 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
 |
|
||
For Email Marketing you can trust
View our blog
Subscribe
My First Grizzly In The Wild
Kevan leads us downwind of a
big sow feeding her two cubs.
Her snout is snuffling up the
exquisite earthy aromas of fat
tubers and shoots. She feeds as if
she hasn't eaten in six months,
which indeed she hasn't. Her
furry coat is darker than the
usual salt and pepper. Kevan
tells us that her colour predominates
in the valley. He knows the
local bears just as we would recognize
our neighbors' dogs.
The two cubs are from this year's litter and are romping in their first carefree summer. Facing my first grizzly in the wild gives me a sense of raw immediacy. Mama bear chows down on the parsnips while the cubs race around. Elated, we ride back across the valley floor. Along the way, we come across an excavated marmot burrow. Huge claws have dug out the labyrinth of chambers with lethal efficiency.
Heather McPherson,
Vancouver British Columbia
An Amazing Day For Grizzly
Viewing
It promised to be a beautiful day
as we left camp at 6:30 on a June
morning, the second day of my
Grizzly Viewing adventure. We
rode steadily and quietly through
the trees and on up to more of
the balsam-root-filled meadows
that make these mountains so
glorious at this time of year.
Others would have just been sitting down to breakfast when we saw our first bear, a fine looking grizzly feeding slowly across the meadow. An hour or so later found us in an ideal place to start looking for more bears. My guide settled down to scan the hills across from us as I dug out binoculars. I'd hardly reached them when he said he'd spotted some. He'd only just sat down, how could he find bears already!
I peered through the spotting scope and was thrilled to see a sow and cubs busily working their way through a small meadow while a lone black bear went about his business on another field.
This turned out to be just the start of an amazing day for bears and some superb riding through those beautiful flower-filled meadows and up to the top of a mountain for breathtaking vistas. How easily the superlatives come to mind! Memories of these very special days are filled with bears and deer, watching a moose swim across the far end of the lake, learning to recognize the blue grouse's call and being charmed and amused by two black bear cubs as they played in their brand new world.
Life in camp was very comfortable, not to mention pampered. We couldn't believe our ears when we were told that the shower was ready. It was wonderful to stand under a hot shower in the middle of the forest after the day's riding. The versatile, hardworking staff who took turns at cooking never failed to produce a plentiful and delicious meal. Even lunch bags were opened with pleasurable anticipation. One of my favorite photos is of the morning sun just touching the distant mountains and the mist rising off the utterly still water - what a place to spend the summer. Thanks to all the guides, all of us will have warm and lasting memories of a great holiday. And thanks to everyone at the Ranch for a wonderful beginning and end to the week.
Jay Reed,
Calgary Alberta
Work Ethics And Skills Of
Your Staff
Thank you for taking such good
care of me on the trip. What
was the highlight? Watching
the work ethic and skills of your
staff. I understand the planning
and logistics that go into putting
together a successful 7 day
trip. Now, for myself, I would
like to come back another year.
The goal would be to photograph
the mountains and wild
flowers.
Jack Ostlind,
Portland Oregon
Next Time, It's Grizzly
Viewing
Our Pack trip in September was
the most fantastic holiday I
think we've ever had! We're
starting to get itchy feet and the
mountains are starting to call.
We would like to go on a
Grizzly bear viewing trip sometime
next year.
Corinne Gill & Carl Sutterby,
West Sussex England
Those Cayuse Horses Are Most
Reliable
During the Guide Training,
we learned how to pack the
horses with a week or more
worth of supplies, food and
horse feed. We were taught to
rig up the horses for sleigh
rides and logging. We even
learned how to shoe our own
horses. After a week of training
with the most patient
instructors, we were declared
ready to learn first hand
necessities to making a good
camp in the wilderness. So,
we packed up the horses for
real and rode off into the
wilderness.
These Cayuse horses are the most reliable, smart, calm, solid, dependable animals I've ever had the honor of knowing. They can scramble over sharp boulders in a rock slide, and stay standing while a shale slide crumbles from under each step. It is the most incredible experience being a passenger observing this speechless mass of a beast feeling his way with his frying pan sized feet, negotiating each step along a slippery freezing river bed, going around boulders that he could perhaps feel or sense, but couldn't see. The horses picked their way like chamois.
Charlotte Yonge,
Paris France
The Best I Have Ever Enjoyed
I must say those 10 days in the
Chilcotin Mountains were the
best I have ever enjoyed. The rock
formations had the wonder of the
Grand Canyon, the terrain the
warmth of the red Colorado
Rockies, the glacial valleys the
intimacy and poetry of Glacier
National Park, and the vistas had
the grandeur of the Alberta
Rockies. However, the pleasure of
the trip was much more than that.
