Steamboat by Horseback
Trip Start
Jun 09, 2007
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Trip End
Jun 16, 2007
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The drive up the road too us through downtown, so we stopped at the charming "Off the Beaten Path" bookstore so that I could get a new book.
Trip to Steamboat Lake was lovely; lots of gorgeous ranches -- clearly second homes or retirement retreats. In the distance, volcanic peaks, still with snow.
Once in the "town" of Steamboat Lakes, we found SL Outfitters and were able to arrange a ride in a half-hour
Colorado skies
. We ate our picnic lunch, then reported to the barn.We were assigned our horses (me on Cody; Kyla on Freckles; Keegan on Pete; Paul on Champ) and mounted. Our wrangler, Liz, seemed (and was) very friendly ... and very less neurotic than most horse people (sorry, Mum).
It was definitely the best horse ride we've done with perfect weather, good horses, and just us plus guide on absolutely beautiful trails.
We cross the road, then rode through the pasture to the national forest land. There, we dropped down to the stream below the earthen dam (the lake was built for recreation purposes), across teh stream -- twice -- then back up the otherside. From there, we rode through meadow of mule's ear, snow-in-summer, larkspur, sage, pussy toes, and many other blooming plants. The weather was ideal -- some sun, some shade, light breeze. Cody like to snack on mule's ears, but I was generally able to keep him moving. Got to trot a few times, too. (Sorry, Pas; I posted; yes, I know, cowboys don't post; but I do.)
The ride lasted nearly two hours
We set off on a trail
. Veyr enjoyable -- and learned a lot. Hahn Peak (dormant volcano) had been forested all the way to the top -- but it was denuded during the Gold Rush of the 1860s. The many types of sage throughout the west are non-native, we were told; all brought over from England.On the drive back down the hill, we paused at the Clark General Store for ice cream. Then back home to rest our aching muscles.
Kyla stayed behind while the rest of us went up to the ghost town that is Ski Time Square in early June. We had a very tasty dinner at an empty restaurant. I engaged the waitress and manager/owner in conversation. Learned that the waitress was living "in her grandmother's mansion" while taking a term off from college (and learning how to hold down a job). Very amusing.
