Father and Son Realizing a Dream
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My father and I have been best friends all my life. He has been my father, my hero, and my mentor. As I grew up, Dad introduced me to many of the things that have made my life rich and wonderful. In particular, Dad introduced me to horses and his connection with our pioneer heritage.
Having been born and raised in the rural southern Utah town of Panguitch, Dad grew up working on local ranches, spent a summer working for the U.S. Forest Service, then became a fighter pilot for the U.S Air Force. His chosen career took us all over the United States, as well as a stint overseas, but somehow, in all of that, Dad kept me in touch with his roots as a cowboy.
While I was in high school, living in Tucson, Arizona, one day Dad mentioned that he would some day like to ride a horse from Tucson to Panguitch. He wondered if I would like to do something like that. How that thought excited me! Dad began to take me on hunting trips and pack trips, teaching me the things one needs to know to be able to go out on a trip with horses and return home safely.
The year after I graduated high school, Dad and I took 22 Boy Scouts on a 100-mile horse pack trip through the White Mountains of Arizona. That was quite a trip, never to be forgotten, but it only served to stoke the fires of our dream of one day making the long trip from Tucson to Panguitch by horse.
While I served a mission for my church, my folks moved to Eagar, Arizona, where they still reside. Shortly after my return, in 1980, we had a chance to make the trip, although a shortened version from Eagar to Panguitch, but life for both of us got in the way and we missed the chance.
I retired from a career as a federal law enforement officer in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Dad and I were having lunch with an old friend in Logan, Utah, who mentioned that he would like to make a horse pack trip from Mexico to Canada on the Great Western Trail. That was all it took and the seeds of the dream planted years ago in my mind and heart by my father sprouted to full bloom. Soon after, I announced my intentions to my wife and began research, planning, and preparations.
The original plan was for our old friend and myself to make the entire trip in one shot, but as time progressed, it became clear that it was likely that I would be making the trip alone, with Dad and our friend joining me for short passages.Then one day I got an email from Dad. He unceremoniously informed me that he was going on this trip with me and hoped I didn't mind.
At the time I had no thought of Dad going along for the whole trip. He was 78 years old, for goodness sake! However, as we talked it became clear that Dad wanted this trip as badly as I did, perhaps more.
Again, life got in the way, and for a time I thought we would again have to cancel the trip. My wife and I made a cross-country move last year, locating us in Utah. Our lives were in chaos for awhile. Then, one day I was talking with Dad on the phone. He told me that if we were going to do this trip, it had to be soon; he wasn't going to be around forever and the years were catching up fast.
After much deep reflection and a long talk with my wife, she an I came up with a financial plan by which Dad and I could do this ride. This was only a couple months ago, and I have been feverishly planning and preparing since. My original intention was to build most of my own gear: saddle, pack saddles, etc, minimizing the actual cash outlay for the trip. However, time has caught up with me and not allowed me to do those things I had thought to do. In my planning and preparations, as well, it began to be clear to me that wisdom, finances, and old age would dictate that we break our Mexico-to-Canada trip up into legs, and that we not attempt the full 3,000 miles all at one time.
We have broken the ride up into four legs. We will ride the first two legs this year, attempting to complete the ride in subsequent years, as health and funding allow.
The first leg, on which we will embark on or about April 9, 2015, will take us from the U.S/Mexico border a little east of Douglas, Arizona, through the Chiricahua Mountains, up along Arizona's border with New Mexico, ending at Eagar, Arizona, comprising about 300 miles.
At Eagar, my parents' home, we will take a break to assess our horses, gear, and of course ourselves. We will make any adjustments necessary and start making tracks on the second leg during the first week of May. We will travel eastward, passing Show Low, Arizona, joining the General Crook Trail to Camp Verde, where we will join the Arizona Trail and head northward.
We will pass by Flagstaff and head toward the crown jewel of our trip: The Grand Canyon. We will cross the Grand Canyon on our own horses, which has been a dream of ours since the first time we ever spoke of this trip. We will spend a night at the Ghost Ranch at the bottom, then ascend the North Rim the following day.
We will head northward from the Grand Canyon, joining Utah's Paria Creek, following it northward to Willis Creek, which we will follow westward to the Grandview Trail. The GVT will lead us southward around the borders of Bryce Canyon National Park, around Paunsaugunt Plateau, and around to the west side of the platea to Red Canyon. We will descend the plateau by Red Canyon and turn northward to Panguitch, where many of Dad's boyhood friends still reside. This leg, as far as I can estimate, will be about 700 miles, making the total of the two legs about 1,000 miles.
