Hi ALL,
You may meet at 8:30 a.m. at the rendezvous point or the trailhead at 9 a.m. for the Lake Channel ride. If you have some sort of map app, (such as Google Maps) you can copy and paste or type in the GPS coordinates. If late, call or text me. If on I-15 get off the American Falls exit 40, go across dam/bridge as if headed to Aberdeen. Right after the bridge there will be a road on the West or lefthand side, that is named Lamb Weston/ Whitnah and there is a gravel/dirt turnout area which is our rendezvous point (GPS: 42.778280, -112.883135). To get to the trailhead go west on Lamb-Weston/ Whitnah road, turn left on Borah Road, then turn left again onto Lake Channel Road and go West/ Southwest about 6 miles (GPS: 42.721477, -112.959497).
Please see below for last email regarding this ride for more information, such as membership information.
Best regards.
Key points to remember:
John D. McNabb
Ride Coordinator and Lands Liaison
[email protected] 208-201-6624
You may meet at 8:30 a.m. at the rendezvous point or the trailhead at 9 a.m. for the Lake Channel ride. If you have some sort of map app, (such as Google Maps) you can copy and paste or type in the GPS coordinates. If late, call or text me. If on I-15 get off the American Falls exit 40, go across dam/bridge as if headed to Aberdeen. Right after the bridge there will be a road on the West or lefthand side, that is named Lamb Weston/ Whitnah and there is a gravel/dirt turnout area which is our rendezvous point (GPS: 42.778280, -112.883135). To get to the trailhead go west on Lamb-Weston/ Whitnah road, turn left on Borah Road, then turn left again onto Lake Channel Road and go West/ Southwest about 6 miles (GPS: 42.721477, -112.959497).
Please see below for last email regarding this ride for more information, such as membership information.
Best regards.
Key points to remember:
- This is a Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho official ride. You must be a current 2025 member to keep in good stance with our insurance policy. If your membership is not updated, you can sign up the SAME day of the ride. It is $20 per individual and $35 per family for the year.
- If you don't know how to arrive at the trailhead, I will be posting a meeting place at least 2 days before the ride and every ride for the future.
- Please RSVP to this email or my cel phone so we can have an approximate headcount.
- We encourage car-pooling/ horse-pooling to the ride locations. If you do this, please consider helping to pay for fuel expenses to your driver.
- Advisable to bring a snack or some lunch as we will be stopping on the trail for a quick break.
John D. McNabb
Ride Coordinator and Lands Liaison
[email protected] 208-201-6624
Information on the New Explore Act passed in January

Idaho is blessed with thousands of square miles of open public land. However, access to the back country is by a network of fragile trails. Just as our roads need constant repair so do back country trails. When trails become washed out or blocked by natural downfall and overgrowth, people stop using them. Under use of a trail is as bad as over use. Horse back riders, hikers, back packers, mountain bikers, and trail runners, all share the same trail. PRBCH would like to promote cooperation among these trail users through planning, volunteer service, public education, and negotiation with government agencies.
Contributor receives a sticker, showing their support for Idaho trails. The Trails Supporter funds will be managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) and used for priority projects identified by the department, partner groups and the public. IDPR will work with partners to ensure needed projects are completed, with an emphasis on signage and trail clearing. Annual Minimum Donation $10
|
Trails are Common Ground, Spread Good Trail Vibes, Be Trail Kind
Trails are Common Ground was originated and continues to be facilitated by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) However there as been input from more than 20 organizations, as well as outdoor industry brands, land managers, representatives with BIPOC communities, and adaptive trail users
|
Coalition members represent all manner of activities that take place on natural surface trails, including hiking, equestrian, trail running, mountain biking and motorcycle single-track.
|
Trail Ride this Saturday morning
Portneuf Wildlife Management Area
Mark and Lisa Holzer have volunteered to lead this ride. They live in Inkom and they know this area better than anyone else. They have also volunteered many hours of work to keep single track trails in good shape.
Leave Pocatello on Highway 15, pass the Inkom Port of Entry, and then keep an eye out for the exit to Inkom. Meet in Inkom, across from Bisharets Village Mart at 9 a.m. The trail head is 8 miles south on Hwy. 91 at the Quinn Creek Parking Area. (see map) We will try to be on the trail by 10 a.m. There are more instructions below.
