Horseback Riding Lodging Log
This comprehensive guide details where Finley and I spent each night on our ~3600 mile ride across America. It also reflects what Finley ate daily as well as other miscellaneous details such as our approximate mileage. Minor inaccuracies/errors may be present.
Guide
Lodging
| Feed P = pasture only H = hay only PH = pasture and hay GH = grain and hay PG = pasture and grain PHG = pasture, hay, and grain N/A = none overnight, pasture late evening and early morning $ = Fee Required |
New Jersey
May 20~3.84 miles |
Call in. Old Bridge police department would not give me explicit permission to stay on this vacant grassy lot owned by the county but would not object, either. My grandmother called the local nonemergency number on my behalf. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture–tall wild grass. Grain provided by me. 40°24'59.3" N 74°16'30.6"W Old Bridge, NJ 08857 | PG |
May 21~7.73 miles |
Door knocked. I tried calling this boarding barn the day of and got sent to voicemail. I then showed up in person unannounced and received permission to stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured. Good pasture- fine grass yard. Grain provided by me. Old Bridge, NJ 08857 | PHG |
~8.41 miles |
Call in. I called the barn owner a few hours short of my arrival who gave us permission to stay. I slept in an onsite RV; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by me. Monroe Township, NJ 08831 | HG |
May 23~11.1 miles |
Call in. The local police department would not give me explicit permission to stay at this county owned park but would not object, either. This non-refusal was a little more ambiguous than last time … I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. Grain provided by me. 40°22'18.4"N 74°36'11.2"W South Brunswick Township, NJ 08540 | PG |
May 24~12.4 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was walking down the road, I noticed this couple exiting their home out of the corner of my eye. They called out to inquire about what I was doing. After a brief conversation, they offered to host me for the night. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed (in the woods behind their back yard, for fear he would leave divots in their newly mowed grass otherwise with the daily rain). Poor pasture-little to no grass. Grain provided by me. Skillman, NJ 08558 | PG |
May 25~10.5 miles |
Call in. I called the barn owner a few hours short of my arrival who gave me permission to stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by my hosts. Stockton, NJ 08559 | PG |
TOTALS6 days: 6 days travelling. 0 days off. ~54 miles. 4 stays with hosts. 2 special case stays. 4 stays with pasture and grain. 1 stay with grain and hay. 1 stay with pasture, hay, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $0 *discounting cost of grain bought prior to start | ||
Pennsylvania
May 26~15.2 miles May 27-290 miles |
Arranged. This is the “family friend” Finley was temporarily boarded with for the two weeks prior to our start date. I slept in a bedroom (at my grandparents a few blocks away); Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Poor hay (rejected by Finley). Grain provided by me. Doylestown, PA 18902 | PG $ $21.5/day $86/total |
May 30~1.5 miles May 310 miles |
Arranged … unexpectedly. When relations became unrepairable with my “family friend” barn manager, Finley was promptly moved to my grandparents’ suburban backyard for the remainder of our time in town. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by me. Doylestown, PA 18902 | PG |
June 1~15.6 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was passing through this suburban neighborhood, the head of household and his son happened to be going on a walk down the same sidewalk. I mentioned that I was looking for a place to overnight, that there was a barn up ahead that I aimed to inquire with. They offered to have me over instead. I slept in an onsite yurt; Finley was pastured (allowed to roam freely in their backyard). Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by me. North Wales, PA 19454 | PG |
June 2~18.9 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member put me in touch with these hosts along the trail. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was tied short to a tree in their backyard. Good hay–whole bale. Grain provided by me. Phoenixville, PA 19460 | GH |
June 3~5.66 miles |
I could not find a suitable, safe place to camp so I opted to set up base in a vacant field owned by the county behind an elementary school. I chickened out of knocking on a farmer’s door. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-tall wild grass. 40°04'56.9"N 75°32'33.1"W Malvern, PA 19355 | P |
June 4~11.2 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member put me in touch with these hosts along the trail. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Chester Springs, PA 19425 | PG |
June 5~9.49 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member confirmed with someone in charge of the nature preserve that I could overnight here. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. 40°10'34.8"N 75°45'10.4"W | P |
June 6~9.6 miles |
Dispersed camping is permitted in this state forest. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-tall wild grass. 40°12'57.9"N 75°50'58.8"W | P |
June 7~8.47 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member put me in touch with these hosts along the trail. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Mohnton, PA 19540 | PH |
June 8~10.4 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member paid for my campsite. I pitched my tent; Finley was tied short to a tree. Good hay–half a bale provided by the HST board member. 40°14'17.8"N 76°06'19.2"W 446 Hill Rd, Denver, PA 17517 | H |
June 9~11.4 miles |
Not a bad spot, but it felt a little visible given the foot traffic here. A pair of hikers passed by us in the morning. (Awkward.) I also had to avoid making camp in front of a trail cam nearby. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°25'86.1"N 76°26'93.7"W | P |
June 10~10.2 miles |
A remote spot with no houses in sight. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°24'94.7"N 76°38'59.9" | P |
June 11~7.98 miles |
Arranged. This Horse Shoe Trail board member and I got in touch prior to the start of my ride, as he saw my Craigslist inquiry for a horse. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was kept in his own fenced in pasture. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by my host. Manheim, PA 17545 | PG |
June 12-15~18.4 miles |
Arranged. This is my mom’s old friend. I used to attend bible studies at her house a decade ago. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was stalled or corralled (at her cousin’s thoroughbred racing barn down the same street.) Hummelstown, PA 17036 | PHG |
June 16~14.6 miles |
Arranged. My endurance racing friend put me in touch with this host. She could not accommodate a horse at her property, so Finley spent the night at a neighbor’s. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture- fine grass yard. Grain provided by my host. Linglestown, PA 17112 | PG |
June 17~26.3 miles |
Remote location, yet it felt jeopardizing. A fisherman came upon us in the morning but made no remark. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°24'48.7"N 76°56'17.8"W | P |
June 18~7.98 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was walking down the road, a concerned family driving by stopped to ask if I was alright. I asked them if I could spend the night. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture- fine grass yard. Good hay. Duncannon, PA 17020 | PH |
June 19~18.6 miles |
Door knocked. I found the most hospitality in Kansas on my cross-country walk, so I thought Kansas Rd. made for a fitting place to knock on a stranger's door out of the blue to ask if I could camp in their yard for the first official time. I laid my bedroll down (in the barn); Finley was stalled. (Overnight, he decided to have a spat with my host’s herd boss through a window, kicking a few wooden wall panels down.) Landisburg, PA 17040 | H $ $200/reimbursing my host for their broken barn wall |
June 20~18.3 miles |
Arranged. A Horse Shoe Trail board member put me in touch with these hosts. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled. (Unfortunately, I cannot recall if hay or grain were provided. I believe hay may have been, so that is tentatively reflected.) Good pasture-fine grass yard. Blain, PA 17006 | PH |
June 21~1.69 miles |
Dispersed camping is permitted in this state forest. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°16'51.6"N 77°35'22.9"W (coordinates not exact) | P |
June 22~10.6 miles |
Chance encounter. I knocked on the door of a broom factory to inquire about water. Later, a dairy farmer stopped to chat with me, having heard of my identity through a worker at the factory. I asked her if she thought the worker’s family would be interested in hosting me. She said yes. I still had to work up the courage to go knock on their door which I nearly couldn’t. I laid my bedroll down (in the hay loft); Finley was stalled. Blairs Mills, PA 17213 | GH |
June 23~12.3 miles |
Chance encounter. I met the head of household outside of a gas station before seeing him again as I passed by his property. Here, I expressed interest in checking out a cave he owned, at which point he offered to have his family host me. I slept on the living room couch; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain offered by hosts. Shade Gap, PA 17255 | PG |
