying in wait for any unsuspecting warm-blooded creature.

I set up my kitchen, but it wasn't that usable, because the campsite was on a slope.

We set up our tent OK, but it seemed like the campsites are really intended for RV or LQ use even though this is an equestrian site.  We were the only tent people in that campground.

We had been warned that the trails were rocky so we put scoot boots on both horses.  Lennox wears a Size 8 scoot boot.  Mercutio wears a dainty Size 4.  This is a picture of Mercutio modeling his Scoot Boots.  Both our horses are barefoot.  We prefer keeping our horses barefoot because we believe it is healthier for the horse, but also because we have been out in the middle of nowhere and Oberon has lost a shoe.  When a horse loses a shoe, they are effectively lame.  They can't be ridden.  So, you have to find a farrier to replace the lost shoe before you can ride again.  Scoot Boots are a great compromise because they act like horse shoes, but they can be worn only when you are on a trail which is really rocky.  You don't want to ride barefoot on a really rocky trail because then the horse might pick up a rock in his foot which causes an abscess.  An abscess is kind of like a blister that gets infected.  If the horse gets an abscess, he is usually lame for at least a week while you baby his injured foot back to health.

We also have used Easy Boots on the trail, but I like the Scoot Boots better.  The Easy Boots we used had a clip that bit into the horse's hoof and left a mark.  They also didn't always stay on.

There was a hitching post next to the corrals, so we could get the horses tacked up.

Here I am on the trail with Fish Lake in the background.

Lennox continued his Bulldozer act on this ride.  He did not want to slow down at all.

There Lennox is in the distance, leaving us in the dust.  Mercutio is fine with that because it gives him a chance to eat some of the grass on the side of the trail.

The scenery on the trail was beautiful.  We rode the Pauite Trail and a little bit of the Fish Lake trail.  

But, the mosquitoes, oh, the mosquitoes!  Ari, myself, and both horses were bitten and bitten and bitten.

Ari and I were mostly concerned about Ari because he is seriously allergic to insect bites.  He has had to go to the emergency room more than once due to an insect bite.

So, reluctantly we cut our stay at Tasha Equestrian Campground short. We only did one ride and we left first light the next morning.

Our next stop is Green River, UT.

From a Castle to a Tent - Next Stop Sacramento Pass BLM Campground

I forgot to post a picture of the master suite in the castle, so here it is.  The room was huge and had a really nice bed, TV and sitting area.

Ari fills up our water tanks before we hit the road to our next stop.

Our next stop is the Sacramento Pass BLM horse campground.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/sacramento-pass-recreation-area

This is free camping because it is BLM land.  Technically, BLM land belongs to everybody.  Sites are on a first come, first served basis.

There are two campsites there - one for everybody and one for equestrians.  You drive through and past the non-equestrian site to get to the one for equestrians.  We got there and there was only one campsite left.  All the other campsites were being used by non-equestrians.  

The local Back Country Horseman members have built up this campsite.

There is a really nice corral built by the BCHA.  We put both horses in there for the night and they were pretty happy.  This is a pretty primitive campsite.  There is no water.  There are pit toilets.  You are expected to take the garbage with you and drop it at the trash cans at the first campsite.

We rode in the evening after we got our tent and kitchen set up and then again in the morning.  The trails are not well marked and we kept getting lost off the trail because any time there was a space between the brush we thought it was a trail.  It made for a really frustrating ride.  We would get off the trail, hit a dead end and then have to backtrack to find the trail again.  Adding to the frustration, Lennox has reverted to his Bulldozer ways - where he just wants to move out.  I don't know if it is because the trails were basically wide open or because he was jacked up from spending hours in the trailer.

Here we are in Nevada in the middle of June and temperatures have been in the low 60s.  It was even colder at night.  But the stars, oh my!  The night sky at this campsite is gorgeous.

No internet or cell service at all...I had to wait  until we got to our next stop to post this update.  Tonight we are at the Rose Ranch in Marysville, UT.  More on that tomorrow....

Austin, Nevada

Leaving Fallon, Nevada, we headed east towards Austin. Nevada.  On our way to our next stop, we spent some time at the Bob Scott Summit in the Toyaibe National Forest.  We learned about the trails from this article by The TrailMeister https://horseandrider.com/horseback-trail-riding/trail-riding-in-the-toiyabe-toquima-and-monitor-mountain-ranges-of-nevada-14830.

It was fairly easy to locate the Bob Scott campground which is across the street from the summit overlook.  We parked outside the campground because there is a cattleguard which the horses can't cross.  There is a small pull-out where we could pull the trailer in.  There is a small gate made of barbed wire which you need to open and close in order to access the trails.

Lennox and Mercutio waiting to get saddled up

Mercutio posing for the camera - this is his best side

You can see the small barbed wire gate in the background

This is what the scenery was like on the trails.  Not a lot of trees, but it was only 64 degrees - in Nevada - in mid-June.  There was a nice breeze and that made for a pleasant ride.  The elevation is around 7,000 feet so the air is a little thinner, but a lot cleaner.  The trails were hard pack and sand.  Not too rocky.  

There was still some patches of snow on the mountaintops.

We spent the night at the Paradise Ranch Castle about 30 miles east of the Bob Scott Campground.  

http://www.paradiseranchcastle.com/

This place is a real find.  We set up our portable horse corral for the two horses.  It is only $125 per night and the host - Donna - is fabulous.