I so enjoyed the people! Excellent
travel companions, and the other
folks I met from Canada,
Vermont and England were all so
talented, easy going and filled
with a keen sense of adventure,
physically and mentally.
What really made that all possible was the excellent organization of your Ranch, personally and technically. Your folks knew how to fit us to the right horse and saddle. My horse was wonderful, so mellow and responsive. Just as important, were the excellent communication, perception and flexibility of the guides. I have gone on long term trips with other groups, led foreign delegations, and offered workshops in 6 cities. I was just as impressed by how well the guides could smoothly handle changes in weather and the group dynamics. Naturally it goes without saying that I shall be joining you all again next year! In a word, my vacation at your Ranch was - physically, mentally, socially and spiritually refreshing!
Roseanne Fresse,
Arlington Virginia
Keep Up The Good Work
I wanted to express my thanks to
all of you at Chilcotin! We had a
wonderful time and the experience
of a lifetime. Our pictures are
outstanding and the memories
will remain forever. One of the
areas I must comment on was
your detail to our safety. From the
time we arrived until we left, we
felt we were in good hands and
properly outfitted for the journey.
Our guides were terrific, as well as
being a lot of fun. They cook very
well ... perfect all around. Your
staff at the Ranch were terrific as
well. I sincerely hope we will meet
again. Keep up your good work
on preserving your area. It is so
beautiful and worth the effort.
Helen Giles,
Caledon East Ontario
Exemplary In Their Knowledge
Laura and I had a lovely time - without
a single exception the
guides and employees that we
came in touch with were exemplary
in their knowledge of the business
and in their customer service.
I cannot commend you enough
on the quality and dedication of
your staff. They in a large part are
the reason we had such an enjoyable
time.
Peter Nasmyth,
Victoria British Columbia
Companions In A Lifetime
Adventure
As the days get shorter, we find
ourselves reminiscing about our
seven day guided horseback trip
with Chilcotin Holidays. We are
grateful to you for an excellent
time together. Your meticulous
attention to detail delivered what
we requested; unparalleled adventure;
an itinerary that would challenge
us as a family; and assurance
that our pursuits would be executed
safely.
The territory was beyond our exceptions. The immensity of this landscape is indescribably beautiful. The itinerary kept us curious and challenged. Careful pre-trip fitting of saddle to rider was dearly appreciated, especially in the later hours of the rides. Our guides quickly became our companions, and guided our group confidently and competently. Their familiarity with the setting was always reassuring. Most interestingly, Emily and I were given the opportunity to enjoy our children (Anna 11 and Martine 9) less as parents, and more as companions in a lifetime adventure. Thank you for a great trip.
Robert and Emily Schlagintweit,
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Education and Participation,
Fueled by Good Food
We rode the next day through
beautiful mountain scenery,
across fast streams and down
into spectacular gorges, always at
a gentle pace and with our trusty
guide looking after us. We saw
Mule deer and tiny hummingbirds,
but these just whetted our
appetites for the evening activity,
which was to be Grizzly bear
viewing.
Apart from the horse riding, I learned to stand in an icy green lake and fish for trout while the sun set and the loon made a very poignant song. I also tried my hand at target shooting with surprisingly accurate results. How do you get normally less active people to partake enthusiastically in so many athletic and potentially tiring sports? It's the way you fuel us up! We had a succession of gourmet meals with not only an astonishing variety of tastes, but also a cultural story to go with them told charmingly by our two young chefs as they served us.
Clare Seligman,
Whiterock British Columbia
We had the best time ever, and are planning for a 7 day pack trip next year. We've told our friends and many, like us, are planning to put their own groups together. Thanks for everything and we'll see you next summer.
Mark & Robin Sacco,
New Vernon New Jersey
Truly an Outstanding Vacation
Thank you to everyone "back at
the Ranch" for helping to make
my Chilcotin Holiday an
absolutely unforgettable experience.
The wonderful hospitality
that you showed me during my
stay at the Ranch, and the marvelous
adventure I had while on
the trail made mine a truly outstanding
vacation.
Karen Campbell,
Burnaby British Columbia
We are still talking about the great time we had at the Ranch and your wonderful Canadian hospitality. Thanks so much for the great vacation. I'm already looking at how I can get a big portion of our family to come to BC for a family reunion. I'll keep you posted on my progress. You all sure took good care of us.
