Colorado Getaways – Riding
By Shelly and Jeff Steig

Whether you’re steering or paddling, a riding adventure will take you where your own two feet might never go.

Rocky Mountain Adventures’ guide John Schutz navigates a raft along a quiet stretch of the Colorado River.
© Jeff Steig

It was one of two trips where we “rode” in ways that went beyond our typical excursions.

We had just passed through a section of the Colorado River where the white water rolled around boulders the size of a Volkswagen. Our guide, John Schutz, the manager of Rocky Mountain Adventures’ Kremmling office (called Mad Adventures), expertly navigated our raft to keep us from becoming “swimmers”—slang for riders who’ve capsized. As we floated south, the waters slowed to a smooth gurgle, then flowed peacefully. A bald eagle and osprey swooped overhead, floating on updrafts caused by the warming of the mid-morning sun. Merganser ducks paddled in the eddies, and clouds of mosquitoes buzzed around our ears and settled on exposed skin. We swatted a few times, the only real noise along this quiet stretch through Yarmony Canyon.

From the “put in” point at Pumphouse Run, the Colorado River meanders through narrow gorges and past canyon walls that tower 1,500 feet. In several places the canyon walls squeeze the river like a tube, forcing water to gush through. Our August excursion was more leisurely than during June’s run-off when 5,000 cubic feet per second rush away from the Continental Divide. There were also fewer people on the river than during July’s high season, when as many as 20 outfitters a day work this section.

The raft bobbed along at 2 to 3 miles per hour until we rounded a bend where cliffs loomed on either side. Boys in baggy swim trunks leapt off the cliffs and cannonballed into the waters while dogs romped on a beach with sticks in their mouths, wet fur covered in sand. We kept floating until all we could hear were the faint whoops of the cliff divers and a muffled dog’s excited woof. When we reached a Y tributary, Schutz paddled to a spot where we could pull out our rods and dance the “flies” across the crystal clear water hoping one of the river’s famous cutthroat brown or rainbow trout would rise.

As the sun settled lower, Schutz beached the raft near a campground and began unloading camping equipment. Once the tent was pitched, he pan-fried cheese-stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon, then sautéed asparagus and squash in butter. Although we’d devoured turkey, cheese and sliced avocado sandwiches for lunch, there was nothing left of the fresh and delicious dinner. Exhausted from the day—which included a few stops to rigorously hike up canyon washes—and with a comfortably full stomach, we slept well, awakened only by a passing train’s shrill whistle.

Schutz had coffee brewing the next morning to ward off the early chill, then fueled us with eggs, sausage and pancakes for the day ahead. And although we never hooked a fish, this multi-faceted trip elevated the quintessential Colorado experience of white water rafting by combining it with fly fishing and camping.

A few weeks later, we packed our cowboy hats and boots and headed to Lost Valley Ranch, a 90-minute drive southwest of Denver. We were joining the last three days of a week-long cattle drive. Fifteen cows needed to be directed home.

Ranch hands loaded the horses into large trailers and guests into vans, then drove 30 minutes northwest where they unloaded. For nearly seven hours, including a stop for sandwiches, our group rode terrain that was so steep there were times our backs were against the horses’ rumps as they descended. Later in the day, we rode through deep aspen groves and cottonwood stands, our thighs burning from squeezing the saddle pommel. As the day warmed, we rode through a wildflower-studded meadow, where the horses’ hooves crushed wild sage, filling the air with a spicy scent.

We never did find the 15 roaming cattle, but our disappointment was alleviated by the grand finale—a game of Cow Hockey. Lost Valley crew members set up traffic cones as goals in the rodeo arena, and teams attempted to drive cattle through the narrow slots. A few of the advanced riders knew how to cut—turn their horses quickly—while others used cunning. After one steer escaped through the gates and took off at a frenetic pace up the hill, riders did get to round up one cow. Between the new friendships, the horseback riding and the incredible hospitality at the ranch, it was an adventure anyone would enjoy—until the cows come home.

Shelly and Jeff Steig’s lives intersected on an airplane. They’ve been on the fly ever since—traveling the world, and enjoying its many experiences. However, they are most at home in Colorado.

Colorado Getaways

Colorado Getaways – Riding By Shelly and Jeff Steig

Colorado Getaways – Riding
By Shelly and Jeff Steig