Farewell to the Fjords

The rain sounded on our metal roof all through the night and continued to echo around us as the alarm sounded at 5:00 am; the second time it sounded that morning. The first time was at 4:00am and signaled Steven to get up to feed the horses that were in the corrals at Purple Point, a fenced in area just a few hundred yards from our house. Today was going to be the day they left on the barge headed towards Manson for the winter and a typical barge day it was; cold and wet. We both got dressed and ate a quick breakfast before bundling up and heading to their corral. Our plan was to catch them all, tie them together, and have them at the barge loading area by 6:15. Most of them still had shoes on from the last few packing trips and those shoes needed to be pulled before they went on the barge. So, rain still coming down, I grabbed the wet halters and lead lines and climbed the fence to start the process. As I lifted their heads from the few remaining hay piles to slide their furry noses in the halters, I reminisced about all the fun I had with these animals over the summer. Each horse has so much personality and character that played a part in the stories created over the summer. I realized this may be the last time I ever see some of the guys...ever. I moved from horse to horse, as Steven did the same, to ensure they all had halters on. We both worked quietly and I think both realized our time in Stehekin was coming to an end as different parts of our experience were ending as the weeks rolled by. Then we started tying tail knots. Once we had two strings, we lead them down to the road and walked along the pavement towards the barge. Their is something about the sound of metal shoes clinking on the road; it is a sound I won't forget. The horses were tied to trees and trailers as they waited to have their shoes removed before loading onto the barge. Now this is an exciting time for them as winter is here and work is over for the season so of course each one willingly loaded on and locals helped tie them up to prepare for departure. I stood and watched as the barge pulled away, the sun just starting to light up the sky, mist rising from the water, and rain still trickling down. There is just something about this herd I will never forget, so my goodbyes go to (in no particular order):
Leroy - the cute little mustang always ready for some attention and a chance as a lead horse
Trymm - a true Fjord ready to work and get down to business, no time for playing around
Domino - the cow, I mean horse, that was burdened with all the "healthy" riders this summer
Bute - the lead pack horse of choice and Cragg's riding horse for many pack trips this summer
Rosy Bay Maverick - a newbie to the herd and without a name, so we gave him three
Vegar - a riding and pack horse with one awesome mane making the other horses jealous
Axle - a beautiful horse to all with a nicker ready to share anytime you walked into the corral
Guri - a great mare that never missed a beat, willing and ready for any rider that approached
Biscuit (aka Houdini) - great for kids and a master of making cute faces to get some extra grain
Jaws - a smart horse that preferred leading pack strings on trails than day rides to the lake
Espen - solid as a rock and able to pack anything from anywhere anytime you needed him
Junko - a spunky horse that mellowed out this summer and worked hard alongside the pros
Narve' - another pack horse known as a "tank" for his size, steadiness, and calm nature
Atla - a gelding with a great attitude ready for adults or kids
Ally - a cute little mare always waiting at the gate for a chance to go on a day ride to eat grass
Finn - an older guy set aside for valley kid lessons this summer
Oates - a bundle of energy and eager to work once her attitude was in check
Skoal & Tyrus - the scruffy babies of the bunch with their first riding experience this year
Lilly - a mare to entertain you on the trail with ears up and nostrils open ready for action
Layla - another loaner for a few weeks with a great attitude that loved being with the herd
Foss - a local's "ranch pony" and Fjord look-a-like able to outwork the big Fjords any day of the week