June 24~17.4 miles June 25 0 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was headed reluctantly to Rothrock State Forest, I passed two gentlemen chatting on a porch. One of them, the head of household for the neighboring property, offered to host me when I told him my intentions of camping in the forest. I slept on a bunk bed in an onsite hunting cabin; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain offered by hosts (in the form of corn); Finley ate it the first night then refused to the following day. Waterfall, PA 16689 | PG |
June 26~19.4 miles |
Precarious spot at the end of a dirt path. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°14'08.0"N 78°17'46.0"W State Game Lands Number 73A, Saxton, PA 16678 | P |
June 27~14.0 miles |
Door knocked … sort of. As I was passing by this property, the head of household approached me to ask if my horse needed water. I inquired about who owned the barn and empty, enclosed pasture immediately across the street. He said he did. I took the initiative to then ask him if I could stay there. I laid my bedroom down (in a barn stall with its door to the pasture open); Finley was pastured (despite the property's fenceline being unsecured). Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 | P |
June 28~6.67 milesJune 29 - July 20 miles |
Chance encounter. I slept on the couch of an entertainment building onsite used for bible studies; Finley was stalled (at a neighbor's property with me being allowed to graze him in a nearby field when I desired). Good pasture-tall wild grass. Duncansville, PA 16635 | PHG |
July 3~19.4 miles |
Arranged. My last host put me in touch with a friend of theirs who was willing to host me. They picked me and Finley up with their horse trailer. This is the first time Finley has trailered since we began our journey. I slept in an on-site RV; Finley was stalled. Sidman, PA 15955 40°28'55.6"N 78°42'55.3"W [Pick up/return location] | GH |
July 4~12.3 miles July 5th 0 miles |
Good, wooded hideaway. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 40°29'14.4"N 78°54'07.4"W | P |
July 6~21.7 miles |
Door knocked. At the Homer City Sheetz, a man told me a local cattle farmer along my route may be open to having me. The farmer didn’t answer their door, but their neighbor did! I knocked on their door out of sheer desperation, as a last resort measure as the sun disappeared completely from the horizon, causing me to be seconds away from having a full blown breakdown. They were delighted to have me. I laid my bedroll down (in the hay loft); Finley had a whole indoor arena to himself below me. Homer City, PA 15748 | H |
July 7~15.9 miles |
Arranged. My hosts from the previous night put me in touch with this family. Leapfrogging works! I laid my bedroll on the backyard trampoline (I was given the option to sleep on the couch but thought the trampoline would be cooler and that way I could keep an eye on Finley); Finley was picketed. Good pasture-tall grass yard. Apollo, PA 15613 | P |
July 8~19.9 miles |
Door knocked … sort of. I stopped to speak with a gentleman working in his garden to ask if he owned the fenced-in pasture beside his property. He said it belonged to his neighbor. “If they don’t answer their door … you can camp in my yard.” So that’s exactly what I did. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Leechburg, PA 15656 | P |
July 9~19.6 miles |
Door knocked. The house I initially knocked on, with a barn and an empty pasture, didn’t answer. I then noticed their neighbor had a spacious yard and inquired there. They ended up being a pair of empty nesters, remarkably cool about the whole thing. We went to Denny’s for supper. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-tall grass yard. Valencia, PA 16059 | P |
July 10~13.0 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was walking down the road, desperately looking around for a place to sleep, this couple happened upon me standing in front of their property on their car ride home and stopped to chat. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-tall grass yard.
| P |
July 1114.8 miles July 12-140 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was walking by a man’s property, he happened to be checking the mail. After a short conversation, he asked if I had a place to stay for the night. I said no. He waved me back over. I laid my bedroll in the garage building; Finely was picketed. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. Beaver, PA, 15009 | P |
July 15~7.38 miles |
Chance encounter. A man delivering hay stopped to ask if I were alright. He mentioned that a nearby farm, where he had just come from, would be willing to water my horse. I took him up on the offer. When I arrived, the barn owner said that if I wanted to camp there, I could. I laid my bedroll down on the hay in the barn; Finley was stalled across from me Midland, PA | GH |
TOTALS50 days: 35 days travelling. 15 rest days. ~465 miles 25 stays with hosts. 6 stays stealth camping. 3 stays on public lands. 1 special case stay. 15 stays with pasture only. 8 stays with pasture and grain. 4 stays with grain and hay. 3 stays with pasture and hay. 3 stays with hay only. 2 stays with hay, pasture, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $2(86) *I reimbursed a host (who would have otherwise allowed us to stay for free) $200 for a barn wall Finley kicked down, otherwise the total would be $86 | ||
Ohio
July 16~18.7 miles |
Door knocked. I chose an inconspicuous looking house with an empty barn and a large, multi-acre yard that looked like it may have recently been hayed. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture- fine grass yard. Lisbon, OH 44432 | P |
July 17~21.6 miles |
Door knocked. The first door I knocked on never opened. On my second try, a sheep farming family answered and said yes. I pitched my tent (under a lean-to); Finley was pastured (in the same field). Good pasture–fine grass yard. Good hay-whole square bale. Minerva, OH 44657 | PH |
July 18~20.1 miles |
Door knocked. The first two doors I knocked on never opened. On my third try, a pickup truck pulled into the driveway right as I was entering it, mitigating the need to knock properly. Cattle farmers. I pitched my tent; Finley was kept in the same fenced in pasture. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Navarre, OH 44662 | PG |
July 19~16.4 miles |
Chance encounter. I collapsed in some tall grass on the side of the road out of exhaustion and a general feeling of, “screw this, I’m taking a break,” without caring that I was in sight of neighboring properties. The head of an Amish family who I had just passed came to see if I were alright. She then invited me to spend the night at her family’s home. Not my proudest way to nab a host. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was stalled. Apple Creek, OH 44606 | GH |
July 20~12.8 miles July 21-22 0 miles |
Chance encounter. The Amish family that I stayed with the night prior tried to arrange a host for me, but their intended host wound up being too far away. As I was walking through downtown Wooster, two people mentioned the possibility of staying at the fairgrounds. There, I came across a group of mounted shooters (they were neither armed nor on horseback at the time) having a routine membership meeting who put me in touch with a groundskeeper who led me to one of the horse barns on site. The first night, I slept in a stall across from Finley. The second, a Warmshowers host. The third, a motel room. Finley was stalled. 40°47'52.8"N 81°57'14.0"W 199 Vanover St, Wooster, OH 44691 | GH |
July 23~15.4 miles |
Door knocked. Cattle farmers. I never met the owners of the property, as they were elderly and mostly house-bound. Their adult son who was tending to the grounds gave me permission to stay. He didn’t bat an eye over my inquiry. In fact, he seemed to know what I would ask before I opened my mouth. I later discovered that this is because of another long rider’s notoriety in the area: Pam Kline. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured (in the same field). Good pasture- fine grass yard. Ashland, OH 44805 | P |
July 24~8.32 miles July 25-August 29 0 miles |
Door knocked. We had a month-long layover here to heal the bald spots– rain rot turned into saddle sores– around Finley’s withers. We received permission to stay as long as necessary by the fairgrounds manager. I alternated between sleeping in a lawn chair in a stall beside Finley’s stall and pitching my tent at the official on-site campground. Finley was stalled. Good hay and grain provided by long rider Pam Kline. There was grass throughout the fairgrounds to graze on occasionally, provided I was monitoring Finley. 40°51'01.1"N 82°20'38.0"W 2042 Claremont Ave, Ashland, OH 44805 | PHG |
August 30~13.4 miles |
Door knocked. I saw an open field set in front of a seperate, fenced cattle pasture and inquired with the homeowners about staying there. Initially, the woman who came to the door wouldn’t engage with me. Her husband appeared a few seconds later and said to approach his aunt who had a horse pasture on the same block instead. When I knocked on her door, she said yes. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured (in the same field). Good pasture- fine grass yard. Shelby, OH 44875 | P |
August 31~16.6 miles |
Chance encounter. A couple called out to me from their garage, inquiring about what I was doing. When I told them, they asked if I wanted any hay. I got confused for a moment; their property looked small and unassuming. Where did they have hay? After a few minutes of conversation, they invited me to spend the night at their property, at which point I saw their tucked-away barn and pasture. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured (in the same field). Good pasture- fine grass yard. Tiro, OH 44887 | PHG |
