An unusually wet early fall and busy schedules made putting pack trips together tricky this year.
I’m just a tiny bit stubborn and kept insisting that I wanted to show Tay Martin my favorite packing spot, despite it being a considerably longer drive and Taylor insisting that our go-to area is her “favorite place ever”.
I’d respond with “You’ll see…” each time, occasionally paired with an eye roll or a sigh.
On the 3rd attempt, we made it happen. Getting ready was a monumental effort between feeding the training hoeses, packing to go packing, and bringing Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy, Rock and Tiny (not pictured) in from summer pasture. Then the long drive.
No sooner did we turn off the highway, still working on our supermarket sushi dinner, that “Are we there yet?” turned into “Ooooooo!!!!”. “Mhmm” I grunted. “Do I look like I drive all the way out here just for ‘meh’?”
Taylor also knows I have a favorite mountain where we were headed. I’m pretty weird but having favorite mountains isn’t a common occurrence for me. I have exactly one.
Time and weather had us camping out in the truck at the trailhead. After we got rained on but thankfully didn’t get hit by lightning or freeze our tails off that first night, we made our way into the backcountry the following morning.
“Is it that one?” Taylor would ask about every 7 1/2 minutes on a nearly 3h long ride, looking around for the mysterious mountain that’s also in our logo.
“Nope, can’t see it yet.” I’d reply for well past the 2h mark. Until we could. “Oooooo I get it now, I get it now, I get it now!!!” is what I heard from behind Lacy and Rock.
Some places are truly special. This is one of them.
Taylor took this picture after we got Rock the trusty pack horse unloaded, camp set up and went exploring, through my favorite meadow and up the side of my favorite mountain. I hadn’t been there in several years and it still felt like coming home.
*Pink flagging tape because of hunting season*
