In which all the Renegade Rendezvous video links are right here

I don't usually post a lot of video, but since this blog has reported Renegade Rendezvous 
with photos since 2009, I decided to throw in a little variety this time.  
So, whether you want to see what you missed on the trails this year,
or you just want to re-live the fun, here ya go:

This video was filmed on Memorial Day, right after the crew finished rebuilding the plank bridge over a bog on the TM trail, about 2.5 miles from the finish line (or about .25 miles from camp if you know the shortcut...and since Fiddle knows the shortcut, she keeps trying to get me to take it!)






This is another "pre-ride" video.  Fiddle's fancy hairstyle is made of clothespins carrying trail ribbons to mark trail.  We're walking backwards on the in-trail to get to the part of the trail that needs to be marked.  Turn up the volume and listen for birdsong.






We don't just mark trails from horseback.  Sometimes quads are quicker.  Here's some video I shot while riding pillion on ride manager Gail Williams' quad.







In 2011, Madeline and I made a competition out of trail marking from the back of a truck.  Here's the link to her video.   And here's mine.






When the trail is finally cleared and marked, it's time to ride it!  Renegade now offers a Friday afternoon 25 mile (and a 10-mile trail ride) in addition to the regular 25/50/75 mile (and trail ride) distances on Saturday.  The advantage to a Friday afternoon start is that I'm awake enough to run a camera at the start line.






If you ride the 50-miler on Saturday, you'll see the section of trail we call the Dinosaur Spine.  Warning to those who have trouble with heights: this trail is the narrow stretch overlooking a very deep valley.  But it's really pretty.







Further down the trail (when the sun is up higher in the sky) you'll see some pretty single track.






In addition to single track trails, we also use old logging roads.  When logging roads in the National Forest are "decommissioned", they drag a heavy harrow down the road to bring up enormous rocks and make the road as unwelcoming as possible to tree poachers...and equestrians.   You can see rocks off to the right of Fiddle as she trots.  The rocks on the usable part of the trail were removed by our trail crew using shovels and rakes and our own bare hands.





Here's another old logging road that we've been grooming for many years--very few rocks left!






Towards the end of the ride, Gail likes to route riders to places with lots of grass for horses to snack on.  There is no reason that a horse should have low gut sounds at this event!






Sometimes it's good to open up the horse's engine and burn out all the carbon.  At this point in the ride, Fiddle knows EXACTLY how close she is to camp, and exactly how many calories she will need to get there, and she's ready to burn some.  The wind noise is loud on this one, turn sound down.





After the ride, especially on a hot day, it's nice to sit in the shade by the creek.  I use this spot for siesta during the week when we build trails, and again after we pass the final vet check.  Turn the sound back up to hear the birds.