Jan 12 Apache Junction

One of the folks here in camp is Tanya Bear, aka T-Bear. She is a veteran endurance rider and easily acknowleged as the best rider here. She has a pickup which is end to end graphics which promotes her project, which is a series of ultra distance endurance horse races. Over several days competitors ride 450 miles, and the top riders get cash prizes - $30,000 to the winner. To this point no endurance races pay prizes, so what she is doing is new. I was glad to hear she is taking a lead from the existing endurance events in protection of the horses.

Today I planned to drive my horses, but saw Mike Miller heading out with his mules around 11 o'clock. I had not known him before yesterday. We took off towards the west, picking our way through scrub brush and cactus. In this desert area there are multiple trails, so you can search around till you get one going the right way. A hundred years ago many people were digging holes and boring mines for gold. I am aware of one mine that is still happening. We had some trails that were clear, but more often we were driving over ruts and rocks, and in some places over bare rock surfaces. Mike's mules plodded on impressively without protest. We were trying to go behind a ridge of low hills, to get on a loop that is part of the Apache Trail, a former stagecoach route. The stages probably hauled a lot of gold out of this area. We were making good, if rough, progress until we came to a section of trail that was like boulder surfaces, and we realized we had met our match, and turned around. We were back to the park at 4:30.
After several days of 75 degrees and a light cooling breeze, we should see some clouds and a bit of rain tomorrow.