Janelle was a wonderful guide, and the trail horses all had great attitudes. My spouse and I went on an All Day ride today to celebrate our first few days as newlyweds and Janelle took us on a breathtaking excursion through Big Bend State Park,...
Read MoreJanelle was a wonderful guide, and the trail horses all had great attitudes. My spouse and I went on an All Day ride today to celebrate our first few days as newlyweds and Janelle took us on a breathtaking excursion through Big Bend State Park, from 500 feet up on the beautiful Contrabando Mesa, down to the sandy arroyo of Fresno Creek. By the creek, we found a shady spot and stopped for a full delicious lunch including smoked chicken from Rustic Iron BBQ, homemade bean salad, cheese, crackers, pickled okra, and more. The quality of food was top notch. After lunch, we moved on into hills and small mountains of red stone, where we spotted an aoudad ram (bighorn sheep).
The instructions given to us regarding what to bring on the trip were thorough - we were extremely well prepared and had plenty of water. Janelle has a sincere and good-natured way about her - friendly, knowledgeable, caring for both riders and horses. I expressed my interest in one day having a few horses of my own, and she generously shared her knowledge, advice, and experiences.
We both felt like we were in great hands - even while climbing and descending very narrow, steep, rocky trails, we were totally relaxed and thrilled to be there. The horses were calm and even tempered (though they'll eat the whole way if you don't keep a close eye and prevent them from doing so!) and very good with the difficult terrain - every minute in the saddle was an excellent experience.
I recommend bringing a bandana to protect the back of your neck from the sun, sunblock if you're not completely covered, chapstick with UV protection, tough jeans, boots, and a chin strap for your hat. Upper elevations do get very windy and the trip includes passing through a fair amount of leg-level brush and prickly plants, but the land out here is some of the most beautiful I've seen in my entire life.
The trip was more than worth the very reasonable cost. What a good day. Thank you for the ride and good company.
Gene and Dilan
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