Not on the interstate. Alongside it on the verge area. How close depends on the interstate. If he’s “following” the interstate he is not necessarily even at the road, just paralleling it along whatever path.
I’ve re-thought that idea, though. Regardless of what road he follows, bridges will be a big challenge. He couldn’t take a horse across a bridge on an interstate, and likely not able cross on the natural terrain and water, even the shallow waterways. The same is likely true with many highways, though.
I have no doubt that riders who knowledgeably do such treks have ways to manage these challenges, though.
As far as riding, being a suburban rider there very often is no way to get from here to there. That’s why a properly organized long ride in the modern world would likely need trailer support for some choke points.
To me, ‘on the interstate’ means anywhere in between the side fences: the pavement, median, and verges, if any.
Some interstates I’ve seen in Colorado and Wyoming have cattle guards on their on ramps, another potential barrier to horse travel wherever they’re found.
Truth is, we have very little idea what his plan is. The guy is honestly a very poor communicator. He expresses himself ways that have alienated many people and raised concerns about what he may do in the future.
But he hasn’t had much substantive to say about the details of his plan.
People have assumed a lot about what he has or has not planned based on his questionable actions to date. There is not much more to go on.
Yes. Someone who is a long rider posted a text exchange with him where Cyril asked, “Why do you care so much, when I clearly don’t?” This was someone trying to help him. He appears to be doing this for the publicity and doesn’t care if it’s good or bad. He also told someone (as reported on tiktok) that he would be willing to sell the horse and buy one that was better suited for a long ride, but has, reportedly, turned down offers of $10K.
If he comes into Washington from Idaho (and crossing Idaho means either going south or following the highways through the successive mountain ranges) he’ll have to cross the central WA ‘badlands’. Hot, dry, scattered towns along I90 until he gets to Snoqualmie pass (if he takes the middle route). I would not want to be on horseback over that pass!
Through hikers/riders on the PTC (Pacific Crest Trail) use the Bridge of the Gods usually to cross the Columbia, if he were to take I84 from Idaho to Oregon to Washington route. It’s a steel grate, two lane bridge leading to a two lane, no shoulder highway. He’ll encounter a fair number of those types of roads in WA/OR/ID/MT— twisty, narrow, no shoulder.
I hope he stops. Or is stopped. I fear this is not about the horse in any way, but instead his ego trip.
the Iron horse trail which parallels I-90 ( roughly) is , for the most part, a 3 - 4 %grade all the way. It has been modified for bikes and horses. You are right about the isolation in places. There is also the Cascade tunnel just at the Snoqualmie Pass ski area, a very long, very dark passage. I have hiked a lot of this area and it is not bad, just hot dry and very isolated from access points and support. For the most part the only water is in irrigation canals and not really accessible for watering a horse
He rode a lovely 19 yr old mare called Robina who was owned by someone else. There is a picture of her on Equine Canada. It’s how I found Cyril’s show record for 2014-2015.
We posters here seem to have put so much more thought and expertise into the planning of this trip than the actual rider has. I, really, don’t think he’ll get very much farther; the obstacles seem to be far beyond his skill level, preparation, and mental ability/mindset to do this kind of ride. If it’s even doable without backup/support like food and water and trailering the horse through difficult sections, like, I don’t know, the Rocky Mountains.
He could get just as much publicity and do this trip so much more effectively and easily if he did it by himself on foot.
This is not the old open west anymore.
The horse itself is the biggest obstacle he has to completing this trip. Not only caring for the horse, but just being able to traverse the modern landscape with a horse.
If any reddit readers are interested … there is a 2raw2ride subreddit, and it has not been updated for 3 days. Probably because no more news yet. And because they are moderating it for some degree of verifiable facts. Hopefully.
One thread explains that the FB group closed because it was too difficult to moderate what was being posted by the public. They could control the initial threads, but all of the comments and sub-comments and sub-sub-comments were too much. The subreddit is easier to moderate.
I can attest that if a subject has public interest, it can be very hard to stay on top of sm postings by the gp. And there were some absolutely ridiculous clickbait rumors being posted down in the comments.
If we didn’t already have enough evidence about the real character of 2raw, here is a video that was posted, undated but before ride commencement, of him “preparing” himself with a 40F degree ice bath. Unclothed, with his manly hairy chest and his manly sunglasses.
Buddy, nobody in CO thinks 40F is cold. When I lived there it was a chance to ride without all of the winter riding clothes. Although technically it’s spring there now, trust me spring comes late in CO. They don’t plant things or put patio plants back outside until after Mother’s Day. Are we sure this guy is from Canada? Did he go outside during winter?
He is very carefully manicured all over. Eyebrows, hair, facial hair, skin not exactly outdoorsy, and I’m wonder if there is some fake tan and even makeup going on. Which doesn’t mean anything other than that he is definitely a card-carrying member of the younger generations.
From what I’ve seen, he’s all about style and fashion. He’s got the chinks, the hat, the shirt and every possible item of trail riding tack. So he thinks he looks authentic, and cool for his photo ops, but in reality he comes across to anyone knowledgeable as a poser.
The poor horse. I worry about colic, dehydration, lameness and saddle sores. The horse is merely a vehicle for this IDIOT’s ego.
I will not be surprised if we find out that a lot of this is fake – if he goes on. That he’s trailering to photo destinations to create a narrative of this great impossible long-distance ride. Maybe Shiok is or will be traveling on wheels, after all.
How will he stay that manicured, living out of saddlebags with no electricity? Plus I’m guessing he has camera gear to re-charge.
I guess I just can’t connect with the whole manly “ancestral traditions” crap. If he were First Nations or Native American and it had its roots there, then yeah.
But it’s just white guy poser stuff, like the liver dude and his stupid “ancestral tenets” - a bunch of made up attention whoring bs.
It’s not as though his family will fall into public disgrace if he doesn’t make this journey. The continuation of his bloodline doesn’t depend on it. Just because a couple of predecessors did it doesn’t mean he has to. I mean, what if the “tradition” was stuffing pickles up their butts and sitting on an anthill? I bet he wouldn’t be quite so gung ho to perpetuate that behavior.
Any updates on this guy? The last I saw was that the horse was at a vet’s office on Friday, and there were postings that the horse was removed from there after the vet called the police because they wanted the horse gone. One post said that the police congratulated the guy on doing such a grand thing (his ride).
ETA: From all indications, he’s only trying to do this ride for publicity (being a reality show actor), not for some family tradition. That’s a very good story and got him some national headlines, but sure doesn’t track with his behavior.
I have stepped away from SM for the last few days and have not checked.
But I do know that former owner of Falcon does not want to be contacted and he told her that he was doing this ride but in a year or two, not within 30 days of ownership. She is really upset she sold him to this Yahoo.
