President's Message - August 2001
Hi there!
I'm back from China! My friend Lynn and I joined Pax and Susan and ten of their friends on this truly wonderful tour. I've developed 19 1/2 rolls of film. This was in spite of the fact that my camera broke down two days before we were to go home. I almost had to retrieve my photos on the installment plan. When I get my pictures into albums and Lynn gets her videos done we'll make plans to bring them and tell you about all the spectacular things we saw and did. Kind of a "show and tell".
We had a great time last Wednesday night! Steve turned our meeting at his house into a barbeque at Mockingbird. He said it was easier to do a barbeque than to clean his house! Several of us went for a ride in the park ahead of time. We had wonderful food, lovely weather and a great speaker in Rebekah Witter, author of several inspirational books on achieving success and empowering yourself through horses.
Remember, next month will be a potluck and barn dance at Trilby's. This is always great fun and I'm looking forward to seeing you all there.
On an important informational note, if your horse appears listless, uninterested in eating or saying "hello" to you, has an elevated pulse rate and high fever and starts to get a bit wobbly in the rear end, call your vet to do a complete blood test. Your horse may very well have Lyme Disease. This was the scenario with a horse belonging to a friend of mine down the road. The treatment consisted of a 3-day intravenous drip of Tetracycline. Unfortunately, this treatment makes the horse susceptible to dehydration and colic which necessitates the administration of fluids. This did happen, but it was mild and caught early so the horse is doing fine now. Had it not been caught early, the story could have been very different.
'til next time,
Diane
AUGUST 2001
August 4 WESTERN STATES TRAIL RIDE ( Tevis Cup)
Dale Lake 530-885-2815
August 8 QUICKSILVER MEETING-
at Trilby's
Board Meeting—6:30 pm.
Pot Luck Dinner and Barn Dance—7 pm.
August 11 REDWOOD 25/50
Katie Kenworthy 707-445-2393
August 18 EASTERN HIGH SIERRA CLASSIC 30/50
Jackie Bumgardner 760-375-8915
MINUTES OF THE JULY BOARD AND GENERAL MEETINGS
BOARD MEETING:
July 11 , 2001
TIME IN:
6:40 PM TIME OUT: 6:55 PM
(Please note
that this month's Board Meeting was abbreviated since we had a speaker
for the General Meeting)
CALL TO ORDER:
PRESENT: Diane
Enderle, Jan Jeffers, Jackie Davidson, Mike Maul, Cathy Kauer and
Steve Lenheim
MINUTES OF LAST
MEETING:
There were no
minutes for the June meeting, as no Board of Directors meeting was held.
May minutes were read and approved.
SECRETARY'S REPORT:
We briefly discussed
the idea of having Time Collins come to do an equine disaster preparedness
clinic. We tabled the idea for now as we are not sure that we could
generate enough interest to break even on the clinic, and also because
Jackie is not sure that she'd have time to chair the event this year.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT: None given.
CORRESPONDENCE: None to review.
TREASURER'S REPORT: None given - Trilby's at the XP!
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: None given.
PROGRAM
COMMITTEE :
-
Next month's meeting will be the QSER Barn Dance. It will be held
at Trilby's on August 8th.
- Cathy Kauer talked a bit more about the September program. We may move the location to Pat McKendry's place in Morgan Hill. Cathy will talk with Ramona about an agenda for the program, ad will present next month.
GOODWILL COMMITTEE : None given.
TRAILS COMMITTEE
: None given.
RIDE COMMITTEE
:
Steve talked
about the October ride. The 30 extension on the insurance has been
sent to the State of California/Coe Park. The location change has
been sent to AERC and approved. Now Steve needs to figure out the
route. He says that the route he has in mind is fairly reasonable,
however he will need help getting water out to the different locations.
He will also need people to work the ride, ride drag, and of course to
ride the ride! More details next month.
AWARDS COMMITTEE: None given.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: None given. Next issue of the Quips will be August, 2001.
OLD BUSINESS: None given.
NEW BUSINESS: None given .
ANNOUNCEMENTS: None given.
