A Mule ride in the 'Secret Place'

There is a secret place that we've known about and heard from some local riders...well.
It isn't really secret.

It is on the map. It is a county park. After all we have the Kickapoo Reserve, Wildcat Mountain, and Horseman's Park to ride in.
All fabulous and awesome places to ride in.

BUT
but
but
we'd never gone to this place.
Where the Bad Axe River flows hard, creating a dull roar of watery music as it rushes over rocks.
The trails are switch backs and if your equine is in fair shape, they can march right along the 3 mile loop with ease.

Warning.
The 3 miles does not feel like 3 miles.
It is up, down, around rocks, around ridges, over logs...

it crosses the Bad Axe. In one place it was up to Siera's belly.


She handled it well after the first refusal.
Opal did her usual self and simply took it all in stride.

In the valley and above us the trees were touched with brilliant gold.
Too hard to get on a Pink Fugly point and shoot camera.

The trails were fun. Challenging to an equine's physical fitness.

Am I going to disclose this place?
No, I'm not.
On a Saturday we ran into one other couple that were riding.
We saw one hiker.

...and we only covered half of the trails available to us.
On the way home we talked excitedly about what a great find this was.
Heck, though...we'd known about it for 15 years.
We just thought it wasn't worth our time.
We wanted miles and miles of trails.

What we found was plenty of trails with fantastic scenery. And a wonderful place to get Siera and others in tip top shape.

We are eagerly putting this 'Secret Place' on our favorite list.


I still wonder at how we could have ignored this gorgeous place that is nearly in our 'backyard'.