Green Lane: Camping and NACMO

 The Father's Day NACMO at Green Lane was two weekends ago. This year, I decided to book two nights of camping for extra saddle time. Of course, it turned out to be the hottest week of the year so far, with a real feel well over 100℉. It wound up being a great weekend despite the heat.

Check in at the Marino Equestrian Campground is 4pm. Unlike most of the places we camp at, Green Lane does actually have a check in process. They were very flexible with check in time for the event last year, and our site was wide open in the days leading up to our reservation. We probably could have gone earlier. However, I wasn't in a hurry to drag Lucy out from the overhang and get out in the baking hot sun. Instead, Mike and I took our sweet time packing, showering, going out to lunch, feeding the horses, and (finally) loading up. I think Lucy was glad to be under the fans in the trailer.

We arrived at the campsites just as Dodie was leaving after setting up the NACMO course. We said hello and goodbye, then pulled through to the far end of the campground. We were in site 7, which is at the far end. While there were other people camping that night, none of our usual group was there yet. Sandy was in Virginia doing a NATRC ride. Melissa is not competing right now. Terra would be joining me for the competition on Sunday, but she has young children at home and couldn't get away for camping.

Mike and I set up our gear and the horse pen, then settled down to relax. I realized this was the first time we were fun camping by ourselves. It was peaceful and lovely.

The nice thing about our site is that there was plenty of grass and shade. Lucy got a nice, big pen for the weeekend.

She settled right in.

Staring at hikers in the woods.

Around 6:30pm, I decided to head out for a solo ride. It was still 81 degrees with high humidity despite the cloud cover. Gross. 

I decided to head down the hill towards the Perkiomen trail and hang a right. I figured Dodie wouldn't be sending the course this way. Plus, the Perki is flat. I noticed that there was an orange loop on the trail map. The internet said it was about 2.5 miles, which was a perfect distance. I figured it would be an easier trail than the gnarly blue trail that goes out the back of the campground.

Lucy and I made our way through the fields and down to Knight Lake. I swung right, following the shoulder through the residential area and over the bridge before the Perki tucked back into the woods. It was almost exactly one mile from our trailer to the orange trailhead, and it looked lovely and inviting.

It was golden hour and the sun slanted through the trees, throwing dappled shadows on the forest floor. I spotted some cute yellow mushrooms and some impressive rock formations.

Unfortunately, I had miscalculated the terrain. The orange trail was quite rocky, with boulders on top of boulders. It got worse the longer we followed it. Lucy was doing ok barefoot despite the rocks, but we kept it to a walk to be safe. 

I was originally planning to do the entire orange loop, but it got to a point where it just didn't feel fair to ask for more. Instead, we abandoned course partway through the Orange West loop. 

We popped back out on the Perkiomen trail just as some hikers went by. I think they were startled to see a horse.

Lucy and I picked the pace back up as we followed the Perkiomen trail to the end of Green Lane Park. This is the portion Mike and I did on our bikes a few years ago. I passed the trail head for the other end of the orange trail, and put a pin in it for later.

We ran into this friendly deer.

I reached the park boundary and was tempted to just keep going. The Perkiomen runs 20 miles, all the way down to Valley Forge. It's on my never-ending list of side quest ideas. On this night, however, I decided to table the idea. We were running out of daylight and we had a long weekend of riding ahead of us. I did a u-turn and headed back for camp. 

Along the way, I passed Deb, Chris, and Susan who were also out for an evening ride. I was very pleased that Lucy paid no mind to their horses and politely carried on by her lonesome.

On the way back, we took one of the unofficial trails from the frisbee fields. There was quite a steep climb along the way, but the trail popped us out directly at our trailer.

I hadn't quite gotten my fill yet, and I wanted to give Lucy a chance to drink at the reservoir, so we checked in with Mike, then continued onto the blue trail, which was even more rugged than I remembered it being. 

About a mile later, we reached a point along the shore where there was access to the water. I let Lucy wade in and she drank deeply, then stood in the shallows, looking content.

This spot was truly beautiful and we spent a long time just hanging out and listening to the birdsong. 

I took about six million nearly identical photos, none of which capture the beauty of this moment.