A motion to adjourn
was called and seconded. The Board meeting adjourned at 6:55 PM.
GENERAL MEETING
- July 11, 2001
TIME IN:
7:40 PM
The meeting was held at the Mockingbird entrance of Quicksilver Park. After a tasty sunset barbecue courtesy of Steve Lenheim, our guest speaker Rebekah Witter talked about her books, "Living with Horsepower," "Winning with Horsepower," "The Biography of America's Superhorse, Rugged Lark," and "Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls." Rebekah rode as a child, then rediscovered horses later in life -- after she had children, sold her business, and bought a horse. Rebekah said that she discovered horse power when she started taking riding lessons. Each lesson served not only a riding lesson, but a life lesson. Even though Rebekah had never written a book before, she felt the need to share the lessons with others. With this, she embarked upon a literary journey, which led to interviews with people of every description throughout the horse world - from farriers to riders, trainers to equine artists. Her books "Living with Horsepower" and "Winning with Horsepower," include interviews with notables such as Linda Tellington-Jones, Becky Hart and Bill Steinkraus. During the process of writing her books, Rebekah found time and again that we not only teach our horses lessons, but that the horses themselves are powerful teachers.
Rebekah read excerpts from her books and shared many inspiring stories about how horse power can teach us life lessons such as how to overcome fear, non-verbal communication, presentation, processing and relating. Her work underscores the intrinsic value of horses in our changing society. Although horses may be technologically obsolete, they are not spiritually obsolete. If we listen to their lessons, our horses provide us with great learning experiences that we can utilize throughout our lives.
When I got home from Rebekah's talk, I remembered this quote, which I will leave you with - to help us all remember that it's not just the trail that calls, but the relationship with the horse that renews our spirit and gives us power. I do not know the author: "A man once said that his horse reminded him of a lightening rod, for, as he rode, all the sorrows of his heart flowed down through the splendid muscles of his horse and were grounded in the earth."
Respectfully submitted,
Jackie Davidson,
Secretary
Thanks,
Steve
Rebekah Witter called
and said she had intended to end her talk with the following which
she wrote. She asked if I would include it in the next issue of Quicksilver
Quips. It is from the last page of her book Winning With HorsePower!
In Gratitude
Dear Lord,
Thank you for their
generous spirit,
Thank you for their
beauty and versatility,
Thank you for their
strength that supports us,
Thank you for their
patient, constructive partnership,
Thank you for their
thrilling, competitive heart,
Thank you for the
exciting joy of their dance,
Thank you for the
pore to heal,
Thank you for the
lessons they teach,
Thank you for the
wisdom they provide...
Dear Lord, thank you
for the horse.
—Rebekah Ferran Witter
We thank Rebekah for sharing her time with us as our guest speaker at our July meeting.
XP 2001
Several people participating in the XP 2001 from St. Joseph, Missouri to Virginia City Nevada have been keeping us stay-at-homes up-to-date on their adventures. Quicksilver's representatives, Bob and Pat Verheul, Trilby and Eric and Kathy Thompson are still out there, now in their sixth week of the eight week trail ride. Via the internet and Ridecamp, Karen Chaton from Nevada and Jeff Herten of California have posted daily journals. It has not been an easy trip. Trilby has had troubles with crew people as have had many others. (Jeff's driver put water in his diesel tank!) Flat tires, burned out transmissions, failed brakes--they have it all. Some people have returned home, but others are a little more determined and seeing it through to the end. Only one person has ridden the whole way--a junior rider. This is a ride that has been tough on horses and people and many opt to just ride for half-a-day while others take days off when things get too bad. The weather has been a constant trial with lightening, thunder showers, mud, heat, bugs, everything you would expect in the middle of summer in the middle of our nation. They are in Utah now, following more of the actual Pony Express Trail. It is our understanding that Kathy Thompson and Zane Grey have captured 9 Best Condition Awards, the best record of any of the horses. The ride will end on July 28th with a rousing party in Virginia City. We wish them all a safe return with memories to last a life time and tales of adventure that most of us will never experience except vicariously.
Ride on, guys!!
