Friends have been talking about what an awesome experience the Shore to Shore Endurance Ride Week is so finally we bit the bullet in order to work on Bask N Coins' (Loosi's) ApHC Medallion.

On Sat drove to the beautiful town of Oscoda MI to the base camp for the first 2 days of competition. Having met most of the ride management (manager, head vet, timer) at the White River Ride we were made to feel like long lost friends.

We quickly set up camp and then headed back down to Tawas City to go grocery shopping as we cannot transport fresh meat, fruit or vegetables across the border. It rained on the way back and through vetting so not wanting to get my tack wet I didn't get a chance to hack out and see some of the trail and markings.

Sunday was Warm Up Ride day. We rode from Oscoda and the River Road basecamp to Battle Creek basecamp and back through River Road about 5 miles to turnaround and come back. I hit the first vet check in 15th spot and left in 11th spot pulsing down before some other horses. By the time we finished I had moved up to 9th sport due to passing a horse on trail and one gettng pulled at the 2nd vet check. What a great start to the week!

Day 1 on Monday had us riding to Oscoda and the shore of Lake Huron (yes you could actually ride into the lake provided your horse wasn't scared of the waves) and then back through River Road basecamp onto the new basecamp at Battle Creek. I was supposed to take this day off to allow my mom to ride Loosi one day, but a fellow competitor that we had me in Pennsylvania last year offered me his spare horse for the day - needless to say I took him up on that offer. This left us with the challenge of how to get our rig to Battle Creek, we arranged a ride back after we completed the day's competition - Loosi would be fine grazing until she had her pen set up - or so was the game plan. Mother on Loosi and I on Apache (Collect Ballast) rode in the cold wind and even colder rain to the lake and back to the vet check. A 40 minute hold in this weather was not fun, we slowly made our way back to River Road camp where we stopped at our trailer to get a rump rug for Loosi when she had a muscle cramp from the deep sand and cold wet wind. Needless to say my almost 70 year old mother wasn't too disappointed to have to stay and get Loosi and rig to the next basecamp while I had to encourage my poor horse to go back out on trail where we couldn't see or smell another horse for 12 miles. We caught up to 3 other riders at the next vet check and actually left before 2 of them. Did you know that trail looks and takes longer on a tired horse compared to a fresh one?! The riders I passed caught up to me and I rode with them for a while until we caught the other horse who was walking slowly - the rider had a cramped ankle and was in pain. I slowed down and stayed with her to the bitter end. I came into camp in 19th position out of 20 starters with a sound horse.

Day 2 (Luzerne) saw us take a break. The vets would have let Loosi start but as it was the longest and toughest day of trail, I felt it was wise to take the day off. I still want to go back and do that day of trail as it is also the prettiest - note to self, next time start here with a fresh horse!! Mother did hack Loosi out for about an hour after we moved basecamp.

Day 3 (on to Goose Creek) This was more like Loosi's type of trail. Some twisty turny bush but then 2 track sandy roads and gravel roads. Left the start as 17th horse out (50 END milers, 50 CTR milers, 25 LD milers and 25 CTR milers). Got to the vet check as the 15th horse in, plusing down before those that I had been riding behind - no place to pass in the bush. Left a couple of minutes behind 2 riders who have over 10,000 miles under their belts (but they were on horses that had ridden Day 1 and Day 2). Hit the sand trails and cantered and cantered and cantered. We blew past the Leatherbutts and into vet check 2. Here I had planned on slowing down now that Loosi had had some fun and was ready to work and listen. Boss, one of the Leatherbutts, invited me to ride with them as the next bit of trail wasn't well marked. For 25 miles I rode with these great Mentors and without them I might still be on my way to Mackinac. We crossed the finish line with me in 5th spot.

What can I say but what an amazing experience and I can't wait for future years to finish the ride.