{"id":21921,"date":"2026-01-29T09:45:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/?p=21921"},"modified":"2026-01-29T21:56:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T04:56:46","slug":"riding-around-ride-out-ranch-az","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2026\/01\/29\/riding-around-ride-out-ranch-az\/","title":{"rendered":"Riding Around: Ride Out Ranch, AZ"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Patty Wilber<\/em><\/p>\n

Our January Arizona Adventure<\/strong> with the Shuerts and Kingsburys did not disappoint!\u00a0 Shuerts and Wilbers pulled out 7 am. We wanted to get there around 2pm so we could do a shorty ride (4-5) miles the first day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of course, there were a few glitches.<\/strong> Kingsburys had to make a side jaunt and didn’t leave with us, and we had a little fuel tank issue. We have a gravity feed auxiliary fuel tank on the truck. I used it on my Clovis trip earlier this month. Worked fine. But on this trip, we were on the 86-mile scenic drive<\/a> from Grants to Quemado, when our gas gauge reading went from Full to Empty in one fell swoop!<\/p>\n

We pulled over to verify<\/strong> we were not gushing fuel out all over the road or something.\u00a0 We were not.\u00a0 A little internet research (we had cell service) indicated that this was a known issue.\u00a0 The computer can become confused, and when confused, its answer is, “GIVE UP! GIVE UP NOW!\u00a0 The fuel world in this truck is coming to an end!\u00a0 AHHHHH!”<\/p>\n

To reset the computer, one can follow these steps:<\/strong> 1. Stop and turn off the truck. That allows some resetting.\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Open the door (to get out).\u00a0 Opening the door resets more things. 3. Shut the door, lock the truck (more resetting), and 5.\u00a0 Let it sit for five to 15 minutes (and more resetting.) Another way is to simply <\/span>turn off the truck, and refuel. The influx of fuel is the resetting key. To cover all bases, we employed both methods at the next fuel stop. Then, we turned the truck back on.\u00a0 All the gauges woke up, EXCEPT the fuel gauge. It stayed on E!\u00a0 We groaned.\u00a0 Then the gauge gave a little shimmy and popped back to Full. Thank goodness!<\/p>\n

The rest of the drive was smooth. <\/strong>We had a text from Ride Out listing our camp spots, so we parked, gave the horses a snack and a break while we set up.\u00a0 Then the Shuerts and Wilbers got our afternoon ride. 4.3 miles. Saguaros. Gobs of saguaros.\u00a0 They are, along with aspens, one of my favorite “trees”<\/p>\n

\"\"

Patty and Bill and a saguaro!<\/p><\/div>\n

The next day, the full group (Kingsburys made it by 530) decided to ride to the Gila River,<\/strong> which we had done in 2022. About 16 miles round trip. This time, however, some of the trail had been blocked off, so we had to ride around, which took a few tries.\u00a0 We saw some javelina with some new babies, though! Then we got to state land that required a permit to cross.\u00a0 There was a QR code to get it, but we didn’t have reception, so we tried to ride around that, too, but no. Eventually, Richard climbed up out of the big wash we were in, got reception, and secured a permit. We finally made it to the river, around 2 pm!<\/p>\n

\"\"

LT at the Gila!<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Jim and Cometa in the Gila River.<\/p><\/div>\n

We ate a late lunch under the biggest salt cedars<\/strong> I have ever seen.\u00a0 I know they are invasive water sucks, but this grove was beautiful.\u00a0 The salt cedar I have seen in NM is in dense thickets of scrub, not soaring trees.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Patty S. in the salt cedar grove<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Richard among the giant salt cedar!<\/p><\/div>\n

We took a different route back<\/strong> that had less bushwhacking.\u00a0 Great day. 19.1 miles. A little further than we had planned.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Richard on the ride back.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

An amazing saguaro!<\/p><\/div>\n

Day three was a trip to The Boulders<\/strong> and then down Boulder Wash. 12.0 miles.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Boulders is a big pile of rocks in the middle of the desert. We hiked up into them, and I am so happy to say that my fitness program is paying off.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Jim, in a crevice!<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Our posse pose. Amber, Richard, Bill, Patty S., and Jim, after we had climbed out of Boulder Wash.<\/p><\/div>\n

On the last day,<\/strong> the Kingsburys pulled out at 8 am, but Shuerts and Wilbers wanted one more ride, so we got intel from another camper and made a 4.4 mile loop that was just what we wanted!\u00a0 Then we packed up and headed home.\u00a0 We still had some fuel in the auxiliary tank, so we ran with it open, and there were no gauge resets! We did learn to record the odometer at the start of the drive so in case of trouble, we’ll know when to refuel!<\/p>\n

We covered 40 miles<\/strong> over the four days, and old man Cometa did not miss a step! It was a fine trip with warm weather!<\/p>\n

