Fantasy Ranch Horseback Riding

Waiting for instructions

The first wave of riders heads out

Waiting for my horse

Hallie a little hesitant on Hercules

And we are off.

We had to push on the aspen trees as we went past them so the horses didn't push us into them.

Bear claw marks on an Aspen tree

Even though this picture is out of focus, I love the watercolor effect it has

Crested Butte

Family shot...L to R... Amy, Renee, Danny, Axelle and Hallie

Axelle gives her horse some love after the ride

Axelle and Moose

Axelle and Moose

We woke up bright and early to be on time for our horseback ride up Snodgrass Mountain with Fantasy Ranch. Hallie was very nervous about riding a horse as she had only ridden with Danny when she was little. The Ranch was wonderful about figuring out our skill and comfort levels and matching us with our horses. The first horse Hallie was put on turned out to be lame, so they switched her to Hercules. Renee said Hallie mounted her horse like she had been riding for years! Axelle's horse was named Moose, and mine was Eve. I can't remember the name of Danny and Renee's horses. My horse couldn't stop grabbing snacks along the trail despite my best attempts to discourage him. He also couldn't stop rubbing on Renee's horse's behind which was in front of him the whole time. I thought at first that he was pushing Renee's horse to move faster, but we decided by the end of the ride that his face was just itchy. Danny's horse was timid every time he came to water, even if it was just a puddle. Hallie's horse on the other hand LOVED the mud puddles but was cautious on the downhill. We really enjoyed our ride up Snodgrass, weaving among aspens and open meadows. The views were incredible!

Lunch at Washington Gulch

Axelle adds tomato to her sandwich

Glacier Lily

Snow

Axelle loves to get in the snow

Ballhead Waterleaf

Dwarf Rock Jasmine

There's something about riding on the back of a horse that makes me very hungry. We changed clothes, fixed a picnic lunch, and took Renee and Axelle to our new favorite picnic spot at Washington Gulch. Danny promised not to drive as far as he did last time when he scared me half to death while turning around on the edge of the mountain. The views were even more beautiful today because it wasn't threatening rain. The air was cool and breezy and our sandwiches were delicious.

Whitewater and Falls

Danny and his cousin Axelle at Judd Falls. Axelle is the daughter of Danny's cousin Vincent and his wife Sophie

Danny and Axelle went whitewater rafting on the Taylor River this morning while Hallie and I showed Renee the town of Crested Butte. Danny said the water was high and fast. They had to wear wet suits and both of them met us with big smiles for lunch at the Avalanche. They had a lot of fun. After lunch, Hallie went with Danny and Axelle to hike back up to Judd Falls to show them to Axelle. Renee and I stayed in town to finish looking around.

Garlic Mike's

Garlic Fries with Tobasco Mayonnaise....YUM!

Danny's cousin Axelle is visiting the United States from France. On the way to pick up Axelle and Danny's sister Renee at the airport, we drove up Ohio Pass and stopped at Garlic Mike's for lunch. Garlic Mike's is located just outside of Gunnison and has one of our favorite taste treats, Garlic Fries. We aren't sure exactly how they are made, but I'm pretty sure they are fried twice, the second time with TONS of minced garlic. They have patio dining along the Gunnison River in the summertime which is always pleasant.

Living in the Clouds

Sometimes it's cool to live so high up that clouds float by the mountain. At least that's Hallie's theory. I just thought it was fog.

Judd Falls

Hallie looked funny in her daddy's raincoat

Judd Falls roaring with tons of water this year

Shooting Star...a new flower for me this year

Larkspur

Bluebells

an impromptu waterfall from the snowmelt

Glacier Lilies near Emerald Lake

Even with the threat of rain, we decided to take a chance on hiking up to Judd Falls. The road was deeply rutted and we weren't able to drive all the way up to the trail head, but it just meant a little extra walking. Sure enough, we weren't on the trail very long before the rain started. Hallie did not have a raincoat, so Danny gave her his. She looked so funny because it was so big and it made her look like she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Even funnier was watching Danny walk with a little girlie looking umbrella. I wish I had taken a picture of that! We made it to the Falls without incident and were amazed at the volume of water running this year. The noise was thunderous. My little chipmunk friend from last year was there, but didn't stick around when he saw that I didn't have anything to give him. I think I'm going to have to start carrying unsalted sunflower seeds for my little friends. We drove up Gothic Road and tried to go to Emerald Lake, but the road was blocked with snow and ice. Maybe next year.

Washington Gulch

Glacier Lily

Our picnic lunch spot view. Crested Butte is to the left with Round Mountain behind it.

Geranium

Bluebells

A friend of mine had been to Crested Butte the week before and had seen Glacier Lilies. These tiny little flowers are usually gone by July as they are the first wildflowers to appear when the snow recedes. Since there was still snow in the upper elevations, we packed a picnic lunch and set out for Washington Gulch, about a 20 minute drive from our house. I had never seen a Glacier Lily and thought it would be much bigger. I was surprised to find they are only about 5-6 inches tall and I had to lay down on my side just to photograph them which Danny and Hallie found very entertaining to watch. We drove on until we found too much snow to make the road passable. Let me just say that I put my hands over my eyes as Danny turned us around on a very narrow precipice that did not have a turn around spot!