Conditioning Ride 9-22-2011

HRR: 60

HR10min: n/a

Distance: 10 miles

Avg Spd: 3.3mph

Time: 3 hours, 11 minutes

I had originally planned to go up to Laguna again, but we got a late start and I was tired. So we went to Horsethief instead. Usually we get a very short ride here, but I had a suspicion I'd be able to find more trail if I was willing to explore a little bit.

While grooming Hoss, I noticed he had crusty patches just in front of his girth area. He's developed these before. I've experimented with every type of girth available and nothing has changed it. After 20 or more miles, he has these patches of hair pulled out that turn crusty. If I'd had something to put on it for a little lubrication, I would have done that. I figured I wasn't planning on a hugely long ride, and I was planning on a walking ride, so I didn't worry about it. I made sure the girth was snug and we headed out on the trail.

I checked the map on the board at the trail head, and knew there was a trail that headed up toward Pine Valley from where we started. I've never seen it before. What I have always used in the past are "user created" trails. So we rode on down, and I kept my eyes open for trails I've not noticed in the past.

When we got to what in winter is a pond, I looked to the right and sure enough, I saw a little used trail. I recalled once seeing a couple of people on foot coming out of that area. I decided it just might be the trail I was looking for and headed Hoss on up it to explore.

Out from Secret Canyon

The trail was clearly pretty much unused. I didn't see any tracks beyond wildlife. I did see some dirt bike tracks after a while, but they were clearly old, from the last rains. It was also clear that I had, indeed, found the trail I was looking for. I found the Secret Canyon trail!

We came to a cowboy gate – which had a convenient trail around it rather than through it – and came out at a Jeep road. I decided to turn left, figuring it was our best bet for getting back without being forced to turn around.

We climbed up the Jeep trail and it seemed to be bringing us around to the road that comes through Horsethief Canyon. It wasn't far, though, until we came to a locked gate across the road. Clearly we weren't going that way!

Up the Jeep road

We turned around and headed back down. We'd been out for two hours at this point, and I wasn't real keen on staying out a great deal longer. Had there been more time, I would have explored further to see if we could pick up trail again. Instead, when we reached the trail we'd come up, we headed on back down.

I usually prefer to do loops rather than go up and back. There is, though, a certain advantage to the up and back thing. It feels faster going back, and Hoss knows where he's going. And really, going back down affords a different view of the trail.

Coming back down Secret Canyon

We had a good walk over trail with plenty of strong climbs. Despite being shorter than I would usually do a slow ride on, I felt it was a good challenge.

After we got back to the trailer and I stripped the saddle, I noticed Hoss's crusty patches had become raw, tender and swollen patches. They weren't bloody, but they were definitely not okay! As a result of checking them, I forgot to take Hoss's heart rate at the ten minute mark.

When we got home, I gave Hoss a bath and treated the tender spots. Although we've always had this problem to some extent, I suspect I've allowed the fleece cover for his girth to get too dirty. It's never been this bad. Hopefully I can get it sufficiently healed up before the ride.