September 1~23.9 miles |
I could not find accommodations for the night. The first door I knocked on never opened. I wagered it belonged to an elderly farming couple based on the decorations in their yard. The second door held a middle aged woman who looked at me like I had sprouted two heads. She said she was just renting her home and could not give me permission to stay in the neighboring pasture. The third door I tried, which belonged to the true owners of the pasture, didn’t open. I lost my resolve after this. I laid my sleeping bag down in a grove of trees covered in thorns with Finley tied short beside me. No graze until the following morning, where I allowed Finley to graze for five hours before continuing on. This night sucked. 40°51'57.7"N 83°15'10.4"W | N/A |
September 2~9.6 miles |
Call in. I spoke to the barn manager over the phone a few hours short of my arrival who gave me permission to stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was stalled. Wharton, OH 43359 | GH $ $25/day (barn manager gifted me $50 the following morning, reimbursing costs) |
September 3~22.3 miles |
The barn manager from last night’s stable arranged for me to stay at her home next. However, on route I discovered that her husband and father-in-law were arrested for running a prostitution/sex trafficking ring out of their defunct hotel recently. The farmer who clued me into this said that I could stay at his home instead, but his wife did not get the memo and was openly hostile when I knocked on their door. I was too discouraged to knock on another door after this. Thankfully, I found the Hasson graveyard hospitable shortly after dark. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Jenera, OH 45841 | P |
September 4~8.98 miles |
Call in. I spoke to the owner of this stable over the phone a few hours short of my arrival who gave me permission to stay. I slept in an onsite apartment above their garage; Finley was stalled. Bluffton, OH 45817 | GH $ $25/day. (I had no change so I gave them $30. A boarder at the farm gave me $100 the following morning, reimbursing my stay.) |
September 5~20.8 miles |
Arranged. A boarder at last night’s stable contacted the new home owners of a property her friend used to own. They permitted me to stay. I laid out my bedroll (in the barn aisleway); Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Delphos, OH 45833 | PHG |
September 6~11.8 miles |
Arranged. I was meant to stay at a stable tonight but could not arrive in time. The stable owner contacted this campgrounds on my behalf and got me permission to stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 40°52'31.1"N 84°28'13.2"W9065 Ringwald Rd, Middle Point, OH 45863 | P |
September 7~11.5 miles September 8-90 miles |
Arranged. A boarder from the last stable I overnighted at put me in touch with this barn. I pitched my tent; Finley was pastured (in the same field). Good pasture-fine grass yard. Van Wert, OH 45891 | PHG |
TOTALS55 days: 16 days travelling. 4 rest days. Extended break of 35 days. ~252 miles 11 stays with hosts. 2 stays stealth camping. 3 special case stays. 5 stays with pasture only. 1 stay with pasture and grain. 4 stays with hay and grain. 1 stay with pasture and hay. 4 stays with hay, pasture, and grain (which accounted for 38/55 days). 1 stay with none. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $0 *while I was charged a nightly rate of $25 and $30 respectively at two boarding barns, I was reimbursed for these payments by people present in both cases, gaining $95! | ||
Statistics | 0 - 25%
New Jersey – Ohio
~800-900 Miles
Each stay, regardless of how many days I spent there, is counted only ONCE towards these records. There are 57 stays in total.
- 5.26% (3) of my stays were on “public lands”
- 14.0% (8) of my stays were “stealth camping”
- 10.5% (6) of my stays were “special cases”
- 70.2% (40) of my stays were with “hosts”
Summary: approximately ~70% of my stays were with hosts and ~30% without!
P _35.1% (20) of my stays had Finley on “pasture only”
H _5.26% (3) of my stays had Finley on “hay only”
PH _7.02% (4) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and hay”
GH _15.8% (9) of my stays had Finley on “hay and grain”
PG _22.8% (13) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and grain”
PHG _12.3% (7) of my stays had Finley on “pasture, hay, and grain”
N/A___1.75% (1) of my stays had Finley on “none”
Summary: days with pasture only, or pasture and grain, made up ~60% of my stays! Days with hay accounted for the other ~40%!*
*this cannot be taken at face value when you consider that each stay is only counted once, regardless of the amount of days we spent at that location.
Finley actually had hay the majority of the time when our rest days are taken into account.
6 times I have found lodging by calling in (to a stable, fairgrounds, etc).
13 times I have found lodging through chance encounters.
16 times I have found lodging through prior arrangements.
12 times I have found lodging through door knocking.
The morning of any given day, I have not known where I would be sleeping for that night at least 80% of the time.
Indiana
September 10~24.6 miles |
Arranged. The barn owners from last night connected me with this couple. Cattle farmers. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was tied short to a pole in a barn-like structure with a bucket of hay and grain. Hoagland, IN 46745 | GH |
September 11~3.14 miles |
Arranged. A gentleman at the Hi Ho Again bar in Poe, IN, got me permission to stay at their membership-only conservation center across the street. I slept inside a cabin on chairs lined up in a row; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 40°56'05.9"N 85°05'30.9"W | P |
September 12~18.9 miles |
We stealth camped in a grove of trees beside the river. I pitched my tent; Finley was tied short to a tree beside me. No graze. 40°53'53.5"N 85°24'49.4"W Huntington, IN 46750 | N/A |
September 13~4.42 miles September 14-17 0 miles |
Call in. I contacted the Huntington County fairgrounds to inquire about an extended stay there. The operator told me they could not accommodate my request but she put me in touch with her relative who offered to take me in instead. I slept inside a bedroom; Finely was stalled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Huntington, IN 46750 | GH |
September 18~19.1 miles |
Arranged. I had to check on Finley multiple times in the night as our hosts’ yard was scattered with trees. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Wabash, IN 46992 | P |
September 19~15.5 miles |
Arranged. This land is technically part of a nature preserve for which our Warmshowers host from the night prior is the president of. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture- tall grass yard. Denver, IN 46926 | P |
September 20~14.9 miles |
Arranged. Last night’s hosts contacted a local funeral director on my behalf who, in turn, found a family for me to overnight with. Connections! I pitched my tent by the garage; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-tall grass yard. Twelve Mile, IN 46988 | P |
September 21~12.7 miles |
Arranged. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Royal Center, IN 46978 | P |
September 22~21.8 miles |
Chance encounter. I could not find a place to overnight. I chickened out of door knocking, convinced none of the houses were right enough. Finally, I retreated to a graveyard a mile and a half out of our way. It wound up being great! Off the beaten path with no “closed after dark” signs and a wide field set aside from the graves. Our first cold night of the season. I laid my bedroll down; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 40°52'22.0"N 86°49'31.8"W | P |
September 23~21 miles September 24 0 miles |
Arranged. This host had a whopping five bedroom guesthouse for me to use! I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed (first in the front yard, then in the hay field across the street). Good pasture—tall grass yard. Collegeville, IN 47978 | PG |
September 25~19.9 miles |
Arranged. Last night’s Warmshower’s hosts knew of a man who had met another woman traveling on horseback a decade ago. This man, in turn, hooked me up with an elderly couple the next town over who had previously hosted the other long rider. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was stalled. Morocco, IN 47963 | GH |
TOTALS15 days: 11 days travelling. 4 rest days. ~176 miles 8 stays with hosts. 1 stay stealth camping. 1 stay on public lands. 1 special case stay. 6 stays with pasture only. 1 stay with pasture and grain. 3 stays with grain and hay. 1 stay with none. Net loss on lodging/feed: $0 | ||
Illinois
September 26~25.8 miles |
I could not locate a host for the night. I tried calling the local KOA to no avail. I had hoped we could sneak under a Iroquois River bridge overnight, but there were no trespassing signs present there. We passed a cattle operation with a huge hay field that would have been perfect, but I didn’t feel comfortable knocking on their door after dark. At 10 pm, I stealth camped in a farmers field between a cornfield and an irrigation ditch. Almost immediately, a canine began barking threateningly at us. At first, I was paranoid that this was a farmer's dog until I realized the source of the yips was a coyote. Then, I heard this whirring noise that I feared was a harvester. In the morning, I awoke at 4 a.m. to avoid the possibility of being crushed by farm machinery. Later, I realized the whirring was from the wind turbines nearby. I laid my bedroll down; Finley was picketed. Good pasture —tall grass yard. 41°00'10.9"N 87°51'41.1"W | P |
