Fourth of July Canyon BCHM Pack-Out

I signed up to be an outrider with my local Back Country Horsemen group, assisting the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in packing themselves out of the Manzano Mountains where they had spent a week camping and clearing trails.

My friend Sandy was kind enough to offer Apache and I a ride.

The trailhead parking area.

Our group took several pack animals, both horse and mule, to haul down all of the RMYC supplies.

I was looking forward to seeing some colorful leaves since this was a Fall ride.

We even had a water crossing.

Just a little stream.

Trail Selfie wearing my BCHM patch on my helmet.

There was some beautiful color, but the leaves had not truly peaked yet.

It was still incredibly beautiful.

Full-on selfie!

Apache and I always enjoy riding in the mountains.

The sky peeking through the trees was brilliantly blue!

We were continually climbing up the mountain, passing impressive boulders.

Gorgeous views towards the southeast.

We eventually stopped and tied up our horses to gather a water container cache. After we emptied the water, we loaded up the containers on the pack animals and continued to the RMYC campsite....where we tied up our horses again. Apache knows the drill. She ties like a dream and always relaxes and takes advantage of her time to rest.

The RMYC crew finishing up some last minute packing for their hike back down the mountain.

I took a moment to gather all the RMYC crew together for a group photo. What a great group of young adults, volunteering to keep the trails clear and usable for all.

After we loaded up all their camping gear onto our pack animals' backs, we mounted back up and headed down the trail to make a fun loop ride.

Pretty Fall Color Selfie

The forest felt like we were riding through a tunnel of beautiful color and light.

Gorgeous!!

Apache and I were thoroughly enjoying ourselves!

We finally reached the Manzano Crest. What spectacular vistas!

One the way down the mountain, we rode through several bursts of Fall color. I took this photo of Sandy.

Our group stopping to talk with one of the RMYC members that had lost the rest of his crew.

He eventually caught up with the rest of his crew by the time we reached the parking area. After unloading all the camping gear, we unsaddled and watered our horses and headed back home.

Life is Good!