Itinerary

Note: Please see General Ride Information and Logistics for important details

Day 1 Morning 7:30 AM Acclaim Hotel, Calgary, Alberta

Transportation Between the Acclaim Hotel and our trailhead:

The bus between the hotel and the trailhead has been arranged and is included in the cost of your ride. The bus departs from the Acclaim Hotel early Monday morning at 8:00 am to start your adventure, so please arrive at 7:30 am for check-in (and have a hearty breakfast first).

Your Emcee will be on board to register you, brief you on details for the week and answer your questions. As part of introducing you to our western history and culture, our first stop will be, the famous Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, where we will have a 2 hour tour followed by lunch, included in your ride fee.

Next we are off to the corral where you will meet the staff; there will be a safety orientation, and then you will be introduced to your horse. Horses are matched to riders according to the specifications that you will have given in your online registration. Saddle bags will be available to you there for your insect repellent, camera, binoculars, energy bars, water bottle, gloves, sunglasses, and an additional sweater will come in handy for your ride. Bring your rain slicker and keep it separate as it will be tide to your saddle. Then we “saddle up” for a short one hour ride to our base camp (your duffel will be packed on horses and arrive in camp ahead of you.)

Day 1 Evening – 6:00 PM MILL CREEK T.R.C.R. CAMP (AKA “TEEPEE TOWN”)

After arriving camp, you will settle in to your comfortable accommodations and perhaps clean up and get ready for “happy hour” and dinner. The chefs will prepare a multi-course dinner that quickly wipes away those hunger pangs. You will be surprised what our chefs can prepare: (alternating) roast chicken, BBQ steaks, baked ham, roast beef…. Sides include: potatoes, vegetable, salad, coleslaw and of course dessert! (Note: this is a set menu; please let us know of allergies and or dietary concerns. Accommodations may be made where possible.)

After dinner, as the sun dips below the mountains, a roaring campfire is started in our “Doughnut tent” (weather dependent). As you enjoy your favourite beverages, you may be entertained with music for a campfire sing-a-long, story telling, educational talks, squaring dancing, and/or cowboy poetry. With a full belly of food and drink and some good laughs with new friends, everyone turns in for the evening.

Days 2 – 5 8:00 AM MILL CREEK T.R.C.R. CAMP

The breakfast bell will ring for all to gather in the dining tent for a hot and hearty breakfast (alternating) – eggs, bacon, sausage, hot biscuits, pancakes, bacon, fruit and French toast. Your morning ritual will include hot coffee in the dining tent and perhaps a wash at our rustic wash areas with plenty of hot water.

After breakfast, guests will prepare their own picnic lunches choosing from a variety of breads, cold cuts, drinks and snacks. Next, everyone will meet at the corral where the cowboys and the head guide will greet you with a smile and a “how ya’ doin this morning?” The cowboys saddle the horses, check the cinches, and by 9:30 am we are off on the trail.

Each day will find you exploring lakes, valleys, glaciers or mountain pass. This area actually gives us more options than we have days to ride! The high, uninhabited valleys of the Rockies offer peace and contentment combined with the thrill of majestic vistas. There is a sweep of majesty to this land, a towering grandeur and nobility of face, so powerful in its vast silence. This alpine land abounds in larch, spruce and fir trees, mountain animals and birds, incredible alpine flowers, meadows and parklands leading to the nearby snow capped peaks and ridges.

By noon, we have reached our destination and after lunch, riders can fish, stroll, visit or stretch out for a nap in the hot mountain sun. A camera for these trips is a must! By late afternoon, it’s back to camp for “happy hour” before enjoying a four-course dinner.