September 27~14.6 miles |
Chance encounter. I spent hours in Chebanse allowing Finley to graze while quietly praying that, by establishing a presence at the town park, it would increase our chances of finding a host nearby. With no luck, I finally retreated two miles off course to a remote cemetery. Here, I happened upon a farmer repairing his tractor across the street. Fearing he might call 911 on me for acting suspiciously, I approached him to inquire about the beautiful grassy field next to his crops. “Do you own it? Can I get permission to camp there?” He responded, “I will do you one better” and offered to let me camp at his unoccupied cattle barn a quarter mile down the road instead. I laid my bedroll down (in the aisle way of the cattle barn, surrounded by mice); Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse grass yard. OK hay. Clifton, IL 60927 | PHG |
September 28~9.17 miles |
Chance encounter. A woman I had met the day prior who happened upon me sleeping along the side of the road with Finley reappeared! She invited me to lunch in Cabery. When we arrived, the restaurant owner invited me to spend the night. I laid my bedroll down on the restaurant's floor. Window shades drawn, door locked. Finley was picketed outside in a small lot by the fire station. I checked on him twice in the night. He was plied with many apples and scraps from the kitchen. OK pasture-sparse grass yard. Cabery, IL 60919 | PG |
September 29~17.8 miles |
Chance encounter. I had arranged with Odell’s Town Hall to stay at their city park. I knew they allowed cyclists to overnight there as the town is along the Northern Tier Adventure Cycling Association route. However, a couple approached me at the gas station in town and offered to host us instead. I accepted this offer since it meant I wouldn’t have to worry about curious locals bothering Finley in the night. I laid my bedroll down (in their heated garage); Finley was pastured (in their backyard). Good pasture-fine grass yard. Good hay provided by another local. Odell, IL 60460 | PHG |
September 30~13.4 miles |
Call in. I Googled “cowboy churches” on a whim. I inquired with the pastor of the church about a place to stay. After talking it over with his wife, and confirming the legitimacy of my story through my website, he invited me over. I slept on a bed in a small cabin with a space heater; Finley was corralled (in a round pen). Cornell, IL 61319 | PH |
October 1~19.8 miles |
Arranged. I confirmed with Wenona Town Hall that I could camp at their city park which commonly allows cyclists to stay. A few blocks from the park, I happened to pass the property of a local horseman who had heard of my arrival already. He brought over hay for Finley. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed (in the baseball field). Good pasture-fine grass yard. 41°03'07.4"N 89°03'23.3"W217 S Pine St, Wenona, IL 61377 | PH |
October 2~22.9 miles October 3-5 0 miles |
Arranged. I called the fairgrounds in advance to inquire about staying. Someone anonymously covered my $15/day fee as well as the cost of my shavings. A local woman also brought two bales of hay over for Finley. I was able to picket Finley outside at my leisure. I slept in the office room of the horse barn with a locked door; Finley was stalled. 41°06'53.5"N 89°22'22.3"W 915 University Ave, Henry, IL 61537 | PH $ $15/day (covered anonymously by staff) |
October 6~18.9 miles |
Arranged. A fair board member who had treated me to dinner on my second night in Henry, IL, set me up with this family she knew in Wyoming, IL. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Wyoming, IL, 61491 | P |
October 7~16.5 miles |
Chance encounter. I called the town of Galva to inquire about staying at one of their many parks. The woman who answered seemed caught off guard by my ask. She said “you know there’s hotels in town?” She thought my request could not be granted, but forwarded me to her superior. He shared the same thought but said he would try to help me find a spot. Hours later, he rang me to ask if a local veterinary office had contacted me “yet.” I said no. He then granted me permission to stay at Washington Park. On route, we stopped at a rural intersection to wait for farm equipment to pass us by as their vehicles were monstrously big and kicking up a cloud of dust. Suddenly, the woman whose yard we were standing on the edge of came out and asked if we were crossing the country. After our conversation, I made to leave, but Finley refused to budge. The woman then invited us to stay over. I slept in the bed of her live-in horse trailer; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. La Fayette, IL 61449 | PHG |
October 8~17.3 miles |
Call in. The veterinary office that Galva’s town hall had contacted on my behalf the day prior sent out a company-wide email to try and find me a place to overnight. This worked! I stayed with a family of corn/soy farmers. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-tall grass yard. Cambridge, IL 61238 | P |
October 9~17.3 miles |
Chance encounter. I didn’t have the slightest clue where we would be sleeping tonight and spent the better half of our evening fretting. I figured our options were to make camp under one of two potential bridges, stealth camp in a field with the extreme risk of a harvester plowing over us, or … that was it. I scouted people’s properties but couldn’t work up the courage to knock on a door. Finally, this couple stopped to inquire if we needed any water, and I admitted my circumstances to them, without being forthright in saying “will you host me?” I slept in a bedroom; Finley was pastured (in a face that had been used to house cattle as recently as that morning!) Good pasture-fine grass yard. New Windsor, IL 61465 | PH |
October 10~9.59 miles October 11 0 miles |
Arranged These hosts lived in a surprisingly suburban neighborhood for the middle-of-nowhere Illinois. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse grass yard; Irrelevant with hay. Sherrard, IL 61281 | PH |
October 12~20.0 miles |
I scoped out this graveyard in advance, knowing my hit-or-miss luck at securing alternate lodging. I was disappointed to see the “closed after dark” signs at the cemetery's entrance. I also had to curse myself. A couple had just pulled up beside me as I was nearing the cemetery grounds to ask if I needed help, and I curtly told them “no.” Turns out, they lived at the next property over and could have been a godsend if my dumbass had not been so guarded and dismissive. I pitched my tent; Finley had to be tied short in the woods. No graze. The following morning, I would graze Finley for three hours, then travel less than 12 miles mostly on foot to our next host 41°20'50.3"N 90°52'10.8"W Buffalo Prairie, IL | N/A |
October 13~10.9 miles |
Arranged. My Warmshowers host’s from two nights ago put me in touch with this couple. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Illinois City, IL 61259 | P |
TOTALS17 days: 14 days travelling. 3 rest days. ~234 miles 10 stays with hosts. 2 stays stealth camping. 1 stay on public lands 1 special case stay. 4 stays with pasture only. 1 stays with pasture and grain. 5 stay with pasture and hay. 3 stays with hay, pasture, and grain 1 stay with none. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $0 **while I was charged a nightly rate of $15 for a total of $45 at Henry fairgrounds, the fee was covered anonymously by a staff member. | ||
Iowa
October 14~15.5 miles |
Chance encounter. Despite my Facebook post inquiring about places to stay in Muscatine, as well as my heavy presence in town, I couldn’t secure a host. I switched gears and aimed for a local cemetery instead. That is until a local woman swooped in at the golden hour to offer her home. Since she lived off my route, she picked Finley & I up in her horse trailer then returned us to where we left off in the morning. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was housed in her horse trailer overnight, offsite. Letts, IA 52754 | H |
October 15~18.0 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Iowa Trail Riders Facebook post; however, their address was too far away from my intended route, so they picked Finley & I up with a stock trailer then returned us to where we left off in the morning. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled, bordering two other horses. Iowa City, IA 52240 | GH |
October 16~21.0 miles |
Arranged. My host from two nights prior put me in touch with this horsewoman. I laid my bedroll down (in the hayloft of a barn); Finley was stalled. Kalona, IA 52247 | GH |
October 17~20.4 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Iowa Trail Riders Facebook post. I slept in a gooseneck horse trailer; Finley was pastured. OK pasture-sparse grass yard. Parnell, IA 52325 | PHG |
October 18~16.8 miles |
Arranged. My host’s from the previous night put me in touch with this stable. They also drove their gooseneck trailer over for me to sleep in again; Finley was stalled. Marengo, IA, United States, Iowa | GH |
October 19~16.3 miles October 20-21 0 miles |
Arranged. The stable I stayed at last night made a Facebook post about me. This horsewoman responded, offering to host me. Originally, she said I could sleep at the office building of her husband’s feedlot, but then her husband reminded her that people would be in-and-out of the office constantly since it is harvest season. So instead she came with a stock trailer to pick Finley & I up. We returned to our stopping point two days later. I slept in an RV in the garage; Finley was corralled (in a round pen in sight of her herd of 10 horses). Brooklyn, IA 52211 | GH |
