Anyone wishing to share their pictures of club rides please forward them to Ron Nordby at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I would be happy to post them or if there is anything you would like to add to our newsletter contact Rick Weik at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Tentative Event Schedule for 2010

Mar. 20 workbee Fishtrap (North Westsyde) Ron 579 5278

Mar 23 meeting VV Hall 7:00 pm

Apr 10 Trailer Rodeo Flying J truck stop, (Campbell Creek) Carla 679 8075 9:00am

Apr 24-25 Get Aquaited ride, (Chase) Gord&Carol, 679 3999

Apr 27 Meeting VV Hall 7:00 pm (Need items for loonie auction)

May 1-2 Seven Sisters ride, (North Westsyde) Ron 579 5278

May 8 Children's Wish ride, (Scuitto lake) Jeanie 573 2206 or Kathie 573 3792

May 18 Meeting VV Hall 7:00 pm

May 28-29-30 Rendezous, Rock Creek

June 25-26-27 Ride at Lou's (Vinsulla) 578 7743

July 24-25 Ride from Gord's to Linda's (Chase) 679 3999 or 679 3557

Aug 21 Okanagan invitational ride, Larch Hills (Salmon Arm) Ron 579 5278

Sept ?? Catered Ride, Fishtrap camp, Sherri 778 220 4244

Sept 25 Poker Ride,(Chase) Uli 679 2702

Sept. 28 Meeting VV Hall 7:00 pm

Oct. 26 Meeting

Nov. 23 Meeting VV Hall 7:00 (Elections)

Mckenzies get acquainted week-end

We were treated to a pleasurable weekend in chase Creek, hosted by Carol and Gord.

Campers started to arrive Friday evening, and Saturday morning riders were treated to a ride across the

and a tour of the east valley.  The weather held for most of the ride, which is always a challenge when

hosting the first ride of the season.  We have had snow, rain, hail and wind in the past, we have been

lucky and had the sun shine on us many times as well. 

We arrived back to ranch, greeted with coffee, and a guest speaker,  Colleen Murphey, who shared her

experiences with safety on the trail, Colleen provided us with good information and some laughs on

what todo and not to do.  Thanks to Colleen for sharing and spending the day with us, it was a lot of

fun and greatly appereciated!

Back Country members who came for the social part of the weekend arrived and also brought the wind

cold with them, so we moved in and took over the house.  A great potluck followed, with lots of stories

I'm not sure if they were all true, but at times it could be animated.  Blaine provided us with Bar B.Q

hamburgers and hotdogs, to address the appetites we had all brought with us.

Sunday some die hards went out for a ride on the other side, some went up the Chase Creek lookout,

 which is one of  the more scenic rides, you can go on, always a pleasure to overlook the world!  Some

riders opted for shorter ride that toured around the mountainside, in a relaxed and pleasurable pace.

Thanks Gord and Carol for providing a great weekend for us adventuresome and not so adventuresome

crew!

Seven Sister to Fishtrap

Kamloops chapter invited the Barriere riding club, to join us riding up in the Skull Mountains, we met at the trail head and were all in the saddle by 10:00, ready to go.

Ron Nordby led us up the trail to ride to the Seven Sisters look-out.  We had a steady incline that took an hour, to reach a scenic view-point, it was great to get the horses to work fairly quickly. 

We had a lunch break, sitting on a rock bluff looking over the valley, shaded by trees that had survived the Barriere fire.  I wonder what the poor fellows in town were doing?  We felt very rich to be spending our afternoon perched on a mountainside taking in the sights.

After lunch we trekked back down the mountainside and headed over to fish trap, this trail took us right through the burn, which has been logged off.  We had wide open spaces and observed hawks flying over head, and the recovery of plants and small trees, starting over.

Approximately 3 hours after lunch we arrived at a vantage point that over looked the fish trap camp, and now we started to head down towards camp.  A roaring water fall drowned out any chatter as the torrent of water rushed down the rock face to join the creek at the bottom.

The riders rode down the hillside and into camp, listening to the sounds of beating drums and singing in the distance.  We had timed our arrival, to the opening ceremony of Fish Trap horse camp.

We all picked a corral for our horses, and much to their relief removed their wet saddle blankets and saddles, gave them a cool drink of water from the creek, and now it's our turn.

We were greeted by a big pot of campfire coffee brewing over the firepit, oh thank-you is that hitting the spot.  We joined a circle of people that had a pit surrounded, we were just in time to watch aromatic, steaming pans of food being lifted from the earth.

Salmon, corn on the cob, potatoes, beef, venison and the best bannock were laid out before us.  Could it get any better than this?

Terry Lake, the native community, and friends assisted Connie and Butch Falk as they celebrated the grand opening of our Fish Trap horse camp.

Fresh water is available for the dry horses, shower stalls for the dusty rider, a gazebo to get out of the elements, firepit to warm up and cook from, numerous picinic tables scattered about, surrounded by a fence to keep wayward cows from joining us.  What more could a horse enthusiast ask for?

Dig into the great food, baked to perfection!

Thankyou Ron for leading and organizing the ride,  thank-you Connie Falk for all your hard and enthusistic work.   Thankyou to the cooks!!!

What a great day, sorry it had to come to an end.

Lous' June Jaunt

            Campers started arriving at Lou's, park like setting friday afternoon for a relaxing evening around the campfire and a birthday celebration for one of our guests. Many toasts and beverages later we found our beds and called it a night.

            Saturday morning the rest of the riders arrived and we were all in the saddle by 10:30, ready to follow our leader through the beautiful country out past Lou's back gate.  A playground most of us envied.  We admired, wild flowers, spooked up the odd deer and appreciated some old growth trees that were hundreds of years old.

            Two hours later, we suddenly arrived at the top of a bluff, the gasps from riders said it all.  We overlooked the valley bottom and could see for miles, the Thompson river wound it's way past us onto Rayleigh, and the train moved far below us, looking like the toy set we spent hours playing with as youngsters.  We commented on the farmers fields in bloom waiting to be cut, the perfect setting for our lunch break.

            Reluctantly we left our little piece of heaven and headed back towards civilization, coming back into our camp from a different direction, which gave us new things to look at and admire.

            A few groans could be heard as we slowly dismounted our horses, and acknowledged our unused muscles, but smiles lit up our faces as we hung our horses on the high line, so that we could have a cool one by the fire (okay, a couple cool ones.)

            A delicious pot luck was shared, and once again we had a birthday to celebrate, Linda H, baked a shortcake, and smothered it with fresh strawberries, topped with whipped cream  mmm m...Happy Birthday Linda (yep she baked her own cake)

            Another evening spent, visiting, storytelling and enjoying Viola's guitar and voice.  The weary riders did not howl at the full moon this year, instead we retired, looking forward to our ride out in the morning.

            Lou assured us that it would be a short and easy ride, being Sunday and all. We  eagerly rode out in the opposite direction that we had taken on Saturday.  We rode through the countryside, stopped by a creek for a refreshing drink and wandered past a couple of lakes.

            Lou was right!  It was an easy, enjoyable ride, but if you call 3 hours in saddle short, then it was short too.

            A great weekend hosted by Lou left the riders begging to come back!   Thanks Lou!