This one felt trippy.

Such a pretty spot.

Eventually, Lucy and I exited the water and turned for home. Goose was totally perfect on the walk back.

This hillside is very steep and the trail is actually pretty narrow. As always, I can't seem to capture the terrain accurately in cell phone photos. You'll have to take my word for it.

As we crossed the road back towards the campground, something large and shadowy swooped across the trail in front of me. It was a big, beautiful barred owl and it landed on a low branch nearby. It was too dark to get a good picture, but I halted Lucy and spent several minutes transfixed by the sight. Wow...

Back at the trailer, I got Lucy sponged off, fed, and put away. She was happy to go back to grazing as the temperature finally cooled slightly.

Mike and I had drinks and dinner in the form of hot dogs on the grill. Then Mike got a fire going, which kept the bugs away while we relaxed.

Cheers!

Simple and delicious.

Lucy was unbothered by the flames.

It was a quiet night for us, and I honestly enjoyed just soaking it in. 

We eventually crawled into the gooseneck. I was very grateful for the fans we had installed up front, and they did a good job cooling the space until the temperature outside dropped enough to turn them off. (I actually found myself reaching for a blanket later in the night.) 

Sadly, we did not get to sleep in much the next morning. Lucy hadn't made a peep since our arrival, but another horse started frantically screaming at dawn. Lucy ignored him for a while, but it eventually wore her down. She started to call back every fourth or fifth time the other horse whinnied. So that was the end of that. 

We crawled out of bed, made coffee, and began stirring around camp. It was a lazy morning, which is the best kind. 

I had lofty goals of getting out on trail before the heat set in, but it was already too late for that by the time we got situated. It wound up being 11am by the time I got Lucy saddled for another solo ride. The weather was brutal that day, and my plan was to stay in the shade and stay off the hard terrain as much as possible.

I rode out the same direction as the night before, but when I got to the bottom of the hill, I turned left instead of right.

Pretty, but sweltering.

While I have ridden this stretch several times, I had never done it in this direction. It's funny how different things look if you switch up one little detail.

I never noticed this abandoned rail bridge before.

We rode over the bridge, under the tunnel, and up the paved hill, and Lucy was surprisingly peppy for such a gross day. She has a tendency to wilt in temperatures above 80 so this made me feel better.

I was very glad to reach the shade at the top. I let Lucy mosey along with no pressure to keep up any kind of pace.

I soon spotted a green trail, which looked like it promised to go down to the water. I followed that down and found a good spot to get Lucy in. I was very glad for this spot and made a note of it for the following day. Once again, Lucy drank and drank and drank. We spent a long time hanging out and I kicked myself for not having my sponge on me. However, Lucy did a pretty good job cooling herself by pawing and splashing water under her chest and belly. Smart girl.

I later realized that the green trail is technically not for horses, but there were no signs on the end I came in from. If anybody asked, I was going to just point out that it was really hot and that I was concerned about the welfare of my horse. I needn't have worried. Nobody seemed to notice or care that there was a horse in the water. 

From there, we rode up the unmarked gravel trail to the day use trailer parking area. We crossed the road and picked up the red trail. I deviated onto the unofficial trail in the corner and headed up to the fields and cedar groves above. This is a favorite part of this park for me.

Lucy and I spent some time cantering the open fields before ducking into the shade again.

After that, I spent a long time just exploring the spiderweb of trails that wind through the cedars. There are tons of them and you can do a couple miles just winding around this section. Plus I have a soft spot for cedar trees. It was quite beautiful.

Along the way, we came close to seeing other horses. I could hear their snorted breaths and hoof falls through the trees as their riders' voices carried up the hill, but our paths never crossed. We also ran into a pair of men on bicycles, and I told them I'd definitely die trying to pedal up that hill in that heat. The guy in the back said, "Don't rule it out. I might still drop dead today." 

After that, I decided that was enough hot weather riding. I wanted to save some horse for the competition on Sunday, and I'd had quite enough myself. We retraced our steps, stopping in the water for a break halfway again.

