Horseback Riding in Idaho

My step-sister, Kathy Snyder, is an accomplished horse-rider.  She recently completed a five-day, 100-mile Chief Joseph Trail Ride on her Appaloosa.  She also has a stable of beautiful horses, most of them bred and born under her supervision.

Rusty and I drove to Pocatello, Idaho, to spend time with Kathy and learn about horses.

Meet Silver Cloud, the gentlest Appaloosa/Arabian you could know.

Kathy spent time showing us the basics.

Rusty brushes Silver Cloud as Mom watches.

Kathy said it was important to brush the horse before putting on the saddle so that dirt, burrs, etc. didn't irritate the horse.  She carefully explained each step, beginning with how to properly put on the halter and then tie up the horse.  After Kathy demonstrated, then she reversed the process and had each of us try it on our own.

Kathy explains the finer points of blanket placement and cinching the saddle.

Again, Kathy made us each take a turn at saddling the horse.  It's not quite as easy as it looks in the movies!

Silver Cloud is patient while Rusty practices.

The scary part for me was sticking my fingers into Silver's mouth in order to insert the bit and then complete the tacking up.

Kathy took us to a neighbor's barn where she gave us riding lessons.

This is fun!

The next day we traveled to Harriman State Park.
Harriman State Park lies within an 11,000-acre wildlife refuge in the greater Yellowsone Ecosystem.  Moose, Elk, and Sandhill Cranes are common, as is North America's largest waterfowl, the Trumperter Swan.  Known as one of the best fly-fishing streams in the nation, the Henrys Fork meanders for eight miles through Harriman.  Over 20 miles of trails are available for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross country skiing.

Saddled up and ready to ride the trails.

Shortly into the ride, Rusty spotted two cow elk not far from the trail.  Then we saw trumpeter swans and deer.

Can you see the deer hiding in this picture?

Harriman is a beautiful place!

Silver Lake

Our trail ride took us on many switchbacks as we climbed to the upper edge of the caldera.  The horses were breathing hard; Rusty and I were glad we didn't have to go up the trail on foot.

When we reached the top, Lewis tied up the horses to give them a rest.

View from the top of the caldera.

So pretty up here!

Lewis (our guide), Di and Rusty

Rusty, Di and Kathy

As we descended the ridge and returned to the lowland, we spotted several Sandhill Cranes.  They made quite a bit of noise.  It was strange to see them somewhere other than Nebraska.

After our horse ride, we went to Riverside Campground where we ate dinner and spent the night.

Rusty cooked some yummy steaks!

Mom enjoyed her first camping experience.

Kathy and Mom cooked the taters.

Many, many thanks to Kathy who patiently shared some of her horse expertise with Rusty and me.  It was great to spend a couple days with Mom too!

As we left the park, we drove the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and made a brief stop at the falls.

Our trip home involved a big rock on the windshield, most likely requiring a new windshield. $$$
Near Grand Island, NE we drove through a violent storm on the Interstate.  Visibility was poor so most drivers slowed way down; I was afraid we might get rear-ended.  Thankfully, we made it home safely.



Once home, I was anxious to check my garden.  Even though neighbors had picked tomatoes as I had hoped, I still picked fifteen pounds of ripe tomatoes!

We have thousands of grasshoppers, so it's a battle to get produce before they do.

Rusty's Knockout Rose is looking good.

We've had lots of fresh herbs: mint, parsley, basil, onion chives and rosemary.

Welcome to our front porch!