This trip was my dream, but it could not have happened without the help of others. Friends and family have worked hard in assisting with many aspects of the trip. I want to thank all of you and tell you how much I appreciate your help. Additional acknowledgements "on the trail" follow ...

The Cole Road Gang Giving Me a Big Send-Off

To Guenevere, and Ginger, my partners on this trip. I thank you for all of your hard work and effort to carry me and my things this 1500 miles. Thank you for your patience, and your understanding of my stress and axiety. You are great friends. You know how many friends of mine wish you were their horses. I know how lucky I am. Thanks!

Martha McNiel is clearly the person which, without her, this trip wouldn't have happened. Besides being the greatest of friends, she was the support needed at every step of the way. Martha has not only told me but shown me... "she believes in me." Thank you, Martha, I believe in you also. And as a great person once said, "It's already been an adventure, and I predict there are more to come."

A special thanks to my sponsors, Ron and Donalyn of Equine Elite Labs. Their horse health products are surpassed only by their genorosity. Please try their products; your horse will thank you and then you will be thanking me for telling you about it.

Julie Green was the first person to whom I told my outlandish idea for my next adventure, who said, "I believe he is really going to do it." Julie, your faith in God and your friends inspires all of us. You are the best person I have ever met. You are truly the best model for life and of the kindness we are supposed to exhibit as Godly people. Your compassion and love for everyone is so sincere. You make me want to be a better person and more like God intended every day I see you. Thank you for your friendship.

Jonathan, Michael, Stacy, Nathan, Crissy, and Baby Faith, you are my foundation and knowing you are all grounded in your faith and love for God is such a comfort. Having you as my family keeps my path straight and close to home. I always expected my role as a parent would be to support your dreams. Thank you so much for supporting mine. I will pray for each of you on each day of my trip, as I know you do for me. I love you so much and your love inspires each step I take. Thank you for your love. Oh, and don't forget the new Almond Snickers bars for the next food drop.

Jimmy and Muriel, you are my adopted Grandparents. Coffee with you every morning has been the beginning of each day. And many times pie and ice cream at night. I will miss your coffee and pies, but more than anything I will just miss talking with you each day. Please have a cup ready upon my return.

Cherie, Bruce, Andy, Archie, Bee, Ana, Dave, Jacob, Helen, and Walt, Justin and Ben, you have all been so helpful and such great friends. Thanks for helping me on a moment's notice to pack and move what felt like an entire community, in a couple of weeks. I will miss you all and Game Nights each month. But know that I will return soon and expect you to let me win my first game back. Please pray for me at every gathering.

Humberto Chacon was never my boss as much as he was and is my friend. Very few people know Humberto as I do. He is slow to show his hand, but I know a secret. Humberto is a good man, a loving father and husband. He cares deeply about others. His job doesn't allow many to know this, but I know. Humberto has cared for me and my best interests and more than once taken action to show it. I'm sorry but your secret is out. Humberto you are a good guy and those that truly know you, already know!

Maria, Lisa, and Gwen, you have been the best team a boss could ask for. I am blessed with working with you guys. Circle the wagons and fire only when fired upon. Oh, and get back to work! Maria, can you pick me up tomorrow?

Kash, Eric, Jim, Mario, and Jennifer, I miss working with you guys so much I refuse to work again till we are back together ... Good one huh! I'll use any excuse not go to work. I love you all very much!

To James Smart, my farrier, thanks for being there for the girls when they needed you. Taking the time to teach me was beyond the call of duty.

To Brittney Orepeza, the greatest horse rider in the world (or soon to be), thanks for helping to get my horses in shape and ready for the ride. Gwen says, "Send food quick!"

To the Orepeza family, thanks for all of your support and assistance. You guys are the best! Thanks for jumping in and helping beyond the call of duty. Oh, and can you help me out of this speeding ticket Ginger got on highway 101?

To Dave and the gang at Feather Haven Mill, thanks so much for helping to create the perfect feed for horses. You guys are the best. Can you have another ton by tomorrow?

Also, thanks to DreamPower Horsemanship, for loaning me Martha for 5 months.

Ellyn Schumacher, whom I have made walk through fire, thanks so much for enduring my ego and continuing to work with me.

The Long Riders Guild (see my page on the Long Riders) I have mentioned them other places on my site but again, a special thanks to all of you, especially those below who have reached out and helped in special ways. Lisa, you have been an angel from above. Thank you so much. Gene, what an inspiration you have been. Thank you also for your nice gift. I will wear it for luck (which neither of us believe in, but I will take any I get). CuChullaine and Basha, the work you do is so valuable and I know I speak for all "Long Riders" when I say thank you for taking the challenge of starting this organization.

