Pierce Creek - Dissapointment~

A Sunny Saturday & Butch had an activity to drive.  A perfect day to head south to one of our favorite places to ride, Pierce Creek.  The last time I'd been here, was the end of April, when I'd first lost vision in my eye.  We'd dropped off fuel for our BCHIA SW Chapter, for a second day of trail-clearing & turned back to the optometrist office in Glenwood.

SW corner trails~

That same group had spent a hard days work last November, with chain saws, cutting back the trees & shrubs for this new trail.  All those Volunteer man hours & effort to open over a half-mile of trail through the timber.  I'd spent another day last fall following the Ranger to get the general idea of where the trail was to go.

Lake at Pierce Creek

 The April BHCIA work crew had finished off widening the trail enough that the Rangers could mow it.  I was so excited - finally - after all this time - to ride it!  There was a light breeze, it was a cooler day & the humidity was amazingly low.  Especially as wet as the ground was.  The most saturated I've ever seen it - though I'm not here as often as I'd have liked.

Crossing the dike~

Such a spectacular day!  Such a spectacular place, so rare in this state that has been dominated since it's inception, by thousands of acres of crops.

View from the SE corner~

Blooming  Goldenrod  dominated the landscape.  There were butterflies everywhere, Monarch's in abundance!  The bugs were still very bad, much worse than this time last year.  I was going to use Farah's mask, but instead just used spray & a roll on.  It wasn't enough.

Into the Timber~

We both knew where we were heading!  Farah trucked right in to the timber trails.  Even the grass areas were overgrown & hadn't been mowed in a while.  That should have been my first clue...

Trail???

At first, I rode right by the turn-in to the new trail, but within a few feet realized that we'd passed it.  No wonder, it was impossible to see.  Farah turned right in, she knew where it was & didn't hesitate.  At least not until she started lifting her front end off the ground, followed by stomping her hind legs!  I dismounted - to find her Covered in burrs!  Her legs were a solid mass of burrs going right up onto her chest & belly.  She had a light sheen of sweat, which helped as I started using my hands to scrape them down & off her legs.  She was so good to just stand there while I worked to get the worst of them off.  I remounted & looked around.  If it had been up to just me, I would have never found my way out.  With one eye & no depth perception - it was a jungle...

I gave Farah her head, she started back, only changing direction slightly once.  Once we were back on the main trail, I decided to go to the far end by the campground & try to go in there.  After all, I couldn't imagine that it wasn't open at some point?  Wrong!  Again, we got in a short way before we were again covered in burrs.  There had been absolutely No attempt by the park Rangers to keep the trail open.  We fought our way back & to the campground.

On my leg...

I spent at least 30-min. removing burrs from Farah, the cinch, my legs, boots etc.  How discouraging.   I almost thought about taking the roads back to the horse park, but instead remembered that the main trail was at least rideable.

Our attempts to ride the "new trail"~

It's not just the amount of volunteer hours that went into getting this trail in.  It's also discouraging that the people who come here often to ride, can't manage the few hours it would take to go through & keep it open.  Not hard work, at least it wasn't earlier in the season when BCH had it all cleared.

East side of the lake~

I was glad we'd taken the trails.  It gave me time to wear off my bad feelings towards the people who manage this park & those that are lucky enough to ride here - yet do nothing visible to maintain it.  The firepits were full of cigarette buts & trash etc.

I just had to take this little video of Farah :-)  She knew that I was paying no attention to the reins & was filming - so eventually she had to take advantage :-)

Looking back across from the west side~

Back over the dike & onto the much better trails near the gun club.  Better - as long as it's not a day that the shooting is going on.  We crossed the other access road & went up onto the hillside where Farah likes to move out.  Move-out we did!  We galloped our running hill twice, the second time, Farah kicked it into high gear & we had our Yippee run!

Bronco & Trailer - Between the Ears~

I'd been going to give her a bath before heading home, but the fly's were So bad!  I put her out on the ground tie, put her face mask on & let her graze.

Starting a roll~

She laid down & had a wonderful roll, back & forth!  Enjoying every minute, since she's not had a good one on grass in a while now.  I sat & spent the time taking more burrs off myself & our tack, before loading her up.

Our route~

It was a great ride!  All rides are Great rides!  But my disappointment in the management practices here know no bounds.  I just hope that BCHIA hasn't given any funding to this park.  At least not until they are sure that the money is used to actually maintain the trails!

