Local Horsey Ladies Ride with Mantracker By Lisa Warren and Kathy Mydske
AND WHAT A RIDE IT WAS!
Our Horsey Ladies group with Mantracker – “we caught him!”
Downtime at camp
Afternoon Siesta
Terry Grant and the Anchor D staff 12 • AUGUST 2021
Our host Dewy Matthews SADDLEUP.CA
W
e arrived on a Thursday evening, greeted by the friendly staff at the Anchor D Ranch and set up for the night in “Grandpa’s” log cabin. We enjoyed the amenities including heated floors, comfortable beds, and fantastic pillows. It was a little bit of a luxury before “roughing it.” We started Friday with a hearty breakfast prepared by Marcia at the main house where we learned a little history of the Anchor D. The owner, Dewy Matthews, named the ranch in tribute of his father, Don, who worked in the Navy Reserves in Victoria. The ranch stretches over a half section bordering the Kananaskis and fields 120+ horses. Coincidentally, Dewy was invited on the project, Mantracker, but said he was busy with his ranch and suggested his cousin, Terry Grant, who worked with Search & Rescue and was a true tracker… hence, the series Mantracker was cast. After breakfast, we all met at the barn where the horses were handpicked for each rider. Due to high river conditions, horses and riders were transported to a starting point in Kananaskis Park. We rode up Green Mountain with our incredibly fit horses to an elevation of 6,800 ft. We travelled steep and narrow rocky paths as well as rolling meadows with incredible mountain views. We stopped for a rest on a high summit pasture eating a nutritious packed lunch from our saddle bags. While the horses rested, the riders enjoyed an afternoon siesta in full view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. After a relaxing nap, we headed down to base camp where we found our gear had been transported with tents and sleeping cots ready for our arrival. A fabulous dinner was prepared by Jocelyn, and we ate around a warm campfire. Mantracker (Terry) regaled us with great stories about both the Mantracker series as well as stories from his work in Search & Rescue. He was truly a down-to-earth guy willing to share his experiences. The evening was enjoyed by all. Saturday morning started early with a hearty breakfast. We headed out to Blue Mountain for a full day ride with wranglers Justin and Julie along for the ride. Our companion dogs, Buddy and Luke, flushed out any wildlife ahead of us as the horses carried us up and up… finally
Anchor D Guiding & Outfitting in Turner Valley Alberta exceeded our expectations with a 3-day/2-night horseback riding and camping adventure. We joined an eclectic group of 10 riders ranging from a novice 20-year-old to an experienced 79-yearold; yet, the real superstars were the horses. Ideally, chosen for each individual rider, they carried us sure-footed and safe through wooded trails, rolling meadows, river crossings and high mountain passes in the Canadian Rockies.