Forbes
Magazine each month runs on their back page short quotes on a subject
of their choosing The July 23, 2001 issue is automobiles. Of the 10 to
12 quotes, I liked these two the best.
:
I don't even like old cars. I’d rather have a horse. A horse is a least human, for God's sake.—J.D. Salinger
and this one..
“People on horses
look better than they are. People in cars look worse than they are.—Marya
Mannes
Maryben
‘s Bari died the evening of our July meeting while we were having
our barbecue. The 12 year old gelding's sudden death
is somewhat of a mystery but it might possibly have been a stroke or a
brain tumor. Maryben saw him in his pasture as she went out for a
ride. She returned a couple of hours later to find him down with Ken Cook
and Peggy caring for him while the veterinarian tried to save him.
He did not respond to treatment and was gone shortly thereafter. The sympathy
of the Quicksilver Club is extended to Maryben.
G0T HORSE. Tired of the endless searching and driving only to find the wrong horse for you? Log on to: http://sporthorsefinder.com.
Then call: Hillary at 408-782-9033 or Heather at 408-356-4053
For sale: 19 year old mare who has had many foals and very safe to ride. She is 15.1 or 2 and very smooth. Any one can ride her. Perfectly sound and healthy. Her names is Spirit. Leslie will take $1200 or the best offer. Call Heather at 408-356-4053.
WESTERN STATES 100 MILE RUN by Marvin Snowbarger
This is the successful version of my final report on the June 23rd WS Run. I'm pleased to say that I finished under the 30-hour cutoff(29:43:14) and received my buckle and finishers medal. In addition, I received the Bortz Award for the "Oldest Male Finisher" -- a book by Dr. Walter Bortz("Living Longer"), and a beautiful mantle clock which chimes on the hour(a soothing reminder of the time I spent on the trail).
A better run-script could not have been designed or implemented: We got a break in the weather on Saturday and Sunday; our planning was comprehensive; we had experienced personnel on our team(crew and pacers); and, the execution was flawless.
The day of the Run was overcast until about 8:30 am. For the remainder of the day, we had moderate temperatures and a slight breeze. I never experienced heat problems, dehydration(my weight held at 172 -- we were weighed often in order to monitor body fluid levels), or sun-related stress. I wore light clothing and kept an ice pack on my head through the canyons.
Our plan was for Joyce(crew) to meet me at Duncan Canyon, Dusty Corners, Foresthill, Green Gate, 49 Crossing, and, of course, the Finish. She made these contacts successfully, bringing in spare clothing, first-aid items, and nutritional supplements. Fortunately, I needed none of the emergency support, but the food/drink assistance(milk, applesauce, hard-boiled eggs, peanut-butter/jelly sandwiches, etc.) was a routine necessity. Generally, crewing for an ultra-run is easier than crewing for an endurance ride. However, it is still a "hurry-up and wait" job involving a lot of responsibility.
I had two pacers: Pat
McDonald(Quicksilver) and Paul Butkovich(Salt Lake City, Utah). Pat
accompanied me on the first part of the nighttime run from Foresthill
to Green Gate(roughly 10:30pm Saturday until 4am Sunday). Then, Paul
picked me up and took me to the Finish. Pacers are really important:
they provide company, prevent mistakes, and carry-out the run schedule.
For instance, Pat took me to the American River by 3:15am Sunday morning(his
projected time) and Paul took me to 49 Crossing by 8:30am Sunday morning(his
projected time). We checked into 49 Crossing at 8:23am and I told
Paul that we had it, and that we could walk in. At Paul's suggestion
we ran/walked to No Hands Bridge(for a little extra cushion) and, then,
walked the last 3.2 miles to the Finish.
As I finished the Run, I couldn't help but feel a sense of complete exhilaration. Rarely does everything go perfectly, but, on this day, it did. I was overjoyed at finishing, and overjoyed that I had participated in a personal campaign that turned out to be unblemished. All of my memories are at the 10-end of the scale.