October 22~15 miles |
Arranged. I struggled to get permission to stay at this fairgrounds. No one from the board would return my calls or emails. Finally, an unnamed woman told my host from the night prior that I had permission to stay. I rolled with this. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse, yellowed grass. 41°43'35.0"N 92°43'10.7"W 425 E St S, Grinnell, IA 50112 | P $ $20/night |
October 23~16.8 miles |
Chance encounter. I knew this park had public camping but was unsure whether horses were permitted. I did not see any signs forbidding them and decided to run with the philosophy that “it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Sure enough, the next morning a park ranger came by bright and early and told me that horses were not allowed but that “I would have let you stay, had I known.” Though he didn’t sound all too happy about it. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. 41°46'34.5"N 92°57'39.5"W 1235 N 11th Ave E, Newton, IA 50208 | P |
October 24~21.6 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Iowa Trail Riders Facebook post. She greeted me in the rain astride her own gelding and rode the last handful of miles back to her house with me. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (neighboring her horses). Mingo, IA 50168 | H |
October 25~23.1 miles |
Arranged. They contacted me through Facebook, though neither of us could figure out where they had first heard of me. It’s a mystery! I slept off site in a bedroom; Finley was corralled at the veterinary clinic. Huxley, IA 50124 | PHG |
October 26~15.4 miles |
Arranged. One of Iowa Equine’s veterinary assistants offered to host me at her mother-in-laws boarding facility. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled. Madrid, IA 50156 | H |
October 27~28.0 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Iowa Trail Riders Facebook post. I slept in an RV inside a warehouse-like building; Finley was picketed. Good pasture- fine grass yard. Jamaica, IA 50128 | P |
October 28~20.4 miles October 29 ~1.11 miles October 30 0 miles |
Arranged. I contacted a woman on Facebook in advance to coordinate a hay drop. She delivered us two bales. Finley consumed both over six feedings. He ate like a hog! Originally, I pitched my tent at the Riverside campground, but nosy neighbors had me retreating to the Oak Ridge campground instead, which wound up being a better location with electricity and a shower house. Finley was picketed at Riverside and kept in a round pen at Oak Ridge. Coon Rapids, IA 50058 | PH $ $15/night $45/total |
October 31~27.3 miles |
Call in. I could not locate a host and frantically dialed the local police department’s non-emergency number in a last ditch effort to make something work. I left a voicemail. To my surprise, an on duty graveyard shift officer returned my call in less than an hour. Seconds before my phone rang, I had been planning to set up under a bridge. The office arranged for me to stay at the town park instead. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse, yellowing grass. 41°54'16.9"N 95°04'10.3"W | P |
November 1~9.53 miles |
Arranged. I contacted this horsewoman through Facebook messenger based on the suggestion of another unknown user. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was stalled. Manilla, Iowa 51454 | H |
November 2~23.1 miles |
Call in. I contacted the president of the fairboard who said we would be permitted to stay. He told me to drop the nightly fee off with a local gas station clerk, the treasurer for the board. The treasurer declined to take my money. His wife then offered to have me sleep indoors for the night, as their home was adjacent to the fairgrounds, but I did not have enough trust in the locals to keep Finley unattended. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 41°51'32.4"N 95°35'56.4"W Dunlap, IA 51529 | P $ $20/night (covered by attendant) |
November 3~15.1 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was leaving Dunlap, this woman stopped to ask if I was traveling long distance. She recognized that my saddlebags meant I was more than a day rider. She invited me to spend the night at her home. She picked Finley & I up with her trailer then dropped us back off in the morning. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled. OK pasture-various wild grass. OK, yellowing hay. Moorhead, IA 51558 | PH |
November 4~19.2 miles |
Call in. My host from last night got in touch with the former president of the local saddle club who referred me to another woman to acquire a bale of hay from. This was the very first night in our travels where we reached a grass yard and I thought “oh shoot, this won’t do. We need hay.” Finley ate a little less than half of the bale. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-little to no grass. Good hay-whole square bale. Onawa, IA 51040 | PH |
TOTALS22 days: 18 days traveling. 4 rest days. ~252 miles 11 stays with hosts. 3 stays on public lands. 4 special case stays. 5 stays with pasture only. 4 stays with grain and hay. 3 stay with pasture and hay. 4 stays with hay only. 2 stays with hay, pasture, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $65 *discounting the nightly fee of $20 at the Dunlap fairgrounds that a staff member covered | ||
Nebraska
November 5~9.53 miles |
Arranged. Our last host in Moorhead, IA, put us in touch with this couple. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was pastured. OK pasture- sparse grass yard. Good hay – 2-3 flakes per feeding. Decatur, NE 68020 | PH |
November 6~16.5 miles |
Arranged. Our Decatur, NE, host hooked us up with this couple. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in an outdoor arena). Good hay – 3-4 flakes per feeding. Bancroft, NE 68004 | GH |
November 7~19.8 miles |
Arranged. Originally, I meant to stay at the Wisner City Park that had horse corrals and allowed camping. However, a couple contacted me through my Nebraska Trail Riders Facebook post offering their barn instead. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in an indoor round pen). Good hay – 1-2 flakes of bermuda hay and 1-2 flakes of alfalfa/orchard grass hay per feeding. Wisner, NE 68791 | H |
November 8~20.6 miles November 9-10 0 miles |
Arranged. I contacted the fairgrounds district office to receive permission to stay. The first and third night in town I slept in a spare bedroom at the fairground manager’s house. The second night, I elected to stay in a stall beside Finley, on a cot provided by the fairground; Finley was stalled every night and allowed to roam an outdoor arena during the day. Two bales of bermuda hay were provided. Finley ate both over six feedings. Stanton, NE 68779 | PH |
November 11~24.3 miles |
Call in. I called Battle Creek town hall to inquire about camping, as I knew it was permitted per the Cowboy Trail website, but I wanted to double check that my horse would be okay. They left the bathrooms unlocked for me. I found a spigot ON. Upon arrival, a female police officer stopped to ask if I were alright. She said she saw a post about me on Facebook and that she would be making multiple rounds in the park overnight. She also brought over a bucket for me to use to water Finley! I could have slept in the community center but wanted to be close to Finley to be safe, so I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed (in the same baseball field). OK pasture-sparse grass yard. 41°59'34.9"N 97°35'50.4"W Battle Creek City Park, Battle Creek, NE 68715 | P |
November 12
|
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Nebraska Trail Riders Facebook post. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a round pen in view of her herd). Oakdale, NE 68761 | GH |
November 13~17.1 miles |
Chance encounter. As I was approaching Clearwater, NE, this woman stopped to chat with me, having seen a post about me on Facebook. (Around this time, word of my presence began to spread widely. Multiple Facebook posts were out with strangers sharing them in random groups. “NE Horse Trainers,” “Ainsworth Yard Sale Group,” etc.) Originally, I intended to overnight in Ewing but that would mean traveling an additional 2-3 hours in the dark, so I opted to stay with this host instead. On my way to her home, I met another local horsewoman at the gas station who offered to bring me over a bale of hay. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Though the bale of hay provided to us looked to be of good quality, Finley ate less than a third of it overnight! Clearwater, NE 68726 | PH |
November 14~23.3 miles |
Call in. I knew the Inman City Park allowed camping from the Cowboy Trail website but called to make sure they permitted horses. A local woman brought me Taco John breakfast out of the blue in the morning, then invited me over to her home to chat. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Inman, NE 68742 | P |
November 15~25.0 miles |
Chance encounter. This host contacted me through Facebook, having seen a post about me. I didn’t get their message until the golden hour. It was a godsend, as otherwise I was headed to the local rodeo grounds, still another two hours off, where no hay and potentially little graze would be greeting us. I slept off site in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (bordering two other horses). Atkinson, NE 68713 | GH |
