I figured that today, being Monday, that there would be few, if any inhabitants out on the trail. I realized, once I was out and about, that I forgot about the No Schoolers and the Home Schoolers. Alaska has been said to have the highest number of high school dropouts in the country. They can’t read, they can’t write, but they have one supposedly redeeming quality – they can ride snowmobiles all day long. I was reminded of this today.

I decided to take Tinni and Shadow and Ryder on an outing. I headed up Jim’s Road with Shadow on Tinni’s back. I noticed that coming up Jim’s Trail was a neighbor, Karen Hoppe. She was out and about, hiking, heading up the trail that comes off Jim’s Road.

Pete's first attempt at making a lemon meringue pie

We accompanied one another a short distance. All the while we talked about the increase in motorized traffic –snowmobiles, ATVs, swamp buggies, in the Matanuska Moose Range.

A few hundred yards distant and I said that I was heading back downhill. Karen hesitated. I didn’t wait for her to make up her mind – I had no choice. I had dogs and a horse with me. She did accompany me back to Siggi’s Loop, and from there headed back uphill, so as to get in a more strenuous hike.

I was, when I was back on our winding and more rugged trails, struck by the fact that the snowmobilers had, at least for today, opted to ride elsewhere.

We’ve had one biler take to our trails. This was after the first snow. There have been none since. I have my fingers crossed, in hopes that they will stay clear of the Siggi, Peaches, and Tin Can loops.

As I walked my animals, an analogy came to mind. The entire area is a pie. And we each want a portion of the pie. Some feel that they should get the entire pie. Me, I see my quarter, the area that I horseback ride, being cut into. And yes, I am irate because it seems that each year, my share gets smaller and smaller.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s called darkness. Lately, I’ve been taking the horses out for evening walks. This evening, at dusk, I ground drove Hrimmi. And Pete and I took Raudi and Tyra for a pre-dinner walk.

I’m going to start doing some night rides on our trails. And I’ll take a few pieces of pie with me.

Next: 331. 12/2/20: Busy, Busy, Busy