Michael,

For her 23rd birthday, Beth & I promised Katie a horseback ride in the Boulder area. So when Katie dropped into Denver from her latest Americorps projects, we brought her back up to Boulder and made a call to our friendly cowboy Fred. Fred has given up mountain climbing to be a part-time cowboy. He owns one horse and stables it with 3 others owned by a would-be horseman named Matt. Matt would like to be a cowboy himself, but he needs instruction, and Fred has taught him everything he knows about horses.

Anyway, Fred wangled a free ride on 2 of Matt’s horses. Katie got to ride Scooter, a big, spritely, brown gelding, and I got to ride old Gypsy, a white, spotted, gentle mare. After loading all the saddles on and tacking us all up, Fred hopped aboard his own horse, Skywalker, a young blue-eyed black and white gelding. The sun was shining bright when we started, and I was glad to have my straw cowboy hat, but I had to hold it on tight in the occasional gusts of wind we were riding into.

Our ride went west towards the foothills in the South Boulder Creek drainage. We crossed through several unused ranches, opening and closing gates as we went. The buffalo grass was high and golden, concealing the purple gayfeather and yellow gumweed flowers. Rainclouds blew towards us from the hills ahead and we pulled out our rain jackets for the coming showers. While a gusty wind blew big rain drops into our faces, we rode our horses towards the forested hills. The shower stopped after a few minutes, bur somehow I lost my hat in a wind gust. Fred kicked Skywalker into a trot. This was something I wasn’t familiar with, but Katie kicked Scooter into a trot too, and without my urging, Gypsy started trotting. It was all I could do but hang onto the pommel and try to move with my horse. I’d never been in a trot before.

Skywalker wanted to canter, and Fred urged him on. Katie kicked Scooter into a canter, and naturally, Gypsy started into a canter. Unprepared for that gait, I nearly fell off. Trotting is OK, but cantering is not, so I pulled hard on her reins and got Gypsy back into a trot. Meanwhile, about half a mile ahead, the two real riders waited patiently for me at the edge of the woods.

We rode up into the ponderosas, which smelled sweetly aromatic after the shower. The trail led upwards towards the Devils Thumb, which projects from the skyline above the minor flatirons. I had been hiking with Chuck last week in that area and speculated whether Katie’s horse ride might soon be in that area. My second sight was right. I pointed out the various formations to Katie. Besides Devil’s thumb, there was the Maiden and the Matron, and the whimsical Fatiron.

Fred took us off trail, and it was all I could do to keep Gypsy from walking under low hanging branches. At one point she got her rein wrapped around a limb, and I pretty near lost control. But she patiently waited for me to lean over her head and untangle the rein. Meanwhile, Fred was leading us into some steep rocks. I wondered if our horses could handle the terrain, but these horses were familiar with rough country. We had no problems until Fred decided to go straight up the hill. He hopped off his saddle, and led Skywalker on foot, so we had to do the same. We reached the crest of a hill, and led the horses down into a more level area.

Out of the forest we rode, into the gayfeathery buffalo grass again. We all trotted cross-country down to the trails below, and while Fred & Katie cantered their horses, I restrained Gypsy with difficulty. Our horses really loved the “lope” (western hoss lingo for “canter”), but I didn’t. By the time we got back to the corral, our horses were sweating, and hungry. I was feeling muscles I’ve never felt before, agreed with Katie that it was a terrific ride. It was not only a great present for her, but one for me, too.

Photo Abum

–rakkity