Magic and I rode with Don and Carol on the Buffalo National River today. We started at Steel Creek at 10 am. We went downstream to Beech Creek and followed it up to the dirt road that goes down the Steel Creek Beech Creek divide. We followed the road south until we could take the trail that goes around the Batesville sandstone bench to the Slatey place. We ate lunch at the Slatey place. Carol’s goal was to see the big landslide but we ran out of time and had to start heading back. We ran into ice storm damage about two miles before we got to the Slatey place. Most of the Buffalo country escaped the ice storm damage due to the influence of the river and the valley. There is a huge difference in the forest that escaped damage and the forest that was damaged. There was only a degree or two difference in the temperatures but that is all it takes in an ice storm. From the Slatey place we went down an old road about two miles to the river. That trial should be named “horse hell trail”. It has washed bad, all the dirt is gone and all that is left is rough, angular rocks about suitcase size. Once we got to the river, it was about 8 miles upriver to Steel Creek. We met three girls with four horses going downstream. Magic does very good on the trails. I rode in the lead for a while on the way back. A horse has to have confidence to lead and Magic can handle it. Magic finished the ride in good condition.
I must admit that there were times that I thought the ride was too long, too steep, too rough and too fast. This is not the first ride that I have thought those thoughts. There are many kind people that have led me on Buffalo trail rides. Ted Spears, Carol Chaney, Peggy Thompson and others have been very generous to share their knowledge of the trails. I am going to go on rides that start later, go slower, and have more rest stops.