One of the promises I made to my good wife, as part of our financial plan, was that I would finance this ride out of my own earnings outside of our retirement and that I would not allow it to affect our family's financial security. As I cannot take full-time employment until after the ride, I took a loan from our savings and have used my own money to purchase horses, gear, and supplies for the trip, A couple of suppliers have been gracious in offering substantial discounts on major gear purchases, however as the time comes to actually undertake this dream and bring it to reality, I find my funds running short with no means of bringing in new income until after the ride is done. At this point, my money nearing its end, I find myself in the humble position of seeking help, so that Dad and I can finally fulfill this dream of ours.
We will need logistical help with supplies while we are en route, fuel for our drivers, money for the occasional need as we pass near civilization, feed for the horses, and sufficient emergency funding to pay for exigencies such as horse shoeing, veterinary treatment, and gear replacement/repair en route. While we have received several offers of logistical help en route, such as a place to lay over a day or two, the current need is for actual money assistance.
As I am 56 years old, and Dad will turn 81 on the trip, I considered asking Geritol if they would sponsor us...but, jokes aside, this is our last shot at fulfilling this life-long dream. We are both in excellent health, but, as Dad observed, the years are catching up fast.
While I have been careful not to be extravagant in our gear purchases (Dad and I will both be riding saddle that are in the range of 50 years old), I believe I have purchased gear that will give us the best possible chance of making our destination...even at our age. I have also purchased a GPS unit that will allow our followers to receive real-time information as to our progress on the trip (and keep my wife and mother both current on our state of health), as well as a video camera that will provide plenty of documentary evidence and fun and interesting viewing of our adventure.
I have been documenting my planning and preparations on my personal blog "Tony's Great Western Trail Ride" on the website "westerntrailrider.com " for the past two years. Please feel free to peruse the website, blogs, and gallery, and become a member if you wish. Visit my facebook page, "Western Trail Rider." See if you can help us out.
We have no great cause to champion, nor any great production to create. Just a father and son trying to fulfill a dream before it's too late.
Help us out if you can. Come ride with us a while if you feel the desire. I'm easy to contact.
Sincerely,
Tony T. Henrie, the son
Gordon C. Henrie, the father
P.S. The photo above is myself on the right, Dad, and my son on the left, from a pack trip we took in the White Mountains of Arizona in 2009, to celebrate my son's graduation from college.
Having been born and raised in the rural southern Utah town of Panguitch, Dad grew up working on local ranches, spent a summer working for the U.S. Forest Service, then became a fighter pilot for the U.S Air Force. His chosen career took us all over the United States, as well as a stint overseas, but somehow, in all of that, Dad kept me in touch with his roots as a cowboy.
While I was in high school, living in Tucson, Arizona, one day Dad mentioned that he would some day like to ride a horse from Tucson to Panguitch. He wondered if I would like to do something like that. How that thought excited me! Dad began to take me on hunting trips and pack trips, teaching me the things one needs to know to be able to go out on a trip with horses and return home safely.
The year after I graduated high school, Dad and I took 22 Boy Scouts on a 100-mile horse pack trip through the White Mountains of Arizona. That was quite a trip, never to be forgotten, but it only served to stoke the fires of our dream of one day making the long trip from Tucson to Panguitch by horse.
While I served a mission for my church, my folks moved to Eagar, Arizona, where they still reside. Shortly after my return, in 1980, we had a chance to make the trip, although a shortened version from Eagar to Panguitch, but life for both of us got in the way and we missed the chance.
I retired from a career as a federal law enforement officer in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Dad and I were having lunch with an old friend in Logan, Utah, who mentioned that he would like to make a horse pack trip from Mexico to Canada on the Great Western Trail. That was all it took and the seeds of the dream planted years ago in my mind and heart by my father sprouted to full bloom. Soon after, I announced my intentions to my wife and began research, planning, and preparations.
The original plan was for our old friend and myself to make the entire trip in one shot, but as time progressed, it became clear that it was likely that I would be making the trip alone, with Dad and our friend joining me for short passages.Then one day I got an email from Dad. He unceremoniously informed me that he was going on this trip with me and hoped I didn't mind.
At the time I had no thought of Dad going along for the whole trip. He was 78 years old, for goodness sake! However, as we talked it became clear that Dad wanted this trip as badly as I did, perhaps more.
Again, life got in the way, and for a time I thought we would again have to cancel the trip. My wife and I made a cross-country move last year, locating us in Utah. Our lives were in chaos for awhile. Then, one day I was talking with Dad on the phone. He told me that if we were going to do this trip, it had to be soon; he wasn't going to be around forever and the years were catching up fast.