We ended up doing eight and a half miles in about two hours. Lucy was pretty hot when we got back, though she wasn't complaining. I had Mike drain the water out of our cooler to make an ice bath for Lucy. Then I sponged her for a long time until she was cool. At one point, Mike brought out the rinse kit and I used it to hose her. I was impressed with how long three gallons of water could stretch. Lucy definitely appreciated the shower as she nibbled grass in the shade next to the trailer before going back in her pen. 

It turns out Green Lane is pretty close to Sam's house, and she wound up dropping by for a visit. By this point, Christine had also arrived in camp. This would be her first real ride back since having shoulder surgery, and it was great to see her. When Sam arrived, she brought sorbet and doggies. A nice cold snack went a long way that afternoon. So did a cold foot bath. It actually wasn't terrible as long as we sat in the shade and didn't move around too much. 

The afternoon passed slowly with lots of relaxation and laughter (and some day drinking). 

Zoey.

Lily.

Dory.

Eventually, Sam headed home and Christine and I decided to go for an evening ride. It was after 8pm when we got back on the horses, but it was still extremely hot and humid. We headed down the Perkiomen Trail the same way I'd gone the night before. We mostly walked at first, but soon were trotting along in spurts.

When we got to the parking lot at the end of the park, Christine was still feeling good so we decided to check out the other end of the orange trail. It started of tame and wide, but eventually got just as rocky as the portion I'd done on Friday. There were a few sketchy portions, but we got through it without any misadventures. 

Then we headed back to camp. We had a nice canter along the way. We also ran into the Stouts who wer also taking their horses for a little leg stretcher. 

We wound up ding a little over three and a half miles and it was lovely and relaxing. Christine seemed thrilled to be back on.

At the bottom of the hill behind camp, we spotted a huge painted turtle. It was beautiful! Of course, I dismounted to get a better look.

Foot for size comparison (and yes, I rode in crocs).

Sam had accidentally left her cooler behind, which meant she came back to camp again. This time, she brought an Aussie that she was babysitting that weekend. He was a total sweetheart! Sam ended up hanging out for dinner, and then staying up late with us around another fire. 

That night featured some hilarious childhood stories that will not be repeated on a public blog, but let's just say there was quite a bit of laughter around the campfire.

It was quite late by the time Sam went home and Christine wandered back to her trailer. Mike and I were both sticky from a long, hot day outside. Thankfully, we had the Rinse Kit to the rescue. It felt ah-mazing to take a short shower before changing into cool, dry close for bed time. Mike actually took a long, full shower that left him feeling quite refreshed. I'll have to take advantage of that option next time. Lounging under the fans in the gooseneck afterwards felt quite luxurious, actually.

The following morning was the competition and Terra was trailering in to meet me. I had told her I was flexible on time, but we were both worried about the hot weather. Terra arrived promptly at 8:30am and we were heading out the starting line at 9:15 sharp (right on schedule). It was disgustingly hot out already, and we agreed that we would call it quits if anybody (horse or human) started having a bad time.

The long course was listed as 12 miles, and I hoped it wouldn't be as hard and frustrating as it was last year.

The course ran roughly the same way it did the year before, though the objectives had obviously moved. I suggested to Terra that we should do the hard part of the trail first and save the easier terrain for later in the day when the horses were tired. This was opposite of what Dodie was advising. She specifically mentioned that there was more water on the blue trail, and only one spot on the red trail. I knew of the secret spot on green, however, and felt confident we'd be ok. Therefore, Terra and I basically ended up doing the course backwards.

We started with #10. The circle on the map was at a spot where the blue trails hugs the road. The clues were "40" and Ziploc. Terra and I did not find the clues, but we both spotted the pie plate easily from the trail. It probably wouldn't have been visible if we'd been going the other way, so that was lucky. FRISBEE.

We moved on to #9, which was quite a way down the course. Our clues were dead Y tree and orange square. 

Despite knowing that we had a long way to go, we couldn't do much moving out because of the terrain. We trotted where we could, but there was a lot of walking. I had put Scoot Boots on Lucy's front feet, but Nadi was barefoot (and doing fine). 