• CuChullaine O'Reily
• Basha O'Reiley
• Lisa Wood
• Gene Glascock
• Mike Winter
• Gordon Naysmith
• Tracy Paine

Debbie Smith of BAEN, who published my first article, thanks for letting me tell my story.

Glen Foster who helped me through and around the snow like a true mountain man.

Heather Deger, the horses will miss your tender care.

Norma Guiterez, Jamie Travato, Bob Neilson and Kristine, thanks for all of your support.

... Along the Trail
In 1976 Tom Davis rode his horse and led a pack train from El Paso, Texas to Fairbanks, Alaska (a 4,500-mile journey that took the cowboy six months). In "Be Tough or Be Gone" (1984) Tom said, “When you travel by pack train you get a whole new perception of the goodness of people.”

(Days 1-10)
To Darrell, Cheryl, Skyler, Nattie and Laramie Skelton for hosting us, having never met us. They fed us, brought us coffee in the morning and gave hay to the girls and Nick. They also called ahead to ensure we had a place to stay the next night. Oh, and they gave Martha a shower.

To Mark and Jodi Leslie, for taking us in on a moment's notice and giving hay to Nick and the girls, and feeding Martha a wonderful breakfast. Mark drove 20 miles to check on us the next day.

To Sandy, DeWayne and Robbie Rowlett, the nicest people on earth, or at least in the Carrizo Plain (where some very nice people live). They prepared an entire house for us to stay in, fed us, and made us feel like a part of their family. They gave the girls and Nick hay, fed us the next day, and gave us the combo for their gate lock, in case we needed to come back! Sandy also drove 20 miles ahead and dropped off water before we arrived. What awesome people.

Long Overdue ... deepest thanks to Ron and Stephanie Bowers for helping me find Ginger in the first place!

More acknowledgements (June) ...
Ralph Skillens allowed the girls and I to camp on his beautiful property in Gorman, which provided some great pictures of flowers on the hills. Other residents on the property, Patty and Allen, brought me out a great dinner.

Jack and Bob are the owners of the Three Points Bar and Restaurant, a place that is reminiscent of the commune days of the 60s and 70s and is totally open to Pacific Crest Trail hikers. They were awesome absentee hosts who I only got to meet briefly.

Chris White invited me into her home and treated me like family. Pam and Chris made me a Brunch Fit For A King and I was treated like the guest of honor. Chris and her neighbor, Shae Rooney, took me on a ride to see the poppy reserve around Mojave. I was fortunate to ride Lucky, a great horse of Chris’, who made me feel lucky to have met him. Thanks to Shae, who took us on the ride. Chris’ farrier, Dave Krahn, and his son Bert, did the girls’ shoes. Dave is one of the best farriers I have ever had.

Rob and Ann Trussel not only hosted me for two nights, but they threw a party and invited the entire neighborhood. What a great moment in time on the ride. Fellow Longrider Lisa Wood came and Rob cooked the best BBQ around.

Lisa then shuttles me to Mexico to start the traverse northward. She drove support for me for three days, giving the girls a much-needed rest. Our first stop was the Castle Rock Ranch at the Mexican border, owned by Jack and Cheryl Driscoll. They were nice enough to drive us around and give us a tour of the border, as well as letting me stay on the property. I am unsure of their ages, but it was nice to see two people still in love after many years of hard ranch life together.

In Mount Laguna I stayed at the home of Jack Holmes, a retired Forest Ranger. He was very encouraging. For three days I ran into a man named Mark, who seemed to just keep helping me with directions, and on the third day with a recommendation of a place to stay at Scissors Crossing, the Dummit Ranch owned by Joe and Marge Dummit. Joe was in Las Vegas but Marge still allowed me to stay and kindly gave me coffee the next morning.

Wanda, the manager of the equestrian center of the Warner Springs Ranch, pulled some strings to get me into an elite club for owners only. Later she came to check on me, to ensure that my accommodations were OK. She had no idea of some of the other places I had stayed in the wilderness, although some day she might. She told me it was her dream to take a Long Ride, some day.

Jonathan and Saramnia, Nathan and Crissy and Faith all brought me food drops on this part of the adventure. Woohoo! Randy (from Terwilliger) BBQ-d me some awesome cajan chicken and we ate outside under the desert sky.

Randy was a great host for me and the girls.

Members of the Lions Club of Anza were all so nice to allow me complete access to their arena and facilities. Ray brought hay for the girls. Harmony Farms of Mountain Center delivered one bag of feed for me. Try and get that kind of service in the city! The folks at the Anaheim Equestrian Center were so great. I hope to be friends with them for a long time and to remain equestrian partners in promoting equine fun, as they do so well.