After much deep reflection and a long talk with my wife, she an I came up with a financial plan by which Dad and I could do this ride. This was only a couple months ago, and I have been feverishly planning and preparing since. My original intention was to build most of my own gear: saddle, pack saddles, etc, minimizing the actual cash outlay for the trip. However, time has caught up with me and not allowed me to do those things I had thought to do. In my planning and preparations, as well, it began to be clear to me that wisdom, finances, and old age would dictate that we break our Mexico-to-Canada trip up into legs, and that we not attempt the full 3,000 miles all at one time.
We have broken the ride up into four legs. We will ride the first two legs this year, attempting to complete the ride in subsequent years, as health and funding allow.
The first leg, on which we will embark on or about April 9, 2015, will take us from the U.S/Mexico border a little east of Douglas, Arizona, through the Chiricahua Mountains, up along Arizona's border with New Mexico, ending at Eagar, Arizona, comprising about 300 miles.
At Eagar, my parents' home, we will take a break to assess our horses, gear, and of course ourselves. We will make any adjustments necessary and start making tracks on the second leg during the first week of May. We will travel eastward, passing Show Low, Arizona, joining the General Crook Trail to Camp Verde, where we will join the Arizona Trail and head northward.
We will pass by Flagstaff and head toward the crown jewel of our trip: The Grand Canyon. We will cross the Grand Canyon on our own horses, which has been a dream of ours since the first time we ever spoke of this trip. We will spend a night at the Ghost Ranch at the bottom, then ascend the North Rim the following day.
We will head northward from the Grand Canyon, joining Utah's Paria Creek, following it northward to Willis Creek, which we will follow westward to the Grandview Trail. The GVT will lead us southward around the borders of Bryce Canyon National Park, around Paunsaugunt Plateau, and around to the west side of the platea to Red Canyon. We will descend the plateau by Red Canyon and turn northward to Panguitch, where many of Dad's boyhood friends still reside. This leg, as far as I can estimate, will be about 700 miles, making the total of the two legs about 1,000 miles.
One of the promises I made to my good wife, as part of our financial plan, was that I would finance this ride out of my own earnings outside of our retirement and that I would not allow it to affect our family's financial security. As I cannot take full-time employment until after the ride, I took a loan from our savings and have used my own money to purchase horses, gear, and supplies for the trip, A couple of suppliers have been gracious in offering substantial discounts on major gear purchases, however as the time comes to actually undertake this dream and bring it to reality, I find my funds running short with no means of bringing in new income until after the ride is done. At this point, my money nearing its end, I find myself in the humble position of seeking help, so that Dad and I can finally fulfill this dream of ours.
We will need logistical help with supplies while we are en route, fuel for our drivers, money for the occasional need as we pass near civilization, feed for the horses, and sufficient emergency funding to pay for exigencies such as horse shoeing, veterinary treatment, and gear replacement/repair en route. While we have received several offers of logistical help en route, such as a place to lay over a day or two, the current need is for actual money assistance.
As I am 56 years old, and Dad will turn 81 on the trip, I considered asking Geritol if they would sponsor us...but, jokes aside, this is our last shot at fulfilling this life-long dream. We are both in excellent health, but, as Dad observed, the years are catching up fast.
While I have been careful not to be extravagant in our gear purchases (Dad and I will both be riding saddle that are in the range of 50 years old), I believe I have purchased gear that will give us the best possible chance of making our destination...even at our age. I have also purchased a GPS unit that will allow our followers to receive real-time information as to our progress on the trip (and keep my wife and mother both current on our state of health), as well as a video camera that will provide plenty of documentary evidence and fun and interesting viewing of our adventure.
I have been documenting my planning and preparations on my personal blog "Tony's Great Western Trail Ride" on the website "westerntrailrider.com " for the past two years. Please feel free to peruse the website, blogs, and gallery, and become a member if you wish. Visit my facebook page, "Western Trail Rider." See if you can help us out.
We have no great cause to champion, nor any great production to create. Just a father and son trying to fulfill a dream before it's too late.
Help us out if you can. Come ride with us a while if you feel the desire. I'm easy to contact.
Sincerely,
Tony T. Henrie, the son
Gordon C. Henrie, the father
P.S. The photo above is myself on the right, Dad, and my son on the left, from a pack trip we took in the White Mountains of Arizona in 2009, to celebrate my son's graduation from college.
Organizer
Tony Henrie
Organizer
Salem, UT
