Where the meandering prairie lands of the Great Plains end, Colorado’s snow-capped crags begin their ascent. Its winding and treacherous passes have been used as game trails by America’s indigenous tribes for thousands of years. Yet for all its foot traffic, the Rockies continue to stand as a defiant remnant of America’s untamed frontier. In Colorado’s sprawling nature reserves, bears roam free and elk graze in the hidden valleys that dip below the cliff dwellings of long-forgotten peoples.
Wild West nostalgia
There are many ways to reconnect with nature in the Rockies, but there’s one method with more romance than any other: trekking into the mountains on horseback. For generations, hearts across the globe have pined for the nostalgia of the gun-slinging Wild West. There’s just something about riding on horseback under a star-filled sky that tickles the senses. However, in tiny hamlets such as Estes Park, the cowboy spirit is still very much alive and well.
Stop at a cliff-top lean-to for a traditional cowboy dinner of steak and baked beans
The town itself is nestled in a hidden valley, 2,293m above sea level, and is packed with stables offering horseback treks into the mountains. Rides range from an hour to a few weeks, with little previous riding experience required. These adventures can be as group-oriented or as isolated as desired, and most stables will bend over backwards to cater to individual needs.
Some of the best trips available are offered by Sombrero Ranches. With eight stables dotted throughout the mountains, the cowboys at Sombrero can provide a genuine Wild West feel. Aspiring cowpokes can opt for a short, two-hour horseback ride on some of the park’s less strenuous trails – you can even stop at a cliff-top lean-to for a traditional cowboy dinner of steak and baked beans.
A stampeding adventure
Yet those in search of a more perilous trek will not go wanting. The company also offers a 12-hour ride across the continental divide. Along the way, riders ascend from the temperate woodlands into the desolate alpine tundra. There, temperatures drop by up to 30 degrees, and snowdrifts sometimes bury trails – even at the height of summer. The burly horses know the terrain well and will stop for grazing breaks in mountain meadows. Riders can picnic next to one of thousands of arctic-temperature lakes.
For a more ingenuous cowboy experience, Sombrero Ranches also allows riders the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join its annual horse drive. The adventure pits man against nature as a group of true American cowboys lead a herd of wild horses across 60 miles of rough terrain and into new grazing pastures. Nothing matches the exhilarating chase of zipping through open prairie behind the thundering stampede of thousands of hooves. The five-day journey promises adventure at every turn, offering a true slice of Americana that most can only fantasise about.