Not As Planned ~

I'd been so looking forward to this weekend!  Our BCHIA SW Chapter was going to finish clearing the trail through the timber at Pierce Creek!  I'd met with the Ranger for a first walk September of last year, to help lay out the proposed trail.  Then, the first work-party day, the group of us labored so hard, but fell short of our goal of getting it all the way through.  (A skid-steer had been scheduled to widen & finish it off in January, but somehow those plans failed.)

Friday evening, Butch & I were sitting out, when suddenly the vision in my right eye turned gray?  I put in drops, but I still couldn't see much of anything.  My entire field of vision was gray, separated by a few small spaces where it seemed I could see clearly.  I called my optometrist & left a message. 

We were on the road early on Sat., anxious to get to Pierce Creek - bringing fuel for the saws.  About 1/2 way there, Jacque called.  After I described my symptoms, she told me to turn around & come back to her office for a full evaluation.  We dropped off the fuel & turned back to Glenwood...

It seems that my cornea was somewhat sandblasted.  I think from the huge wind gust Farah & I went through on Friday.  I was sent home & told to use drops every hour & take it easy :-)  By day's end, the eye was less cloudy & that was a huge relief.  Our stalwart BCHIA friends did finish the trail without us!

Sunday we'd planned to start getting the pasture fence in at the farm!  The wind was again blowing something fierce, so I kept my eye drops handy & only did hand pruning.  The vision in my right eye was again blotchy & I was worried.

Farah loving the green grass~

Butch laid out the pasture area & we started moving posts.  Soon Linus & Kay arrived (with donuts)!  Everyone got busy & it was amazing how quickly those posts went in!

Layout~

There were several areas where Butch used the chainsaw to clear the perimeter.  Kay & I started hacking & cutting back the underbrush.  

"Before"

With the creek in the middle, we've had suggestions to use a culvert & cover it with dirt, but enough dirt would be hard to come by.  Janice & I like the idea of a little bridge :-)

Our cleared path!

Kay & I did a super job, if I do say so, of cutting everything back for the path.  Butch came through with the chainsaw.  There was only one tree we had to remove & a widow maker stuck in some higher branches.

Dean arrives with the tractor~

Dean on the tractor was a huge help, moving an old round of hay off the path & pulling the fence fabric tight.  While cutting back greenbrier at the base of a huge tree, we found this beautiful nest with three speckled eggs!  Dean identified them as White Breasted Nuthatch!

A beautiful nest~

Needless to say, we left the nest alone & Dean added a few branches to replace the greenbrier we'd cut & pulled out.

Plenty of lush grass!

We ran out of white tipped posts, so had to go to red - so much for my color scheme :-)  It was a beautiful day, except for the wind...  

Lunch in the tack room~

I'd made a pot of my three-bean dish.  Just full of hamburger, bacon, onion & usually, a meal in itself!  We all decided we'd be much more comfortable in out of the wind! 

Walkway posts in!

By about 4 p.m. it felt like quitting time!  Linus again mentioned ice cream would be a great way to end the day.  Tastee Treat - was as busy as we've ever seen it - but we managed to get a booth!  We're far from done, but in another weekend or two, Farah will have her pasture!  Many thanks to some really Super Friends!

2017 - Our First Year - Settlin' In~

Our first year at the Home Place!  Twelve-months that will go down in our history as a basis of comparison for future years. Whether the routines, the weather, the landscape or the memories.

1-14-17 Our new norm - sunshine!

January, the first couple weeks we were in Boulder. Once we returned home, I was busy hacking, pruning & hauling years of accumulated trash up from the creek area.  The weather was so mild!  Butch was installing cabinets & new sinks in the master bath.

1-21-17 Nika & me - hard at work~

With such nice weather, I started bringing up trash from the bottom of the hillside between our backyard area & the creek.  Projects of one sort or another dominated most of the year.

2-15-17 Butch, Nika & the new fence~

By mid-February, the fence was finally in!  Nika was free to run & was the happiest dog ever!

Butch installed tile backsplash & the new kitchen island.  Farah & I enjoyed trails at Two Rivers, NE & the local Wabash Trace for the first time.  Butch & I joined the newly formed BCHIA, SW Chapter.  Butch was elected Secretary of the Mills County Trails Board - which we both joined.

3-19-17 Clearing~

March, the weather was still wonderful.  I started to clear & clean out the area between our south fence & the creek.  Vines went high into the trees & were covered with thorns.

