1 Comment

1. 
   Dale & Linda Forrester

   2008-01-08 at 06:13

   Good Morning Rob,

   Got your message about the Hardtrigger ride coming up in April. There is another really nice loop ride that you can make out there. I had never been on the trail until a couple years ago. Wish I had known about years ago. Linda and I ride it all the time now.

   You leave the Wilson Creek parking lot going up the sandy wash as usual. You go on around following the wash to the right (as usual) and over the first hill. When you come down the back side of that hill you hit the old road that is running basically north and south. When doing the Hardtrigger loop we always turn to the right on this old road and go on around to where you climb up the sidehill to big flat on top.

   To do this other loop, turn to the left on the old road and it will take you back to the south. Keep going south . I think the road makes a turn to the southwest and goes into a big canyon. At that point I think we took a trail to the left that is still heading basically South, it goes up over a saddle and falls down the other side 1/2 – 3/4 mile to a creek bottom that is running back to the Southwest/West. Lots of willows in this creek bottom. As you come down the trail toward the creek bottom you will see a trail taking off around the side hill to your left. This trail takes you down and crosses the creek, then follows the creek bottom,zig zagging back and forth across the creek many many times as it circles back around toward the trail head. You will come out in the first big canyon just West of the trailhead.

   Take one of the trails to the right back over the hill to the trailhead. Linda and I like to ride this loop backwards too. Instead of bearing to the left up the sandy wash leaving the trailhead and heading toward Hardtrigger, bear to right and you will hit that first big canyon. Turn to your left and go down the willowed creek bottom. When you break out of the canyon, take the trail to the right that goes up the first canyon to your right. You will go over the saddle, then will come out down on the old road and the Hardtrigger trail. Very enjoyable loop.

   I like it as good or better than the Hardtrigger loop, and it is excellent training for the horses crossing the creek so many times and navigating thru all the willows. It is not a difficult ride, but a bit more challenging than the Hardtrigger ride, as some horses don’t like having to navigate the willows. You definatly would need shoes.

   You might want to ride it first before you take the group there just to see if it is something you think they could do. Horses (or people) that don’t cross water well or don’t like channeling thru the tall willows will not do well. I went there my first time with the mule club, and was a really good ride for that group. It would just depend on the people that went on the ride as to wheather they would like it. As For Linda & Me–We Love the Ride!

   You can also go on up the main road past the Trailhead. Can’t remember how far–it has been so long since I was on up there. Probably a mile or two up the road. We parked in a pullout on a turn, then rode back over the top to the northwest/west from there. You can make a big circle over the top and down into Salmon Falls Creek on the other side. There is some water troughs in the creek bottom on the other side that the wild horses use regularly. Then you can ride the old road down the creek to the main road and ride the main road back around to the trailers, or you can cut back up to the Southeast and go back over the top and make a circle back to the trailers. That is kinda steep getting back out of the creek bottom that way, but a nice ride.

   Probably might be for a bit more experienced riders if you went back over the ridgetop to the trailers as it does get a bit steeper. We used to see a lot of wild horses back in there in the spring. Lots more horses back in there than in the Hardtrigger area.
   Hope this helps you.

   Catch Ya Later