The hard work paid off and so did the support that I received. Julie kept me writing articles for QQ(and Julie's daughter, Barbara, and her husband, Doug, provided volunteer assistance at Dusty Corners); JoAnne(at Brown's) ramped-up the harassment she routinely gives me; my running partners(Pat, Kendra, Cheryl, Dave) stayed with me for the training; I received cards and phone calls of encouragement; many people offered me advice when I asked for it; and, everyone I met on the trails during my training runs in Quicksilver Park wished me the best. With all of that, how could I miss?
Which, now, raises the question, Does Maryben Really Love Me? Having been successful, I realize that I'll never know. It's sorta like the woman who marries the rich guy. Is it the money, or is it love? Maryben could say that she loves me, but, it may be my success and not truly love. She may not really mean it! Oh, the pain of not-knowing!
So, I'm faced with the dilemma that in order to know for sure, I would have to run, be unsuccessful and not finish, and, then, ask her. But, what if she said "NO"? Oh, man, FAILURE plus R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N. I can't stand it!
Marvin Snowbarger (#378)
Time Status
Checkpoint
Mileage
Sat
05:00 Departed Squaw Valley Start
0.00
Sat
09:11
Arrived Red Star
Ridge
16.50
Sat
09:15 Departed Red Star Ridge
16.50
Sat
17:47
Arrived Devil's
Thumb
47.80
Sat
20:11
Arrived Michigan
Bluff
55.70
Sat
20:17 Departed Michigan Bluff
55.70
Sat
22:21
Departed
Foresthill
62.00
Sun 03:14
Arrived Rucky Chucky (river crossing) 78.00
Sun 03:16
Departed Rucky Chucky (river crossing) 78.00
Sun 08:23
Arrived
Hwy 49 Crossing 93.50
Sun 08:31
Departed Hwy 49 Crossing
93.50
Sun
10:43
Finished Placer High Stadium
(finish)
100.20
Congratulations, Marvin, from all of Quicksilver!
SWANTON PACIFIC 75 AND 100 MILERS
The Swanton Pacific 75/100 and Ride and Tie took place this weekend and went off very well. The weather was favorable, the scenery beautiful, and everyone had fun. The ride is a change from last years with a 75 being offered and an FEI portion as well. The head vet was Roger Bruce assisted by Nancy Elliot, Jeannie Waldron from the East Coast and 2 local vets, Craig Evans and Stephanie Flowers. I was happy because although I have been covering the ride for the internet since 1998 - this was the first time I actually got to do the ride.
First the statistics:
About 43 QSER members either rode, officiated, crewed, vetted, or volunteered - a really big turnout from a club of our size.
Volunteering: Rick
Gomez, Vivian Beebe, Jan Jeffers
Crewing: Hillorie
Bachmann, Bob Suhr, Maryben, Mike Bernsten, Peggy Bullock, Pat McKendry,
Bing Voight, Jennifer Kurtzhall, Kathy Mayeda
Officiating/Vet: Nancy
Elliot, Becky Hart
Attending/more?: Judith
Ogus, Skip Lightfoot
My apologies for anyone I missed.
Riding and Placing:
75 Miles - 51 starting
and 37 finishing
Dennis Rinde - first
running most of the way and BC, Robert Oram - 11th, Mike Maul - 13th, Kirsten
Bernsten - 14th, Steve Lenheim - 15th, Julie Suhr - 21st, Nancy Twight/Stephany
Ashley 34/35th, Jeff Luternauer - 37th
*Pulled
Stephanie Beebe, Ken
Cook, David Walker.
100 Miles - 22 starting
and 15 finishing
Heather Bergantz and
Red - first AERC, FEI, and BC, Dom Freeman - 5th, Lori Oleson - 9th, Becky
Glaser - 11th, Gertrud Walker - 12th, Kathy Webster - 13th, Val Weizer
- 14th, Brian Reeves - 15th - Brian and Val finished with 7 minutes to
spare
Pulled
Robert Ribley
3 Ride and Tie teams
started and 2 finished - both
from Virginia.
The R&T started at 5 AM followed by the 75/100 starting at 5:30. The 75 had until 11:30 PM to finish. There were published cutoff times for all the vet stops. Riders came from as far away as Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming.
