Travel: The Wild West, Any Way You Like It

The Wild West,

Any Way You Like It

Equestrians have plenty of exciting options when it comes to exploring the American frontier.

By KAT NETZLER

For New Experiences In e Lap Of Luxury THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Greenough, Mont. | PawsUp.com

Plenty of resorts are prone to the “we o er something for everyone,” hyperbole, but it’s not an exaggeration at Paws Up. e trick is deciding just who you want to be while you’re there, because their smorgasbord of awesome activities is enough to incite an identity crisis.

If you’re looking to focus on horses rst and foremost, you won’t be bored. Paws Up o ers enough equestrian activities to ll a whole week—everything from participating in an authentic cattle drive to taking a private lesson at e Saddle Club, the largest private equestrian center in the state, with a stunning 23,000-square-foot indoor arena. e sta also o ers horse care lessons on the ground, hacking over 100 miles of trails, and wagon-team driving lessons (with the adorable Pete and Repeat, full-brother Norwegian Fjord geldings).

But you can be a horse person at home, right? is is vacation, so try something new! Indulge your inner sportsman with archery, y shing, or shooting at the ri e or sporting clay ranges. Venture outside your comfort zone with ATV tours, rappelling, geocaching (described as “a high-tech version of an Easter-egg hunt”), or the high ropes challenge course. Or test your physical prowess on the Grizzlyman Fitness Trail.

Looking for something more traditional, like water sports? Don’t worry, they’ve got those too. You can water ski, tube and paddleboard on the lake, or ride the river in a canoe, kayak or whitewater raft.

But if adrenaline is the last thing you look for in a vacation, you’ve still come to the right place. Paws Up’s Wilderness Workshop series connects guests with cultural and creative experts throughout the summer for intensive multi-day learning. ere are the expected workshops, like writing, landscape painting, and starry night photography, but you can also dive into the world of knit gra ti or learn to build kites with professional kite yers (yes, that’s a thing!).

Paws Up’s phenomenal dining menu is a treat no matter when you visit, but if you’re a foodie and a cook, be sure to check out their special cooking and baking camp workshop weeks, such as Upper Crust, “a sophisticated cookie, pie and pizza camp,” or BBQ-U for the ultimate education in meat. e resort also hosts events like Montana Master Chefs week, when James Beard Award All-Stars from around the country converge to create a world-class culinary experience for guests.

All that’s just a taste of your activity options in summer; Paws Up also welcomes guests throughout the snowy season for dogsledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snow tubing, ice skating, private indoor riding lessons, a WinterFest food and wine festival, and more.

Situated on 37,000 acres of a working cattle ranch in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley, e Resort at Paws Up is located 35 minutes northeast of Missoula. Guest rates include round-trip transfer from Missoula International Airport.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Even the humbly named “cook shack” at The Resort at Paws Up is Instagram-worthy.

Guests at The Resort at Paws Up can choose between private lodges or tents like this one, which include luxury amenities like soaking tubs.

Rise before dawn to float above the breathtaking Montana skyline in a hot air balloon.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Whether you want to take a lesson at the top-class indoor equestrian center or cut loose on a mountain trail ride, Paws Up is a perfect fit for equestrians of all skill levels.

For A Formative Family Experience 7D RANCH

Cody, Wyo. | 7DRanch.com

Having children isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying a stay at this working Wyoming ranch— there are plenty of adults-only weeks on their summer schedule—but 7D has a reputation when it comes to excellent kids’ programming.

Tailored to children ages 3-12, their optional and exible children’s curriculum includes riding and horsemanship for all skill levels (in the arena or, for kids 6 and up, out on the trail), daily hikes, and lessons in ranch life, cowboy culture, ecology, wildlife, and the area’s Native American history. Long days are capped o with camp re singing and s’mores, and the week culminates in a gymkhana on Saturday afternoon so kids can show o their freshly honed skills in the saddle. 7D also o ers daytime babysitting services for infants and toddlers so parents and older siblings can make the most of their stay.

A family-run business since 1958, the ranch keeps their guest list limited each week (they have just 10 guest cabins), so you’re ensured a top-notch customized experience. All meals are served family-style in the main lodge, and in the evenings you can expect everything from yard games, live music, cowboy poetry readings and hay rides to a Wicki-up—a traditional sweat lodge experience followed by a bracing jump in the river and a camp re. Guests are also encouraged to check out Cody’s world-famous Cody Night Rodeo and Bu alo Bill Historical Center. 7D maintains a herd of 80 horses and more trails than you can experience in one visit, so if you’re aiming to soak up as much wilderness as possible during your stay, consider crafting a custom pack trip. ese long-distance rides can span from three to 14 days in the Wyoming high country, traversing stunning landscapes with the help of an experienced guide, a horse wrangler and an excellent cook. e ranch also o ers hiking and climbing for all skill levels, excellent y shing opportunities for expert trout shermen (and lessons for beginners), and an annual horsemanship clinic to which guests are welcomed with their own horses (though it’s not required—you can also take your pick from 7D’s extensive herd).

Located in the Absaroka Mountains in northwest Wyoming between Yellowstone National Park and Cody, 7D Ranch is best reached via Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody (52 miles) or Logan International Airport in Billings, Mont. (125 miles). Guests are recommended to rent a vehicle, but van transfers to/from Cody are available.

PHOTO COURTESY OF 7D RANCH

Since 1958, 7D Ranch has welcomed guests to Wyoming’s scenic Sunlight Basin. Riding off into the sunset on a 7D Ranch pack trip.

7D Ranch boasts a herd of 80 horses, which guarantees everyone in the family will find the perfect partner.

For A Roughing-It Experience You’ll Always Remember SOMBRERO RANCHES GREAT AMERICAN HORSE DRIVE

Craig, Colo. | Sombrero.com

Sombrero owns one of the largest herds of horses in North America, usually numbering around 1,500. Most are used as mounts at their dude ranches, lesson stables, and scout and church camps during the summer and as deer and elk hunting camp horses in the fall.

After hunting season concludes, Sombrero’s herds are put out to winter pasture at several ranches, including their biggest, Brown’s Park Ranch, where 400-500 horses are kept on 90,000 acres until the rst week of May. at’s where you come in.

For the past 18 years, Sombrero has been inviting guest riders to participate in their annual spring tradition: the Great American Horse Drive, which moves the Brown’s Park herd more than 60 miles to the company’s Big Gulch Ranch near Craig, Colo.

It’s not an easy ticket to get. e company accepts only a limited number of riders, and repeat business is high, with priority given to past participants. e experience begins at Big Gulch with a short orientation, riding assessment and instruction and a brie ng on drive procedures. Guests are assigned in groups with a head wrangler and an assistant before venturing out across the spectacular sagebrush country of western Colorado. Sombrero provides each rider with two mounts, tack, lodging and three hearty meals a day.

And when you nish? You’ll also earn your Great American Horse Drive jacket and trophy belt buckle that proves you completed the drive, “gate to gate.” e 2017 drive is slated for May 3-7.

Yampa Valley Regional Airport near Steamboat Springs in northwest Colorado is your closest stop for air travel, and transportation to and from the airport is included in the cost of the ride.

The Great American Horse Drive from Brown’s Park Ranch to Big Gulch Ranch takes place every year during the first week of May.

You, too, can earn a belt buckle like this! You’ll just have to help drive 500 horses for 60 miles to do it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMBRERO RANCHES

The Sombrero Ranches Great American Horse Drive has been a tradition in western Colorado for more than 40 years, and guests are now welcomed into the hard work and fun.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMBRERO RANCHES