Riding high FIND A HORSEBACK ADVENTURE, FROM DAY RIDES TO BACKCOUNTRY

BY SHELLEY SMITH JONES

If ever there was a perfect place to ride horses, one could vouch for the Methow Valley. The spectacular scenery, variety of riding options available, and extensive horsemen and horsewomen community all lend themselves to a superb experience on the back of a horse.

If you’ve never ridden a horse before, but would love to try it, there are several places in the valley that offer a trusty horse to provide a positive first encounter with such a large animal. Most outfitters recommend a shorter ride — such as 1 to 1-1/2 hours — for a first-timer. Once you are hooked, 2-hour, half-day, and fullday rides are available.

When comfortable in the saddle, a look around the countryside will fill your senses. In the late spring, myriads of colorful wildflowers abound. Summertime rides often go through waving green grasses and along clean, clear rivers. T he backdrop of blue skies, puffy clouds, and snow-capped mountain ranges demand the oft-heard comment, “It’s so beautiful here!”

To become a more proficient horseback rider, lessons are available from seasoned wranglers. Adding tools to your toolkit enhances the riding experience. Soon, a pack trip will be on your bucket list.

Riding to an alpine basecamp while mules haul your duffle bag (fishing pole, too, if desired) on a horse handpicked for your ability and stature is a trip of a lifetime. Most multi-day rides offer mouth-watering meals prepared by experienced cooks, including fresh pan-fried cutthroat or rainbow trout that you just caught. Evenings are filled with campfire entertainment or quiet time under the dark, star-covered sky.

Horse owners will find it well worth trailering them to the Methow Valley. Methow Trails’ extensive ski trail system offers a wide variety of terrain when the snow is gone from a flat 2-hour ride at Big Valley to a loop ride with some climbs through arrowleaf balsamroot at Buck Mountain and numerous trails out of Chickadee Trailhead. Jack’s Trail loop winds through the trees for a cooler ride on a hot day. Check Methow Trails Summer Trails map for the horse symbol to see which trails are open to horseback riding.

Many trails are also occupied by wildlife including bear, moose, deer, coyote, even, wolves, so a rider must always be aware of the surroundings. A game bird can fly up unexpectedly and even a “bombproof” horse sometimes will spook.

Two horse camps are available for overnight camping with plenty of trails out your camper door. Methow Valley Backcountry Horsemen put in a significant number of hours every year keeping up the campsites. U.S. Forest Service Twisp River Horse Camp is located 22 miles up Twisp River and is intended for stock users.

U.S. Forest Service North Summit Horse Camp allows stock camping only and is located on Loup Loup Pass (same turnoff as Loup Loup Ski Area).

Mazama Ranch House, another option, is known as the best little horse hotel in Washington State with free corral space and easy trail access while horse owners enjoy the lovely accommodations of the facility. Goat Creek loop ride or a ride across Tawlks Foster Suspension Bridge to Wesola Polana on Methow Community Trail are both great choices right outside the door.

Also available in the summer are wagon rides, for those who want a horse experience, but maybe not on its back.

PACKERS, OUTFITTERS, AND TRAIL GUIDES

■ DARWOOD OUTFITTING

Jess Darwood (509)322-5377 www.darwoodoutfitting.com

Pack trips, hunting pack trips.

■ E ARLY WINTERS OUTFITTING

Aaron Lee and Judy Burkhart (509) 996-2659 www.earlywintersoutfitting.com

Pack trips, hunting pack trips, drop camps, gear drop, trail rides, riding lessons.

■ JD OUTFITTERS LLC

Debbie “Red” Schrock (509) 860-5752

IG – @red-jdoutfitters

FB – JD Outfitters LLC

Customized services for guided horseback rides & horsemanship lessons, wagon & buggy rides.

■ S UN MOUNTAIN LODGE

Slade and MacKenzie Ginter, managers (509) 996-4735 www.sunmountainlodge-com/ sun-mountain/horseback-riding/ Guided trail rides, private rides, arena lessons.

■ CH EWACK RIVER GUEST RANCH

Don and Chris Lundgren (509) 996-2497 www.chewackranch.com

Guided trail rides, cattle drives.

■ MA ZAMA RANCH HOUSE www.mazamaranchhouse.com (509) 996-2040

Horse hotel.

■ SAWTOOTH OUTFITTERS

Alta Lake — Pateros

Tara Varrelman Gokey (509) 899-1125

High mountain rides.

■ U.S. FOREST SERVICE HORSE CAMPS www.fs.usda.gov

Information and current conditions regarding Twisp River Horse Camp and North Summit Horse Camp.