Back in the Saddle, Again!

 As a kid, I was lucky to have been sent to summer horse camp for many years.  Riding horses has always been a passion of mine but seldom have I had the opportunity.  Well, this trip Vic promised a dude ranch excursion!  Sylvan Dale Guest Dude Ranch in Loveland, Colorado fit our itinerary, dog needs, truck and camper parking, and best of all: TONS OF RIDING!! It was one of the best weeks for me, ever! Vic would agree, horse back riding is not quite his thing, but he sure did give it try! 

We were joined by 25 other strangers that immediately became great friends.  Everyone was assigned their own horse for the week.  The horses are matched to our riding ability/experience, temperament, and our overall personal goals for ourselves.  “Sandy” was my girl, and “Wrangler” was Vic’s boy. We both feel we were matched perfectly.  My goal was to feel more confident loping/cantering and Vic’s was to not get hurt.  Both goals achieved!

Here are some highlights of our week:

Me and Sandy❤️

Up in the saddle ready to head out for our breakfast ride.  2 hours up into the hills 

 

Breakfast riders going out the gate about to head  up to the hills 

First ride with Sandy 

First day with Wrangler 

After an introduction ride of about an hour, our first big outing was a glorious early morning ride that took us up into the Rocky Mountain foothills where the ranch owners Susan and David cooked all of us a cowboy breakfast.  The horses were left to roam about the trees while we all enjoyed the outdoors, camaraderie with fellow guests, wranglers and our gracious hosts’ delicious breakfast of eggs, brisket hash, and banana nut bread toast, fresh coffee.  

 One day, a bunch of us strolled out into a far far cow field and searched for a small herd.  Our goal was to surround the group with our horses in a shape of a horseshoe and “encourage” the young cows to “get a movin!” to the corral about a half mile away.  We were successful in getting the group where we wanted them with our teamwork.  It was really exciting!  Once the cows were in the corral, we all took turns in pairs separating out one of the cows from the herd and moving him/her into a separate pen.  

Forming our horseshoe shape around the cows 

Moooving the cows down the field to the corrals 

   

While I was herding and sorting cattle, Vic was at the shooting range perfecting his shot.  It’s the first time he’s shot a rifle since his time in the Army (1984).  He says his aiming hasn’t gotten any better since then, probably worse. Oh well, he had fun.  

Vic and Wendy at the shooting range

Our next big adventure was to climb up even further into the foothills to spend the night at “Cow Camp”.  This was an extremely challenging ride as we were climbing up over huge boulders, narrow cliffs and sharp corners getting around huge tree roots, jagged rocks, low tree branches and steep incline/declines.  We were (unknowingly) going to be climbing 7 miles,  1200 feet: 5200 ft to 6400 ft elevation.  This was a 4+ hour slug fest that the horses amazed us with their sure-footedness, strength, and will to not go flying over the mountain side.  No one got hurt, no one fell off their horse, but all of us couldn’t feel our legs when we arrived. I didn’t dismount when we got to the camp as much as I sort of landed in a puddle on the ground.  No style points for me!

At a breather point along the trail to Cow Camp

On the way up to Cow Camp, our horses spotted bears up on the hill to the side of us.  This is a video of a mama and her baby cubs. 

One of the many many steep inclines on the ride

 

Up a steep narrow cliff side 

It was about hour 2, when our lead wrangler Meeky said to us: “Hey guys! We need to hurry up.  We are only half way and we need to get there before dark…”.  WHAT??!! We all said collectively.  We thought we sure must be getting close.  Nope.  We were in for at least another two hours and some change.  So, by the time we arrived camp and met our hosts: Silas and chef Marcos, we were soooo ready for a welcome adult beverage.  Marcos had a cowboy dinner on the fire stove cooking and Silas had a roaring fire going in the fire pit.  After a tour of the “facilities”, we all settled in for a fantastic fireside dinner (steak, potatoes, chili, salad),copious story telling, tons of laughter and bit more of those adult beverages.  Our fatigue finally settled in and we all retired to our various bedding options: sleeping bags with sleeping pads in one of the two tents, a cot and and sleeping bag on the house porch, or sleeping bags in the tree slung hammocks.  Vic and I chose one of the tents, and everyone else found their prefect bed for the night.  It was a star filled, chilly night with temps in the 30s but we were all warm and comfortable.  In the morning , we awoke to another roaring fire, coffee on the stove and a scrumptious eggs and potatoes and vegetables hash, fresh cantelope breakfast.  We cleaned up our sleeping digs, saddled up and were back on the trail down the mountain to the ranch.  

Cow Camp: house and tents

Inside the barn

Mike and Rawhide ready to head back down to the ranch

Evening story telling around the campfire at Cow Camp

Wendy and “the facilities”. Yep, that’s all there was

Breakfast around the campfire

About to leave Cow Camp

A rainy ride back down to the ranch

Marcos cooking up our cowboy dinner!  Open wood fire stove 

The horses were left to “hang out” for the night at Cow Camp

A model T abandoned from probably the prohibition time

Linda, Lynda, Vic and Wendy enjoying the Cow Camp experience 

The barn, it’s a bit holy

Wendy and Baby Jill ready to ride back down to the ranch

Meeky’s horse getting a drink at the watering hole.  That water had to be trucked up here, no running water at Cow Camp

Mike, Linda, Alan and Andrew on the ride back down to the ranch

Marcos getting breakfast going

After returning from Cow Camp, some of the group participated in Gymkanna.  This was a fun, slightly competitive barrel racing, pole weaving and double barrel racing rodeo.  I participated in this and finished middle of the pack.  My new friend Linda on Rainy and me on Sandy joined forces and raced in the double barrel race.  We did pretty well, didn’t collide into each other and finished with both horses cantering to the finish line.  It was a lot of fun and built that confidence I was looking for!

This is Team Dos Lyndas rounding the first barrels

Cantering to the finish 

Beginning first crossover

Heading to last barrel

Strong Finish

The weeklong ranching experience ended in a farewell dinner full of skits, jokes, poems, songs, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and a big group farewell.  

Owners Susan and David, Karen and Lori head wranglers singing “Cowboy Logic”. 

Celebrating Wendy’s 60th with owner Susan Jessup

All the camp guests and the ranch owners Susan and David saying farewell 

After a week of riding, tremendous saddle sore and knee pain, you’d think I’d be done with horse back riding….WRONG!  This experience ignited an old passion that I hope to continue when we get back home.  I’m already researching where I can find a stable that offers riding lessons back in Florida. Vic says he’ll sit this one out.   

Next stop: Rocky Mountain National Park, just 30 minutes up the road from the ranch!