Wild West Ride Information

The ride: This is the 10^th annual Wild West Ride. The Wild West ride is a fun, casual event where socializing around the evening campfire is encouraged. Base camps are located in the beautiful Tahoe National Forest with plenty of hiking trails and scenery for those not riding. We are encouraging the multi day aspect of this ride and want to discourage racing. Horse/rider teams successfully completing all three days will receive a special award.

Weather: Weather in the Sierra Mountains in the spring can be unpredictable. The day time weather could be sunny and mild or cloudy and cold. Rain/sleet is a possibility. Nights will be cold. Be prepared for all types of weather.

Camp: There are two base camps. Riders entered for two or three days will camp at Skillman Camp and riders entered one day will be camping at the Equestrian Staging Overlook located 1.2 miles from Skillman. There will be a shuttle available to bring riders each evening from the Equestrian Staging Overlook to Skillman for the pre-ride meeting, dinner and awards. Camps are located at approximately 3,500 feet in the Sierra Mountains so will be cool at night. Both camps are small and parking is tight, so please bring as small as rig as possible. The camps are wooded and shady with pine trees and dogwood. There is horse water available. There are porta potties provided but no other improvements. There is no power, no phones and poor cell phone reception. There are a few picnic tables provided, but bring chairs to the awards banquet. Dogs are allowed on leashes. Portable corrals are allowed only if they can be set up so as not to take up a rig parking space. The nearest phone is at White Cloud Campground, which is about 3 miles west of Skillman. The nearest restaurants/fuel/stores are in Nevada City (13 miles from camp). If you wish to arrive in Skillman camp before Thursday morning, May 22 or stay after Monday, May 26 you will be asked to pay the camp host directly for the camping fee. There is no camping fee for early arrivals at the Equestrian Staging Overlook. If you arrive early, remember to park space efficiently or you will be asked to move. Ride camps open Thursday, May 22 at 8:00 a.m. and close Monday, May 26. Dogs are allowed in camp on a leash only. Owners of dogs not on a leash will be asked to leave immediately. Please come prepared to clean up your hay/manure. We will have a large trailer to put your hay/manure in. Please haul out your own trash.

We will provide a shuttle for riders from the Equestrian Staging Overlook to/from Skillman for rider meetings, dinner and awards. Allow 30 minutes of riding time by trail between the Equestrian Staging Overlook and Skillman.

Trail:

Day 1: The 55 and 30 both start at 7:00 a.m. at Skillman Campground. Allow 30 minutes to ride from the Equestrian Staging Overlook to the start at Skillman Campground. The first loop is mainly on logging roads with some single track. Both the 55’s and 30’s return to camp for their lunch stop. The afternoon loop for both rides is mainly scenic single track .The 55 heads east up the Pioneer trail for a scenic view of Bear Valley. There is an afternoon, out of camp vet check for the 55 where hay and water will be provided. Finish is in camp for the 30 and is across the highway from camp for the 55, approximately ½ mile away from camp.

Day 2: The 50 mile ride starts at 7:00 am and the 35 mile rides starts at 7:30 am. At Skillman Campground. Allow 30 minutes to ride from the Equestrian Staging Overlook to the start at Skillman. The ride starts down a logging road and has some single track before arriving at the first vet check, which is not in camp. Crews can easily drive to this vet check which is located at the GCTC Trail Head. Crew directions to vet check: Travel west on highway 20 from Skillman and/or the Equestrian Staging Overlook. Travel approximately 6 miles and turn right on Forest Conservation Camp Road. Go approximately ¼ mile and turn left on the first dirt road into the GCTC Trail Head parking lot. Management will transport crew bags to this check and water will be provided. This will be the lunch stop for the 35, which will return to camp on scenic single track. This limited distance ride has some climbs, especially the second half and is a good transition for limited distance riders getting ready for a 50. The 50 mile ride leaves the first vet check and does a pretty loop down to Madrone Springs and back up to the GCTC Trail Head for their lunch stop. They then return to camp up the same trail as the 35.

