Ride Out the Front Gate
Cavallo Hoof Boot Review: First Impression
I use hoof boots on my mule’s hooves instead of steel shoes. I’ve done so for years, working my way up from boots I made with stuff I found in a dumpster, to the store bought kind. I use Easy Boots and Renegades.
This week hoof boot manufacturer Cavallo sent me 4 boots for… Continue reading
Living Lean and Feeling Bionic: A Mule Ramble Through Damascus, Virginia
“There’s a certain sharpness that comes from not being comfortable all the time.”
That’s Julia writing about our month and a half long mule ramble we took last fall. We traveled with little more than a tent, 2 jugs of water… Continue reading
We’re Off! Join Our Virginia Highlands Mule Ramble.
We’re off! Today (Friday), Julia and I swung into our saddles and began our mule ramble. Today we’re riding to the Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention (Happy Valley, NC). The 10 mile ride should take about 4 – 5 hours. Yeah, the first days of a mule journey are slooooooow. I look forward to posting photos and… Continue reading
Repairing a Renegade Hoof Boot on the Trail
Out here roaming the Virginia Highlands with our mules, we’re in possession of a sliver of steel as important as lentils, hoof boots and butt cheek callouses.
That would be the humble needle. The good old fashioned, honest-as-a-Norman-Rockwell-painting needle. The humble needle that harks back to the days of mending socks and shirts and your britches when they split.… Continue reading
Ride Out the Front Gate: Let the Photos Speak
Some days words capture our mule ramble best. Other days it’s photos. Today’s one of those picture days.
Read more posts from this ramble: Ride Out the Front Gate.
Julia’s side of the ramble at Saddle Under the Stars:
Mule Journey Tent Life: A Rainy Night in Damascus, VA
Goodnight from our tent. It’s been a rainy day for mule travel. Julia and I are holed up waiting for dryer weather. We’re here in Mike Johnson’s cow barn (Damascus, VA) cozy and dry, grateful for all the fine folks that have taken care of us during our mule ramble. Here’s what it’s like inside our tent tonight.
Enjoy.
Sleep tight.
Bernie… Continue reading
Sought: Lodging for 3 Mules
Julia and I are riding our mules across the Appalachian back roads. It’s noon. The sun hangs plumb above our heads before starting its slow descent to the wooded horizon. The mules throw fat shadows, a set of stumpy shadows walking beside their real legs.
The sun slides down the other side of its daily arc, toward the… Continue reading
Keeping Up with the Mules: Morning Exercise on the Road
Our mules are working hard carrying us over hill and dale. It’s only fair we keep in shape ourselves. Here’s what our morning workout looks like.
Julia documented the whole ramble on her blog Saddle Under the Stars —
August,
September,
and October.
Her posts are worth your time and will give you her side of the experience.
Mule Riding the Appalachian Backroads: 100 Miles by Word of Mouth
It’s about Mile 100 of our mule journey. We have settled in to the mule ramble pace. I say “about” Mile 100 because we don’t really know how far we’ve come. And… Continue reading
Chris the Worm Wrangler: A Character We Met on Our NC Mule Ride
The man hunched over the plastic container on the side of the road was grabbing at the dirt. We’d seen all sorts of sights on our mule ramble. So far, though, nobody shuffling through the damp leaves on the shoulder looking for, what the hell….? Meet Chris, worm seeker.
My wife Julia documented the whole ramble on her blog Saddle Under the Stars —
August,
September,
and October.
Her posts are worth your time and will give… Continue reading
Mule Ramble Update: NC High Country to Hurricane Florence
Three weeks ago we started our mule ramble. We rode out the farm gate with our three mules and headed into North Carolina’s High Country. Ten days later, Hurricane Florence chased us off the road. Julia just posted the mule ramble equivalent of the “half time report” on her Saddle Under the Stars blog. It’s a great read on our adventure to date. It’s about dealing with the… Continue reading
Dave Demour: Singer, Stone Artist, and ex-Monk of Todd, NC
It’s a rainy Sunday. We’re taking a short break from the mule ramble to wait out Hurricane Florence. We’re sorting photos, editing footage and reflecting on some of the interesting people we met during our amble through the western North Carolina hills.
One of the memorable people we’re thinking back on is Dave Demour. Dave’s an amazing stone artist, ex-monk, singer-songwriter and resident of Todd, NC. We could tell you more about Dave but this video sums up Dave’s talent… Continue reading
Looking for Eustace Conway by Mule
Eustace Conway: mountain man from “Mountain Men.” Here’s a Sunday evening story about how Julia and I try to track him down on our mule ramble.
It’s night. We’re stretched out in our pitch black tent (see pic above). We’re recording our musings. Crank up the volume. Kick back and chill.
(Post Script: this recording was made last week. We’re holed up right now at our cabin waiting for Hurricane… Continue reading
What the Sign Said: Mule Ramble Through Todd, North Carolina
Shelter from the storm: this camp looks familiar because it’s home. Home as in where we live. Big thanks to Sam Coffey for helping us get here. The critters’ well-being comes first. They’ll be fine here. Mules Polly, Brick and Dusty are preparing for Hurricane Florence by eating as many chestnuts as possible. We’ll be back on the road as… Continue reading
Waiting Out the Storm: Mule Ramble Camps in North Carolina
Stressing about Hurricane Florence? Julia has posted a photo of each of our camps during our mule ramble. Just looking at them will calm you down. We’re holed up waiting for the storm to pass. We’ll resume the ramble as soon as the weather settles.
Julia documented the whole ramble on her blog Saddle Under the Stars —
August,
September,
and October.
Her posts are worth your time and will give… Continue reading
