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Foothills Sentry By Jim Sill


I lay in the dry creek bed, stunned. Our lead guide called down to me, “Are you OK?” I stood up slowly, unsteadily; apparently, no broken bones. “No,” I yelled up at him. “I’m not OK. The (flippin’) horse you gave me just bucked me off. I want another horse.” It was a rough and painful beginning to my five-day yak trek on horse- back in the remote wilderness of Outer Mongolia. I chose to visit Mongolia be-


cause it is the world’s most unique nomadic culture, centered around horses and herding. It’s a land rich in history and natural beauty, from the fabled Gobi desert with its dinosaur digs, to steppe valleys and plains that sweep dramatical- ly into hills and mountains. And, friendly, accommodating people are eager to make your visit an unforgettable experience. My 12-day visit was timed to


attend Naadam, Mongolia’s annu- al July festival featuring its three major competitive sports: ar- chery, wrestling and horse racing. Naadam translates as “games” in Mongolian, beginning as a 13th century celebration marking the triumphant return of Genghis Khan from his conquests. While the primary Naadam


games are held in Ulaanbaatar (UB), every town and village holds its own. We visited one such game about an hour’s drive away from UB. The advantage of the smaller venue is that you can get much closer to the action. We walked over to where


a horse race was assembling. About 70-80 riders were lining up, and a crowd of 250 pushed at the rope barricade to get a better look. Overhead, a blush of dark gray clouds swept across a rapidly disappearing blue sky. As the first few riders raced forward, a few raindrops started to fall. More racers took off. The raindrops got bigger. Suddenly, 50-60 knot gusts swept in off the steppe, turning the rain heavier, blasting horizontal, and in another instant, into pebble-sized hail. The crowd bolted. The riders abandoned the race, stampeding into and through the crowd in a chaotic rush of people and horses. Amidst the mud, the hail, and the throbbing


Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Steppe into a Unique Culture: Mongolia


high steppe around surreal rock outcroppings, moss-covered and Dali-esque in their other-world appearance. This was our most ambitious ride, about 25 kilome- ters (15 miles).


While your horse is strong The Mongolian people we met


A yak river crossing is just another day in the life of a Mongolian trekker.


mob of horses and people, the wind stopped as suddenly as it had started. In another heartbeat, the sky stood still and cloudless.


High steppe’n Mongol-style Supporting the three of us on


our yak trek was an English- speaking primary guide, a local trail guide, a cook, three helpers, three yaks/carts and five Mon- gol horses. After I got dumped, we trekked through “Lord of the


Rings”-style steppe wilderness towards our first camp, where several bottles of local vodka awaited me. The next day, we visited a


family in their ger (yurt). We were immediately invited in, as is steppe custom. Hospitality is a big part of Mongol life. They offered us sweet milk tea, whey cookies, homemade cheese and bread. We rode for a few more hours,


Photo courtesy Nomadic Journeys


finally crossing a river that was belly-deep for our horses and knee-deep for us. On a broad expanse of prairie in the distance I could see our next campsite already prepared for us. My re- placement horse wanted to run. So with about a kilometer to go, I leaned forward and loosened the reins. He ran at a full gallop until we reached the campsite, his stride smooth and sure. On the final day, we rode the


were gracious and accommodat- ing. An incident on our last day was a case in point. I was admir- ing some chopper motorcycles when a young man in full biker regalia approached me. “Are you a member of a club?” I asked. “Yes,” he said in pretty good English, “the Mongols.” He explained that he had met his American counterparts when sev- eral (American) Mongol bikers showed up in UB one day. His desire was to ride his Harley on American roads. When I asked him what his job was, he said he was a television personality who visited various places in Mongo- lia to sample their cooking: Mon- golia’s Anthony Bourdain. He then hospitably offered me the keys to his motorcycle for a quick spin.


“While your horse is strong,


travel to see places,” is a Mon- golian saying. If your horse is strong, travel to see Mongolia. It is one of the world’s few remain- ing geographical treasures wait- ing to be explored.


Jim Sill is a 32-year resident


of Modjeska Canyon. He likes to travel and has visited some 80 countries.


Photos by Arie Winograd


Sill holds a large vulture, in front of a 120’ steel statue of Genghis Khan.


There are no weight classifications in Mongolian wrestling. The win- ner of a previous match gets to choose his next opponent, resulting in some pretty lop-sided bouts.


Snake, rattle and wool


Photos by Tony Richards


The Orange County Zoo in Irvine Park provides safe accommodations for wildlife that cannot survive in nature – even wildlife that might not be welcomed elsewhere. The zoo has recently taken in two rattle- snakes that California Fish & Wildlife rescued from urban Orange County areas and determined could not be safely relocated back into the wild. Seen here are a speckled rattlesnake (left) and a red diamond rattlesnake.


From wild


om wild to wool to wooly. Another new member of the zoo’s extensive fa ily is a Jacob sheep, born on June 28. She is getting a lot of attention in the petting zoo area, where she lives with mom, Wendy.


nother new member of the zoo’s extensive fam-


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