Post by Chrisnstar on Oct 18, 2004 23:22:58 GMT -5
with me and Ali? 
Here's where we went yesterday. It's called Saddle Ridge. It's the camp ground and trails at Hillsdale Lake State Park in Kansas....I feel so lucky to have this area practically in my back yard...
Here's the entrance.. only one side of it... There's a camp host who keeps everything tidy and decorated for the seasons...
We started out on the "red" trail, marked with red ribbons in the trees along an area called "the corps loop" because it winds along a hillside behind the US Army Corps of Engineers building. It is a 5 mile loop, very hilly and wooded overlooking the lake. It's a safe zone to ride during hunting season. No hunting allowed in here...
Yes, the trail goes between those two trees! Lots of knee knockers here... great place to practice leg yields!
The trail is pretty rocky in places...this is a stone path to ride on
And lots of places in Kansas have these remnants of old stone walls and fences...This is along the top of the ridge. On the other side of the ridge is a very steep hill that goes down to the lake. Part of the trail that I did not ride yesterday, has a narrow switchback that traverses the lakeside of the hill.
Then we switched over to the "blue loop". This has some really varied terrain, from steep and rocky hills, to prairie like this... this is a good canter spot! Ali was focusing on the pasture full of fox trotters to the east, LOL... The trees in the foreground are prairie cedars. They are ubiquitous in Kansas... The Indians used to burn them off because they'll take over and crowd the prairie grasses...
The prairie grasses turn fall colors just like the trees!
This is one of many boat ramps to the lake. Ali did so well with trucks pulling boats coming by us.
I was out of film when we got to Ali's diciest challenge.. a steep downhill into a lot of mud and a creek crossing. She just hates to get her feet muddy. She's crossed that particular crossing before, but always with other horses. I wish I had a photo of it to show you how steep and challenging it was. It took some convincing, but she finally did it. She got lots of atta girls when we got to the other side. She did all that I asked of her at that point so I found the shortcut back to the trailer from there..
We were out a little more than 2 hours.
chris
Here's where we went yesterday. It's called Saddle Ridge. It's the camp ground and trails at Hillsdale Lake State Park in Kansas....I feel so lucky to have this area practically in my back yard...
Here's the entrance.. only one side of it... There's a camp host who keeps everything tidy and decorated for the seasons...
We started out on the "red" trail, marked with red ribbons in the trees along an area called "the corps loop" because it winds along a hillside behind the US Army Corps of Engineers building. It is a 5 mile loop, very hilly and wooded overlooking the lake. It's a safe zone to ride during hunting season. No hunting allowed in here...
Yes, the trail goes between those two trees! Lots of knee knockers here... great place to practice leg yields!
The trail is pretty rocky in places...this is a stone path to ride on
And lots of places in Kansas have these remnants of old stone walls and fences...This is along the top of the ridge. On the other side of the ridge is a very steep hill that goes down to the lake. Part of the trail that I did not ride yesterday, has a narrow switchback that traverses the lakeside of the hill.
Then we switched over to the "blue loop". This has some really varied terrain, from steep and rocky hills, to prairie like this... this is a good canter spot! Ali was focusing on the pasture full of fox trotters to the east, LOL... The trees in the foreground are prairie cedars. They are ubiquitous in Kansas... The Indians used to burn them off because they'll take over and crowd the prairie grasses...
The prairie grasses turn fall colors just like the trees!
This is one of many boat ramps to the lake. Ali did so well with trucks pulling boats coming by us.
I was out of film when we got to Ali's diciest challenge.. a steep downhill into a lot of mud and a creek crossing. She just hates to get her feet muddy. She's crossed that particular crossing before, but always with other horses. I wish I had a photo of it to show you how steep and challenging it was. It took some convincing, but she finally did it. She got lots of atta girls when we got to the other side. She did all that I asked of her at that point so I found the shortcut back to the trailer from there..
We were out a little more than 2 hours.
chris
Cool as always! 