November 16~20.2 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through Facebook, having seen my Nebraska Trail Riders group post. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was stalled. Good quality hay. Newport, NE 68759 | GH |
November 1717.1 miles November 18 0 miles |
Chance encounter. This host contacted me through Facebook, but I did not respond to their inquiry, being overwhelmed with messages. Besides, I planned to overnight in Long Pine, not Bassett. However, terrible winter conditions (15F temps with 30MPH winds and freak gusts of snow) forced me to change my mind. The first time this woman stopped me, I declined her offer to host me. The second time, I accepted. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot with access to the roofed barn for shelter). OK hay. Finley ate a considerable amount of complete ration grain to compensate for a lack of quality hay or graze. Bassett, NE 68714 | GH |
November 19~25.5 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Nebraska Trail Riders post. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot bordering two other horses. He cast his leg kicking through the panels in the night. Slight, superficial nick.) Good hay-free choice grass round bale. Johnstown, NE 69214 | GH |
November 20~12.8 miles November 21 0 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through my Nebraska Trail Riders post. My first night in town, I slept at a guest house down the street. The second night, I spent in a spare bedroom on site; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot at the second location) the entire time. Good hay-free choice grass round bale. Wood Lake, NE 69221 | PH |
November 22~23.0 miles |
Arranged. A woman I met in Muscatine, Iowa, put me in touch with this family. They picked me up at the local Shell station in a stock trailer. They saw multiple Facebook posts about me leading up to my arrival. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot bordering their cattle offsite). Good grass hay–full square bale. Might have been an alfalfa/second cutting mix? A surprising amount left over in the morning. Valentine, NE, 69201 | GH |
November 23~21.3 miles |
Arranged. A local horsewoman who had seen a Facebook post about me arranged for me to stay with these hosts in their mid 70s. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a round pen). Originally, my hosts had one of their mares bordering Finley’s corral. I implored them to move her out of concern about Finley casting his leg again. They obliged. Good hay–half a bale. It seemed to be an alfalfa/second cutting mix. A surprising amount was left over in the morning! Kilgore, NE | H |
November 24~17.2 miles |
Arranged. This host contacted me through Facebook, though I’m not sure what post they originally saw. It’s a mystery! They didn’t mind having me on Thanksgiving. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a round pen). Good hay–half a bale. A small portion was left over in the morning. Cody, NE 69211 | GH |
November 25~23.8 miles |
Arranged. A local horsewoman who had seen a Facebook post about me, arranged for me to stay with this older couple. I slept in an onsite RV; Finley was pastured. Good hay-whole square bale provided by Jordan. 5-10 lbs of grain in a bucket also provided by Jordan. Merriman, NE 69218 | PHG |
November 26~21.4 miles |
Arranged. A local horsewoman who had seen a Facebook about me, set me up with her aunt. I slept in an offsite bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot bordering two bulls at their feedlot). Good hay- half a bale. A mix of bermuda and second cuttings. Gordon, NE, 69343 | GH |
November 27~15.8 miles |
Arranged. A woman from Wood Lake, NE, put me in touch with a colleague of hers. She used to share his job of spraying noxious weeds along the Cowboy Trail. He then got me arranged at his parents home outside Clint, NE. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a large dry lot). OK hay- grass round bale. Gordon, NE | GH |
November 28~24.9 miles |
Arranged. My host’s from last night attempted to hook me up with a single man and literal Nazi, Tom, who had swastikas on the side of his black-and-red spray-painted pickup truck. I escaped this encounter at the last minute and called another family to inquire about staying with them instead. Getting this sorted was a game of telephone. The original person I called could not host me. Neither could her friend. Nor her friend’s friend. Finally, this contact was made. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in an indoor arena). Good hay–nearly a full square bale worth. Roughly half of the hay was left over in the morning. Hay Springs, NE 69347 | GH |
November 29~16.4 miles |
Arranged. Last night’s host’s put me in touch with this family. I slept in a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a dry lot w/ run-in shelter next to another gelding). OK hay-grass round bale. Chadron, NE 69337 | GH |
November 30~4.11 miles December 1-April 220 miles |
Chance Encounter As we entered Chadron, NE, Mike Kennedy stopped to ask us where we were headed. I admitted our desire to winter in town. He offered to have us stay at his home. I opted to board Finley at the stable in town, after confirming with the barn owner that he had a dry lot w/ run-in shelter open and hay on site to purchase. Initially, I could not find separate housing for myself and stayed with Mike in his guesthouse. Midway through December, I moved into my own bedroom townhouse on King St. and transferred Finley to Mike’s where he had access to 90 acres to free roam for four months. He was grained during our last 2 weeks there. Chadron, NE 69337 | PHG |
TOTALS169 days: 22 days traveling. 4 rest days. Extended break of 143 days. ~419 miles 19 stays with hosts. 2 stays on public lands. 1 special case stays. 2 stays with pasture only. 12 stays with grain and hay. 4 stay with pasture and hay. 2 stays with hay only. 2 stays with hay, pasture, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $0 | ||
Statistics | 25 - 50%
Indiana – Nebraska
900-1000 miles
Each stay, regardless of how many days I spent there, is counted only ONCE towards these records. There are 65 stays in total.
- 10.8% (7) of my stays were on “public lands”
- 4.62% (3) of my stays were “stealth camping”
- 10.8% (7) of my stays were “special cases”
- 73.8% (48) of my stays were with “hosts”
Summary: approximately ~74% of my stays were with hosts and ~26% without!
P _26.2% (17) of my stays had Finley on “pasture only”
H 9.23% (6) of my stays had Finley on “hay only”
PH _18.5% (12) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and hay”
GH _29.2% (19) of my stays had Finley on “grain and hay”
PG _3.08% (2) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and grain”
PHG _10.8% (7) of my stays had Finley on “pasture, hay, and grain”
N/A ___3.08% (2) of my stays had Finley on “none”
Summary: days with pasture only, or pasture and grain, made up ~45% of my stays! Days with hay accounted for the other ~55%!*
8 times I have found lodging by calling in (to a stable, fairgrounds, etc).
13 times I have found lodging through chance encounters.
41 times I have found lodging through prior arrangements.
0 times I have found lodging through door knocking.
The morning of any given day, I have not known where I would be sleeping for that night at least 60% of the time.
Statistics | 0 - 50%
New Jersey – Nebraska
1800-1900 miles
Each stay, regardless of how many days I spent there, is counted only ONCE towards these records. There are 122 stays in total.
- 8.20% (10) of my stays were on “public lands”
- 9.02% (11) of my stays were “stealth camping”
- 10.7% (13) of my stays were “special cases”
- 72.1% (88) of my stays were with “hosts”
Summary: approximately ~72% of my stays were with hosts and ~28% without!
P _30.3% (37) of my stays had Finley on “pasture only”
H _7.38% (9) of my stays had Finley on “hay only”
PH _13.1% (16) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and hay”
GH _23.0% (28) of my stays had Finley on “grain and hay”
PG _12.3% (15) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and grain”
PHG _11.5% (14) of my stays had Finley on “pasture, hay, and grain”
N/A ___2.46% (3) of my stays had Finley on “none”
Summary: days with pasture only, or pasture and grain, made up ~43% of my stays! Days with hay accounted for the other ~57%!*
14 times I have found lodging by calling in (to a stable, fairgrounds, etc).
26 times I have found lodging through chance encounters.
57 times I have found lodging through prior arrangements.
12 times I have found lodging through door knocking.
The morning of any given day, I have not known where I would be sleeping for that night at least 70% of the time.
Nebraska
April 23~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. Grain provided by me. Whitney, NE 69367 42.788588, -103.284509 | PG |
April 24~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by me. Crawford City Park, Crawford, NE 69339 42.686744, -103.420972 | PG |
April 25-27~ miles |
Arranged. I stayed in a motel offsite with my visiting mother for the first two nights then in a room onsite the second night; Finley was stalled, or picketed while being monitored. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 50 lb bag of alfalfa/hay mix and 50lb bag of grain provided by my mom. Soldier Creek Rd & US Hwy 20, Crawford, NE 69339 42.673663, -103.477180 | PHG $ $15/day for a stall $45/day for a room $90/total |
April 28~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Finley was plied with grain the morning of but not in the evening.
| PG |
April 29~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse grass yard.
