Mesa

There is a pretty good size Mesa right behind the barn. I have posted some pictures of my time riding up there, but so far, Nicole and Cali, Ashke and I haven't made it up there together. I'm hoping this weekend to be able to change that.

The entire area has 15 miles or so of trails lacing around and on top of the Mesa. It is home to Mule deer (which we know from a previous post), mountain lion and rattlesnake. I think the rattlesnake freaks Nicole out the most. And T. He's not real excited about rattlesnakes, and honestly, neither am I.

 

 

There are some pretty intense cliffs along the edge of the Mesa. The rim is closed to climbers and hikers and horseback riders for the time being, because of the nesting raptors the Parks and Rec people don't want disturbed. (Did you ever read My Side of the Mountain? Ever fantasized about catching and training your own? Yeah, me too.)

 

The grassland on top, with the peak in the distance. It is a whopping @ 6500 ft high, but that's plenty considering the way to the top is basically straight up. This is the area the Mule Deer roam, along with plenty of hikers and bikers. There used to be Mountain Sheep, but that was a while in the past.




Weather permitting and somewhat solid ground, I would rather ride the lake trail. I have some desire to see if I can find my way North toward Partridge Open Space. T has an archery lesson at 2 pm on Saturday, so it might need to be a Sunday ride and we can do the Mesa on Saturday. Or maybe the canal going the other way. I guess we will see.