AERC ride season starts Dec 1 and runs through Nov 30 of the following year. Which means that as of this past Saturday, 12/1, the 2019 AERC ride season was on!
Only once in the 13 years I’ve been doing endurance have I done a December ride…they just historically haven’t happened very frequently in AZ, which is a shame because the weather in early December is just about perfect. I’m guessing that timing between holidays probably makes it more difficult.
But we’re fortunate this year in that we’ve got a brand-new ride coming up on Saturday, 12/8 — the Dashing Through the Trails ride, held at Estrella Mountain Park. I’m really excited about this ride — it’s “local” to me, being only an hour away, and it’s the site of my very first competitive trail ride I did, back in 2001, so there’s some major nostalgia and memories involved.
entry sent in last week
I’m fortunate enough to be riding my favorite catch-ride darling Flash again, and I can’t think of a better way to start off the season!
shamelessly taking every opportunity to spam my audience with Flash photos #sorrynotsorry
My last ride that I actually rode was back in August, so on the agenda this week is taking care of all my ride season prep and making sure I can actually find the things I need for the weekend.
My half chaps were capable of fully standing upright on their own, as they haven’t been washed since before Tevis, so they’re currently sitting in a bucket, soaking away their layers of grime. (This is when I hope they’re not held together by horse hair and trail dust.)
Free-standing half chaps…even Artemis is worried
It’s also winter (“winter lite” since it is AZ), which means things I wore for rides in the summer might not be quite toasty enough, so it’s time to dive into my stack of jackets and vests to figure out the most appropriate apparel without bringing half my closet along.
Like I said before, this is a great way to start off the 2019 season…a ride right off the bat, and on my favorite catch-ride. At this point, I have no clue what the season will hold…I know what I would wish/dream/like to happen, but endurance is pretty much an exercise in creative thinking and flexible planning, so I guess we’ll see what ends up actually happening along the way…
any view, through these ears, would be great with me…
Go Pony • Go the Distance 
Yesssss more Flash photos. Bring ’em! He is the ultimate eye candy!
Best to you on the ride. I hope it’s gorgeous and full of fun!
He really is, isn’t he? I jokingly call him “Majestic Frat Boy” because he’ll be all regal and imperious one moment…and then the next, he’s flung his feed pan into his water bucket, and spit electrolytes into my hair.
” endurance is pretty much an exercise in creative thinking and flexible planning”
Amen.
Happy 2019 ride season! I look forward to reading about it :)