Black Canyon Margarita Ride: Wind, Tacos, and Resilience!
WSCSC’s Fun Night for 2026 took a delightfully adventurous turn from our past traditions. Beth and her fantastic team (Lorie and Melissa) arranged a completely unique venue and event: an evening ride on the Eve of the Summer Solstice, complete with Jen’s famous homemade guacamole dip, a fabulous taco bar, festive desserts, and—of course—refreshing Margaritas served in vibrant, colorful glasses!
Our evening began at the Smith Mountain Trailhead around 5:30 PM. While the riders saddled up, our dedicated ground crew—Don, Greg, Lorie, and Melissa—headed out ahead in their vehicles to set up our scenic party destination.
To say it was a bit breezy would be the understatement of the year. It was a true “Hold On To Your Hats” kind of evening—and definitely a stellar advertisement for always wearing a helmet! While the extreme forecast kept a few folks cozy at home, the rest of our brave crew headed right up the trail into a howling wind.
Most of us had never ridden in gusts quite this intense. The wind was blowing so hard it actually kept whipping the leather straps of a crupper against one horse’s rump! Marty was not an unhappy camper for long, though—once the crupper was removed, he settled right down and proceeded calmly up the hill like a champ.
We arrived at the cliff’s edge to a fantastic spread, upbeat music, party favors and even more relentless wind. Our wonderful party planners did their absolute best to park the vehicles as a windbreak so we could keep our tacos on our plates. Mother Nature had other plans! The wind shifted, turning the simple act of eating a taco, scooping guacamole onto a chip, and balancing a margarita glass into a hilarious, extreme balancing act. It was tough work, but the challenge only added to the laughter and camaraderie.
Survival Tip: Next time, we might need velcro for our tacos!
We all did our level best to dance, stay festive, and celebrate the solstice, but the wind was determined to have the last word. The ultimate test came when a sudden gust whipped a bunch of balloon decorations right out of Don’s hands and directly into the mounted group of horses.
Chunky Monkey took a direct hit from the runaway balloons. The sudden surprise led to an unscheduled dismount and a temporarily loose horse. Thankfully, horse sense and quick reflexes prevailed—everyone was okay, and we were able to safely head back down the trail.
It was certainly a Solstice ride for the history books! We all rode back down wondering how we survived, but with great stories, full bellies, and a shared adventure that we won’t soon forget.
A huge thank you to Beth, Lorie, Melissa, Jen, Greg and Don, our wonderful ground crew for putting together an unforgettable (and literal) whirlwind of an evening!