Along the way, we stopped to let the horses drink in the same spot I'd stopped the night before. While Lucy drank gratefully, Nadirah started dancing and throwing her head. I quickly realized she'd stepped in a nest of ground bees and we hightailed it out of there (but not before Terra took one for the team and got stung in the butt!) Why is it always bees?!?!

I texted Dodie right away with the location of the bees so she could text everyone on the long course with a warning.

The circle for #9 featured the most technical (and my least favorite) part of the trail. We ran into some hikers and the husband said he'd seen an orange square earlier. Meanwhile, Terra and I spotted a dead tree with a big fork in the trunk. We spent a while searching the area, but came up empty. I wasn't confident we were at the right spot so we decided to scout further to see if we could find the other clue. 

In the process, we passed the Four Horsemen, who had found 9 out of 9 objectives and had one more to go. We'd have to have a perfect day to beat them, and they definitely had the home field advantage.  

After the third time we crossed the cliffs, we spotted a huge tree that was clearly the dead Y. We never spotted the orange square, but we found the pie plate pretty quickly after that. BUTTON.

#8 was almost all the way at the blue trail parking lot, a few miles away. The clues were blue paint tree and "11". I knew from rides past that there are blue posts placed periodically on this trail and that each one is numbered. I remembered that "12" was a clue last year, and I felt certain we'd know "11" when we saw it. 

The going was still somewhat slow as the trail continued to be really tough. We ran into Deb's team, who had also found all their objectives thus far. This gave me hope that we'd find the rest as well. 

Along the way, we took a brief detour to sponge the horses. We got lucky and there was some cloud cover that morning. This mad it marginally cooler than the rest of the weekend, but it was still brutal. Lucy definitely appreciated getting cooled off. We took about ten minutes to let the horses cool off and drink on the blue trail. 

Soon, we spotted "11" and then quickly found the pie plate. COIN. By this point, I'd guessed that the theme was round objects.

#7 was on the first lollipop on the red trail, with double log jump and horse trail sign as clues. This was all the way on the other side of the causeway, and we trotted to make up for lost time.

We crossed the road and started looking for clues. There was a horse trail sign right at the top of the hill, which was at the edge of the circle on the map. There were some side trails in the direction the compass pointed us, so we took a moment to search there. I remembered there being a log jump further up, and decided to take a look. As soon as I spotted the log jump, I also spotted a second horse trail sign. With both clues in my sights, I quickly found the pie plate. 

#6 was next. This one is on the middle lollipop, which I am not very familiar with. This was the section where our group fun meter ran out last year, and I hoped this year would be better. Our clues were yellow square and trail Y. 

Terra and I flew from #7 to #6. The footing was good and there was nobody out on a blistering hot day. We let the horses gallop along and they felt forward and willing despite the heat. 

Along the way, we crossed the creek. Once again, we let the horses take a break. Lucy drank again, and I spent about five minutes sponging her off. 

We crossed the road and came to the Y intersection that I was pretty sure was our clue. A short while later, we spotted a laminated yellow square tacked to a low hanging tree branch. I spotted the objective in no time! 

Along the way, I spotted a box turtle in the grass. I saw a box turtle in the same general area last year. I wonder if it was the same one...

We had one more lollipop to go to find #5. When I saw that the first clue was "Cedars", I knew exactly where to go. Terra and I were moving out at a blazing pace again, with the horses mostly cantering with occasional trot breaks. I was really impressed with Lucy's performance and couldn't imagine going much faster.

We made a beeline up the hill, quickly located both "cedars" and the blue square, and were able to spot the pie plate almost instantly. Terra's sharp eyes meant we could get the word without even riding up to the plate. BOWL. We were out of there so fast that you would have missed us if you blinked.

The circle for #4 encompassed both the red trail and the unmarked connector, which made us pause for a minute. However, the clues were yellow bandana, red square, and red paint tree. This made us agree that we probably needed the red trail. I had never ridden this way and it was quite beautiful as we kept our eyes peeled for clues. Just as we were wondering if we'd missed it, the yellow bandana appeared in front of us. (Dodie later told us it was already on trail when she set the course.) 

There was a promising hollowed out tree just up the hill and Terra said, "I'm going up there first! You can't have all the objectives today!" Our instincts were right. 

