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OUR RIDERS ARE SO CREATIVE!

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:39:23 +0000

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A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:34:58 +0000

One can only imagine what Titian is Thinking!

Sit A Spell and Enjoy The View

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 01:12:02 +0000

We are always looking for new trails to take our guest on their next adventure, and with a little work this could be a wonderful place to have lunch.

River Dinner Guests

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:40:49 +0000

Most people when invited to someones home for dinner…drive there in their cars.
Not our Friends….they come from up river (Index) by raft and kayak…and of course their request for dinner was that it be cooked in the Dutch Ovens!
So a couple of hours before our dinner guest were scheduled to arrive. We browned the hamburger in hot Dutch Ovens,chopped up the onions,cabbage, celery & carrots and added them to the browned hamburger.

Then we added tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce & bouillion.

We put the lids on the Dutch Ovens, piled on the coals and let it cook until our guest arrived. The one on top is Brownies!!!

They arrived right on time……

Add some good old cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet.

And we have some very Happy Friends……who all just happen to be White Water River Guides at Outdoor Adventure Center in Index.

“Big Ben” Gets a Lecture

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 19:06:03 +0000

Our guests sometimes have such a funny sense of humor.
Kevin decided to explain to Ben that if he ran him into another tree, like he did the last ride….there could be a price to pay.
Of course he was just joking.

Another “WHAT WERE WE THINKING MOMENT”

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:28:53 +0000

Aaron from Icicle Outfitters and Dalton got this idea one day that when Aaron was close to the Dutch Oven Factory he should pick up 2 really large ovens.
Their logic was: Since they were teaching “Dutch Oven Cooking” and teaching at “Horse and Mule Packing Schools” that having a couple of large ovens would be the “cat’s meow”.
So Aaron swung buy the factory and picked up their “pre-ordered” large 22″ Dutch Ovens. The first clue should have been when they brought them to the truck on a Fork Lift!!! All 150 pounds per oven…now we all know that’s 300 pounds total weight.

The first thing Aaron does is call Dalton…..”What have we done?? You are not going to believe the size of these things!. That was the first phone call of many during the week. All starting with “what have we done? You are not going to believe the size of these things.
When Aaron got home he came to the ranch with the ovens.
Now Dalton is singing the same song as Aaron…what have we done?? I can’t believe the size of these things!!!
Now…Their cowboy wisdom kicks in…Well we own them, guess we had better build a fire and season them.

Aaron and Dalton with their family of Dutch Ovens

Claude & Cylde Go For A Test Drive

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:11:43 +0000

When you have a team of Belgiums and a covered wagon and you want to take them for their first drive…who do you find CRAZY enough to go along?
Your Neighbors of Course!
(Just don’t tell them this is the first time you have had people in the back of the wagon.) Somethings are best left unsaid.

First we gathered up all the willing neighbors.

Then we hitched up the Team

Notice the only neighbor in the wagon is “Tuki” the Yorkie Explorer, He is always game for any adventure.

In the end everyone had a great time and we are ready to start with Covered Wagon Rides this Spring and Summer.

For those of you that have never driven a team of horses…this is the view from the drivers seat.

What Were We Thinking!!!

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:27:41 +0000

One morning we woke up and got this brainstorm….let’s look for a team of horses and a wagon. We can do Wine Rides, Parades & Hay wagon rides, the list started to become endless.
My only criteria was that they had to be Belgiums, because their personalities are so mellow and calm.
The first person Dalton calls on our quest for a team is our good friend Aaron over at Icicle Outfitters. Aaron is Dalton’s teaching buddy for the Horse and Mule Packing Schools.

He is also an expert at finding horses for people. So if you are looking for a horse Aaron or his sister LuAnne are the people you want to call.

Aaron in his normal attire

In a few weeks Aaron called one night and told us about a team that “Stevie Wonder” could drive….sounds like my kind of horses, Claude & Clyde a pair of Belgiums that Icicle Outffiters were using on their sleigh rides in Levenworth. So Christmas Day we packed up and went to drive the pair. A little dashing through the snow in a open sleigh…..and the deal was sealed. This was the team for us and they just happen to come with a covered wagon. When Claude & Clyde finished their sleigh pulling job….they were scheduled to come to Stillwater, and last Sunday Dalton and our neighbor Rick went to Levenworth to pick up the boys.

When Dalton lead them off the trailer, all 1800 lbs…that’s each…not together… I looked at the size of those feet and went “Holy Mackerel”…man are those feet big. It’s a little like when you buy a piece of furniture and you say “ It didn’t look THAT BIG in the store.”. and then you get it home…and you go “What was I thinking????

After a day of getting used to the place. Dalton took Claude & Clyde out for their picture debut. What’s Not to Love about these guys? So come spring, we’ll be taking this show on the road…stay tuned…..this week we are going to get the Covered Wagon from George over in Levenworth.

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW IN A TWO- HORSE OPEN SLEIGH

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:55:01 +0000

This year we decided to do something totally different on Christmas day. After watching all those TV commercials on unusual Christmas rituals, we decided to start our own.
We co-hearsed our neighbors Ani & Rick and Little Tuki to go on this adventure.
We loaded up at high noon and headed for the mountains.
Leavenworth here we come….we are going to join Icicle Outfitters at their sleigh ride location.

First we took turns driving a team of Belgiums: Claude & Clyde pulling a sleigh. We are looking at adding Claude & Clyde to our “family” for hay wagon rides and our wine rides this summer.

Between the Gee and the Haw and the Whoa…and the Step Up..we got the jargan down. What a Feeling it is to handle these massive beautiful creatures with just 2 pieces of leather in your hands.

After our fun in the snow we joined the Icicle Outfitters Crew for Christmas Dinner in a heated wall tent. A first for all of us!

Thank you again..Aaron, Bruce, Sandy& Wendal for making our Christmas Day an event we will always remember.

Stillwater Trail String Goes East

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:25:51 +0000

The Best of the Best at Stillwater were recruited to take part in the annual Icicle Outfitters Horse Drive for 2009.

That’s like playing on the All Star Team for our horses.
Over 100 people showed up to drive horses from the park back to the Icicle Outfitters Ranch in Eniat.
For 3 days the “horse pushers” lived like they were back in the old west.
Well, they had a few modern day conveniences…like a water truck…out houses….heated wall tents.
What an experience it was for Dalton and Dan (who went along as the “Stillwater Wrangler”).

Chuck Wagon arrives for lunch

Lunch Is Served!

Dutch Oven Cooking for Dinner

What would a Trail Drive be without entertainment!

What a wonderful peaceful view

Lunch Time for Dalton

Getting Ready In the Morning