Submitted by Martha Nicholas, Team Easyboot 2014 Member

I recently headed up to support my Back Country Horsemen of Washington State Enumclaw Trail Riders Chapter’s Prize Ride. It was the 20th Annual ride being held up at Buck Creek Campgrounds, which is by Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, near the Pacific Crest Trail.

It is a beautiful area with some great trails and big trees. The trails are not too hard, so prefect for beginners to get out and enjoy our National Forests, and a great way to promote BCH’s mission statement. I have included it just in case some do not know what it is.

Back Country Horsemen Mission Statement is:

1. To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America’s back country and wilderness.
2. To work to insure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use.
3. To assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resource.
4. To educate, encourage and solicit active participation in the wise use of the back country resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage.

Member Jo Hartly doing the important job of checking the area for nails.

We had a great prize ride with big turn out of 200+ riders. Here are a few photos taken during the ride.

Curly and me taking a break at the edge of the glacier fed White River that flows out of Mt. Rainier National Park. It is actually fed by three glaciers on Mt. Rainier. Curly is wearing his Grips with Dome pads on the fronts and Gloves on his hind feet for this ride.

Members Beau and Kelly LaCrosse made the day extra special by bring up a few of their big draft mules and a beautiful handmade wagon. My group enjoyed following the LaCrosse family on the first half of the ride. The LaCrosse family cut their ride short so they could go back to camp and hooked up the wagon and gave fun wagon rides to whoever wanted one, which was a lot of folks.

Folks visiting as other had their ticket numbers called out to come up to the many tables and pick a prize out.

This Team member was flying her EasyCare banner again!