Gina & Dave Johnston and DK & Stacey Williams hosted a ride and BBQ on Saturday June 9th at the Williams’ Lewis Butte Ranch. The day was overcast and windy, but that didn’t stop the large group from saddling up and heading out to explore scenic Lewis Butte and the Riser Lake trails.
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| Riders crest Lewis Butte... |
The 20+ riders rode from the Williams’ ranch hilltop down to Riser Lake and then climbed up the newly constructed multi-use Lewis Butte trail for its 360 degree view of the Winthrop area and Pasayten Wilderness. It became quite chilly in the late afternoon as the wind really came up; we were all glad we had dressed appropriately! After we arrived back at the ranch, the riders joined other non-riding guests who had come for the BBQ. Everyone feasted on a delicious BBQ (DK and Dave manned the grill), with lots of appetizers and salads, and Gina had made a great “Camping Potato” dish.
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| DK (front) and Dave man the grills |
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| Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres before dinner |
The hosts and guests were also supporting the local Equine 4H and rodeo youths and had invited our Methow Valley Rodeo Queen, Athena Milani, as the guest of honor to join us. A raffle for several amazing leather horse tack items hand made by Dave Johnston was drawn after dinner. The proceeds of the raffle were given to Athena to help her be able to make the customary travels around the state representing the Methow Valley Rodeo and the local Equine 4H. After the raffle, a game of “horse shoes”—with a novel twist—was played. The horse shoes were actually sawed off toilet seats, resulting in unrestrained hilarity! Lots of laughs later, the evening ended with everyone well-fed and tired.
Many thanks to the Williams and the Johnstons for a wonderful day, a great BBQ, and a highly entertaining evening!
NOTE: The trails we rode can be publicly accessed from the Riser Lake/Fish & Wildlife parking area or, from the new parking area created by MVBCH (working with the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative) farther up the Gunn Ranch Road.
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| Athena helps DK (center) and Dave with the raffle |
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| Taking a toss in the horseshoe game |
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