(From left to right) Sheila and Harry, Amanda and All Star, Jill and Willis
on Green Mountain in the JSW just before heading down the switchbacks
the snowfield you had to jump down
three and half feet off of a rock.
The hikers who had just crossed it
were using ice axes and spikes on
their shoes! We really wanted to
make the loop and the trailhead
was only eight miles going straight
on or twelve more if we went back
the way we came. To put things into
perspective, it had taken five hours
to get to the divide and it was now
almost four pm so in just a few more
hours it would be getting dark. Not
such a scary thought unless you
are in wolf, grizzly, and mountain
lion country riding on the side of a
mountain where a misstep probably
means serious injury or worse for
both rider and horse. So we decided…we had rather make it back in
the dark rather than risk one sliding
down the side of the mountain in
the ice and snow to their death. As
it turns out it’s much easier for the
horses going down hill and we flew
back to the trail head in two and half
hours with a few minutes of daylight
t o spare. It was an extremely memorable day with the unquestionable
beauty of the Tetons, and we gained
a greater respect for the mountains
and our wonderful walking horses.
Where to ride next was the big
question. After the Paintbrush Canyon ride our mounts needed an easier
(Picture to the right) Sheila and Harry crossing Moose Creek in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness of Targhee National Forest
22 • Walking On