4-16-17 Dutchman's Breeches

Spring was Grand!  We'd been taking walks around town all winter & continued them into spring.  The local parks were fun to explore & I loved finding new-to-me native flowers!  We took down a large Mulberry tree at the east end of the house.  We were referred to the best deck contractor in the area & John agreed to take on our deck & porch projects.

6-11-17 - Done!

Butch tore off the old deck & John began work on the new one mid-May.  It was complete the first week of June!  The front porch was delayed by our wait for a variance, which we eventually received.  John started the third week of June & by the Fourth of July - it too was done!

7-1-17 Summertime~

Farah & I were busy finding anyplace somewhat local - to ride.  Waubonsie was our usual haunt, but we branched out to Indian Caves State Park, NE, Glen Cunningham Lake north of Omaha, Lake of Three Fires near Bedford & Pierce Creek outside Shenandoah.  All of these places roughly a 100-mile round trip.

Butch was driving the big yellow school bus & doing maintenance at a small apartment property.  Between the two jobs, working full-time.

8-15-17 Mason, Butch, Cassidy & Courtney

August was the month we'd looked forward to all year! Courtney & the kids came for their first visit! We toured the Omaha Zoo & drove to Indian Caves State Park to see the total eclipse. It seemed like every day went by faster than the last... The kids were happy to see the things they remembered were still with us. Farah was thrilled to see them too!

9-3-17 Sliding Door in~

September, Butch installed a sliding door in the family room - where we'd just had windows before.  Huge improvement in the views & accessibility to the back deck.  We had volunteered to help with the BCHIA Poker Ride & camped at Brushy Creek Recreation Area.  Wow - what a great place to ride with miles & miles of trails.  So fun to see all the new to us country!

9-30-17 At Brushy Creek~

October of last year, we were in Sheridan, WY, this year, enjoying our 35th Anniversary weekend at Lake Okoboji.  The drive up was beautiful & the lakes incredible.  So great to find a place that we like so much, easy drive & no traffic!  Yes, we're spoiled now!

10-13-17 Touring the largest of the lakes~

November & fall - gorgeous weather - some of the nicest of the entire year.  Farah & I were on the trails more than any other month & had traveled 400-miles by year's end.  Not the huge number's we used to accumulate, my priorities are changing as the years continue to march by.  We found the north end of the Wabash Trace is closest to home & the longest ride in the area - so we do it often.  We also had fun horse camping weekend with a new friend at Lake of Three Fires.

12-12-17 NW Corner of our second lot~

Though we were still waiting for the survey, I took advantage of the nice weather to start clearing into the timber areas.  After some reconnaissance, it was obvious the area was totally overgrown, forgotten & covered in trash.

December we flew to Washington - then drove south to Oregon - to visit the Grand-kids!  How many ways are there to say how much we miss them?  The two weeks have flown by...  We packed as much fun into each day as possible.  Making memories that will last a lifetime for us & hopefully for them too...

After spending the day at the beach, with the Wrights & loving every minute, they left for home  We drove south - to what was in the past - our favorite get-a-way Cannon Beach, OR.  Though the day had turned cloudy & cool - just an hour before sunset - the sun broke through the low hanging clouds.

We stood witness to a gift from God, humbled to be in such a place, at such a time.  2017 left us in a blaze of glory~

Past Year - 2016~

New Trail At Pierce Creek!

I never imagined, when we moved to Iowa, that we'd get the opportunity cut a new trail through timber!  There's so little left, most has already been designated for whatever purpose, usually hunting.  But - with the forethought of some inspiring people, Pierce Creek Recreation Area is still working to add what horse trails they can.

Our SW Chapter of BCHIA had this on our list for the year & we were determined to do what we could to help get this long anticipated perimeter trail laid out & cut in.

Butch & Pat 

 We started off one of the existing trails, in the SW corner - just off the far end of the campground.  That's the place where I'd walked in with the Ranger & Skid Steer operator in September.  Our hike then, was to familiarize me with the tentative path where the trail would go.  We'd followed the ribbons that Randy had put up in March.  Today, I didn't get photos of that area, I was busy leading the way - trying to spot one marking ribbon & then going to the next.

Near the SE corner~

 With chain saws blazing away behind me, once Butch was used to finding the ribbons, he & Robert went ahead, while the rest of us picked up their mess & cut & chopped where we could.

