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 2012
| 27 Sept | Guests arrive Calgary before 4:00 pm, transport to M&M Ranch, reception, dinner and accommodation in guesthouse at the ranch |
| 28 Sept | Ride from M&M Ranch to Anchor D Ranch, accommodation in cabins |
| 29 Sept | Ride from Anchor D to the Highwood River, accommodation in an Inn |
| 30 Sept | Ride to the Bar U Ranch (National Historical Site), tour of the historic ranch, accommodation in hotel in Longview |
| 01 Oct | Ride into Porcupine Hills, accommodation at Chimney Rock B&B |
| 02 Oct | Ride to Lyndon Creek Cottage in the Porcupine Hills |
| 03 Oct | Ride to Skyline Ranch, return to M&; Ranch by truck in late afternoon, accommodation and dinner at the M&M Ranch |
| 04 Oct | Departure an transfer to Calgary after breakfast |
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: | $ 2.699 27 September - 4 October 2012 |
| 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 |
