We met at the barn the first morning - eight riders in total: three Australians, four from Ontario, and myself, the only one from BC. After collecting our saddle bags we were driven up to the corral on Mt. Norquay, which is a ski area in winter. There we met our guide, Greg, and our horse for the three day trip.
We set off with Greg leading a mule, rode under the chair lifts, and headed up a trail. Soon we were in the forest, on narrow trails that were steep and rocky; we crossed a few creeks, some with wooden bridges over them.
After several hours we arrived at a meadow - it was time for lunch! Letting our horses graze, it was good to get off and stretch our legs. Greg unpacked the mule, and from the two boxes came a small barrel stove and wood - soon there was a fire crackling and he got water from the creek for cowboy coffee and for tea. Once that was ready out came small steaks - we ate them with potato salad.
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| Our guide cooks steaks over the fire |
We got on our horses again and headed up the trail - a few hours later we crossed the wide and quite deep (up to my horse's belly) Cascade river and arrived at the Stoney Creek camp. The cook greeted us and showed us where to find our duffel bags - they had been transported by mule along a shorter route. She showed us the kitchen tent, our main gathering place, and lead us up a trail to a clearing and our tents.
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| Home sweet home for 2 nights - it had a comfortable cot inside |
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After dinner we sat outside around a campfire beside the river - the sun came out briefly. Since the flood two years ago the river is a lot closer to the camp.
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| The Cascade river |
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