In which there is more Cross-State ride report: we parade through Ellensburg!

I was hoping for blue sky at this point.  

However, the weather called for another day of the Dragonwalker coat. I'm so glad I have two of them--one for the saddle and one for me!

On the trail from Thorp to Ellensburg

We wanted to walk most of this trail, because Fiddle and Lola move faster than a lot of the horses on this ride, even at a walk--and at the "end" of the trail was the mustering point for the parade through town with our police escort.

The only thing worse than dawdling on the trail is NOT dawdling and then needing to stand around for hours waiting for everyone.

Byron and Lynette's rig, flagged and ready to go.

Finally, the group was fully assembled and the cop cars started us off!

First the bus, then the bikes.  Then the wagons. 
Then the horses.  Then the honeybuckets!

We were right in the middle of the crowd.

Nothing out of the ordinary here.

Why yes:  I did shoot video with my phone while parading.

The cops stopped traffic for us.

Some of the horses were squirrely, but Fee and Lola just walked along as if we always parade two-by-two through town, past the university and the hamburger stand, and into the rodeo grounds.


Once we arrived and settled into the rodeo grounds, it was time to investigate the latest misdeed of Darlene's trailer:  the batteries wouldn't charge, and therefore, we only had power if the generator was running.  Gahhh.

My neighbor Byron is also camp leader and a dab-hand with repairs.  But he couldn't fix it.

And then:  visitors!  My truck was still in the shop, but Jim brought a few necessities that I'd left at home, plus some floofy love.  We spent a some time hanging out and catching up.  Plus: hamburgers.

Fox was confused, but that's normal for him.

After spending the night in Ellensburg, we saddled up again and kept moving east.

Trotting towards Kittitas.

The Eagles Club in Kittitas opened up to serve us lunch.  For a lot of the tiny towns we travelled through, the Cross-State ride is a big economic boon.

The door is open to us!

Pulled pork sammy and LOTS of water.  Camp is only 8 miles away from here.

The trestle between Kittitas and our next camp is still out of order, so we detoured for 3 miles of blacktop walking on a little-used road. 

And then we got to camp.

Fiddle and I last visited this camp in 2015

Our friend Laurie came to visit--and she took me to visit her house nearby!

"Badger Pocket" sounds like a place out of a children's book, but it is a pretty little place in real life, too.

That night in camp, a taco truck! 

messy but delicious

This camp, and the land surrounding the trail for the next 24 miles, belongs to the US Army, which uses it as training grounds for soldiers.  Whenever I ride here, my noble steed shows me exactly where the soldiers are sneaking around--her nose is 2 feet long, after all!  Once we saw tanks and helicopters while we were riding.

The Army has a weird rule for our group:  all horses must be double-restrained in camp (and yes: they do check).  There were many interpretations of this rule.

Inside a trailer and inside a corral (which is inside another corral).

High-tie with two ropes

PVC pipe corral reinforced with electric tape

Tied to trailer, inside an electric pen.

Our camp:  Lola is on a high-tie inside a corral.  Fee is wearing hobbles inside her corral.

Next up:  a very long, not very fun ride.