In August of 2003, my riding buddy Claire O'Donnell and I took Berraco and Manzanita on a much anticipated ride into the rugged Cascade mountains.  We have talked about doing this ride for several years now, and finally got our chance this past summer.  I only had Manzanita for about a month when we went on this ride, so I didn't know what to expect from her on the sheer cliffs and hard hills.  She was just amazing and never seemed to get tired, although Claire and I were quite tired by the time we got back to the truck.  Berraco is a seasoned trail horse, but these technical trails were a challenge for even him.  The cliffs and shale rocks were nerve racking, but both horses were great and got us home safely.  

Claire is riding Manzanita, the white mare.  April is riding Berraco, the bay stallion.

Here are a few pictures of our ride.