Here is a copy of the diary page. It has been copied as it was written with minor spelling and punctuation corrections. Some grammatical corrections have been added in parenthesis.
September 14, 1985 7:04 pm
I’m not sure about how to start-so maybe from the beginning.
The beginning was August of 1984. Several riders including myself trailered (horses)
up to Soda Springs and later to White Pass for a weekend of riding. Beautiful, beautiful
area, scenery, lots of fun.
I decided that a weekend wasn’t enough. I would like to go up a whole summer and
camp pack.
Well a whole summer was not possible but I began making dreams and few plans for at
least a week. As the spring of 1985 ended, I had set a date of second week of September.
The trip would definitely be along part of the Pacific Crest Trail, but the exact
location wasn’t set until direct-August of 1985.
The trip was postponed a week, thus preventing anyone else from being able to come
along. I don’t mean to sound as if it were on purpose – of course not. I would (have)
greatly welcomed company; unfortunately, here I sit alone.
Originally planning to drive down here on Friday, we didn’t make it until this morning
(Saturday.) When I say we, I am referring to me and the horses, Britt - whom I ride and
Echo - whom I pack. Also this trip is planned to begin at Bridge of the Gods, yup that’s
were I started, and to end at Berry Patch.
Well now here I am again. We arrived at our starting point a little after noon today.
Bill, my husband, dropped us off and we were packed and started shortly after 1:00 pm.
The weather started sprinkling, but not to serious. The trail paralleled the road a short
ways then started climbing away, as I could no longer hear the traffic. The trails remind
me a lot of Capital Forest area. The foliage is the same, as is bridge construction and
shale footing.
After riding for about 2 hours, I turned a corner to be extremely disappointed in finding
myself overlooking the North Bonneville Dam. The disappointment being that it had taken me
2 hours to travel what I had estimated to be 2 miles. Maybe I won’t make it to Berry Patch
at all.
While riding down the trail, I wish I could record my thoughts, as it is very difficult to
remember everything.
I started setting up camp at 5:30 pm. It is pouring down rain both then and now. I’m glad
I brought blankets for the horses. And even though I put plastic under them, I wonder how
warm they’ll stay.
We put in 4 1/2 hours (of riding) today, mostly up hill too. But then, I expect most of
this ride will be uphill. I had hoped to hit the Gifford Pinchot forest before setting up
camp, but I had no idea how far ahead of us it was. For the last hour we have been walking
trail on slopes of solid gravel.
Once at camp, under my tarp, I see we have found a Indian summer colored hollow partially
protected from the wind. It is quite large, we walked several hundred feet in. Above us
is a steep wall of rock and the powerline runs overhead. The powerline is what identifies
this area as Greenleaf Basin.
Which I have guess(ed) as being 8 miles out from the bridge. Now if we are indeed
traveling at 2 miles an hour, it will take me 10 hours a day to make Berry Patch
before the weekend. Ouch.
Well it is getting difficult to see the lines on this paper, and even though it is
pouring rain, buckets and I mean buckets, I have to get up and go find my horses who
have strayed from my vision.
<< PAGE BACK
Diary Entry #1
PAGE FORWARD >>