Trail Ride Day 3–Finally!

It’s a week late, but at long last here are my thoughts on the last day of the trail ride.
It’s not like my dad hasn’t been trying to tell me this my entire life! In the summer sun of southern Idaho, you’ll stay cooler if you were light colored clothing and big hat rather than as little clothing as possible and sunscreen.

CJ listening to Richard on the wagon.

Here’s the thing. I’m watching all these cowboys and cowgirls and they, for the most part, have long sleeves on  -- often with a neckerchief – and the requisite cowboy hat. Oh, and long pants.
When I’d show up to hoe beans or paint bee houses or help around the farm, my dad would get after me for wearing cut offs and a tank top with no hat. (This, by the way, is still my preferred apparel until I am forced to switch into a sweatshirt and jeans) I was convinced I would stay cooler and have an awesome tan.
So day three, I figured I give this whole long sleeved thing a try. I’ll be damned. Now, it didn’t get that hot on Day 3 so I wasn’t able to try this experiment in the heat of the day. However, I had a long sleeved shirt on and a big, quite ugly, floppy hat that had been stuffed in my suitcase for several days. By golly, I didn’t feel overheated. Who would’ve thunk it?

Poet Jessica Hedges, dressed like the cowgirl she truly is!

I learned quite a bit by watching the cowboys. Real cowboys take care of their horses first. They might grab a smoke and a cup of coffee, but they feed and water their horses before they do anything else in the morning. Real cowboys make sure everyone in the party is together. They wait to make sure the stragglers are OK. Real cowboys might carry a gun on the ride, but they rarely carry them in public. They don’t pack heat just because they can. Real cowboys have manners, a sense of humor and a spiritual appreciation of the land they ride.
I also over came my gigantic fear of horses. Horses are, in fact, amazing creatures. I now understand why people are so obsessed by them. They have personalities and intellect. Something I’d heard about, but never witnessed the way I did this week.
In a new development, my brother found his copy of the transcripts of my great-grandfather’s wagon train diaries. I’ve only made it through the first few weeks of the journal, but already I’m seeing a few similarities.
First of all, on a good day they average 10 – 15 miles. On a really good day they might go 20. That’s about the extent of what we did. They are traveling between stops where they can rest and water the oxen and  horses. While we were close to home, Richard had to stop frequently to let his horses rest. The trail boss had planned the route so there would be frequent breaks. Getting over-tired doesn’t serve anyone, human or horse, well.

The thing that stands out the most so far is the friends my great-grandfather makes along the way. Sometimes, they’ll work to pass other groups making the trip. Others they avoid. But, more often than not, they make friends and join forces with other travelers. I know I’ve made some wonderful friends along my short trip. As we went into the three – day Lost – n- Lava Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering, we shared a special bond. The performers on the trip mentioned us as they introduced songs. We shared private jokes with the poets. When we got home the Facebook “friend requests” flew. Pictures were posted and our new friends “tagged”.  In three days, we created a bond – one I don’t think will be easily broken.

My new friend Silky

Will I go on another trail ride? Absolutely. Next time I might even try to ride a horse!