There are some great people out here

I just have to say, that 10 days into this trip I am discovering that there are some great people out here. My friends have been wonderful, Alexis and James driving out to Sandy to bring me forgotten supplies, Alison for picking up Solo and keeping him for me while his pads healed up and then driving him out to Dufur, and of course Mr. Morris, Steve's Dad, for coming along with Steve to bring me Delightful to use as a pack horse. Oh and not to be forgotten, Steve Morris, my friend and the best horse shoer I have ever known, for all his help, shoing my horses for free to get me ready for this trip, picking up Delightful and bringing her to Maupin for me. It is an honor to have these people as friends, but what has surprised me most on this trip is those people that are willing to help me just because they are kind and giving souls.
Joie Smith of Rhodedendren who took a whole day to show me the path to ride over Mt Hood and then when there was a forcast of snow, she came and picked me up on the east side of Government Camp and took me to the fair grounds at Tygh Valley. Sid, the care taker at the Fair Grounds, who let me and the horse stay for free and even gave me change to take a shower(bless him forever for this). Gail and Randall(sorry if the name is wrong Gail's husband, I am horrible with names)who let me toss Mystic in there pasture for the night and let me stay with them. The wonderful people of Saniko, a true ghost town, who let me keep the horses inside city limits and fed me and allowed me to shower and do laundry(seriously, I almost cried at this). And then again tonight, Don, of Antelope, a lovely little town with some beautiful old homes and a nice cafe, who is putting my horses up in his corral, and allowing me to "rough it" in his fifth wheel and once again to take one of those ever so dreamy showers, he is a truly wonderful man.
Everyday that I am on this trip, my faith that this is indeed the best country in the world, full of the best people is restored. Thank you all and Bless you (and your showers).

Working out the bugs

Well, it is day 3 and I am still trying to work out the bugs on this trip. Found out yesterday that the path I wanted to take is snowed in and am now looking for alternate routes, and believe I have found one. Mystic and I are working on our relationship, it is hard to get used to a new horse when you have ridden one for 14 years and while everyday I miss my girl I know that if I just have patience Mystic will rise to the occasion. Solo is my bigger concern, his feet have paid the price of miles on the pavement and he is taking a break with my friend Allison. Hopefully he can rejoin me when he heals, if not I will have to find someone to take care of him during my trip, which will not make him or me happy.

While these first days have been frustrating, they have also been very cool, as I have met some wonderful people that have done everything from giving me water to letting me charge my cell phone to finding me an alternate route to travel. I must also comment the Sandy volunteer Fire Station for its nice field where I camped not one but 2 nights on this trip. It was starting to feel like 'GroundHogs Day'(an older movie starring Bill Murray) and I keep having this sneaking suspicsion that I will round the next bend and suddenly will be back at the fire station. hah hah

Well time to run to dinner before hitting the ranger station here to get maps for the trails I want to take and accurate snow tallies also.

I must say dinner was wonderful, Ali treated me to a meal that included one of the best briskets I have had and the best mac and cheese ever. If you are ever in Zig Zag Oregon, please stop in at the Skyway, and bring your appetite as there are no small portions served and if you love barbeque you will be in heaven(try the blueberry sauce).

OK heading to bed people, will blog more later.

Just a mild panic attack, really

It is 2 days before I head across the country, and most everything is ready to go, there are always those last minute things to put together and purchase as well as making sure that all the details at home are taken care of. Today, amidst my crazed driving and dashing from store to store, finishing packing up my house, and moving all my belongings over to my friends house for storage I did manage to take a little time for myself and have a tiny panic attack.
Just a brief moment of "Holy Crap, am I really gonna do this" and then it was back to running around pouring over my endless lists, hoping that I have everything I need. And through this mind numbing dash to the starting line, voices of my friends reach me all saying the same thing, I will be fine, I can do this and if I do need anything to please let them know.
Thank you, I appreciate and love you all and am dedicating this trip to my dear friends and family members that believe in my strength and just plain stubbornness.
And when I get a chance I will post a picture of the dog in his pack, he hates it and looks miserable, it is hilarious.

Slowly But Surely

There is less than two weeks until my departure date now and plans and preparations are coming together surprisingly well. Being dropped down to one horse does limit the amount of gear I can take with me, but it simplifies my travel quite a bit. My Father has mapped out all of the Oregon section for me and we had the ceremonial handing over of the first 10 days of the maps yesterday. Sage pieces of wisdom were imparted as he has finally reached the last stage of dealing with his daughters crazy adventure, acceptance. I have been slowly purchasing the equipment I need and am down to getting the last few items. The support of my friends and family has brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion lately, for it is somewhat humbling to find out how many people believe in you and want to throw their support into you adventure. For those of you that know me, you are aware of how tenacious I am and for those of you that are just getting to meet me through this blog, you will soon come to realize that. I want all of you to know that I am a patient, careful person and my priorities on this trip are The Horse, The Dog and then Myself. I will be careful and if I need to I will take extra time to find the safest passages for us all.

Thank you for believing in me and I am looking forward to an interesting and amazing journey.