42.97908, -103.6563 | P |
TOTALS8 days: 5 days traveling. 3 rest days. ~ miles 5 stays on public lands. 1 stay with pasture only. 3 stay with pasture and grain. 1 stay with hay, pasture, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $90 | ||
South Dakota
April 30~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.240473, -103.587824 | P |
May 1~ miles |
Call in. Panicked, with no good place to sleep, I called this campground 30 minutes prior to my arrival and got approval to stay with a horse! I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Grain provided by hosts. Hot Springs, SD 57747 | PG |
May 2~ miles May 3-7 0 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
May 8 – May 180 miles |
Arranged. I got in touch with this host through the search and rescue operations for Finley. She graciously agreed to host us for the duration of time Finley needed to heal from our ordeal. She then dropped us where we left off traveling. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
| PHG |
May 19~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. Grain provided by hosts the morning of, not overnight.
| PG |
May 20
May 21 0 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
May 22~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
May 23 ~ miles May 24 0 miles |
I got in touch with this host through the search and rescue operations for Finley. Originally, I didn’t intend to stay with her since she is located off route, but she offered to pick Finley and I up with her horse trailer (and, truthfully, I was struggling at the time and needed the respite). We were then returned to where we left off. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Custer, SD, 57730. | PHG |
May 25~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture–tall wild grass. 43.80754, -103.88129 | P |
TOTALS26 days: 9 days traveling. 2 rest days. Extended break of 16 days. ~___ miles 3 stays with hosts. 5 stays on public lands. 1 stay stealth camping. 5 stays with pasture only. 2 stay with pasture and grain. 2 stays with hay, pasture, and grain. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $0 | ||
Wyoming
May 26~ miles |
Chance encounter. As a ferocious thunderstorm was bearing down on Finley and I, this host appeared with his pickup truck and horse trailer, asking if we’d like to stay at his home. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Newcastle, WY 82701 | GH |
May 27~ miles |
Chance encounter. As Finley and I made our way through New Castle, Wyoming, a postal worker stopped to offer her home to us! I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled (in a fenced enclosure meant as a dog run). Good pasture-fine grass yard. Newcastle, WY 82701 | P |
May 28~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
May 29~ miles |
Arranged. When Finley needed to go to the emergency vet, I called this host for help trailering him there. They then offered to host us again before returning us to where we left off the following morning. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Newcastle, WY 82701 | GH |
May 30~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.66845, -105.04922 | P |
May 31~ miles June 1
|
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
June 2~ miles |
Call in. I called to ask permission to stay at the AG Complex. The manager said yes. I slept in a locked maintenance closet; Finley was corralled. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. Good pasture-fine grass yard (outside of corral). 43.74141, -105.51465 Prospector Dr, Wright, WY 82732 | P |
June 3~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
June 4~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
June 5~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.42553, -106.33297 | P |
June 6~ miles June 7 - 80 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P $ $75/water delivery |
June 9~ miles June 10 - 11~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
June 12~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 43.34818, -107.14839 | P |
June 13~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.24822, -107.3397 | P |
June 14~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
June 15~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Finley escaped his rope in the early morning and grazed freely. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 43.1795, -107.83848 | P |
June 16~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.23512, -108.10399 | P |
June 17~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-little to no grass. 43.16668, -108.17234 | P |
June 18~ miles June 19 - 200 miles |
Call in. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. 50 lb bag of alfalfa and 50lb bag of grain provided by me.
| GH $ $30/day $30/feed $120/total |
June 21~ miles |
I slept in a locked outhouse; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| PG |
June 22~ miles |
Arranged. A woman who happened to stop and chat with me along the side of the road set Finley & I up with her friends. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. (Unfortunately, I cannot recall if hay or grain were provided so they are omitted from these records.) Kinnear, WY 82516 | P |
June 23~ miles |
Crowheart, WY 82512 | H |
June 24~ miles |
Chance encounter. This couple stopped me out of the blue as I was riding down the HWY and offered to host us. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. Dubois, WY 82513 | P |
June 25~ miles June 26-27~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
June 28~ miles |
Call in. Technically, I emailed and texted to get permission. The owners then happened to be on sight when I arrived for me to confirm that I could stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse grass yard.
| P |
June 29~ miles |
The owner of Teton Valley Ranch Camp happened to stop me in downtown Dubois, WY, after seeing a post about me on Facebook. He offered to have Finley and I stay at his abandoned cattle corrals right along the highway ahead. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
June 30~ miles |
I met a woman who worked at the lodge, she gave me permission to stay. The owner then gave me a formal invitation when he drove by me. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
458 Brooks Lake Rd, Dubois, WY 82513
| GH |
July 1~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
July 2~ miles July 3-50 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. 43.78441, -110.374 | P |
July 6~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed under supervision then tied short overnight. Poor pasture-little to no grass. 43.69632, -110.62035 | P |
July 7~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. No graze.
| N/A |
TOTALS42 days: 31 days traveling. 11 rest days. ___ miles 7 stays with hosts. 19 stays on public lands. 4 special case stays. 1 stays stealth camping. 24 stays with pasture only. 4 stays with grain and hay. 1 stay with pasture and hay. 1 stays with hay only. 1 stay with none. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $120 | ||
Idaho
July 8~ miles |
Arranged. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture–tall wild grass. Victor, ID 83455 | P |
July 9~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.52538, -111.32464 | P |
July 10~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.39418, -111.45323 | P |
July 11~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
July 12~ miles July 13-15 0 miles |
Arranged. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance.
| PH |
July 16
July 17 0 miles |
Arranged. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. 43.4504, -112.0169 5240 S 9th E, Idaho Falls, ID 83404 | P |
July 18~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
July 19~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. 43.12626, -112.51428 | P |
July 20~ miles |
Arranged. I met this couple at the farmers market in Idaho Falls, ID, when I was staying with a Warmshowers host. They gave me their business card and invited me to stay when Finley and I reached their area. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. Finley almost got high on alfalfa. Sterling, ID 83210 | PG |
July 21~ miles |
Chance encounter. This young couple happened upon me when I was entering Stokes market and almost instantly asked “do you need a place to stay?” Yes! I pitched my tent; Finley was stalled. Good hay. Grain provided by previous night's hosts. Aberdeen, ID 83210 | GH |
July 22~ miles |
Arranged. My hosts from the night prior put me in touch with this woman. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed until dark then tied short to a tree. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. OK hay. American Falls, ID 83211 | PH |
July 23~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 42.74229, -112.91994 Borah Boat Ramp, American Falls, ID 83211 | P |
July 24~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 42.64169, -113.19009 | P |
July 25~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 42.6906, -113.43145 | P |
July 26~ miles July 27 0 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| PH |
July 28~ miles July 29 0 miles |
Call in. The owner of the hardware store in town called the manager for the park on my behalf who gave me permission to stay with Finley. The park was packed with RVs, four wheelers, boats, screaming kids, dogs, and commotion galore! I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
July 30~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
July 31~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 42.8019, -114.74483 | P |
August 1~ miles |
Chance encounter. As I was leaving Hagerman, a woman stopped to invite me back to her home. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Bliss, ID 83314 | H |
August 2~ miles August 3 - 7 0 miles |
Call in. I saw online that camping was permitted but called for confirmation. Hay was available to purchase onsite. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. OK pasture-sparse grass yard. Good hay.
| PH $ $10/night-corral $5/night-camping $10/hay bale $120 |
August 8~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
August 9~ miles |
Door knocked. As Finley and I neared the end of Mountain Home, I realized there may be no water ahead in the desert. We needed a place to stay before dropping out of town. This church had a sign out front that read “friendliest church in town,” so I decided to put that to the test. They had a bible study session going on when I walked in. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. Good hay. 43.12465, -115.75555 5446 Airbase Rd, Mountain Home, ID 83647 | PH |
August 10~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. No graze. 43.04959, -116.04692 | N/A |
August 11~ miles August 12 0 miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. 43.23405, -116.37458 | P |
August 13~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. No graze. 43.3062, -116.56664 | N/A |
August 14~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
August 15~ miles August 16 0 miles |
Arranged. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
August 17~ miles |
Call in. The fairgrounds made no mention of allowing overnight guests on their website, so I called in and got explicit permission. I paid someone off Facebook Marketplace to deliver hay. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. Good hay.
| H $ $20/hay bale |
TOTALS41 days: 28 days traveling. 13 rest days. ___ miles 8 stays with hosts. 15 stays on public lands. 4 special case stays. 1 stay stealth camping. 17 stays with pasture only. 1 stay with grain and hay. 5 stay with pasture and hay. 1 stay with pasture and grain. 2 stays with hay only. 2 with none. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $140 | ||
Oregon
August 18~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard. 43.81772, -117.12175 Janeta Ave, Nyssa, OR 97913 | P $ $5/night |
August 19~ miles August 20 0 miles |
Call in. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. Good hay. 43.97855, -117.23968 515 Longfellow St S, Vale, OR 97918 | H |
August 21~ miles |
Chance encounter. The head of household stopped me out of the blue along the highway and offered to have me stay the night with his family. I slept in a guest suite above the garage; Finley was stalled. Good hay. Vale, OR | H |
August 22~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
August 23~ miles |
Chance encounter. This gentleman happened to stop me as I was approaching his house. He was worried about me entering the canyon ahead on HWY 20 and wondered if I knew what I was getting myself up to. I initially rejected his offer to host me as it was only 11 a.m. and I was wary of him being a single man, but I later agreed as the condition of the canyon ahead became more apparent. I slept on a cot in a detached garage; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Harper, OR, 97906 | GH |
August 24
|
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass. 43.79243, -117.85093 | P |
August 25~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
August 26~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 43.79026, -118.3122 | P |
August 27~ miles |
I found this spot on my app “ON.X Hunt.” It was a lifesaver! The spring provided glorious green grass in a sea of dry desert dirt. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard (spring fed).