Here are the horses in their portable corral with the castle in the background.  The shade area was already set up, we just added our corral to it.  We are using a Corrals-2-Go corral.  The set up was really easy and quick and the horses are secure.

Here is another view of the castle with the mountains in the distance.

The castle is beautifully furnished and decorated.

Donna has put a lot of thought into every room.  

We booked the master bedroom suite with private bath.  The bathroom featured a jacuzzi tub.  The room was huge!  In fact, most of the rooms in the castle are over-sized.  It's a joy just wandering around the castle and exploring. 

Downstairs there is a "dungeon" with a jukebox, pool table and full bar.

Ari figuring out what to play on the jukebox.

The bar is fully stocked.  There are also card tables for playing poker.

The view from the turret.

Ari and I were so happy to stay here.  The horses enjoyed their stay as well.  So, if you are ever in the Austin, Nevada area, be sure to stay here with your horses - but bring a portable corral.

First Stop - Boarding on the Lake in Granite Bay, CA

Our first stop was one of our favorite horse motels..Boarding on the Lake https://www.boardingonthelake.com/ located in Granite Bay, CA.

Cal is the manager.  He is really welcoming and helpful.

The horses were settled in to nice shady stalls.

Cal feeds and mucks the stalls - $30 per horse per night.

One of the reasons this is a favorite place for us to stop with our horses is the trail ride around Folsom Lake.  We can ride to the trails from the barn.  

Ari getting ready for our trail ride at Folsom Lake

On the trail...you can see the lake peeking behind him.

The trails are hard pack, not rocky, and easy to negotiate.

We spotted these turkey buzzards on the trail.  This is pure American West.  All that was missing was Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Folsom Lake is quite beautiful.  You can ride on the sand dunes and into the water.  Ari was able to get Lennox to splash into the lake, but my horse kept his feet dry.

Boarding on the Lake is boasting a new addition - this three week old foal named Legacy.

The second night of our trip was spent at Skillman Horse Camp in the Tahoe National Forest.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234591

I learned about this campsite from the HCTAA facebook group.  It was easy to find our campsite because my name was on it.  The campsite is $15 per night.

There were two corrals at the campsite.  The previous camper had failed to clean out the corrals.  Instead of mucking them out, he dumped hay on top of the manure.  Needless to say, it was a huge mess.  There is a special place in hell for these people.  This is how horses pick up parasites - because they try to eat hay mixed with manure.  We spent a good hour cleaning out the corrals before we could put the horses in.

My office mate, Gayle Deal, sold me this kitchen set up and it is fabulous.  It folds up to the size of a folded card table and lets me lay out all my kitchen gear so I don't have to hunt for items.  If you are a camper,  I highly recommend it.

The campsite doesn't have a reliable water source.  I expected this and we had two 45 gallon water tanks installed into our trailer.  We ended up using about half one of the tanks on the horses, cooking and cleaning during our stay.

I also bought some solar panels and battery pack to power our fridge/freezer, but the charging was extremely slow - even in 90 degree heat.  Ari is skeptical about whether this was a worthwhile purchase, so we shall see how it does as we get farther into desert areas.

The campsite had a firepit and a picnic table as well as a porta-potty.  

We rode the Hallelujah to Pioneer trail from the campsite.  The trails are well maintained, mostly sand and hard pack, no big elevation changes, not too steep, a little narrow in spaces, but overall a good ride.

Both horses did well on the trails and are adapting to life on the road

Tonight we are in Fallon, Nevada.  The horses are staying at the Clark Ranch Horse Motel.  The owner is selling the ranch, so not sure how long she will remain in business or if the new owners will continue it.  

Like Cal, she feeds and cleans the stalls, but only charges $20 per night per horse.   There aren't any local trails, so this is just a layover until we can ride tomorrow.

She has tarp hanging in the back of the stalls.  The tarps act as a wind break, but it causes the tarp to flap.  If you have a horse that spooks at tarps or windy noises, this would be a good place to stay to de-sensitize them.  Lennox is totally cool with it.  My horse flinches every time the tarp makes a noise and he is staying in the corner as far away from the tarp as possible.

Tomorrow is Paradise Ranch Castle in Austin, Nevada.

Getting ready for our Next Adventure

It's been several years since our big trip to Wyoming with Laertes and Oberon.  Laertes and Oberon are now retired at the ages of 28 and 29, respectively.  They are living the good life at a retirement barn in Newcastle, CA.  We visit them every month or so and the barn manager provides us with regular updates on how they are doing.

We have two new mounts...

Lennox is a 14 year old Tennessee Walking horse, out of the The Pusher.  He has the classic Pusher markings with the white socks and white blaze.  His previous name was Bulldozer because he really moves out.  Ari has had him about three years now and he has calmed down a great deal.

Mercutio is a 13 year old Tennessee Walking Horse, registered as UC I'm Tough.  His previous barn name was Keno.  We give all our horses names from Shakespeare, so I renamed him Mercutio - who was Romeo's best friend.  Mercutio is more laid back that Lennox and not as confident.  I am hoping as he gains more trail experience he will become less nervous.

Prior to the trip, both horses get checked out by our vet, Bill Seale from Tri-County.  They are pronounced in perfect health and up for the long trip to Colorado and back.

Ari was so excited about his packing job, he asked me to take a picture.  He has got most of our camping gear in.  We still have to add kitchen gear and our camp refrigerator as well as two bale bags filled with hay and alfalfa, but it looks like we will be in good shape.