More on Tevis

I'm back now and have a bit more time to explain what Tevis actually is. Tevis was started over 50 years ago by Wendell Robie and some of his friends. It is billed as the most difficult endurance ride and is a sign of prestige and honor to wear the buckle that signifies that you've finished.

The course is 100 miles long, beginning near Lake Tahoe and ending in Auburn, CA. Its a challenging ride, made even more challenging by the terrain and the heat. Dennis completed the ride in 2004 on the 50th anniversary of the event; I completed the year after. We were lucky; we finished the ride on our first try. Generally, it takes at least two attempts for one completion.

This year, 169 riders started and 87 finished. Our friend, Lucy, made it as far as Chicken Hawk (approximately 66 miles), but then pulled because her horse was a bit "crunchy"--English term for not moving well. Roo is a great horse and we think with a bit of electrolyte tweaking, he will do fine next year. Lucy loves to take pictures, so this is a link to the photos she took during the first 36 miles of the ride. This course of the trail goes through the Granite Chief Wilderness and is quite beautiful.

It was a great weekend; alot of fun and not much sleeping.