Butch cutting back the Sumac

 Even after our hard freezes, it was just amazing how much brush we had to get through.  Randy gave us some lee-way in where the trail would lay, so we did our best to give it some nice curves.  We kept to high ground & avoided the widow makers that we couldn't reach to cut down.  We did our best to get in every foot of mileage that we could.

Robert & Amy~

 There were times that the undergrowth was so thick we couldn't even see the person nearest us!  Finding ribbons became an art-form!  :-)  Eventually, we rounded the corner & could just see the fields to the east!

Heading along the eastern edge~

 We ran into huge multiflora rose bushes, almost as big as trees, sending tendrils in all directions.  Even Goose Berry became an enemy & I don't even want to mention the Locus Trees with their long, nasty thorns!

Butch heading along the eastern edge~

 We had such high hopes of getting all the way through - at least I did!  We all continued on, as the sun got lower & lower on the horizon.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for trail work!  Cool, cloudy & no bugs!  Later when the sun appeared, the woods became so beautiful!  Finally we hit a spot along the creek on the north edge, where the undergrowth was just too thick for the tools we had & the strength we had left!

Where we gave up clearing~

It was after 4 p.m., we were all tired, none of us had even taken a break & Pat mentioned Jo's chili was waiting back in camp!  I wanted to get the entire trail on my GPS, so two of our group turned back to pick up our coats & miscellaneous gear while the rest of us forged forward again looking for ribbons.  The ones we found now, were fresh - Randy had said he would get out to add ribbons to aid us in our quest.  We were actually glad, once we broke through, that we hadn't started from this end.  Our chain saws etc., were put to much better use the way we'd come.

Pat, Richard, Robert & Butch~

 All these guys were sporting bloody wounds by the time we came out on the trail!  We hustled back to camp & it was with sweet relief that we sat down to a bowl of Jo's hot chili, chips & Joyce's wonderful brownies!

Can you see  our trail?

 After our rest, Butch & I headed back up - I had promised some of the ladies in our matt-making group that I would try to bring back some hedge apples for them.  I also wanted my Garmin to have the entire route.

One of the easier sections to clear!

We were thrilled with the work everyone had done.  In WA, this would now be considered a trail & with the horses going over it, would soon be well settled.  Here though - wider trails mean less trail maintenance & a lot is done with the machines. 

Perimeter Trail~

In January, Terry will be out with the skid-steer, especially adapted for trail-clearing.  I understand that it's a Beast!  I do hope to come out & see it at work - from a distance!

Brushy Creek Recreation Area~

Our first time camping in Iowa & in 18-months!  I was so happy we'd be visiting the Brushy Creek Recreation Area.  Every horseperson I've talked to said it was the nicest place to ride in our state.

It was our shakedown trip & required new logistics.  The drive down to the barn where Farah is boarded is so steep, we decided to pick her up with the Bronco & bring her home.  Once home, Butch would hitch the trailer to the truck & we'd be on our way.  The trailer had a flat...  Only the second time in 22-years & heaven knows how many miles - that has happened.  Butch put the spare on, took the tire for a repair & we were on the road a little later than we'd planned.  Traveling here is so different from what we've been used to.  No multiple lanes full of stop & go traffic, no stop lights & once we turned off I-80, just miles of country roads with no one in front of us the entire way.  A 185-mile trip, I used both Google Maps & a paper map to navigate our route.

Farah stands tied~

Check-in time was 4 p.m. & we were there well before that.  I was a little concerned - we'd never asked Farah to stand tied for a weekend.  She's always camped in her electric corral where she can move around, roll, etc.  Our spot was in the north campground, it's smaller than the very large one to the south.  A beautiful area with clean restrooms & plenty of water hydrants.  Almost everyone had huge rigs with large living quarters, the comfortable choice here in such wide-open country.

Setting up camp~

Butch hooked the beefy carabineer clip I use with my Blocker Tie-Ring to the heavy gauge wire bolted between the hitching posts.  It took Farah about two-seconds to figure out she could walk from one end of the posts to the other, the clip sliding along.  I was so proud of her.  Not once over the weekend did, she test it, even when we were away at the registration table & the nearest horses left on a ride.

We'd volunteered to help with the BCHIA Poker ride.  Sat. morning, we woke to sunshine & what seemed like a very cold wind!  Registration started at 8:30 & we finished up a little after 10:00.  By then my hands were frozen stiff & I was ready to saddle up & see what I could of the over 40-miles of trail!