| P |
August 28~ miles |
Chance encounter. I contacted a woman on Facebook Marketplace about having hay delivered at the Harney County fairgrounds, our intended destination for the night. She offered to host us tonight instead! When I arrived, I found out that her husband is the supervisor for the BLM Corrals in Burns, where Finley is from! I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Burns, OR 97720 | GH |
August 29~ miles August 30 0 miles |
Call in. The county’s website specified camping facilities but I called to confirm. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled and picketed. Good hay. 43.56866, -119.06369 69660 S Egan Ave, Burns, OR 97720 | H $ $15/night camping $15/night horse stall $60/total |
August 31~ miles |
The land here was too congested with low lying trees and sagebrush to safely picket Finley and I feared he could run off in the night if entangled his rope or got frightened by a wild horse. I pitched my tent; Finley was tied short to a tree. No graze.
| N/A |
September 1~ miles |
Finley led us to this beautiful spring at the base of his homeland tucked at the bottom of a small canyon. It was not on our map! I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard (spring fed).
| P |
September 2~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 43.56824, -119.30207 | P |
September 3~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
September 4~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard
| P |
September 5~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. 44.06951, -119.77344 | P |
September 6~ miles September 7 0 miles |
Call in. Technically, I messaged the rodeo grounds on Facebook who permitted us to stay. Someone later stopped by in person to introduce themselves and get us settled in. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Heavenly pasture-the lushest tall grass, spanning a great distance. 44.11923, -119.98912 | P |
September 8~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
September 9~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass.
| P |
September 10~ miles |
Call in. I confirmed my stay over the phone. One of the corrals on sight had a limited amount of leftover hay from a previous guest. Otherwise the corrals were barren. I secretly picketed Finley in a lush grass lawn where there were no signs explicitly forbidding horses. Sleeping on a nearby bench, I nearly got drenched by the lawn’s sprinkler system at 5 a.m. Luckily, that was around the time I had to wake up anyway to secure Finley before fairground staff arrived for the day. $40 a night?! Highway robbery! I slept on a picnic bench; Finley was picketed then corralled. Good pasture-fine grass yard. OK hay.
| PH $ $40/night (bullshit) |
September 11~ miles |
Arranged. I met Lee Williams, a prominent Kiger mustang photographer, when I was leaving Burns, OR. We exchanged numbers and he then put me in contact with his friend who lived along my route ahead. I slept in a guest suite; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
| GH |
September 12~ miles September 13 0 miles |
Arranged. A couple I had met online through the search and rescue efforts for Finley in South Dakota put me in touch with this local horsewoman. I called her to inquire about staying less than two hours before my arrival. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Redmond, OR 97756 | PHG |
September 14~ miles |
Chance encounter. This couple lived beside the BLM land where I was hoping to camp for the night. They picked up on my intentions and, knowing there was no water in the canyon I was heading to, offered to have me set up camp on their land instead. They then brought Finley and I dinner. I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-sporadic patches of various wild grass. Good hay. Sisters, OR 97759 | PH |
September 15~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Poor pasture-little to no grass. 44.31276, -121.64915 | N/A |
September 16~ miles September 17 0 miles |
Arranged. Fearing the forest fires in our vicinity, I made the tough call to phone our last hosts for rescue. They graciously agreed to pick Finley and I up with their horse trailer to spend two more nights at their property. I stayed in an on-site RV; Finley was corralled. Good hay. Sisters, OR 97759 | H |
September 18~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. No graze.
| N/A |
September 19~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
September 20~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
September 21~ miles |
A friend of a friend of my hosts in Redmond, OR, put me in touch with this couple. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was pastured. Good pasture-fine grass yard. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
| PHG |
September 22~ miles |
Call in. Having no other viable options, I called the Tangent Town Hall to inquire about camping in their yard. They said yes, despite the fact that their harvest festival was scheduled for the following morning with a balloon launch at 7:00 a.m.! I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-sparse grass yard.
| P |
September 23~ miles September 24 0 miles |
Call in. Technically, I emailed OSU to inquire about staying. Thankfully they agreed to have Finley overnight at their stables, as I tried messaging 4-5 other barns in the vicinity and none responded. I slept inside a bedroom; Finley was stalled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
| GH |
September 25~ miles |
Call in. I could not find a phone number for the rodeo grounds online, so I walked into Philomath to inquire. The receptionists there put me in touch with a member of the rodeo staff who then met us in person and gave us permission to stay. I pitched my tent; Finley was corralled. Good pasture-fine grass yard.
| P |
September 26~ miles |
Call in. My friend, Kama, wanted to ride & camp with me for a day on the Corvallis to the Sea Trail, but we weren’t sure where she could park her horse trailer. I suggested contacting this church. She did, and they offered to host us all! Finley and I were greeted to 20+ smiling faces and dinner. A great party! I slept inside on a pullout bed; Finley was highlined. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts.
| GH |
September 27~ miles |
I pitched my tent; Finley was picketed. OK pasture-various wild grass.
| P |
September 28~ miles September 29 0 miles |
Call in. I emailed and called the stable owner prior to arrival to get permission to stay! I slept inside an old cabin; Finley was stalled. Good hay. Grain provided by hosts. Seal Rock, OR 97376 | GH |
TOTALS42 days: 36 days traveling. 6 rest days. ___ miles 10 stays with hosts. 18 stays on public lands. 8 special case stays. 19 stays with pasture only. 6 stays with grain and hay. 2 stays with pasture and hay. 4 stays with hay only. 2 stays with hay, pasture, and grain. 3 stays with none. Net loss on lodging/feed*: $105 | ||
Statistics | 50 - 100%
Nebraska – Oregon
~1700-1800 miles
Each stay, regardless of how many days I spent there, is counted only ONCE towards these records. There are 109 stays in total.
- 56.8% (62) of my stays were on “public lands”
- 2.75% (3) of my stays were “stealth camping”
- 14.7% (16) of my stays were “special cases”
- 25.7% (28) of my stays were with “hosts”
Summary: approximately ~25% of my stays were with hosts and ~75% without!
P _60.5% (66) of my stays had Finley on “pasture only”
H 6.42% (7) of my stays had Finley on “hay only”
PH _7.34% (8) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and hay”
GH _10.1% (11) of my stays had Finley on “grain and hay”
PG _5.50% (6) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and grain”
PHG _4.59% (5) of my stays had Finley on “pasture, hay, and grain”
N/A ___5.50% (6) of my stays had Finley on “none”
Summary: days with pasture only, or pasture and grain, made up ~70% of my stays! Days with hay accounted for the other ~30%!
Statistics | 0 - 100%
New Jersey – Oregon
3,600 -- 3,700 miles
Each stay, regardless of how many days I spent there, is counted only ONCE towards these records. There are 231 stays in total.
- 31.2% (72) of my stays were on “public lands”
- 6.06% (14) of my stays were “stealth camping”
- 12.6% (29) of my stays were “special cases”
- 50.2% (116) of my stays were with “hosts”
Summary: approximately ~50% of my stays were with hosts and ~50% without!
P _44.6% (103) of my stays had Finley on “pasture only”
H _6.93% (16) of my stays had Finley on “hay only”
PH _10.4% (24) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and hay”
GH _16.9% (39) of my stays had Finley on “grain and hay”
PG _9.10% (21) of my stays had Finley on “pasture and grain”
PHG _8.23% (19) of my stays had Finley on “pasture, hay, and grain”
N/A ___3.90% (9) of my stays had Finley on “none”
Summary: days with pasture only, or pasture and grain, made up approximately ~54% of my stays! Days with hay accounted for the other 42%!*