I end up riding by myself most of the time. Not so much on the big scenic rides but on the every day ones for sure.
This was one of the bigger rides I did solo last year. My friends were otherwise occupied, we were going to be running out of fall and I wasn’t going to not go.
Getting ready for a day ride for one person, two horses (I like putting miles on and giving exposure to young horses/pack horses too while I’m at it) and two dogs is a bit of a chore, but so worth it.
Anytime I ride into the backcountry, I keep in mind that for a number of reasons I may have to spend the night or be able to survive until help arrives in the event of a problem, and I pack accordingly.
I’m not going to lie, there’s often a little voice in my head telling me I should be working when I’m not “showing someone else around” as a convenient excuse to get out and explore.
That took me a bit to wrestle with on the morning of this ride. Add drive time and I ended up starting what most would consider a day ride at midday. Oops.
Thankfully Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy (Divide Basin WY) and Rock (Little Colorado WY) and our trusty German Shepherds Denali (forgot his sunshades that day) and Ranger can cover some serious ground quickly and we made it back to the trailer before dark. I carry the mother of all headlamps everywhere but I didn’t need it. That was the goal.
We rode just shy of 15mi with a lot of elevation gain and we freaking crushed it. I even had time to explore on foot a bit at the lake.
The views, experience and hours spent basking in crisp mountain air were phenomenal. I rode Rock part of the way too, he was the best boy.
Idk about you but I say silence the voice, prepare, pack and plan responsibly, let someone know where you’re going and do the thing. Otherwise life will pass you by waiting for someone to hold your hand as you go after your dreams.
