We have been pounded by storm after storm. Each camp has to be carefully picked. We always need to find good grazing for the horses. We need to find areas sheltered from wind, studying and tracking each storm. It is very important to look for weak branches and trees when pitching a tent. At one camp we were sitting under a canopy enjoying a delicious pizza made from scratch in our Dutch oven. I was so proud of our perfectly sheltered camp on a ledge above a roaring river. Suddenly the wind changed and a huge gust of wind ripped the tarp from the tie-downs, leaving us and our gear exposed to the driving rain. The solar panels started to blow into the river and when Gretchen rushed to save them, she fell down into the pile of tack.

Another camp found us on a bare ridge with a quickly approaching storm. We made camp on the lee side of the ridge and took the horses over a steep rim to shelter and grass. The weather bureau had issued a severe wind warning, so we covered our gear with a poly tarp, anchored the tarp with fiberglass poles and rocks and waited. The wind and rain arrived on schedule. The driving rain was deafening on the nylon tent.