I Spend the Night with two snakes.

Sunday 15th September and after considerable sorting out of the pack saddle baggage, the new team set off.  We took a back route to start with and Del baulked at the first puddle we came to, but then tackled them all without hesitation.   Our first real test was an unpleasant bridge with gaps between the planks, mainly with girders beneath, but open to the water at the sides - but I led the horses over one by one and they passed with flying colours.   Del waiting patiently for her turn...

  Along a fairly quiet road and Del seemed fine with the traffic that passed, and we stopped in a farmer's field for a lunch break and she took easily to the hobbles.

 Jeremy had arranged for me to stay with Ross and Paula MacFarlane overnight, and I had a comfortable and relaxing time at their lovely home.

 Paula used to run a stables and the horses were turned out in the riding arena with plenty of hay.

I hoped to cut across country to Chipman, so I was delighted when Paula contacted her daughter's father-in-law Sheldon, who lived down the road and knew the forest trails like the back of his hand.  Just as well I called in en route with him and wife Marg (who fed me gorgeous pie), as he was able to go over my intended route and point out tracks I had intended to use that were no longer functional.  Sheldon also kindly turned up later in the woods on his ATV to check I was on the right track.

Did not hang around here as I had no intention of being mistaken for bait ......

....but I did a lot of noisy and hopefully scary singing.  ' The bear went over the mountain' seemed most appropriate at the time.

 My camp site in a marshy spot deep in the woods...

I suspect it would have been mosquito city a couple of weeks earlier.

The following morning Monday 16th September we made our way to Chipman, encountering this river en route....

I was a little hesitant as I was unable to see the bottom on the far side, but having taken the precaution of putting my cell phone in my top pocket, we plunged in. Del strode across confidently, and in fact the water only came up to her chest

Great welcome in Chipman from Jenny Lemon and her partner Roger of Horse Haven stables, who gave me a cheery evening with supper, wine and a very comfortable sofa.  Many thanks!  Jenny (on the left with Lady) and friend Kristen with Del, ready to set off the next morning ....

Tucker the dog helps out with Lady....

After some consideration and a chat with Jenny's brother, I made a last minute decision not to ride across country to stay with Pam Allen at Durham Bridge. Although it would no doubt be wonderful countryside, I had come to realise that the dynamic nature of the forestry tracks on the ground did not match up with my maps. I had mislaid my GPS, and on top of it all I had been warned that there were still a lot of fallen trees from Hurricane Arthur blocking trails
So on Tuesday I rode along a back road to Minto.  I had seen on an ATV club website that there was an ATV track running parallel to the main Chipman-Fredericton road, but I soon found this was not to be. So it was a horrid tramp along the narrow verge of the road with trucks and lorries roaring past within inches. The only plus was that it was evident that the new member of the team Del was bombproof in traffic.
I was about to set up camp by the side of the garage at Allbrights Corner when Kyle, the young man who worked in the shop offered me the chance of a field of lush grass opposite, complete with apple tree to tether Lady.  Grandparents Brian and Irene Gillcash invited me in for supper.

 

 "Do you mind snakes?" Brian asked mysteriously, but all became clear when I was offered welcome use of a bedroom containing two snakes in tanks (...and no, I don't mind!) 

A curious room mate ....