In which I ride with lions and we break trucks (but I think we're done now)

We took the Reindeer to the shop for a routine tyranny flush and the mechanic said "Uh-oh."

So I called Darlene and asked to hitch a ride with her to the Cross-state Ride.

(My truck is fixable AND under warranty, but it would not be fixed in time to launch.)

Darlene has TWO pekinese
in addition to Blake the puppy

So, that was the first truck.

Darlene was tweaking me for buying a Dodge instead of a GMC like hers. Then, hers gave a warning light and slowed to a crawl at the top of the pass.

We limped it to camp, and she called Triple A.

So, that was the second truck.

But the trailer needed a ride to the next camp. Triple A got a tow truck for that, too.  Then, the hydraulic system on the tow truck went out! So the tow truck and trailer went to the shop to get the hydraulics fixed.

And that was the third truck.

Luck comes in threes,
so we are DONE now, right?

Triple A won't haul a rig with horses inside (US Rider will, though) so we decided that the Dragon and I would pony Lola down the trail to the next trailhead while Darlene coped with all things mechanical.

They don't look like a good match,
but they are friends.

I cannot remember the last time I ponied a horse, and we have never ponied Lola. But, what the heck, right?

We saddle up early in the morning.  People who don't have a rig driver tie their horses to trees, drive trucks forward, and come back on the camp bus.

The rest of us wait patiently, so we all leave camp together.

Waiting patiently. It was COLD,
but the rain was mostly done.

Then the whole group hit the trail!

It isn't  easy taking ear pictures
while juggling 2 horses.

The camp meets every evening to talk about the trail tomorrow.

Tomorrow: we ride again!