# first 2016 mountain ride



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^Lovely photos and lovely looking horses--thanks for sharing!


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Sooo pretty! I'm so jealous that you have the mountains w/in driving distance. I have to drive 10 hours to get to some. Beautiful pics!


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

Beautiful place to ride and gorgeous horses and dog! Glad you have a good day with your friend. Thanks for sharing.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

That looks like such an amazing ride, so beautiful. I grew up in California and now live in Florida and I'll have to say that I terribly miss that kind of landscape. Glad you had such a lovely day. Beautiful horses too.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

So much fun!!! Thanks for sharing.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first ride up in the mountains too.


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## 3rdTimestheCharm (Jan 18, 2015)

That looks like a very fun day! Thanks for sharing!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

THanks, guys!
Yes, I am lucky to live in relatively short hauling distance of mountains.
The Panther area is the closest, being about only an hour haul. Next closest is the Ya Ha Tinda, and Kananaskis Country, which is south of us, highway all the way, BUT a major, major long endless hill, where our truck usually over heated, even when much younger, so have not hauled there for a few years. Hope to this year
A few rides are on my 'bucket list, esp since we have not ridden in the Ram area,west of Rocky moUntain House for many years
It is the place we first mountain rode a lot in, for tow reasons
My in Laws had retired to a 1/4 section near Rocky, so we could drop the kids off, and, at that time, we only had two saddle horses, thus rented pack horses from an outfitter that had base camp in that area
Far as just riding in the foothills/forestry, that is a short haul, just west of Sundre, so can do an evening or afternoon ride there, esp in summer, when days are long and daytime temps can get too hot, even in Alberta!
Here are a few pics of rides in the Foothills. Only problem there, is you run into feral horses, with some bachelor studs very intent of getting some girls-not good when riding mares!


horse I sold this spring, and my last ride on him



feral stud


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Looks beautiful out there!! I have never been to the Panther area...would love to check it out this summer. I live by Caroline, so lots of options in the area. So nice to have all this in our 'backyard'. Hope you get out for lots more rides like this one!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

cbar said:


> Looks beautiful out there!! I have never been to the Panther area...would love to check it out this summer. I live by Caroline, so lots of options in the area. So nice to have all this in our 'backyard'. Hope you get out for lots more rides like this one!


 I have never ridden west of Caroline, but I know someone that live sin the area, and rides quite a bit in the Cutoff creek area, or the Ram, as those are closer to you than to me
Caroline is not that far from Sundre, so the Panther should not be that much of a longer haul for you
Have you ridden in the Ram area lately? I have heard that quads have chewed up alot of the trials in areas they did not have access to, when i rode there.
We used to camp on the Hummingbird, and ride out from there


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

We just move out here from Airdrie last summer, so I haven't had the opportunity to do ANY back country riding  Hope to change that soon though. My neighbor has mentioned that she has gone riding at Hummingbird as well. I have heard great things about all these places and really need to get out there. 

Is Ram just off the Forestry Trunk Road?? That is one thing with riding west of Caroline; there are a lot of off-roaders.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yes, you go up the forestry trunk road, and after it crosses the Ram river, you go up the Onion lake road.
Best way to go is past Cow Lake, Hubby says, so you miss corkscrew mountain, which used to be a terrible road, (narrow, steep, with sheer long drop off, but I heard that it has been improved
I haven't ridden there for many years, as we have not had to rent a pack horse for many years, and the Panther and Ya Ha Tinda areas are closer for us. We also have ridden some in K country, at the Little Elbow
There are also no quads allowed either in the Panther area, or the Ya Ha Tinda. Only way you can access either, is on a horse , or walking
In K country, you probably know, that mountain bikes are allowed on some trails

I was surprised that mountain bikes are now allowed to climb PowderFace ! I had not gone up Powderface for several years, and then about two years ago, while climbing a very steep and winding trail, some Mountain bikes suddenly came at us, silently , heading down. Not a great place for horses to have them coming at them un expectantly!


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## lsdrider (Jun 27, 2012)

Great pics!
Thanks for sharing your ride.


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