Things were going well and I felt like we were closing in on the finish. #3 was on the same stretch of the Perkiomen that we'd searched in vain last year. The clues were peach square, 4' stump, and yellow clothes pin.

I was delighted when I spotted the yellow clothes pin at a distance despite it blending with the surrounding leaves. Terra only saw it after I rode up to it and pointed. Even with just this clue, we found the objective pretty quickly. Afterwards, I spotted the peach square as well. I was surprised I hadn't noticed either clue on my solo ride the day before. 

A short while later, we ran into Jenette, Jeff, and Alexi who were on the short course. We said hello and goodbye and picked up the pace once more. 

There were two objectives left:

#2 Bridge, "NO", green square

#1 Yellow grid, stoned grate, "Deep"

The rest of the course went by in an absolute blur. We went over the first bridge, spent a moment looking, and decided we were far enough up the trail. We were cantering in search of the next bridge when I spotted ORB on my left hand side. I pointed to it, shouted the word back to Terra, and kept flying.

The final objective was pretty easy as well. We never saw the yellow grid, but I knew where stoned grated was and "Deep" was on a sign for Deep Creek. The word was BALL and now it was a race for the finish. 

We were at a full gallop for the last mile and a half of the course and the horses were digging in and giving it a good effort, even with the huge hill up to camp at the end. As we flew past the disc golf course, Terra shouted, "You lost a boot!" There was some deep mud and we were flying so I wasn't surprised.

"We'll come back for it!!" I called over my shoulder without slowing down.

We came into camp strong, flinging our maps at Dodie and waiting while she calculated our time.

I was crestfallen to learn the Four Horsemen had beaten us by fourteen minutes. I couldn't imagine riding any faster than we did or having much more luck with finding objectives. I did the math later and realized that we lost because we stopped to sponge our horses and let them drink. I'm honestly ok with that. I can be incredibly competitive, but I will never choose beating someone over my horse's wellbeing. 

I also learned that LeeAnne was upset because I didn't tell them there were bees on trail. I was flabbergasted by this one. First of all, I immediately texted ride management, who texted them right away. Secondly, we saw them on a completely different part of the trail quite some time later. I wasn't thinking about the bees by that point. And, finally, if anyone thinks I'd purposely endanger other riders or their horses in the name of a ten cent ribbon, they are really missing the point.

ANYWAY!

Terra and I headed back down the hill to retrieve my lost boot. A nice young man handed it to me when I approached. It turns out he'd lost his frisbee and we spent quite a while trying to find it for him while the horses caught their breaths. Sadly, we came up empty. You'd think that a bright pink frisbee in a field would be easier to find than ten pie plates hidden in the forest, but apparently not.

We headed back up to the trailers, where Mike had ice water waiting to sponge with. I wound up filling and refilling the rinse kit and keeping a steady stream of water on Lucy until she was cool to the touch. It took a lot of water, but Lucy enjoyed every minute of it. 

Mike had already torn down our camp, so I left Lucy on the Hi Tie in the shade, with a bucket of mash and a bucket of clean, fresh water. 

While the horses rested, we headed down to Dodie's tent and ate delicious food, including these hot banana peppers that were positively divine. 

There were some pretty nasty thunderstorms on the horizon, so we packed things up pretty quickly after the horses rested. 

We had an uneventful ride home and Lucy was back in her pasture with her friends before our check out time. Of course, she got a nice, long, cold bath first. 

Honestly, I had such a perfect ride with Terra! She is my favorite partner to ride NACMO with. This ride put What the Foxtrot in the national team standings for the year, and while I'd like to get one more perfect score to improve our record, I'm pretty pleased with that.

The rest of the weekend was also awesome. I enjoyed my solo explorations of Green Lane and I'm super proud of how Lucy handled the elements and the pressure. She was perfect all weekend. Good mare. It was great to see Dodie, Christine, and Sam, and I also enjoyed one-on-one time with Mike in a no pressure setting. 

If I could have custom ordered the perfect weekend, I would have turned the temperature down by twenty degrees, but I'm not even complaining about that! This was another good one for the memory log.