We left home with great anticipation…Dad Pete, Mom Kathy, daughter Erica and son Andy.
We arrived and were rewarded by a great lunch prepared by Lorie, cook extraordinaire. We headed out to meet our horses and to be fitted for saddles. We headed to the gymkhana for some basic exercises, and then decided a river ride would be great before dinner. This gave us a chance to practice our skills.
We arrived back at the Ranch to relax before dinner, we were given a map orientation on the History of the area. The landmarks and all the options to ride the next day, as well as information on the Stewardship and Conversation of the area.
Morning arrived with a hardy breakfast and lunches in our saddle bags. So, off we went. We arrived at Jewel Bridge at lunchtime, after passing through beautiful scenery with the river below us. Our guides, Len and Steve, built a fire and their cowboy coffee really hit the spot, along with the lunch goodies prepared by Lorie. We shed out gear and began to feel “at one” with our horses. Our big trip to the high country the next day, promised to test out new abilities. We really looked forward to it.
Upon returning to the Ranch, Andy wasn't feeling good. It was apparent we weren’t dealing with a simple cold, so we headed to Lillooet. Surely we would find it was a minor problem and we would be on our way back to the Ranch to get ready for tomorrows ride.
We stayed overnight in Lilloet an x-ray showed Andy had pneumonia. The ride into the high country wasn’t to be. Erica, who’d stayed at the Ranch, became out family’s photographer. She kept her eyes on the high country trip so we’d know what we’d missed.
We returned to the Ranch the next day and waited anxiously for Erica and the other riders. They were exhausted, but invigorated too, when they returned. It had been a terrific time. One of the other guests said, “This was the best trip yet!” We’ll just have to return one of these days to get our chance to really do it right. It turned out to be a one-of-a-kind vacation for all of us, even Andy whom fortified with strong antibiotics, rode bareback the last day and did target shooting. We thank Kevan, Len Steve, Lorie and her son Patrick(a great kid), and lastly, Carl and Irene, for a truly memorable vacation.
Ret, Kathy, Erica, Andy, Edmonds, Washington.