2021 Highlights Between The Ears ~ Views Of The West

Red Mountain Trail ~ Ivins Utah

The Red Mountain Trail holds has some of the best views in Southern Utah. The trail passes along the Snow Canyon Overlook with many viewpoints. The Red Mountain Trailhead is day-use only with ample parking for big rigs. This ride can be done as a loop. I prefer clockwise in order to the the slab rock sections uphill instead of down. This trail is a fall & winter trail staple.

Snow Canyon State Park – Ivins Utah

Snow Canyon State Park is somewhat restrictive for equestrians. There is a real nice sandy trail that starts outside the park and goes along the bottom of the canyon. You can ride all the way up to Three Ponds from here.

This trail is a fall & winter trail staple.

Brackens Loop ~ Red Cliffs Desert Reserve ~ Hurricane Utah

This is one of the usual go-to trails for the area. Great views with easy footing. Fair amount of deep sand. Ride this trail every time I pass through the area. Trailhead is day use only next to a busy street. Plenty of parking for big rigs. Parts of this trail is shared with bicycles.

Chiricahua National Monument ~ Arizona

Next was southern Arizona. Rode in Chiricahua National Monument. Stayed at Lazy Horse Ranch in Pearce and trailered in for day rides. They had small trailers available to take to the trailhead. Lazy Horse has full hookups, a wash rack and other amenities.

Wickenburg ~ Arizona

The infamous Crested Saguaro in Wickenburg is gone. I heard it was struck by lightning. Wandered the desert and visited a medicine wheel. Was sad to see the little corral just outside of the rodeo grounds was padlocked. The water spigot was off at the trough, but there was enough water for a drink.

For this trip I opted to stay at Constellation Park Campground across the street from the rodeo grounds. There is no water and the sites with corrals are usually taken. Water is available from the camp hosts who stay at the rodeo grounds. I wasn’t able to get a corral site this year. There’s lots of boondocking plus several private options in the area.

Alabama Hills National Scenic Area ~ California

No wildflower rides in 2021. It a record drought year in California. Spent the spring riding various desert venues. Alabama Hills is at the base of Mt. Whitney near Lone Pine California. It’s a great place to wander and explore with Mt. Whitney almost always visible.

Civil War era residents of Lone Pine named the Alabama Hills to commemorate the Confederate iron-clad warship CSS Alabama, which was wreaking havoc on the Union fleet.

Throughout the last century, the Alabama Hills have appeared in hundreds of old western and contemporary movies with even a recent Quintin Tarantino project being filmed here. Meatloaf filmed his music video “I’d lie for you” here.

There are over 400 natural arches in the Alabama Hills. The arch window is about 6 1/2 feet high.

This area is also popular among boulder/rock climbers and slack liners. It is also a great place for auto touring, cycling, hiking, trail running, horseback riding, fishing, and camping.

Big changes to Alabama Hills boondocking availability. Stay tuned for a separate blog entry for camp options near Alabama Hills.

Sedona ~ Arizona

This was the first time back to Sedona since the long time owner of Horse Mesa Ranch passed away. Overnight boarding is still available, but you can not camp there.

If you want to see the iconic views, you have to trailer in for day rides. If you have an Interagency Annual National Park pass, you don’t have to pay the trailhead day use fees.

While there is lots of boondocking nearby, the area is saturated with campers. Most of the good spots are usually taken. If you do find a good spot, there is no guarantee that it won’t be taken when you get back. There are corrals at Dead Horse Ranch State Park and several private options nearby. I opted to overnight a couple of times in my usual boondock spot plus stay at the fairgrounds in Cottonwood. It’s cheap and has lots of water. They also have a RV section with full hookups.

Redwood National Park ~ Orick California

California’s north coast can be really wet. I have ridden sloppy wet trails in this area during July. With the 2021 drought, trails were dry enough in May.

Orick Rodeo Grounds has a horse camp with a few corrals, water, a shower house, flush toilets and camping. There is one electrical hookup that is usually in use by the camp host. The mowed triangle in the top left corner photo shows the camp. Elk are common in this area.

