Dream Packer Trail Adventures: November 2013

This is a trail for the adventuresome...and a well trained horse in reasonably good condition. It has some beautiful scenery, mostly oak, maple and evergreen forest and some meadows. Occasionally, a mountain scene. I really liked the water feature.

Link to more information: Hike Holbrook Canyon

Keep in mind, there are many water crossings and some very rocky places. Be warned that this trail has many places where the creek has undercut the bank. I admire King Green and others who have helped build and maintain this trail over the years. However, I don't think I'll be returning any time soon because I had an "incident" with my horse.
We were the tail end of a group of horses. Ellie hasn't had a lot of trail experience because I have only had her just over a year. (Before that, she was mostly a show and lesson horse.) She stepped on the edge of a muddy spot in the trail on which the previous horses had stepped with no problem. The bank gave way under her feet and we both slid down into a 5 foot ravine. She went down on her knees and I bailed off to avoid being slammed by bushes and trees. Fortunately, we were both "okay" and I mounted again and continued the ride a little further. When we dismounted for a break a few minutes later, I checked her and found a nasty little cut on her knee. Washed it off and treated with helichrysum. At this point, we chose to head back, while the rest of the group went a little further. It was a somewhat rough ride back, but Ellie did not seem lame at all. (I was understandably "paranoid" about the narrow places in the trail and drop offs.) The cut has now healed fine, with no adverse effects.

Here is a link to a video of less than 5 minutes of the ride...gives a feel for some of the best parts. : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202039148362715&set=vb.1306625453&type=2&theater

(click on any photo to open enlarged images.)

October 12, 2013; Total Distance=7 miles; Maximum altitude=6, 787 ft; Ascent/Descent=2,100 ft; Trail conditions: 50% dirt, 50% rock/gravel, many water crossings. The trailhead is just across from the Bountiful LDS Temple. Not much parking there, but can park along the road.

This is the "Pipeline" clearing for a natural gas line. This must have been quite a project to clear all this.

Photo courtesy of Julie Heavirland

Some photos of a trip out to the North Shore of the Great Salt Lake north of Spring Bay. We have been out there twice for horseback rides. The last time was in 2002. Anyway, that was 11 years ago. Not sure what it's like now. The photos were taken at a higher lake level where we were able to ride in the water.

Good news= fun riding and galloping through the water and on the beach.

Bad news= If riding IN the water, the tack becomes covered in corrosive salt, which must be immediately washed off when back in civilization. Not so much a problem if you stay on the wide expanse of sandy beach.

We were warned of quicksand to the west, closer to the fresh water springs, but never encountered any.

The drive out there is mostly on unpaved roads, but there is a lot of solitude and almost nobody around. The driving time is over an hour from Ogden. The lake is probably much lower now.

(These photos were before digital. Thanks to Sheila Bowler for some of the photos. Click on any photo to open enlarged images.)