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Show . , . . ' v ., : j -v,v , . ' : - . ., ,' ' ' ' , . . " f-r . - . v-- -v , . JU t)'. i-, ' ' ' 4 i .? v k ' v. V ' , X - ',,.. . , With two of Monument Valley's monoliths in the background, this rider weaves his way through clumps the "good old days," horseback horse-back was the main mode of transportation. In those days, the main highway was a dirt road, and it was quite an undertaking just to get to Monument Valley, let alone travel through it. The weatherbeaten faced Fletcher was the physical epitome of a trail boss; tall, lean and rugged, attired in faded denims. The crows feet around his eyes were a testimonial to innumerable hours of squinting through the sun's glare from western panoramas. As one watched him ride it appeared as if it was one being gliding across the Valley's terrain. The movie and television roles most , ..wm.wtw jWili 19 The riders spent a night at the camp of Suzie Yazzie H who is shown spinning wool for the run on her loom. Mrs. Yazzie is one of the most photographed people in 5 the world. of sagebrush and yucca. 80-mile trail ride held in colorful Monument Valley By Alvln Reiner An eighty mile trail ride was recently held in Southeast Utah's picturesque Monument Valley. The ride, organized by Goulding's Lodge and Trading Post, attracted riders from New Jersey to California. Goulding's manager, John Burden stated this was the first time the Lodge had sponsored an event like this and they are hoping to make it a yearly event. The Lodge I provided everything for the five day, four night expedition, except for the horses - and personal items such as bedrolls. bed-rolls. Trail boss, Pete Fletcher recalled that when he first came to Monument Valley in I J5-'.., V ' ,-"f'lB'UMl-lErilI-iIir!.5fMi,n,,..B.,.l. rr 't j y .J:' I ; U, f'-'-A "-' T ' " Z"''" V"'"'.;, - , - ?"- 1 , v t i ' f pmr Dr. Alan Schaufflar heads across the desert terrain using his two feet while the others in the party prefer assuredly were modeled after men like him. The riders were abruptly initiated the first day as it was thirteen miles to Al's Spring for lunch, and then another eight to the evening's camp northeast of The Stagecoach. Al's Spring features a huge rock covered with petroglyphs which many feel is equal to or surpasses Newspaper Rock. The main topics of conversation conversa-tion around that evening's campfire were the wonders witnessed that day and the condition of tne posterior portion of one's anatomy. The following day, the party wound its way through meandering mean-dering washes, across sagebrush sage-brush and yucca flats, and plodded up and over sand dunes to Spearhead Mesa for lunch, and then on to Suzie Yazzie's camp for the night. Suzie is probably one of the most photographed people in the world, as every day numerous sightseeing vans stop at her hogan to watch as she goes through the procedures proced-ures required to produce a rug. Mrs. Yazzi's rugs are in demand and when someone inquires about having one made, he finds out that she usually has a back-order of four or more rugs. The third day found the group leaving its tracks around Mitchel and Greywhiskers Buttes, while the fourth day's itinerary included Mystery Valley and Wetherill Mesa. By the fifth day when the party headed back to Goulding's, Goul-ding's, they had become accustomed to spending the better part of each day high in the saddle while they viewed with awe Monument Valley's everchanging infinite variety of natural splendors. In addition to trail boss Pete Fletcher, there was another extremely colorful member of the staff. This was veterinarian, veterinar-ian, Dr. Alan Schaufflar of Window Rock, Ariz., who serves as a vet to the Navajo Nation. What distinguished the fifty-three year old doctor from the rest of the group was he jogged a good portion of the route. In 1976 he covered the 26 miles of the Boston Marathon in about 4 hours, and enters other races on a regular basis. He used to be much faster, but age plus a heart condition have combined to lengthen his times. Although the doctor was able to keep up with the horses the going was tough due to the sand and uneven terrain, and thus he had to abandon his intentions of covering the entire route on foot. Jhe third staff member was the Navajo guide. Jack Cly, who provided many interesting interest-ing anecdotes concerning Monument Valley and its denizens, during the course of the journey. Athough a good part of the trip was crosscountry, cross-country, Jack was able to zero in on the locations of the lunch breaks and evening camps with uncanny accuracy. Throughout the trail ride the participants were provided with gastronomical delights distributed from a mobile chuckwagon which met them at all the lunch stops and camping locations. It was almost like having Mom along to do the cooking. The trail ride reminded one of riding along in a John Wayne movie. In fact, this is the place that John made famous, or vice-versa. When one envisions riding a horse in the west, the majestic monoliths mono-liths of Monument Valley will probably provide the scenic backdrop. Anyone who might be interested in joining the next trail ride should contact John Burden, Monument Valley, Utah, to be put on the mailing list for the next announcement. utilizing their horses' four feet. Eighty mile trail ride was a first for Monument Valley. ( Alvin Reiner Photo) .. ! . V ' , I l, ' ! ' 1 J W' ... 4! f lt r- - J f ft,? VV t -' - fc$r; " id -ir Trail boss Pete Fletcher, the epitome of a western cowboy, poses with his mount. |