You will ride on steep, rarely used trails through the Sangre de Cristo wilderness. Along the way, you will spend two days at the hot springs overlooking the valley. You will see moose, deer, bears, and other wildlife. In addition to basic riding skills and experience with horses, you should also be in good physical condition. You will ride sure-footed, reliable horses. At the start, everyone is assigned a suitable horse and given a brief introduction to the horse and its tack. Your guides will share their extensive knowledge of history, geology, and flora, as well as life and travel in the wilderness. Delicious meals are freshly prepared over the campfire every day. The camp at the hot springs offers a certain level of comfort: tables and chairs, a heated bathroom, and a sauna are available. Enjoy a dip in the natural hot pools surrounded by beautiful flower meadows. Whether you prefer to bathe with or without a swimsuit is up to you.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and overnight stay at the Colorado Springs Hotel.

Day 2: At 7:30 a.m., you will be picked up at the Express Inn in Colorado Springs and taken to the starting point of the tour on the southern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range (approx. 2 hours drive). Here you will meet the horses and receive all the important information about the horses, bridles, and riding tour from the two wranglers who will accompany you. Around noon, you will be ready to set off. You will ride through aspen, oak, and pine forests to a glacier valley. The path almost disappears between fallen spruce trees at the edge of the rushing stream, which first flows towards the Arkansas River and finally into the Mississippi. Here you will encounter squirrels and, with a little luck, a moose cow roaming the colorful meadows with her calf. You will set up camp at the tree line below a gigantic rock. The individual tents are located on flat spots, a short distance apart.

Day 3: The smell of fresh coffee and the fluttering of jays wake you up to an eventful day. After a leisurely breakfast, the pack horses are loaded evenly, with the wranglers arguing about who can do it most accurately. Once the weight is perfectly distributed, there will be no need to make any adjustments during the ride.
You leave the last spruce trees behind and ride up to a pass at an altitude of around 4000 meters. Here you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the vast San Luis Valley to the hills of Toas far to the south. Then you descend to a mountain meadow where you stop for lunch. Below, in the woods, you can often spot a group of moose. Later, you continue riding across the wide prairie, framed by high peaks. Only the soft whistling of the wind breaks the magical silence. Spend the evening in a hot pool with a delicious drink in your hand as the sun sets over the mountains.

Day 4: You will camp among aspens on a warm stream, not far from the hot springs, the Valley View Hot Springs. Valley View is a natural private area that is only partially accessible to the public. The springs were considered sacred by the Mountain Ute Indians. The Indians came here to relax after a successful buffalo hunt and to give thanks for their hunting success. This day is exclusively for relaxation: take a dip and sweat it out in the wood-fired sauna. You can choose between a convivial dip with your fellow riders and other visitors to this unique place, or a dip in your “own” little pool. There are numerous hot pools to choose from. You can also go hiking or explore the nearby old Orient Iron Mine.

Day 5: Early in the morning, you will saddle up again and ride at a leisurely pace into the quiet pine forest. In the afternoon, you will set up camp on the edge of a beautiful pass. In the evening, the wranglers will share their adventure stories with you around the campfire. They know tales from the time when the Ute Indians still hunted on the high plains.

Day 6: After breaking camp, you will catch the horses, load the pack horses, and ride across the meadow. Then you head east over the mountain ridge, far above the tree line. An old hidden cow trail leads you past numerous blue-green glacial lakes down into the valley. The tour itinerary may vary due to weather conditions, trail conditions, and other unforeseeable circumstances.

(Subject to change)

Accomodation
1st night at the Radisson in Colorado Springs, the other nights in tent camp.

Saddle & Tack: Western

Experience: Slow pace, but challenging terrain. Basic knowledge is sufficient, as riding is predominantly to walk , depending on the terrain.

Horses: Quarter Mix