It was dark.  It was cold.  The alarm goes off at 5 AM on the 1st day of the New Year and it was below freezing.  We have a long day ahead of us.  We must get up and feed the horses and feed us and be ready to leave at 6:30.  It is a 30 minute drive to the border, where we would still need to tack up and be ready to ride at 8 AM.  It was windy and it was still cold as we sign the log in book on the back of the monument, marking the beginning of the 2650 mile Pacific Crest Trail.  Okay, so the mileage this year is 2659; it changes a little each year with detours.  We wave goodbye to Billi-Jo, who would bring our trailer back to Boulder Oaks, 26 trail miles north.  Here begins our journey and adventure with our two horses Aero and Dakota.  Aero is a young horse, only five years old, but he is ready!  He's a little on the thin side and we know he may get thinner, but we'll do our best to keep weight on him.  18 months ago, when we bought him, he was very green and 400 pounds underweight.  Now he's a very good trail horse, with a very good mind and a very sharp eye and only 100 pounds underweight!  Wish I had that problem.  Dakota, on the other hand, is 15 years old and the mature one in our little herd of two.  He also is very sure footed and has a keen sense of everything around him.  He also loves to please.  We begin, not knowing what may lie ahead.  We choose not to camp at Hauser Creek for several reasons, so we knew we had a long way to go on our first day out.  Aero had brand new boots on and a brand never tried before, so we also didn't know if we may have rubbing issues.  As the day wears on, I'm shedding layers, as the temperatures were getting up in the mid-60's; nice and warm for a January day.  Our goal is to make it to Lake Morena by 2 PM to meet up with another friend, Janine, who will ride with us the last six miles.  After a short stop for lunch at Hauser Creek, we still made it before 3 PM.  Surprisingly, my phone got a weak signal, so we were able to call ahead and let Janine know we were running a little late.  Dakota stopped suddenly on the trail when he met up with a dog, Janine's dog!  She rode out to meet us.  She then led us through a dry river bottom to our destination at Boulder Oaks.  This would prove to be a much easier route although it didn't save many trail miles.  Our camper and trailer were a welcomed sight, as the weather was getting cold fast as the sun set.  I'm sure Aero and Dakota enjoyed having their blankets too.  We don't normally blanket at home, but this was a big change from the weather they are used to.  So, as Paul took care of the horses, I took care of dinner.  We were ready for bed soon after dinner.  It was a very long day; about 8 hours in the saddle, but we were also very content.

Gail