I originally wrote some of the following for my internet coverage of earlier Swanton Pacific rides but it still applies.
The 100 mile SP started in 1983 and grew out of the earlier Castle Rock 50 and Big Creek 70 - with Barbara and Lud McCrary taking over the rides back in 1975.
The ride is a tough one with almost 12,000 feet of ups and downs over the course. The ride is held in a beautiful area near the Pacific ocean in the Santa Cruz mountains between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, CA -south of San Francisco. The area has steep cliffs dropping to the beaches, mountains next to the ocean going up 2400 feet, redwoods 12 feet in diameter, - with great trails to ride. There are wild pigs and deer in the forest. The fog rolls in off the ocean at night and is still there to greet you in the morning. It's neat - beautiful country to see and to ride.
At the finish line,
it was beautiful to see the glowsticks on the breastcollars come drifting
on to the the finish line with a steady clip-clop of hooves out of the
darkness. Usually in pairs with the occasional single rider - saying
"I got lost in the dark". To see the runners just keep on coming
- and saying to myself - "I don't see how they run
for 50 miles..."
Barbara provided the following background on the rides history:
Logging, lumber, and
forest products have been a part of the industry of the Swanton area since
well back into the
1800's, and trains played an
important part in
that industry. In mapping out our ride in its first year, 1983, we found
we were passing through three areas with railroading history: the Pescadero
Creek watershed, where Santa Cruz Lumber Co. used locomotives to haul huge
logs into their sawmill at Waterman Gap; the Little Creek watershed, where
San Vicente Lumber Company's logging shay struggled up ten-percent grades;
and the Swanton valley, where the Ocean Shore Railroad terminated its track
northbound from Santa Cruz.
The name Swanton Pacific comes from a railroad built by our late neighbor Al Smith, using a 84-year-old steam engine on a narrow-gauge track laid along part of the old Ocean Shore route. All but the Swanton Pacific have long since passed into history The 100 mile SP started in 1983 and grew out of the earlier Castle Rock 50 and Big Creek 70 - with Barbara and Lud McCrary taking over the management of Castle Rock in about 1975.
We had a wide variation of environments on this ride - more than you see in many. It went from the deep redwood forest on single tracks with lots of switchbacks to logging roads to pavement through houses to chalk ridges to hard brilliant white roads in the sun to areas near the ocean to rocky paths cut directly through the brush. There were "killer" hills - especially the one to the airport check for everyone. There were wasps in one spot - a number of riders or horses got at least one sting. The humidity was higher than most of our California rides because of the ocean. And the hills just keep coming -one after another - you never seem to be done with the climbs. This is good preparation for Tevis.
The Friday and Sunday meals were excellent and in a beautiful setting. The kids kept climbing up on the stump of the huge redwood overlooking our eating/awards/camping area. Dogs were allowed in some areas. Hot showers were a very nice plus.
The 75s did most of
the same trail as the 100s but avoided the last killer hill after the Swanton
check.
Barbara and Lud keep
changing the trails in response to what the weather did and to make conditions
better by adding bridges in key spots.
Some observations from the ride:
Riders help each other - one rider was dumped right at the start in the stream and his horse took off with the front runners. Riders stopped to tie his horse- he hiked up and finished the ride.
A junior rider came all the way from Houston to do this ride but an accident in the trailer made it impossible for her horse to vet in. She made an appeal at the ride meeting for an additional horse but unfortunately none was available. She still contributed by crewing.
One of the local families got out and had a refreshment stop set up for the riders and horses. They had hotdogs, lots of oreos, things for the horses. Riders and horses can have funny appetites - the guy at the stop said the last rider cleaned me out on hotdogs. Another rider was heard to say - my horse cleaned out all the oreos...
The competition to finish first - Heather and Suzy Kelley were about 30 minutes behind the leader at Cascade Ranch in the 100. At Sawmill - they were only running 10 minutes behind. Between Swanton and the finish - they passed the leader and finished 1-2. Sometimes even a big lead is not enough against determined competitors...
There was a really dedicated group of volunteers, crew, and vets waiting for everyone to come in. There was a fire going with everyone sitting around it waiting for the last riders to come in. If we didn't have people like this - we would not have rides.
