Riding through pristine Cattle Country
Ride through Alberta's Foothills and cattle ranching country, seeing first-hand the cowboy's way of life. Its late in the season now, grass is dry, the leaves have turned to gold and a light dusting of snow blankets the mountains to the west. All along the eastern slopes of the Rockies, thousands of cattle are being gathered from their summer grazing pastures in the mountains and rounded up to head to their winter ranges.
Because of the shorter days and cooler nights we don't camp on this trek, but rather stay at Inns and ranch cabins that dot the sparsely populated rangelands between Bragg Creek and the Porcupine Hills. Gear will be transported on wheels from day to day.
The distances covered range between 30 and 40 km per day. In places the riding is quite hard as there is no real trail and we push our way across open land and dense bush. Given the shorter hours of daylight, it is possible that some days we won't make to the destination until after dusk.
We will ride through ranchland that hasn't much changed since the time of the first settlers in this area. The horse is still the main partner for most cowboys here.
Itinerary Cattletrail SOUTH
| 26 Sept | Guests arrive Calgary before 4:00 pm, transport to M&M Ranch, reception, dinner, briefing accommodation in guesthouse at the ranch |
| 27 Sept | Depart M&M Ranch for Sheep River (ca 37 km), accommodation in log cabin |
| 28 Sept | Ride from the Sheep River to the Highwood River (32 km), accommodation at Inn |
| 29 Sept | Ride from Highwood River to near Sheppard Creek (30 km), accommodation at Inn |
| 30 Sept | Ride from Sheppard Creek to Langford Creek (37 km), accommodation in B&B |
| 01 Oct | Ride from Langford Creek to Lyndon Creek (Porcupine Hills) (30 km), accommodation in cabin |
| 02 Oct | Ride to Skyline Ranch in Porcupine Hills (20 km). Return to M&M Ranch in evening by vehicle. Farewell Dinner, accommodation in guesthouse at the ranch. |
| 03 Oct | Return to Calgary before noon, departure |
Itinerary Cattletrail NORTH
| 03 Oct | Guests arrive Calgary before 4:00 pm, transport to M&M Ranch, reception, dinner, briefing accommodation in guesthouse at the ranch |
| 04 Oct | Drive to Skyline Ranch, meet horses, ride to Lyndon Creek (20 km), accommodation in cabin |
| 05 Oct | Ride from Lyndon Creek to Langford Creek, accommodation in B&B |
| 06 Oct | Ride from Langford Creek to Sheppard Creek, accommodation at Inn |
| 07 Oct | Ride from Sheppard Creek to Highwood River, accommodation at Inn |
| 08 Oct | Ride from Highwood River to Sheep River, accommodation in log cabin |
| 09 Oct | Ride to M&M Ranch, farewell dinner, accommodation in guesthouse at the ranch |
| 10 Oct | Return to Calgary before noon, departure |
Options
1. Ride it both ways! Stay the night of 2 and 3 Oct at the Skyline Ranch near the summit of the Porcupine Hills, and get an extra day of cattle work in helping the ranch staff there.
2. Not sure about your riding skills? Come two days early and take our "Earn Your Spurs" lessons on Saturday and Sunday before hitting the trail Monday morning.
Price includes: 6 Days of guided riding with historical and natural interpretation, all meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day, 7 nights in shared rooms in guesthouses, cabins and country Inns, transport to and from Calgary to Bragg Creek and PHENOMENAL MEMORIES!
Not included: Alcohol with your meals (you can order beer and wine for dinners during the trip) and 5% federal tax
| Prices and Dates 2010: | SOUTH: $ 1.990
26 Sep-3 Oct, 7 nights, 6 days of riding |
| NORTH: $ 1.990 3-10 Oct, 7 nights, 6 days of riding |
|
| BOTH WAYS: $ 3.750 26 Sep-10 Oct, 14 nights, 13 days of riding |
|
| Level of Experience: | low intermediate to advanced, reasonable physical fitness is required (see details) |
| Pace and Terrain: | walk, trot, canter on trails, grassy slopes, river crossings, country roads |
| Accommodation: | shared rooms (double or multiple occupancy) in guesthouses, Country Inns and cabins. Single rooms are available at some locations. A supplement applies and is depending on the location. |
| Route: | see trailmap |