Day 3: The 50 mile rides starts at 7:00 a.m. from the Equestrian Staging Overlook. Allow 30 minutes to ride from Skillman to the Equestrian Staging Overlook. The trail is a combination of single track and logging road with some climbs. The lunch stop is at Skillman Camp. The 25 starts at 9:30 a.m. at Skillman Campground and does the afternoon loop of the 50, which is the same trail as the afternoon loop of the 50 on day 1. The afternoon vet check for the 50 and the lunch stop for the 25 is out of camp and is easily accessed by crews. Crew directions to vet check: Travel east on highway 20 from Skillman/Equestrian Staging Overlook. Travel approximately 5 – 6 miles and look for the Rest Stop on the left hand side of the highway. Just past the rest stop, turn left into the dirt road and turn left again into the vet check which is located just behind the rest stop. Please do not park in the rest stop itself. Hay and water will be provided, and crew bags will be transported by management (the 50 mile riders should not need crew here). All rides finish across the highway from camp, about ½ mile from camp.

All rides except the 30 on day 1 have highway crossings. There is high speed traffic, and caution is recommended. The difficulty level (moderate) of all three days for the 50 is about the same, with the first day being 55 miles so will take longer to complete. The limited distance ride the second day is challenging as it is a full 35 with some climbing near the finish. This is a ride recommended for a rider ready to start transitioning to full 50s.

The trail in the spring should be beautiful and the dogwoods should be in bloom. The trails are safe and well marked.

Veterinarians: The veterinarians are Melissa Ribley, DVM (head vet), Rob Lydon, DVM and Jo Clemitson, DVM

Food: There will be a pot-luck awards banquet after day one and day two (Friday and Saturday evening) so bring your favorite dish! Sunday evening (day 3) there will be a delicious catered awards banquet with chicken, tri-tip and vegetarian lasagna. There are no table and chairs, so bring your own. There will be a blazing campfire each evening so bring your marshmallows and favorite stories! Join us around the warm fire each morning before the ride for coffee/muffins as well.

Awards: There will be completion awards for all who finish each day. There will be a special award for those horse/rider teams who complete all three days of this multi day event. We also have an overall Best Condition for the three day horse that completes all three days in the best shape. These multi day awards will be recognized at the grand finale awards banquet Sunday evening.

Entries: Entries are limited to the first 100 entered due to camp size limitations. There is a late fee of $25.00 if the entry is postmarked after May 17, 2008. There will be no refunds for cancellations after May 21. If you are entered multiple days and are pulled/have horse trouble the first or second day, you will receive a refund for the days not ridden. A Sunday evening banquet ticket is included with each entry and extra tickets may be purchased. There is a 15.00 fee for non-AERC members. Entries and ride fliers may be down loaded from this site.

Corrals: There are a few corrals available at Skillman Campground on a first reserved basis for $20.00/night. Reservation/payment for corral must accompany entry.

Directions: To Skillman Campground: From Nevada City, travel east on Highway 20 approximately 13.5 miles. Skillman Campground will be on your right, and there will be ride signs. From Reno/Truckee, take the Highway 20/Nevada City exit off I-80. Travel 13 miles west, and Skillman Campground will be on your left. There will be ride signs. To Equestrian Staging Overlook: From Nevada City, travel east on Highway 20 approximately 12.3 miles. The dirt road into camp will be on your right, just before the scenic overlook. There will be ride signs. From Reno/Truckee, take the Highway 20/Nevada City exit off I-80. Travel 14.2 miles west and the dirt road into camp will be on your left, immediately after the scenic overlook. There will be ride signs.

Questions? For more information, contact Robert or Melissa Ribley at mribley@wildblue.net or (530) 268-1378.

We look forward to seeing you for a fun fill weekend at the Wild West Rides!