This spring has been difficult for people who are anxious to get out and enjoy the recreational lands of our beautiful Washington State. We can, however, look forward to better days in the near future, and Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) continues to move forward in their efforts to keep those recreational lands available to equestrian enthusiasts.
Skagit Chapter of BCHW has several activities and events to look forward to if you live near or within reach of the Les Hilde Trailhead. First is Skagit’s 4th Annual Fun Ride & Used Tack Sale scheduled for Saturday, July 11. It turns out that Skagit’s own Linda Riley has a serious talent for rounding up great prizes, as well as for putting together an amazing collection of “I need that” items for the tack sale.
This is just one of our events presented in a manner that reaches out to kids. Your kids, the neighbor kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren – anyone you know who has young people interested in horses and would like to do some trail riding with friendly people will enjoy this event. This occasion appeals to young and old!
Another fundraiser that takes place up at the Les Hilde Trailhead is the Come Ride Our Part of the State that was donated at the state level of BCHW for the Rendezvous. The Rendezvous was canceled due to the coronavirus, but Skagit still auctioned it off on their Facebook page. This big event will be held August 14-16 (bidding ended in April). Be sure to look for this again next year – it’s highly recommended if you love camping with your horses and eating gourmet Dutch oven camp food!
It also happens that the Skagit Chapter Campout is also scheduled for August 14-16. This is a free outreach to families in the community as an opportunity to bring their horses out for a weekend adventure of camping. Chapter members offer advice or reasonable assistance as needed for kids and their adults to learn by doing.
Last year a couple families used a highline for the first time, and everyone enjoyed easy rides in the woods each day between their meals. The reward of this activity was watching so many young people experience a great sense of accomplishment in their guided rides as well as in the simple acts involved with taking care of their horses in the camping environment. Naturally, there was the perpetual communal campfire going on, too!
Skagit invites you to mark this weekend on your calendar, and join in on any or all of the weekend fellowship. It would also be a great opportunity to see what the Dutch oven cooking looks like in case you’re interested in bidding on that in 2021!
Look for Skagit activities and events in The Trailhead News and on the BCHW website. Skagit also posts our developments on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/BCHWSkagitChapter. Join our Facebook group and stay tuned to what we are up to. We’d love to see you out on the trails!
Please help support BCHW when you shop on Amazon Smile (it does not cost you extra!). Choose Back Country Horsemen of Washington as your charity at smile.amazon.com. smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/dashboard/ref=smi_se_ssr_btnr1_setch?ie=UTF8&pldnNewSubDash=1
Upcoming BCHW Activities and Events:
Winery Ride & Costume Contest Prize Ride – October 31, 2020 – Zillah, WA
More BCHW sponsored events are listed at bchw.org/lnt/main/upcoming_events.htm
Back Country Horsemen of Washington is dedicated to keeping trails open for all users, educating stock users in Leave-No-Trace practices, and providing volunteer service to resource agencies. Learn more at www.bchw.org
Article provided by Marilyn Pineda, Skagit Chapter
Published in June 2020 Issue
Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW), is a 501 (c) (3) organization with 32 chapters across the state dedicated to: keeping trails open for all users; educating horse users in Leave-No-Trace practices; and providing volunteer service to resource agencies.
