Aims

The Long Ride 2010

Aims & Objectives

Aims:

The aims of the expedition are simple in the extreme, and include:

Putting together a team of like-minded people
To travel, as closely as possible, the route of the trails established in the 1860’ and 70’s
To cover the full 2000 miles
To travel, as far as reasonably possible, in the manner of the original trailblazers using just sufficient modern equipment and facilities to ensure safe arrival of all members of the party
To finish the trip with the animals with which we start
To make contact with, and wherever possible, visit schools
To make contact with, and wherever possible, visit native pueblos
To make contact with, and wherever possible, visit ranchers
To engage in a long distance hoof care research project under the guidance of ELPO

Objectives

To visit, where possible, identified way-points or places of interest or significance on the original route, bearing in mind that the towns listed were previously simply tented townships developed around the cattle industry, are, in some cases, now busy cities. I hope to include:

1. Fort Belknap, Young County, Texas - our start point. Charles Goodnight was ranching near here and during the Civil War and was operating on the frontier west of this location. The Butterfield Stage route also passed through here on it’s way to San Francisco. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving launched at least one of their cattle drives from here.

2. Castle Gap, Texas. Castle Gapis amile-long break in the Castle Mountains range and separates KingMountain on the southern end and CastleMountain to the north, both standing at 3000 plus feet. At it’s narrowest, it is only some yards wide and has a chequered history, with everyone and his dog passing through at some stage, including Goodnight and Loving on their cattle drives westwards. There have been no fewer than eight different stories of buried treasure in or around the Gap. Outlaw gold, Mexican Gold, Butterfield Stagecoach money and even riches from Maximilian's short-lived "Empire of Mexico”. The pass opens westward to the arid lowlands of the Pecos valley and toward Horsehead Crossing, twelve miles west-southwest.

3. Horsehead Crossing Texas. A waypoint on the route of historical importance. This water comes at the end of between 80 -100 miles of desert and drive animals, scenting water after more than three days without, were likely to stampede. Some were killed in the stampede, some in the crush at the waters edge, some in the quicksands. Their skulls and those of horses are reputed to still be visible.

4. Loving, New Mexico. The home of the Last Living Loving Living in Loving. A township named after Oliver Loving, however, tourists and sightseers have been known to cause damage to the property of the Last Living Loving and she is known not to welcome visitors, to visit her might draw unwelcome attention to her presence.

5. Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Burial site of Billy the Kid. Also formerly the containment area for large numbers of Apache warriors. Goodnight and Loving delivered their first cattle drive here to feed the confined tribesmen.

6. Pueblo, Colorado. Originally a trading post which was raided by Ute and Apache Indians in December 1854 during which possibly 19 men and one woman were killed. The fort was abandoned after this raid but was re-colonised about 1858 during the Colorado Gold RushYSwuzWTi

7. Fort Laramie, Wyoming . Fort Laramie, the military post, was founded in 1849 and was a trading post and staging post for Oregon trail wagon trains, and military outpost involved with the Indian wars.http://www.nps.gov/archive/fola/laramie.htm for more information.

8. The site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Montana. Little need be said about the historical interest of this site where one individual allowed his lust for glory to overcome good judgment and advice, leading to the death of the majority of his command.

Amongst the aims listed above are visiting schools, native pueblos and ranchers along the route. It is proposed to invite these differing groups to join and spend time with us, perhaps ride with us for a while, it is, after all, their history and heritage that we are re-visiting, and there has been a great deal of interest and support for the venture in the States.

Should you wish to get a flavour of the sort of trip we shall be undertaking, more particularly, the way we shall be living, you may enjoy watching a film, ‘The Lonesome Dove’. We’ll not be having too many cattle, rustling nor Indian problems though.....