You can ride to the beach or into Redwood National Park from camp. Camp is situated next to a levee. Just follow it one direction to the beach and the opposite direction to the forest trails.

There are many other beach and forest day rides nearby. However, the area has deteriorated with a lot of crime. This year I was afraid to leave the rig unattended at the day parking lots for the other day rides.

I have seen the BCH do rides through Old Town Eureka. Someday I’d like to try that.

Eastern Slope of the Southern Sierra ~ Horseshoe Meadow ~ California

By the end of May the snow was gone and Horseshoe Meadow Equestrian Camp was open. Camped and rode there several times in May and June. The drought was evident at 11,000 feet: dry trails, yellowish meadows, dismally low creeks.

The road to the campground is typical for the roads along the 395 corridor between Lone Pine and Bridgeport. Steep, windy and slow going.

Eastern Slope of the Southern Sierra ~ McGee Canyon & Little Lakes Valley ~ California

Did a couple of road trips during June. Boondocked and rode more of the upper elevation rides. Creeks were low and wildflowers were sparse. During July there was a heat wave with record breaking high temperatures.

This is my favorite ride area. Usually spend a lot more time here, but have stayed out the last couple of years due to wildfire smoke.

Mill Creek Horse Trail ~ Redwood National Park ~ Crescent City ~ California

Had camping reservations at Lassen National Park at the end of July. Changed plans when I got to Red Bluff and headed over to the Crescent City instead. The Dixie fire was going strong and filled the area with smoke. It eventually burned 2/3 of the park.

You can stay at Orman Guest Ranch and Stables in Crescent City. This was a last minute change. I stayed at the fairgrounds. There are many day-use trailheads in the area.

Decided on Tolowa Dunes State Park and Mill Creek Horse Trail. After I arrived, I learned Crescent City has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. I was advised by several locals not to leave any valuables in an unattended vehicle. How do you do that with a LQ? After much consternation I picked the safest spots I could find.

Mill Creek Horse Trail is in Redwood National Park near Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Most of it passes through heavily logged areas or near old growth boundaries. It is a beautiful trail.

Tolowa Dunes State Park ~ Crescent City California

Tolowa Dunes State Park was beautiful and fun. Rolling hills, beaches and more.

Rode through some beautiful meadows, thick foliage, to the beach and by the dilapidated pack-in horse camp. The rig parked next to me left all of the doors and windows open to avoid broken windows.

Tolowa Dunes State Park is day-use only for equestrians with several options for staging. There is a pack-in horse camp, but it doesn’t look like it’s been used in a long time.

Tuolumne Meadows ~ Yosemite National Park ~ California

Tuolumne Meadows is always a favorite place to camp and ride. Fortunately able to camp here twice this year. Air quality was decent in August and September despite the raging wildfires throughout California.

Tuolumne Meadows Campground is undergoing a major rehabilitation project and will remain closed in 2022 and 2023 (and possibly 2024, depending on weather/length of construction season).

String & Leigh Lakes ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

Autumn finally arrived. This was the first time I visited Grand Teton National Park when it was not inundated with wildfire smoke. Stayed at Valar Horse Facility and trailered into the park for day rides during September & October.

It was a fine autumn day to ride String & Leigh Lakes Loop. The trail goes along the very edge of these lakes for miles. The views of the lakes are often obstructed by trees.

The park is picky about where horses can ride and park. Stage at Cathedral Group parking lot. There is one very small section on the south east edge of String Lake that is not open to horses. The stock trail that is to be used is well marked and easy to follow.

Autumn is a favorite time of year. Time for some picture overload!

Bradley & Taggart Lake ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

Bradley & Taggart Lake loop is one of the most popular trails in the park. The trail around the lakes is fairly short. You can lengthen it by riding to Lupine Meadows then on to Jenny Lake. You an also loop back around on Beaver Creek Trail. Last year I rode out and back to Jenny Lake plus the Bradley Taggart Loop.

This year I opted to loop around Beaver Creek Trail and rode the Taggart/Bradley Lake Loop twice. The first part of the trail from the trailhead to Taggart Lake has an extremely pleasant section that goes along the creek. The first time up I took pics, the second time was video for that section.

