This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Saddle up!
Follow along on a
six-day horseback
adventure you're
sure to treasure
BY CHEYEnnE STEFFEn
¦ A grizzly bear stood just
30 feet from me. It paused from
its romp in the berry bushes to
gaze curiously at me, no doubt
wondering how much of an
imposition I might become. My
racing heart went into my throat
as the great bear stood upright
on its hind legs.
Its curiosity lasted only
seconds before it decided I was
less interesting than the berries.
The grizzly went back to eating
DaY 1 – Arriving in Banff in the early two-sizes-too-big, rented rain slicker and
and I went back to breathing
morning, I daydreamed about how starched straw cowboy hat. I looked a
I’d look on horseback. I pictured myself lot like Billy Crystal’s character from the
normally again.
looking like a glamorous movie star in a slow City slickers movie, which is not really
The encounter was just one of
motion shot with my hair streaming behind comforting since I’m female. My cowboy
me as I rode effortlessly through the forest. wardrobe was warm and necessary but
the many surprises I got during A beam of sunlight would break through the completely erased gender and utterly
dense trees and shine on me, illuminating lacked movie-star glamour. The rain started
my week-long Holiday on
my previously hidden but undoubtedly to pour so I buttoned my coat.
Horseback trip in Banff National
natural riding ability. In truth, my actual A tough-looking cowboy type, who I was
riding experience was minor at best but sure would spit chewing tobacco onto the
Park’s Rocky Mountains. I had
that didn’t stop me from dreaming. ground any second, introduced himself
been craving an unusual trip,
On this six-day trip I joined a motley crew as our guide, Barry Ferguson. Being born
of outdoor enthusiasts and experienced and raised in Banff, this area is literally his
an adventure. For better and
horseback riders from all over the world. backyard, and none of us doubted his ability
I was the least experienced of the bunch or authority here.
for worse I got exactly what I’d
and it took only seconds for my glamorous Next, a stream of gorgeous horses was
hoped for.
daydream to turn into a very un-glamorous paraded into the corral. My adrenaline
reality. It started to rain so I put on my surged and I was back to my glamorous
24 CALGARY  SUMMER 2008 www.CalgaryOutdoors.ca
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com