In which the Cross-State Ride is coming soon, and I scurry to do things

I am unreasonably excited for the X-State Ride this year.

I mean, yeah, it was a bucket-ton of fun in 2019 (aside from the various disasters, large and small), and I met some fabulous people (and horses) that I will see again soon.

But mostly, I'm excited for 2021 X-State Ride because of...  >>waves at everything<<   

This will be home for almost 3 weeks

The Dragon and I are both getting bored with our familiar trails.  She hasn't left the county since 2019, and in Spring 2020, the trailheads were closed, leaving us with very few open options.

The Whitehorse Trail was available to us during lockdown
because a friend allowed me to park in her yard. 

The trails at the Victoria Tract of the Pilchuck Tree Farm are closed in winter to guard against erosion.  I'm in favor of preserving trails...but riding the roads gets old.

When I took Fee out yesterday, we started out on the same old road and she was lackluster, to say the least.  Being me, I worried.  "Are you lame?  Was that a lame step?  Damn it!"   

Then, we turned off onto a trail we haven't been on since October, and all my doubts disappeared.  We flew!

She's fine.

Packing the rig

Prepping for a long ride like the X-State takes a lot of organizing.  

A lot of my gear is always loaded--it lives in the horse trailer.  Other stuff had to be bought, repaired, replaced, or recovered from whatever "safe" place I stored it two years ago.

If it ain't on the list, it WILL be forgotten

I learned stuff last time that can make this year's ride a little easier.

This is a VERY comfortable bed.  New this year: 
the down comforter in addition to the sleeping bags.

My trailer dressing room isn't very big, but I've been packing it for adventures since 2006 and have mad tetris skillz.

New this year:  an additional 20-gallon water tank

The horse compartment only needs to haul one horse, so I can cram other stuff in there--like the hay!

I have never not broken hay bale-bags.  I'm pretty sure this is the same tarp I used in 2019.

The truck doesn't have a huge back seat, but there's plenty or room for hauling water and extra warm layers.

New this year:  the little grey cooler plugs into the truck.  I don't carry much
that needs to be kept cold, so this thing is perfect.

Also new this year:  a stash of facemasks in the truck's center console.
The State of Washington is gradually relaxing Covid restrictions, and I'm fully vaxxed, 
but masks are the New Polite, and I will wear them.

Food on this trip is extremely simple, thanks to the ride organizers who have hired food trucks and local groups to feed us in camp almost every night (and a few mornings!).  That leaves only breakfasts and lunches, which are easy.

I can happily live with peanut butter sandwiches and apples for lunch on the trail.  

Photo from the 2019 Fall Ride:  breakfast on the fender

I'm not a big fan of eating in the mornings, but it's necessary on riding days, so breakfasts have to be quick and appealing, and something I can assemble on the tailgate of the truck and eat while I'm tearing down my camp.

This granola really works for me.  It's too calorie-dense as a daily meal at home, but there's no such thing on a riding day.  I mix it with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit or berries.

Homemade granola can contain all your favorites--and none of the stuff you don't like!

Homemade Camp Granola

4 cups of uncooked oats (rolled oats, not the instant kind)

Some nuts or seeds  (I like almonds, sunflower seeds and pepitas)

1/2 cup (ish) of oil (I like olive oil)

1/3 cup (ish) of honey, molasses, agave or whatever you like as sweetener  (I like maple syrup)

Some peanut butter (optional but recommended)

Mix the oats, nuts, and seeds in a big bowl.  Combine the oil, sweetener, and peanut butter, then stir it into the oat/nut mix.  

Spread evenly in a glass baking dish, and bake at 350* for 20 minutes, stirring it all at 10 minutes.

Glass baking dish + parchment paper = easy clean up

When the mixture is completely cool, mix in dried fruit (optional, but recommended).

I use dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cherries, and dried plums

Store in a plastic or glass container.

These will be enough for me to take, plus some to leave at home for Jim!

Serve with milk or yogurt, or just eat it by handfuls out of the jar.

Gardens

Here at home, I'm working on the gardens so I can ignore them for 18 days.  

(Compare today's photos with pictures I posted a month ago )

The greenhouse near the house is sheltering tomatoes, corn seedlings, and very tiny trees.

The Berry Garden is becoming lush!

A buzz-bomber in the berries

baby blueberries

Berry Neighbors.  They will harvest whatever they can reach through the fence.

Pickles Marie's plum tree

Tiny plum-lets on Pickles' tree

The garlic is growing great guns

Haenaheim Garden hosts squashes this year

Tomato plants are protected from the rain in the petite orangerie

I placed ollas between the tomato plants to help deliver water to the roots

So. Much. Spinach.

The "surprise" onions planted 2 years ago that decided to (finally)
start growing are now really growing. Plus some beans and sunflowers.

Unlike fairy rings of mushrooms, these beans will be edible...and non-hallucinogenic 

World's Easiest Bean Trellis:  a 10' section of old well pipe,
 pounded 2' into the ground.  Drop an eye-bolt into the top,
tie baling twine  and secure the twine at the bottom with tent pegs.

It's been sunny lately, but today we've got a steady drizzle...which is not bad weather for a day when I have to run errands and sort stuff in the house any way.

I have two more days at the library, and then it's adventure time!