A Work Day

6:30 AM
Wake up to a set of bagpipes blaring in my ear. (Who's idea was it to set up my alarm with this music anyway?)

7:15 AM
Out the door on my way to the trail head.

8:05 AM
Arrived at my brothers with time to spare. During the trip out I passed many scenes where given more time I could have spent an hour or so walking around taking pictures. Instead I ended up taking some images around my brothers. As I was pulling up, a bald eagle flew from a road side tree to one that was too far for any photograph of it to turn out. Oh well.

Here are some pictures from around the farm:

The farm.

The sheep around the farm.

8:40 AM
Leave my brothers with horses loaded in trailer to drive up the road a bit to meet the rest of the gang.

9:10 AM
Join up with the rest up the gang. Still I take a few moments to snap off a couple more images.

The scenery at the head of the trail.

10:00 AM
On the trail.

Here we are on the trail. Our goal? To get up on the mountain.

10:50 AM
The first part of our ride were on old roads. After an hour or so of riding, we had a long climb up one of these roads to our first rest period.

Our first break. The horses just came up a quite steep hill and needed a little break.

After the break we rode along side Falling Snow Lake until we reached the far end. Here we had to cross a creek on top of a beaver damn and then climbed a near vertical hill to get ourselves to the next level.

As we had to lead our horses up this part of the trail, the break at the top was for us as much as for our horses.

11:32 AM
We have finally reach the height our ride. It will be all down hill from here. But first we have some trail breaking to do.

Here is a view from the top.

11:50 AM
Lunch Time.

As we have our lunch, there is planning to be done. Who will scout the route, who will mark the trail, who's going to cut the brush, and who knows how to work these GPS thingies?

So how does these GPS thingies work any way?.

Buckshot Willie.

The new paint.

3:05 PM
We have spent a number of hours cutting trail but could not break through to the other trail. The path between two beaver damns was littered with pop poplar blow down. Poplars were every where. We will have to come back with more cutting power.

So now we are back at 'butterscotch slide', the vertical path from mountain top to beaver damn.

Yes dear.

And the boss says: 'Lets move them on out.'.

4:45 PM
No major injuries. Another successful ride.

And back at base camp we all wind down. Another good ride!

See more images of this ride on flickr.

Posse Hunting Informantion Post

Back in the fall of 2006 a group of us got together for a horseback ride. Only this was no ordinary ride.

First thing in the morning we gathered at the head of the trail ride, saddled up and started out. Well two of the group of six started.

Heading off in a cloud of dust these two horse thieves were making their get away.

After a 45 min head start, the posse started their pursuit. Where the horse thieves started at a gallop, the posse had to get off their horses and find the trail.

And the game was on.

The chase lasted the better part of the day and when we finally met up, we rode together to the camp site the thieves had set up the night before.

This was the start of a new game and sport: Posse Hunting.

This year we are planning at least two posse hunts. One this may long weekend and another in the fall. Eventually we would like to challenge and be challenged by other groups of riders.

For example, this year a number of the group are heading off to Alberta for a ride. They are trailering their horses and setting off on a week long trail ride in unfamiliar territory. Wouldn't it be great to meet with a bunch of locals and play a game of Posse Hunt? Some day.

Stay tuned in for more stories of last years hunt as well as pictures and stories of rides we go on this year, as well as a more in-depth reporting on this years hunts.