On our way!

Farah was feeling fresh, I had on my North Face vest!  We had a map, our neighbors had offered to wait to ride out with me, but they had one young horse described as slow to the extreme.  I decided we'd be better off on our own.

The view from the Preserve Trail~

We traveled about two miles south along the edge of the park road, before finding a rider who told us we were on track.  Around the next corner would be the start of one of the prettiest trails here.  Wow - is about all I can say!  It was totally like something out of a Mark Twain story!

Perfect footing~

Farah is barefoot & the footing couldn't have been nicer!  Soft dirt & we did some moving out!

Underpass~

After riding through the stunning timber, we came out on the above underpass, just a couple miles from the south equestrian camp.  We met so many friendly riders & it was such an incredibly beautiful day!

South camp~

 We took a short break here - most riders were out to get their five punches to draw five cards & be eligible for some of the great prizes.  As usual my cards didn't win us anything - so after a snack I decided to head north & take different trails.

Woodland~

The country in the park is so varied!  From timber to grasslands, each area so different than I'd imagined.  I decided to find the All-Weather Trail around the lake to get back to our camp.

At the stream~

It was so wonderful to find this beautiful stream!  The water was crystal clear with a rock bottom.  We were both reminded of Pilchuck Creek, one of Farah's favorite spots.  She waded in, stood out in the middle & yawned.

Field of Grass~

In places it was like riding through a Monet painting.  Just the wind blowing the tall grass~

Sunflowers~

We came to a couple places where finding the trail was a little sketchy.  At this point there was no signage & we followed a dirt track for a couple miles before I realized we were going away from the lake.

First Bridge~

We turned back, took the other way & found the first of the bridges.  I really had no idea just how big this lake was!  Farah started across the bridge, just one stop to check the piece of transition steel she made sure to step on :-) Being barefoot - she didn't get the usual ringing sound shoes make :-)

So Beautiful!

Once across we found this amazing trail through the big timber.  This All-Weather trail has a crushed limestone surface - very nice - horses are allowed throughout the year.

On the trail around the lake~

At least now I felt like we were on the right track.   The map I had was cut off at the top, so didn't show the trail to the north we'd need to get back to camp.

Mileage marker 7?

When we found this marker - I was sure we were on the trail around the lake.  I called Butch & told him that we'd probably be back in about an hour.  Boy was I wrong!

Another view of the lake~

This lake has so many fingers - around every turn was another incredible view.  Even with the stiff wind, the surface of the lake was amazingly smooth - just light windswept ripples.

My favorite view~

Another couple miles - we made a turn & ended up at the bridge we'd crossed to get here!  No way!  I had No idea how we'd done that & it certainly didn't show any loop trails on the map I had...  So - we crossed back the way we'd come & looked for another trail going the direction I thought we needed to go.  

A different Bridge!

By now it was almost 4 p.m., the clouds were moving in & we were down to three pieces of carrot & three grapes :-) I told Farah we'd both be getting pretty hungry if we didn't find our way back soon!  As luck would have it - my Garmin hadn't taken a full charge & the battery failed about half-way through our loop, so it was useless.   I had a feeling Farah's feet were getting tender from the crushed rock.  I'd been dismounting & walking a mile now & then to give her some relief. 

Final lake view~

We crossed the bridge & met a couple fishermen standing in water along the dike trying to get their boat engine started.  Neither had any idea where the north campground was.  We came to another intersection & road to another boat ramp.  Finally - there was another marker with the number 3!  I no longer trusted these markers - but gave Butch one more call & told him this time we were again going to be back in an hour!  Farah decided to take charge, (It was getting close to her dinner time, after all!) & moving over into the tall weeds along the side of the trail & hit her trot!  

Our Route from the North to the South Equestrian Camp~

Suddenly, I could see trailers through the trees!  It didn't look anything like the way we'd gone out - but once we came up the final hill - I realized we'd returned to the north Equestrian camp at the far end from where we'd left!  Yippee!  It was five p.m.! 

Farah got her bath & dinner.  We'd both had a blast!  It was just so wonderful to have miles & miles of trail to ride without running into a perimeter fence.  We covered over 22-miles & I didn't even get to all the trails I wanted to!

Sunday, we woke to a chill wind & light rain.  Butch had a trip to Des Moines on his schedule for early Monday - so we packed up & headed home.  It was a really enjoyable trip to a beautiful place!