The volunteers come in all sizes - at the airstrip we had some really young ones who were running back and forth getting drinks for the riders - telling you where the hay for your horse was - they may grow up to become endurance riders. Crews help everyone. I saw a number of cases where a crew might not make it to the next stop in time for their rider but someone there was always willing to help.
You ride with someone you never met before this ride and share a lot. Your horses bond - you wait for each other going out of the checks if your times are not the same - sometimes they lead and pull - sometimes you do. You find out how they feel about getting close to the big "50" - how ride and tie was in the 70s - how their goals have changed over the years... You say - see you at the next ride when you leave the next day. You have a new friend. You end up saying "you are as old as you feel"...
Taking a shower in a "fairy ring" of redwoods is a unique feeling. You finish the ride -go to the showers - and you are deep in the center of a grove of small redwoods with the light getting less as the sun goes down. All only 25 miles as the crow flies from Silicon valley.
The routine the next morning is people walking their horses - saying "how did you do" - congratulations on your finish or that's too bad but there's a next time - and just talking. Socializing is an important part of the ride for a number of people. Normally that's why I like 50s better than 100s but here - people stay around the next day when it is a long ride.
We rode through the redwoods and wondered where the logging happened. There was lots of finished lumber at the sawmill but we never figured out where it came from. Perhaps that's the way harvesting timber is supposed to happen.
Barbara and Lud - thanks for putting on such a great ride and allowing us to see a part of the country so near where people live but still so different.
Mike
The Quicksilver
Club has some very dedicated members who can be counted on to “rise
to the occasion”. When Steve Lenheim felt the July meeting was growing
a little faster than his home, he had to a make a quick decision. Hosting
our group at Mockingbird, he did the entire hamburger, hot dog barbecue
himself, including making the salads. Actually Steve confided to
me that his decision was based on the fact that it was easier to
cook dinner for 35 people than clean his house. Now Steve takes
on the job of organizing and running our Annual Quicksilver Fall Classic.
To be held on October 20th in Coe State Park. Steve has been a hard working
committed member. Let's help him all we can. That mean's volunteering
to help on ride day, donate or line-up some awards, help with trail marking--just
a myriad of things to be done that we can't leave to one man--regardless
of how broad his shoulders.
j.s..
More news from Marilyn Orlando At the Camp Far West ride, Mtn Mist Mirage and I won the Half -Arabian Endurance Championship for the IAHA Region III for 2001 and also qualified him to participate in their national Championship Ride for the next two years.
This win also gave Mirage enough points to achieve the Legion of Supreme Honor Award for Distance Riding. This earned him the honor to add a +/ behind his name in recognition of horses who have consistently performed well and lets everyone know that he is permanently inscribed on the breeds honor roll of IAHA .
Our Quicksilver Congratulations to Marilyn and Mtn Mist Mirage
Next Months’ Quicksilver Quips will have entry forms for Robert Ribley’s three day Wild West Ride near Grass Valley over the Labor Day weekend. It is our understanding that the ride is limited to 100 entries due to trailer parking space. So, if you want to be sure of a spot, it would be wise to call now. 530-268-1378.
ATTENTION
ALL!
Please pass the word,
include in newsletters, send email etc. that there is a Trail Trials
and Poker ride CHSA Region 6 in the San Jose area:
August 5th Quicksilver park, Staging from Mockingbird Entrance -Fund Raiser to send 2 underprivileged kids to horse camp this summer. Call Mindi Hansen (408) 268-7328 for more information.
You can also see: www.trailtrials.com for entry forms and/or more info.
Janice Frazier, Manager
Wafer Test and Yield
Storage Technology
Division,
Office Bldg. 14-2
225A;
Phone tieline 276-4931;
external (408) 256-4931; pager
(408) 542-6270
frazzle@almaden.ibm.com
Published by the Quicksilver
Endurance Riders Inc.
P.O. Box 71, New Almaden,
CA 95042
Julie Suhr, Editor
TEL and FAX 831-335-5933
e-mail marinera@aol.com