\n

For the last five years,<\/strong> we have gone horse camping in January in Arizona with Patty and Bill Shuert, and more recently with Amber and Richard Kingsbury.\u00a0 We’ve been to \u00a0Ride Out Ranch<\/a>, Cold Bore Ranch (which may now be closed to camping), Rio Rancho Verde,<\/a> Hay Creek Ranch, <\/a>and this year we went back to Ride Out!<\/p>\n

Ride Out and Hay Creek<\/strong> both have really nice clubhouses that are great for group dinners and games.\u00a0 They both had full bathrooms, too, which I like since our trailer is basically a nice bedroom with electricity but no “powder room”.<\/p>\n

Ride Out and Rio Rancho Verde<\/strong> have riding among the saguaros (which I love) and lots and lots of trails.<\/p>\n

Hay Creek<\/strong> had the most outgoing and welcoming community and some really cool rocks–I’d like to rockhound there more.\u00a0 The riding was more rugged, and the landscape was more similar in feel to around here.<\/p>\n

So, for next year,<\/strong> I think I’d choose Ride Out again, or Rio RanchoVerde, especially if they have added a public bathroom!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Patty Wilber Our January Arizona Adventure with the Shuerts and Kingsburys did not disappoint!\u00a0 Shuerts and Wilbers pulled out 7 am. We wanted to get there around 2pm so we could do a shorty ride (4-5) miles the first … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[59,62,89,23,158],"class_list":["post-21921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous","tag-adventures","tag-happy-sigh","tag-horses","tag-riding","tag-the-write-horse"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb2lc3-5Hz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22110,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/trip-advisor-bryce-valley-rv-and-horse-park-and-riding-with-the-mechams\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":0},"title":"Trip Advisor: Bryce Valley RV and Horse Park and Riding with the Mechams","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2606.18","format":false,"excerpt":"By Patty Wilber Just finishing our stay at Bryce Valley Ranch RV and Horse Park in Cannonville, Utah, with the Shuerts, Kingsburys, Mary Ann Ende and her sister Carol. Thank you, Tammy E. for all the trip tips!!! This is very close to Bryce Canyon and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_20260618_150255-scaled-e1781824729247.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21206,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2025\/01\/24\/hay-creek-ranch\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":1},"title":"Hay Creek Ranch","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2501.24","format":false,"excerpt":"By Patty Wilber Last week we took the southern route through Hatch and Tucson to get to the Hay Creek Ranch in Oracle, AZ, for four nights of camping (with electric for us and water, sewer, and electric for our friends with fancier rigs). Driving through Tucson was not fun.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250122_162255.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250122_162255.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250122_162255.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20523,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2024\/02\/02\/a-trip-to-rio-rancho-verde-in-arizona\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":2},"title":"A Trip to Rio Rancho Verde in Arizona","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2402.02","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0By Patty Wilber Last weekend we went to Rio Rancho Verde, a horse camp, in Scottsdale, Arizona with some friends. The facility was all it was cracked up to be, and unlike our trip to the Cold Bore Ranch, last year, the weather was goldilocks (just right). We drove through\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IMG_1830.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18285,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2021\/01\/15\/camping-at-ride-out-ranch-florence-az\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":3},"title":"Camping at Ride Out Ranch, Florence, AZ","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2101.15","format":false,"excerpt":"By Patty Wilber Well, seeing family for Christmas was not an option, so I decided to book a little social distanced camping trip to Ride Out Ranch in Florence AZ, where it was warmer than the East Mountains! We talked our friends the Shuerts into coming with! It was over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20210107_170336.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20970,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2024\/10\/02\/stella-conquers-baldy-lake-and-trail-riders-wall\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":4},"title":"Stella conquers Baldy Lake and Trail Rider’s Wall","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2410.02","format":false,"excerpt":"By Patty Wilber I didn't spend nearly as much time in the backcountry this year as I wanted because I went to a lot of shows.\u00a0 We shall see how I apportion my time next year. But last Thursday we rode to Baldy Lake and then Trial Rider's Wall.\u00a0 The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4664.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4664.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4664.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4664.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4664.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21694,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2025\/10\/17\/camp-kingsbury-2025-no-horses-were-lost-in-the-woods\/","url_meta":{"origin":21921,"position":5},"title":"Camp Kingsbury, 2025. No horses were lost in the woods.","author":"BlogPatty","date":"2510.17","format":false,"excerpt":"By Patty Wilber The aspens were at their peak when we arrived at the Cruces Basin trail head.\u00a0 The deep yellow leaves whispered above the white barked trunks and drifted to the ground like thin gold coins in the light rain that was falling. As we dropped down in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Write Horse"","block_context":{"text":"The Write Horse","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/the-write-horse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251015_100232-scaled-e1760683760525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251015_100232-scaled-e1760683760525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251015_100232-scaled-e1760683760525.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21921"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21939,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21921\/revisions\/21939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}