Hermitage Point ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

Hermitage Point trail is a flat easy trail along the shores of Jackson Lake. The trailhead is at the Colter Bay Village parking area. Once again, the drought was clearly evident. Hermitage Point is spectacular on a clear day. On this day there was afternoon haze.

Two Ocean Lake Loop ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

There’s just something I absolutely love about this trail. Maybe because it was the first ride in GTNP? Not sure, but it is my favorite in the trail. This trail has great footing and many views to-die-for views. What else can I say? This is the first year that I was able to ride with views that were not obstructed by smoke. It was spectacular!

Lot of bear activity in this area. Last year part of the trail was closed because of bear.

Jenny Lake ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

Some days are made just to wander around. This was one of those days. No particular destination, just explored the area. Followed a couple of the dude-string trails. Tried a trail marked as equestrian on the map. It was overgrown and I eventually turned back because I didn’t want to do the rocky water crossing. This was one of those “Watched the wildlife and enjoyed the views” days.

Started at the Cathedral Group Turnout. This is one of the few places in the park that horse trailers can park. From here you can ride to Paintbrush Canyon, String & Leigh Lakes Loop, Cascade Canyon and more.

Phelps Lake Loop ~ Grand Teton National Park ~ Wyoming

Phelps Lake Loop out of Poker Flats Trailhead.

The day started out bright and blue. It ended a dull cloudy grey. Fall colors were great. This is one of the trails that make one realize just how big this world is. Towering aspen made it difficult to capture Jack’s ears and the tree tops. The lake was a mile or two long. On the way back the flat had multitudes of well worn user trails. I’m pretty sure I took a few wrong turns, but it was easy enough to get back to the trailer. It was a nice warm day with no major complications.

Mill Canyon, Stagecoach Loop, Uranium Arch & More ~ Moab Utah

Took a detour to Moab to avoid a storm at Bryce Canyon. Stayed at Courthouse Rock Campground. There are several “trails” that are shared with motorized vehicles. Cobbled together a long day ride around Stagecoach Loop, Uranium Arch, Mill Canyon and more.

This was one of the few places in Utah where other multi-users are oblivious to equestrians. Literally dozens (maybe even hundreds) of motorized vehicles flew by without hesitation. Waved and smiled as they did it. On the upside, there was usually lots of room to step aside and you can hear them coming.

Thunder Mountain ~ Panguitch Utah

Mid-October was unusually wet and cold. Delayed arrival to avoid a storm. Intended to ride Peek-A-Boo trail in Bryce Canyon National Park again this year. Confirmed several appointments, but canceled each one due to weather and/or trail conditions. Other riders reported lots of mud, snow and ice on the trail.

Only did one ride in the area this year and that was Thunder Mountain Trail. The first half was beautiful and dry. The second half was shaded with mud and ice. There was another storm predicted. Moved on to warmer/drier ground.

Upper Buckskin Gulch to Wire Pass ~ Paria Utah

Paria was warm and dry. Rode Upper Buckskin Gulch and putzed around a couple of trails at Paria River Ranch. Really hoped to ride the Lower Buckskin Gulch via Paria River Narrows, but a big rainstorm had passed through recently. Had a bad feeling it was not safe yet and opted to pass. On the day I left Paria, some ballsy Nevada riders tried, but didn’t make it into the confluence. Lots of mud and quicksand. Wild photos. Glad I didn’t attempt it. Better luck next year.

The Valley at Yosemite National Park ~ California

What can I say? Saved the best for last. Yosemite’s to-die-for views for a week!

Spent a week riding trails all over Yosemite Valley. The weather was warm and dry. The wetter than usual October filled Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake. Usually they are dry. A rare treat in the fall.

There was some controlled burning and trails were closed west of El Capitan Bridge. A substantial amount of trail along Southside Drive was closed. There was a workaround, but Sentinel Beach / El Capitan were usually smoky. I did catch a couple of good days.

There’s nothing easy about Yosemite. The views are well worth the effort. There is no horse camping in the valley. This is trailer in only. I put a fair amount of effort into a a Facebook post about riding Yosemite Valley, but someone complained. It was deleted without warning by the Facebook police. Someday I will re-write it and not on Facebook.