January 30, 2013
This is not a trail report. I cannot find my map to show where the trail was exactly, but I will find it and I will go back and do a bit more exploring in the future.
For this ride I met up with Carol Ann, and we took our ponies to check out to a new area. We parked at the bottom at the Blue Hole Picnic Area and headed up the fire road.
There were a few houses and two cattle guards to skirt. But after a short bit we passed a sign that stated this was an area in national forest with access for disabled hunters. And shortly later we passed a fire road gate, closed to traffic. excellent.
We tried a side path, which we believe was an old fire road turn off on the map. It was a bit over grown, wrapped around the mountain and ended before too long.
We then continued up the main fire road until it ended. There was a field that went up a hill to the left, and there was a clear trail through it. We will have to adventure that direction another time.
There was also a trail that continued straight out from the end of the fire road, but it ended shortly at a heavily downed tree area that looked rather old. We decided to turn around and head back at that point.
I also saw a few other smaller looking side trails, but again, will have to try those adventures at another time.
It was a good time, and fun to ride with Carol Ann and Finn. Simon is so different around other ponies and had a lot more get up and go. He actually had a working walk without me pushing him constantly. It was kind of a a nice. Although he tossed his head a few times, which was really annoying. So next time we ride with someone else, I think I’ll add in a martingale.
Blue Ridge Pony 