The Middle Years: Lisa Hoffner avoids an elephant stampede in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.
"When I saw the claw-mark scars on the backside of one of the horses, it should have occurred to me that this would be no ordinary adventure. With the help of Equitours (
www.equitours.com), we planned to ride horses 150 miles (241 kilometers) over eight days, traversing the Loita Hills in the outskirts of Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya's most famous wildlife destination.
"While meandering along a well-trodden game trail on the sixth day of our trip, our horses came to an abrupt halt across from a stand of acacia trees. A herd of elephants revealed themselves in a standoff. Even though there were seven of us and only six of them, they outweighed us by more than 72,000 pounds! In the 35 feet (11 meters) between us, we could see the coarse texture of their one-inch (2.5-centimeter) thick, gray, wrinkled hides and their hardened toenails.
"And then, like defensive linemen rushing their opponents, the elephants bore down and charged! I wheeled around Tangawezi, my horse, as he bolted. When my friend Sue Cleveland's horse galloped by with an empty saddle, I realized there was a problem. Luckily, glancing over my shoulder, I saw a vehicle scoop her up just as the elephants pounded into the path where she once lay."