Bob Jones of Panoche never met me, but he allowed me to use his entire ranch and facilities. What a great guy! Bob Tobias allowed me to camp on his ranch in the beautiful hills behind Hollister.

Jennifer Caffey took time from her busy life (he-he) to trailer me one day to the spot I had stopped the previous day. Of course, Martha McNiel had picked me up as she has done tons of times before. Thanks again, Martha. Bob and Sandy Currier hosted me in their home and turned me onto a great back-way trail. They were great hosts.

Martha McNiel, Bob Nielsen, Kevin and Brittney Orepeza, all took time to ride with me and offer encouragement.

B. J. LeMaster put the girls up in her beautiful barn in Sacramento during the Horse Expo. They were in wonderful hands as she is the second of three generations of equestrian competitors in her family and now is a well-known judge of many equestrian events. Her daughter is going to World Championships this year shooting for the all around title.

Thanks to Mark Faye of Knights Landing, who was surprised by my arrival at his doorstep. (Mark was unaware of arrangements I had made with his son.) In any case, Mark was a great host.

George and Carolyn Rankin were also surprised by my arrival at their doorstep in Grimes. But as members of the Backcountry Horsemen, they not only expect such surprises but welcome them. George is an old-time packer with tons of tricks. He gave me some great tips and also told me of Lyle Charter, who I later met at a trailhead in the Trinity Alps. These two have done some serious packing in their exciting lives.

Andy and Leslie Ferrendelli of Princeton put me up after having a party for the entire graduating class of Princeton (including their son) the night before. They gave me a great meal and a tip on a great way to go north along an irrigation ditch for miles.

I rode up to the door of Julie and Maurice Merrill and they not only invited me in, but threw a party. They even invited a friend (Dawn) who is a vet. I realized she had been talking horse all day and didn’t ask her any questions, although I would have liked her to look at Ginger's foot. I know she would have been more than willing, but they had been so kind already and had brought tons of food and steaks for the dinner. I also got a nice shower, those are a true blessing.

Thanks to the folks at the Orland Livestock Auction that put me up the day after their largest auction of the year.

Leslie Merron was so kind as to let me leave a food drop in advance at her house, and stay for two days while Ginger healed up some. She was so nice to me. One of those people I wish lived near my home. She and her children were awesome.

The town of Richfield was full of nice people. They brought food to my campsite all night long. The Fire Department let me camp at the fire station and Doug (the primary volunteer fireman) allowed me to shower and use the stove for the night. But this corner also produced some new friends (Diann and Rudy). They brought me dinner, trailered me to a vet to have Ginger looked at, took me to breakfast and trailered me on to my next stop to let Ginger have the day off. Diann and Rudy also took me by their place to give me some meds for Ginger. While we were there I got to see her horses. She has a breeding ranch with two beautiful studs and tons of cute foals and mares. I wanted to buy them all. Good thing I was traveling with very little money.

Where do I begin to thank Joe and Cindy Maxwell? I met many people on the trail that I hope I can have further contact with, but I know Joe and Cindy will be long-time friends. They took me in as family and Joe (a saddlemaker) taught me a beginning and advanced class in saddle fit. Then he pulled a brand new saddle off the rack ($2500) and gave it to me to finish the trip. He and Cindy also put me up for several days to let Ginger heal and we became close friends. I went to Bible Study and Cowboy Church with them. My soul got the fuel it needed to finish the trip at J.J. Maxwell's. I will forever be in their debt.

Morgan of the Trinity Alps Resort was a great host by proxy. My campsite at Bridgecamp was next to his resort. He allowed me to linger and hang out there. What a nice family camp and resort. Check it out.

Kelly Rawls was so awesome in assisting me to continue to ride through most of the last section of my trip. He would pick me up and trailer me to where I left off and babysat Ginger to give her more time off her feet, then take me back to my campsite. What a great guy and friend.

As my trip came to an end I have to again thank the one person who supported me the entire trip. She was clearly the wind in my sail as I traveled. With no reward or reason other than our friendship, Martha McNiel was my main support person throughout the trip. Neither of us realized how big a job this would be or its importance, but she was there the whole time without complaint. Martha, your help will never be forgotten. Thank you!

There were many more who came along and gave me help, in many forms. Sometimes they gave water, directions, food, or words of encouragement. Even those who just gave me a chance to talk to someone helped. Thank you each and everyone of you who made this my dream come true, truly my Dream Adventure.