Weather will be mostly sunny, temperature 76 degrees, and very light wind; A perfect day!
Here is a picture of your ride leaders, Mark and Lisa Holzer. It reminds me to tell you to bring lunch! The following is information from Mark and Lisa.
The Quinn Creek parking lot is on the old Hwy. 91 that runs south towards McCammon. It is the next parking lot on the left past Robbers Roost. The ride will be a 3 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the hardest. There are no water crossings but there is a steady climb for about an hour or so. We figured that, being early in the season, there may still be some horses getting in shape. We will stop for a snack half through. The route we plan will be part trail and part cross country type riding. Good footing and shoes not necessary. If you have any other questions let us know. Mark and Lisa Holzer: 208 775-4544, [email protected] |
SAD NEWS: Milton Emery Jr.- Levern Emery Jr., 79, passed away on April 04, 2024. Viewing 11 am to 1 pm on Tues April 9, 2024 at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 W Chubbuck Rd, Chubbuck, ID. Graveside service at Mtn View Cemetery, 1520 S 5th Ave, Pocatello, ID. For full obituary visit wilksfuneralhome.com
Outdoor Dinner MeetingJoin the Portneuf River Backcountry Horsemen chapter on Tuesday, September 12th at 6:30 pm at the Ross Park upper Pavilion. (come at 6:00 pm for set up) We will have a presentation by Hannah Sanger, Pocatello's Manager of Science and Environment. She will describe how the Portneuf to Peaks Collaboration aims to improve our local trails.
|
Main meat dish will be provided as well as home made root beer and lemonade. For the potluck, those whose last names start with any letter from A to G bring a salad, those whose last names start with H to O bring a vegetable dish and those whose last names start with a letter from P to Z bring a dessert.
|
Here is a local group with a balanced view of outdoor recreation.
The Advocates for Multi-Use of Public Lands are interested in protecting the Teton and Palisades Backcountry. This video was copied from their website https://www.teamampl.org/ Their philosophy is one of a cooperation between recreational users needs and environmental concerns.
DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC LANDS AND NATIONAL FORESTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF, AND THE MULTI-USE BY, OUR REGION'S DIVERSE RECREATIONAL COMMUNITIES. Advocates for Multi-Use of Public Lands (AMPL) is an organization made up of passionate recreationists. Our focus includes the organization of public support and the creation of a unified voice to maintain and protect broad access to our public lands for motorized as well as non-motorized recreational uses in a cooperative and cohabitant manner. We believe in the co-existence of recreation and conservation for all.
Past Ride Pictures + Portraits + Events
To see past ride pictures and videos click the link below. It will switch to the Flickr website where there are albums of numerous rides taken by the Portneuf River Back Country Horseman and the Over the Hill Gang (OTHG). If you ride a gaited horse you may want to click FRIENDS in the menu above for more information about the OTHG.
323 Cutshalts Rd, Pocatello, ID (GPS doesn’t always work), North on Yellowstone, Left on Reservation, Right on Hawthorne, Left on Cutshalts, 4th house on the right, White house and shop with green roof.
Amanda Kent will explain how horses are used to teach leadership to adults and life skills to youth. Her program is based on Equine Guided Education, which incorporates horse activities into coaching and therapy models that are set in natural outdoor settings.
|
|
The Idaho Trails Association just recognized one of their youngest volunteers. She just happens to be from Pocatello. Meet Samantha Waldron.
We welcome folks of all ages and abilities to volunteer on a trail crew or behind the scenes to make our trails better for all! Thank you to everyone, from the youngest to the oldest and everyone in between, who makes up ITA’s incredible collection of volunteers!
|
Samantha Waldron is a new ITA trail crew member. While she is certainly not the youngest member to come on an ITA project (babies are welcome on some projects!), she is the youngest to come on her own. She turned 14 just in time to volunteer for our weeklong East Fork Wood River project in the Pioneer Mountains this summer. As part of an ITA Youth Crew trip for people 14-18 years old, Samantha was doing it all: Silky saw, crosscut, Pulaski, McLeod, shovel, loppers, and clippers.
