I’ve wanted to go on a horse pack trip since I was a teen. My dad had heard of Chilcotin Holidays somewhere and written away to get a copy of their brochure. I flipped though the glossy photographs of mountain meadows and horses periodically over the years but never found the time to make the trip; I was always busy with school or work. It took me 20 years to finally go. I’m so glad I made the time for what was one of my best experiences in life.

I spent the first day of the trip at the ranch. There were plenty of things to learn and activities like lassoing, fitting a saddle and roasting marshmallows in the fire pit out back. Meals were taken in the ranch house with all the guests sharing food family style. Everything was delicious. That night, I tucked into my comfortable bed for my last sleep before hitting the trail with my guide Lea.

The next morning, Lea introduced me to my horse for the trip: Meg. Meg has quite the personality and I liked her a lot. If you have the chance to meet her, you’ll know what I mean. Guests to the ranch can do as little or as much as they wish. It was fun to learn how to saddle Meg and give her oats. I discovered she liked taking selfies.

Lea (with Fortress) and Meg and I hit the trail. We spent the day exploring some of the most beautiful BC scenery I’ve seen before meeting up with our trip companions at Leckie Camp. I was very fortunate on this trip as I was the only guest amongst a group of guides-in-training. I therefore had the opportunity to observe and try out a number of tasks related to horse care. I was an avid camper in my youth and I love cooking. The group let me contribute to campfire building and meal preparation. There are wild edibles in the mountains and with the guidance of Lea I was able to harvest pine tips, wild onions and wild potatoes. These, along with a couple lake trout I caught, contributed to some pretty good meals.

What I liked about this pack trip was we didn’t just stay at a home base and go for day rides (although such a vacation is also an option). Instead, every other day we set out on an adventure. We traveled from Leckie Camp to Spruce Lake Camp and back again with day trips to Open Heart, Beaver Pond and Hummingbird Lake. We bushwhacked through forest and climbed steep inclines for spectacular views. We gathered grizzly hair from rub posts and checked out the sea shell fossils at the base of a rock face that is millions of years old.

The horses and guides work very hard in Chilcotin. The guides get up very early in the morning to ensure both guests and horses are well fed and taken care of. The horse care is very important as we rely on the strength and agility of the animals to get us to our next destination. I was amazed at Meg’s ability to walk the edge of cliffs, march up steep inclines, pick her way across the slippery stones in creeks and manoeuvre in tight confines. She was tireless and even jumped a log or two! As the trip went on, I came to trust her abilities more and more.

I was not prepared for the beauty of the mountain meadows or aspen groves. Traveling in May meant I got to see the beautiful blooms: Flowers I’d never before laid eyes on. Everything looked and smelled fresh and untouched. It was amazing to see wildlife in natural habitat: A Grizzly and her cub browsing for grubs in the meadow; deer grazing in the valley; mountain goats hanging out on the cliffside. Each sight more astounding than the last.

I started out on my Chilcotin adventure with practically no horse experience, but by the end I felt stronger and more confident in the saddle. We rode into the ranch on our last evening, dusty and tired from the trail but content and proud of our accomplishments. Meg and I really bonded on this trip and I knew I would miss her. I unsaddled her for the last time and fed her some oats. We said our goodbyes.

I will always remember with fondness my time in the Chilcotin Mountains; the staff at the ranch; Lea my guide; and Meg, my fiery, surefooted, selfie-taking horse.

VeeFox,