We've wanted to compete in the Strawberry Fields Forever Endurance Ride ever since we heard about it 5 years ago. Last weekend, we finally did it. We rode in a 25 mile event, which is wimpy compared to the 50 milers, but we felt pretty good about finishing anyway. Here we are at the mid-ride vet check. The trails were well chosen, and the event was very well organized. And the horses, mostly Arabs, were beautiful.
Another day, we had a lazy ride in the Cedars. Well, Mischief and I were lazy. Steve and Coco were way ahead. Here, Steve shows off by acting like he had time for a nap while waiting for us. So not true!
Today, we went back to the area north of Strawberry Reservoir to check out some new trails. We rode on a ridge with beautiful views. The wind was blowing almost hard enough to unseat us, but we managed to stay in the saddle and even keep our hats from skittering away.
We looked down on a valley through which the Little West Fork of the Duchesne runs. We have riden there many times.
The wildflowers are just getting started, and may be a little stunted this year due to a poor snow and rainfall, but the butterflies are enjoying the ones that are out. These butterflies seem to hang out in groups. They're feeding on cow parsnip, a member of the carrot family.
A big fire 50 miles south of us has been making the air smoky, which paints the sunsets in yellow and orange. The "Church Camp" fire, as it is called, has burned some summer cabins, but fortunately no year round houses or people are at risk. Several other fires are burning in Utah, and some folks have lost their homes. All over the west, fires are burning out of control from the effects of dry vegetation plus lots of heat and wind.
