It's been a long time

It's been almost 3 weeks since Pepper got her paws muddy. Which means that she starts to shake and has little fits and her bottom starts to get wrinkly. Luckily for her there is a Series outing planned for this weekend at Bontebok Ridge, which Pepper is taking us along on. It looks like this:

TRAIL
The trail is mostly sand and promises to be very interesting especially if the rains of two weeks ago repeat themselves before the weekend. - Pepper should enjoy that.

CAMPING
Special permission has been obtained to camp at the trail - this is normally not allowed so please make use of this opportunity as it may not be available again. There will be wood and washing water provided, as well as a pit latrine. There are no other facilities so this is 1 notch up from a total bush camp. - That's fine for Pepper, but not for some of us!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Wild Olive 4x4 Eco Track and Bontebok Ridge Reserve
Wild Olive Eco Track is part of a 600 hectare working farm set at the foot of the Limietberg Mountains. The farm is divided into two sections; the lower section, comprising of a 100ha of arable land which is dedicated to livestock and vineyards.
The grapes grown are wine varieties, with the red cultivars: Pinotage, Ruby Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon and the white cultivars Clairette Blanche and Chenin Blanc.
The upper section of the farm has been set aside for ‘Bontebok Ridge Reserve’ which forms part of the Renosterveld Conservancy, to preserve the endangered Renosterveld and its indigenous animals within the Cape Floral Kingdom. We have reintroduced several species of antelope to the reserve, such as eland, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbok and bontebok, the latter of which until a few years ago, were
critically endangered.

Another exciting development on the reserve is the quagga breeding project which is being run in conjunction with South African National Parks and Iziko. The aim of this project is to recreate a species which was once thought to be extinct, but recent research has established that it is in fact the same species as the common planes zebra but with a paler rump. Through selective breeding the aim is to
achieve a replica of the quagga and then reintroduce them back into Karroo and Mountain Zebra National Parks.
The 4x4 trail has been built on the lower section of the farm, utilizing an area which is populated mainly with exotic vegetation, with a few pockets of indigenous flora which we’ve been careful to avoid! Our aim is to in time remove all alien vegetation to enable the natural flora to re-establish itself. The trail is not over commercial and retains a quite and tranquil outdoor feel. The use of the track is normally by invitation only or used under supervision by a trainer.

Which is all fine and dandy for Pepper, but for us it is a different story. The weather forecast looks like this:

Forecast: Friday, 13 May 2005
Min: 12°C Max: 15°C
Weather: Cloudy, general rain (100%)
Wind: fresh north-westerly

Forecast: Saturday, 14 May 2005
Min:8°C Max: 13°C
Weather: Cloudy periods, widespread showers (80%)
Wind: moderate south-westerly


Forecast: Sunday, 15 May 2005
Min:4°C Max: 19°C
Weather: Partly cloudy
Wind: light north-westerly

Advisory
VERY COLD AND WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON THE HIGH GROUND OF THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN CAPE ON FRIDAY, WITH SNOWFALLS LIKELY ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. THESE CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF THE EASTERN CAPE BY SATURDAY MORNING, WHEN CLEARING WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN CAPE.

Which is scary.

Kate will end up looking like this:



Although without the smile.

and Pepper will end up looking like this:



or like this:



Although without the monster tyres.

I AM VERY SCARED. IF THERE ARE NO MORE POSTS AFTER THIS ASSUME WE NEED RESCUING.
images courtesy http://fuerapiche.eresmas.com/fotos3.html