“This work is so important because there are people who want to use these trails and sometimes the trails just aren’t in good enough condition. Since we’re the ones using them, it’s up to us to keep them accessible.” So she and her team cleared brush, removed logs, and moved big rocks so everyone can enjoy these beautiful places. What she likes about the youth trips is getting to meet so many new people. “You work hard, then come back to camp and sit around and get to know people. You get a chance to relax, and then you do it all again the next day. It’s so calm out here, and you can listen to the sound of the birds and the trees and the streams. It’s just so different from the hustle and bustle of city life.” The biggest payoff of all, she says, it that once people get a chance to come out and see the wilderness, they want to do their best to preserve these beautiful places. |
OH NO!
horse flies
mosquitos
ticks
Some summer day you will have forgotten to spray your horse or find out you didn’t have any insect repellant at the trailhead.
An 8 Oz. plastic bottle Backcountry insecticide repellent concentrate can be put in saddle bags for emergency. The oil type is applied full strength and is resistant to being washed off by rain or splashes. The water type can be applied full strength or diluted with water. It is made by our member Stephen Hurley, who was a pharmacist by profession. He is selling the repellent, but all profit will go to the Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen. Available at meetings or events.
horse flies
mosquitos
ticks
Some summer day you will have forgotten to spray your horse or find out you didn’t have any insect repellant at the trailhead.
An 8 Oz. plastic bottle Backcountry insecticide repellent concentrate can be put in saddle bags for emergency. The oil type is applied full strength and is resistant to being washed off by rain or splashes. The water type can be applied full strength or diluted with water. It is made by our member Stephen Hurley, who was a pharmacist by profession. He is selling the repellent, but all profit will go to the Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen. Available at meetings or events.
Finding a Lost Phone
The picture above was taken on the Mahogany Trail looking east toward the Teton Range. The Mahogany Trail is 15 miles long and has 2,800 ft of climbing. The ride is mostly through forest and leads up to a high meadow called Elk Flat. One of the riders showed us a sheep camp where a spring provided pure drinking water for our lunch. For those that want to go further, the ride continues all the way to the top of Garn’s Peak, the highest point in the Big Hole Mountains
On this ride I lost my phone on the trip back to the trailers. Summer growth along the trail was thick. There was no hope of finding the phone by going back up the trail. I was resigned to my fate of being $75 poorer, not having my best ever phone case, somehow getting another phone as fast as possible, the hassle of applying for a copy of my driving license and going to the bank for a new debit card.
It didn't occur to me until I got back to Pocatello that I had used my computer a long time ago to find my phone. I knew there was no time to waste. The phone would be dead before morning. Finding the site on the internet was easy and in no time, I had the phone's location shown on a google map, plus the phones coordinates in latitude and longitude. Because I use Google and my phone is a Samsung the site I used was Google find my Device. The picture below shows what the site looks like. This example is where my phone was while writing his story.
It didn't occur to me until I got back to Pocatello that I had used my computer a long time ago to find my phone. I knew there was no time to waste. The phone would be dead before morning. Finding the site on the internet was easy and in no time, I had the phone's location shown on a google map, plus the phones coordinates in latitude and longitude. Because I use Google and my phone is a Samsung the site I used was Google find my Device. The picture below shows what the site looks like. This example is where my phone was while writing his story.
Well the story has a good and bad ending. The bad part is was I had to drive 4 hours and take another 8-mile ride to get the phone. The good ending is I found the phone safe and sound. It was hidden deep in brush and it would never be found otherwise by anybody. So, if you lose your phone (or someone steals it), get on the computer right away and find its location, either as an address or if off road then with latitude and longitude. You might be mortified to realize that you need the GPS app on your phone to find your phone.
Calling in a Helicopter
Summer 2019: A member of the Over the Hill Gang passed out and fell off his horse. He woke up and was groggy but had no symptoms or signs of cardiovascular, muscular, nervous or mental problems except just general tiredness and weakness. At the time we had no way to measure blood pressure or blood sugar. He had been perfectly well at lunch. Anyway to make a long story short we called in the air ambulance. They didn't find anything either but he was still dozy and weak and unable to ride back to the trailers. So this hilicopter trip is going to cost 56 thousand dollars. A word to the wise is to check your health insurance for such coverage.