From left, guests Helen Wilsher and DeLorne Watts,Tall Pine owner Debra Racheter, and Garth Rumsmoke.

Tall Pine. Sounds just like horse country to me. I know that when I first heard the name, that’s what jumped into my mind. Maybe it helped that we were in Arkansas, and some other folks may’ve mentioned the name. On with the thought, once we had Kathy packed away in the truck—pillows in place to minimize any bounce from the highway—we headed north. Kathy’s injury wouldn’t keep her from traveling. (For that story, you’ll have to read the last issue. I just hate to repeat myself.)

We were headed to Tall Pine Resort, 65 Tall Pine Circle, Norfork, AR 72658; (807) 499-7413; www.trailriding.net. Debra Racheter is the owner. Her business card reads, “Cabin Rentals—Guided Horse Trails, Horse Rental & More.”

When we arrived, Debra was standing in the front driveway—cell-phone magic. Who said calling ahead wasn’t a smart idea? She waved us in and got us parked in front of a beautiful log lodge. After the howdys and such, she told us we could have our choice of  cabins, but felt this one was more our size. She meant it was the larger of the two.

Inside, the lodge was completely finished in cedar. The very large living room opened to a huge kitchen, and had two large fold-out beds. There was also a large bath with tub and laundry, and two huge bedrooms. The bigger bedroom opened up onto a deck with a hot tub.

Although you can bring your own horses, Debra more or less caters to groups of folks who want to come without anything, and ride and enjoy. She has a fine string of gaited mounts and more miles of trails than you can do in a summer—more than 350, if I remember right.

And here was Kathy, unable to ride. Her saving grace was the hot tub. She put some “miles” in that. Meanwhile, I was forced to go ride a couple of the most attractive trails in Arkansas (poor me, and in cold weather, too).

After we got settled in and had a chance to meet all the folks and the dogs, we talked about a ride. Debra said she had some nice rides planned for us, but with Kathy’s injuries, which Debra didn’t know about till we got there, some changes were made. One concern was the weather. It’d turned cold, and cold is what Kathy and I had gone south trying to avoid. A ride with some other folks was planned for the next day. Just about everyone would be riding a gaited horse, so I decided to ride one of Debra’s mounts. If all her horses were that good, you’ll have a great ride at her place. Of course, she says they are all that good, or she wouldn’t have them on the place. I believe her.

The next morning, we were up early. At the trailhead a short haul away, we met up with Helen Elsner, coauthor of Buffalo River & Surrounding Watershed. She was kind enough to give me a copy. Also in the group were Leon Cooper and Delorne Watts, so with Debra and me, we had just a nice group. I’m not much for large groups, and I think most trail riders feel the same way. It seems to take away the feeling you get when you’re seeing something for the first time. I like to be able to stop and let the surroundings seep into my soul.

The trailhead was right off the roadway and easy to use. A nice, clean forest road led down into the woods. This was our starting point, and it led us back into some hardwoods and pines. It squirreled around and dropped down into a large basin. We picked up a trail more suited to me (narrow and windy), and soon I was off in my own little world.

I just love the feeling of being someplace that back in history might’ve had some meaning. We spoke of moonshiners, early settlers, and, of course, the Indians. Who knows—maybe even old Dan Boone himself had wandered through the area.

Because the trails wound through wilderness areas and were unmarked, Debra proved to be a guide among guides. We were in the Buffalo River area in the heart of the Ozark forest, riding through some of the best country in Arkansas.

At one point—after getting off the beaten path—we rode around the side of a hill, deep into the woods, and came upon a spot where we had to go up a creek for 100 yards or so. After we’d gotten back on dry land, I mentioned to Debra that the horses coming up the creek would make a nice video shot. So, being a small group, we were able to turn around.

I sent the other four riders back down the creek, and around the bend. I dismounted, positioned myself, set the video camera, then gave the signal to come on back up the creek. If I remember correctly, my signal was, “Hey, okay”—not one of those secret deep-woods whistles or a hoot owl. But it sure sounds funny when someone yells out in the woods.

It sure did make a very pretty shot of the four horses, at times almost chest deep, coming up the narrow creek, with the hillsides close in, forming a channel. I can’t even think of what a mess it would’ve been to turn a large group around to get a shot like that.

The trail continued on up and down, around through the woods, at times becoming what some might think difficult, but not by most riders’ standards. There’s something about being deep in the woods on horseback that can put a smile on your face in a hurry. Setting here looking at the map I made with my GPS for that day, I see we rode 14.7 miles. Our trip took us around to Birmingham Hollow then to Dewey Canyon for lunch. If I remember right, that was up near Push Mountain and McChristian Falls. Then we wound back around to the Cook Homestead, and back to the trailer. This was all in the Sylamore Experimental Forest, inside Clifty Canyon Special Interest Area. Once back at the trailer, we said our good-days. For me, it was special meeting some new trail riders.

The next day, the weather took a turn for the worse, so we laid up. The following day, come what may, Debra and I decided to take a short ride right from her place. A little over five miles took us down into a small wooded valley, then back up on top to a big loop around a hilltop, backtracking to the camp. By the time we got home, I was really beginning to feel the cold. The hot tub felt just right, even though it was outside.

Once the weather turned, it was foolish to stay any longer. So, with promises of returning later this year, the next day found Kathy and me, the horses (Buddy and Kit), and the dogs (Latigo, Tapadero, and the latest, Concho) all on the road to western Missouri for a stop at the Huckleberry Stables, near Pineville.

I really felt bad for Kathy, not only for her hurting, but also for the trails she missed. So a return to Tall Pine is a must for us. A special thanks to Debra and the wonderful hospitality she showed us.

One more thing about Debra, she’s come up with a new gaited saddle (www.crestridgesaddlery.com), which is selling like hotcakes. Seems as though she’s come up with just the right combination for a great ride—her saddle, her horses, and the Tall Pine Resort. Oh yes, and let’s not forget Buffalo River…

Till next issue, remember to carry a good camera, stay on top, and give the gift of a Trail Rider subscription to a friend. Special thanks to TizWhiz feeds and Doc, and to Dan Moore, the Natural Vet, for keeping our horses healthy and ready to go. Now that bug season is here, you should know that Bug Check feed supplement by Dr. Dan (www.herbalthyme.com) really keeps the bug problem at bay.