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Cal
Rancher
Joined: 14 Feb 2005
Posts: 3617
Location: Southern SD
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Soapweed
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 12095
Location: northern Nebraska Sandhills
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 Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Northern Rancher wrote: |
| I don't like crossing live water at the best of times-most times we take a boat and lead the horses across. There's been two guys drown right at my buddies headquarters on a lazy slow river. |
We were just on an exploring trip, and had come down a few hundred feet of a very steep hill. JF stayed on his horse all the way down, but the other fellow and I got off, walked and led our horses down. I could just see a horse taking a mis-step and tumbling all the way to the bottom, so decided to go pedestrian-style. Our intentions were to stay on the north side of the river, but after arriving at the bottom, that was not an option. A straight up-and-down cliff came right to the water's edge.
The wind was howling that day, too, but it was a west wind and we were traveling in an easterly direction. When we reached the bottom where Bear Creek joined the Niobrara, we decided that was a good place for our dinner stop. We discussed our options, either ford the river or go back up the few hundred feet of steep sandy hill that we had just come down. We elected to cross the river.
After the horses went down in the deep water, we both blundered out to the other icy shore through waist-deep water. I found an old dead log to lean against while dumping the water out of my boots. After getting our land-lubber bearings once again, we mounted up to resume our ride. It was kind of a chilly proposition to go the remaining six or seven miles to where we had a pickup parked.
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Oldtimer
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 24734
Location: Northeast Montana
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Soapweed wrote: |
| Northern Rancher wrote: |
| I don't like crossing live water at the best of times-most times we take a boat and lead the horses across. There's been two guys drown right at my buddies headquarters on a lazy slow river. |
We were just on an exploring trip, and had come down a few hundred feet of a very steep hill. JF stayed on his horse all the way down, but the other fellow and I got off, walked and led our horses down. I could just see a horse taking a mis-step and tumbling all the way to the bottom, so decided to go pedestrian-style. Our intentions were to stay on the north side of the river, but after arriving at the bottom, that was not an option. A straight up-and-down cliff came right to the water's edge.
The wind was howling that day, too, but it was a west wind and we were traveling in an easterly direction. When we reached the bottom where Bear Creek joined the Niobrara, we decided that was a good place for our dinner stop. We discussed our options, either ford the river or go back up the few hundred feet of steep sandy hill that we had just come down. We elected to cross the river.
After the horses went down in the deep water, we both blundered out to the other icy shore through waist-deep water. I found an old dead log to lean against while dumping the water out of my boots. After getting our land-lubber bearings once again, we mounted up to resume our ride. It was kind of a chilly proposition to go the remaining six or seven miles to where we had a pickup parked. |
And we give kids hell about some of the crazy things they do   
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Soapweed
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 12095
Location: northern Nebraska Sandhills
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Oldtimer wrote: |
| Soapweed wrote: |
| Northern Rancher wrote: |
| I don't like crossing live water at the best of times-most times we take a boat and lead the horses across. There's been two guys drown right at my buddies headquarters on a lazy slow river. |
We were just on an exploring trip, and had come down a few hundred feet of a very steep hill. JF stayed on his horse all the way down, but the other fellow and I got off, walked and led our horses down. I could just see a horse taking a mis-step and tumbling all the way to the bottom, so decided to go pedestrian-style. Our intentions were to stay on the north side of the river, but after arriving at the bottom, that was not an option. A straight up-and-down cliff came right to the water's edge.
The wind was howling that day, too, but it was a west wind and we were traveling in an easterly direction. When we reached the bottom where Bear Creek joined the Niobrara, we decided that was a good place for our dinner stop. We discussed our options, either ford the river or go back up the few hundred feet of steep sandy hill that we had just come down. We elected to cross the river.
After the horses went down in the deep water, we both blundered out to the other icy shore through waist-deep water. I found an old dead log to lean against while dumping the water out of my boots. After getting our land-lubber bearings once again, we mounted up to resume our ride. It was kind of a chilly proposition to go the remaining six or seven miles to where we had a pickup parked. |
And we give kids hell about some of the crazy things they do |
Shoot, we're all just big ol' kids at heart. 
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JF Ranch
Member
Joined: 06 Sep 2006
Posts: 436
Location: North Fringe of the Nebraska Sandhills
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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We made an annual "scenic winter" ride, on three consecutive years if I'm not mistaken. January found us needing something different to do. Soapweed, the feller featured in the foto and myself went a different direction each time. Each trip was a very enjoyable day, spent visiting and seeing new country on horseback. Somehow we got too busy to keep it up after that, but maybe we should instigate another one... it is January, isn't it?
Yes, I remained the only one dry after they got bogged down in the middle of the river, but I was worried sick about my two friends. It was a cold, windy day and I was certain that they'd start showing signs of hypothermia. I was mentally trying to figure out what I should do since we were miles from our destination and the warmth of the pickup. My concern was unfounded as these two cowboys were tough old coots and mostly just laughed it off. Upon completion of the trip, they arrived very damp but safe & sound. I still get a chill thinking about it and I hope I wouldn't have been a weenie if the tables had been turned!
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