Looking for a vacation idea? Think you can't afford a good back-country trip, or maybe you don't feel confident enough to get out there on your own? Or perhaps your kids want to do this but you're too old for summer camp.
Author, film maker, biology teacher and experienced outfitter and guide Stan Walchuck offers a week at his Blue Creek Outfitting horse camp deep in the Canadian Rockies that gives you a good grounding in backcountry riding, packing and training, including a three-day trip into some really remote country at an unbelievably low price. All you need to bring along is your own sleeping bag and toothbrush, and there's no age limit so your whole family can go together. His family works with him so the teacher-student ratio is as little as 1-3, and all this costs you less than $60 US a day. The beauty of the setting speaks for itself.
Sessions run from the last two weeks in June through the first two weeks of July at his camp called, Blue Creek. It's located at McBride, B.C. , just west of Jasper National Park and not far from the highest point in the Canadian Rockies, 12,972-foot Mt. Robson. It's two hours south on the Yellowhead from Prince George and five hours from Kamloops.
Camp weeks begin on Sunday at the Blue Creek Outfitting base camp, consisting of a large lecture - cook cabin, two bunk cabins, wall tents, corrals, and a round pen. The cabins have outfitter-style fabric roofs, running water, and showers. Guests do their own cooking and basic food is provided (bring your own fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat). Once you arrive, personal gear is loaded onto a horse for a five minute walk to the camp.
The camp staff is the Walchuk family - Stan Jr., Marlene, Dylan, and Aaron. Stan is a biologist, teacher, award winning filmmaker and writer, and author of "Cordillera!" a book (and film) about a horse journey across the entire North American mountain system. Copies of the book are available through Blue Creek Outfitting.
Walchuk has traveled literally thousands of horse miles across Alberta, B.C., the Yukon and N.W.T. and brings this knowledge and experienced to his sessions. Also a professional teacher, his program follows the Blue Creek Complete Horse Training, Trail Riding and Packing Manual (which is yours to keep). He encourages participation, since, as he says, "Everyone's a partner in the journey and has good ideas and thoughts to share".
The first three days are spent in camp, both in the lecture cabin and out with the horses. The last three days are spent on a pack trip where you take what you have learned and use it on a trip. Each camp is limited to 12 students because of the amount of time needed to practice with the horse, and because of the outfitter style, hands-on learning experience.
"Last year's guests were from sixteen to sixty years old and some of the younger participants used the adventure as work experience for school," Walchuk said. "The great thing about Blue Creek Camp is that you get away from everything, meet and develop friendships with some wonderful people and you get to use what you have learned on a trip in some beautiful country. There are more than twenty very friendly horses to ride and pack - you can pick the one you want to use."
Blue Creek provides a reference service for those interested in working in the horse business. "Last year Blue Creek had more calls for wranglers and guides than we could satisfy," Walchuk said.
http://www.bcoutfitter.com Phone: (877) 228-4868, International calls: (250) 569-3423 ph/fax
