Colfax Coal Rush, Raton, NM - July 17, 1999 - Judy Collier

 
Well you guys really missed a great ride.  Florence and I went to Raton, New Mexico for a first time ride this week.   Yes I know how far it is.  It took us 16 hours to drive it, that is why we went a day early and let the horses rest on Friday, while, after driving 16 hours on Thursday, we spent Friday, driving all over the New Mexico mountains seeing the sites.  Colorado is only about 10 miles from Raton.  You can really take a small vacation.

Camp is on the National Rifle Association Ranch, which by the way is next door to Ted Turners ranch.  They are trying to make the NRA ranch more versatile and will be trying to open it up for a lot of other uses, such as endurance rides.  Our camp was between two mountains, with a beautiful cold spring horseshoeing around it.  If that was not enough water, management had water tanks all over the place.  Words can not describe the trails, wonderful, beautiful, splendid fabulous, and a whole bunch of fun.  They were very challenging, to say the least.  I remember climbing and climbing mile after mile, some how I can not remember coming down that much.  I wonder how they did that.  The trails were well marked and had an abundance of water on them.  Let me tell you about the weather.  The days were pleasantly warm, in the low 80’s, some times sunny, some times rainy.  When the rain stopped the ground dried almost immediately.  The nights we sleep in heavy sleeping bags, wore long sleeve shirts and slacks.  It got rather cool.  Isn’t that great?  I had a hard time coming home to the Texas heat.

The management, for first timers, were absolute wonderful.  I did not see Susan take a shovel to her husband, not one time.  The did not even fight in public.  If you needed anything they tried to get it for you.  Ride meeting was on time (almost unheard of) and very informative.  The ride started on time, there was no back up at the P&R’s and we had great vets.  What else could you ask for.  I highly recommend this ride for next year.  Since the central region has no rides during the months of July and August this is a great filler ride for us endurance junkies.  The withdrawals are not as bad now.  Now lets see, when is that next ride.  See you all down the road.  Judy Collier