David Canyon Ride

That same week, my friend Susan invited me to ride a second time and we decided to ride David Canyon in the Manzanita Mountains.

Apache waiting patiently beside my trailer.

Susan and her rig and horses.

Susan had never ridden David Canyon before, so I chose to do a loop south across the ridgeline then dropping into David Canyon and riding north.

It had rained pretty heavy the night before and the trails were muddy and slippery, but we just took our time.

The benefit of the rain was that the air smelled intoxicating fresh and green and earthy.

Views of the Manzano Mountains from David Canyon.

Susan's Arabian geldings kept a strong, steady pace, while Apache and I took our time, enjoying the scenery.  

In the areas where the forest had been thinned with masticators and controlled burns, the understory vegetation was already growing green and thick.

And the scrub oaks were already tall and thick.

Some people don't like scrub oak, but I do. It's nice to have something deciduous and green instead of just seeing pines and junipers. And the leaves and acorns feed a variety of wildlife.

Even though many of the ponderosa are still scorched and black at their bases, the controlled burns and thinning of the forest have allowed the understory to open and up and grasses and wildflowers to grow, providing food for deer and other animals.

My friend Susan and her handsome boys.

We had finally arrived down in the beautiful meadows of David Canyon.

Such an incredibly gorgeous place to ride!

We stopped for a few minutes to let our horses graze on the green grass, while Susan adjusted her saddle and removed the lead rope from her young gelding that she had been ponying.

And then we rode the Forest Service Road through David Canyon.

And I even took a selfie...no make-up and all!

Susan's senior gelding actually had a faster pace than her younger in-training gelding. We rode side by side or pretty close, with him for a lot of the ride down in the canyon.

The canyon isn't just flat. There are a few hills with impressive boulders alongside the trail.

And because it had rained the night before, there were quite a few puddles and muddy areas.

But the weather was beautiful and sunny and the scenery was gorgeous. The horses were grateful for all of the lush, green grass to munch on during our ride.

Apache was happy to graze and munch on grass at every offered opportunity.

The canyon was so quiet and peaceful and because we had some space between us, it felt like we were each riding alone. Just the way I like it! 

Apache and I in David Canyon.

Back at the trailer, Apache enjoying a well-deserved cool drink of water.