Ike Eichhorn,
Rosswell Georgia
What Makes This Trip So
Special
Janet and I give you two our sincere
thanks for providing us with
a very special adventure. It was
filled with beautiful views, great
food, new friends, and very interesting
trails that helped us
increase our riding skills. There
was never a dull moment in the
day. Perhaps what makes this trip
so special was that you two special
people joined us on this trip.
Your company and your leadership
all continue to make these
horse adventures very special to
Janet and I. Thanks again for a
wonderful time and please thank
all your staff for taking care of us.
Your friends.
Mike & Janet Burks,
Edmonds Washington
A Successful Hiking Adventure
My friends really enjoyed hiking
with you in the South Chilcotin
Mountains. They talked about the
beautiful scenery, the comfortable
camps, and the super food ... but
always came back to the guides
who worked hard, always with a
smile, and made the trip possible.
So, on behalf of my friends I
would like to thank you for a job
well done. Too bad I had to cancel
at the last minute and stay
home to lick my wounds. Next
year, I will be on the trip with you.
Dieter Overhoff,
Peachland British Columbia
Don't Go Away
Just thinking about you all. We
were just going through some of
our photos, and thinking about
our wonderful, memorable times
we had with you. We can't wait
to come and be with you again,
somewhere we can really breathe
and know where we are. There is
nothing else I look forward to
quite so much. I hope you are all
very well, don't go away!
Jane & Tim Beckmann,
London England
Envious Fellow Workers
Just wanted to let you know that
we had a great trip. The photos
turned out great. Exceptional
weather, good horses ... up to 8
hours a day in the saddle and no
sore behinds! Special thanks to
our guides who made this trip so
pleasant. Next year we will have
to make it a Level II. Len and I
have 75 envious fellow workers.
Roger Konkle,
Victoria British Columbia
Trust Your Life To A Careful
Mountain Pony
Once upon a time ... two girls
from northern Germany are
dreaming the same dream. Last
year, we realized our dream. We
started on a seven day pack trip.
A.J. found her special horse at the
Ranch the first day. My careful
mountain pony had a head of its
own. I like horses like that! We
both got the right one to enjoy
our trip. Our guides showed us
ways I never believed you could
ride.
Before the journey, we read, saw and heard a lot about your country, but the best picture, the detailed book and all the movies cannot describe this land as you stand at the pass, take in the view down the Creek, ride through the valley, or see the sunrise. All these moments we'll never forget. Some of the most impressive situations for me were to see snowgoats and a moose very high up in the alpine area. We realized one of our greatest dreams and now we feel a new dream is born! One day we'll be back again. Until this time, we do rides with our ponies, and we tell them about the careful mountain ponies at Chilcotin Holidays.
Petra Pollok, Astrid Johannsen,
New Wulmstorf Germany
Language Not A Barrier
Thank you so much for everything.
I was not good at English,
but all of your staff was kind to
me. All the food was delicious,
your ranch was very cozy and
comfortable. Of course horse trips
were so wonderful. I had a very
good time. I hope to come to your
Ranch again.
Michiru Tsuchiya,
SaitamaKen Japan
Beyond Expectations
Thank you for making our stay
such a wonderful and unforgettable
experience. The kids have
drawn picture after picture of
their new friends (the horses!).
I'm sure that the memories
made at the Ranch will stick
with them for a lifetime. The
hospitality shown to us at
Chilcotin Holidays was above
and beyond anything that we
would have ever expected. We
sincerely appreciate the staff's
patience and positive attitude in
dealing with our four rambunctious
7 year old. We hope to
return for the seven day pack
trip when our kids are a bit
older.
Karen HoneycuttThomas,
Richardson Texas
Good Ones
I do apologize for not writing
sooner to let you know what a
fabulous time we had at your
ranch. Every time I show my
pictures to friends and co-workers
(even the family doctor was
interested in them today), I see
something new. It takes me
back to those days and I
remember the sights and
sounds, as well as the breath
taking views.
Marion Simon,
Sudbury Ontario
Those Obliging Trout
To say that I was a novice fisherman
is an understatement. I
didn't even know which way
to turn the crank on the fishing
rod. Fortunately, the trout
were most obliging.
Robert Harrison,
Montreal Quebec
One Of Many To Follow
Hey you all at the other and
most beautiful side of the
world! I'm not good at talking
and understanding English,
and I wanted to say, once
more, a very big fat THANK
YOU for the trip last week! It
was really great and now I
know that this flight to
Canada was one of many,
many which will follow. The
nature is so great. And I wanted
to say the most thanks to
my guides. They really made it
a holiday, wow! Thank you
very, very much for the hard
work you do there.
Inga Zante,
Riflefeld Germany
Chilcotin Holidays
at Chilcotin Holidays