As a teenager, we used to ride motorcycles and jeeps across the mountains in the fall as we hunted, If we shot something, we only dragged it to a place we could get the jeep to. In 1983 the Forest Service closed off the area I hunt to all wheeled vehicles. If you wanted to access the area, It was now by hiking or horse. It only took packing out one elk to convince me that I needed horses.

I've owned horses since and use them each fall to pack in and hunt this remote area of Utah. Over the years the old road that we used to drive truck and campers up has erroded away so that now its a pretty rough trail. Flash floods down the canyon from summer thunderstorms have seriously erroded what was left of the road.

I've learned that my hardest and roughtest rides of the year will be during hunting season. My horses get their toughest work out. So what ever riding I do in the months before, is just conditioning them for what is to come. Living with the horses in camp, riding them sun up to sun down develops a closer relationship with the horses than my normal routine of a evening ride a couple time a week and throwing hay out twice a day.

As I mention, the old road, with no maintence for 40 years has returned to nature.

It's a 7 mile ride up the narrow canyon, We pack our camp up and stay. Often leaving the tent set up for the month of October. So we can return on weekends or when ever we can get away from work.  You can see the bark stripped from the tree on the left. This was done by the flash floods carrying rocks and other debris that battered the tree and removed the bark, It also shows the depth of the raging water when it comes down.

The canyon is very narrow with steep ledgy cliff walls

As you climb, the trees change from Maples and Scrub Oak that are prevelant around 6000 foot to Quakin Aspin and Spruce in the upper parts of the canyon

About 5-6 miles up the canyon, the steep walls end and a large valley opens up

We set up camp, highline the horses and they get fed

At the higher elevation of the upper bowl, most of the leaves are gone

Since hunting involves finding the elk where they hide, Almost all of the rides after we get camp set up are just following game trails or trails the cattle use to come and go to the water.  Nobody grooms the trails in this area. If we are lucky the rancher who has the grazing permit for the area has cut the worst of the blow downs out of the canyon bottom. But each day we ride the horses from camp to the ridge tops so we can scan the areas looking for game. Steep slopes. Sagebrush and grass on the south facing, heavy timber on the north facing,

Evidence from Mother Nature of why you don't take shelter from thunderstorms under tall trees close to ridge tops. Lightning struck this tree and blew out a strip of bark from the tip top of tree to the ground

Some of the old ranch hands have marked their brands on the old trees

Because I am too far away to ever get the chance to hunt, much less ride, there, your pictures and descriptions are very much enjoyed.  Thank you!

Mary

Cajunmuleman, Two years ago, I flew out from IL to do "The Red Rock Ride". We rode the Utah canyons, and the ride was worth every penny it cost. You might want to check it out (www.redrockride.com) and sign on for a ride. I'm thinking about going again.

As it turned out. The weather had been hot and we are suffering the same draught that lot of the nation is. The rancher had pulled his cattle out last week because the grass was gone. I suspect he worked the canyon pretty hard getting all his cows down. So when we came in for the elk hunt, The elk herd just was not to be found. another week or two and they will push in. A  little weather, colder temps up higher and the normal hunting pressure will push the elk into this area.

Since you can't get there by ATV or Jeeps, and it so far to hike, its where the elk flee to when the get pressure in the other areas. Since I'm familar with the area, if I don't see elk in the normal places, I know they just are not in the canyon, so we pulled out and stopped by another of my favorite places.

Same weekend, Just 40 miles away as we drove toward home, but a little different type of country. Not as steep, no ledges or cliffs, higher elevation, up 9,000 to 10,000 foot, a lot more water on the mountain. We did find the elk over there, But the kid who I was helping, was way too slow to get off his horse and shoot. When I whisper at you, "hey, there is an elk" I expect you to get off your horse and pull your rifle out of scabbard. not to turn around in your saddle and say"Huh?" And when I say a second time,"There is your elk" don't ask me what you should do.

The elk like the quakies, So we focused on hunting them.  Leaves are about gone.

Horses waiting while we sneek through the trees looking

A view from a little higher on the mountain looking off to the distant mountains

Cajun just bring your mule and I can point you to where to ride. Can't say that I would guide you or the Forest Service, Park Service or BLM would all want a check from me.

Utah is 74% public lands so access is generally really easy. The trick is to choose the season for the area you want to ride.  I don't enjoy the red rocks at 100° So I ride there spring and fall.  10,000 foot mountains are buried under snow in the winter, so they are a Summer/fall ride.

As far as camping, I've done it almost any way imaginable. We've hauled water for camp, I've camped by streams and lakes, I''ve used stock ponds and water troughs.

Even the desert has water if you know where to find it. We call these Indian Bathtubs. They catch rain water and the horses will drink it, And I've on occassions taking a dip to clean up

There are often small cisterns hidden in sheltered places that collect water

Many canyons in Southern Utah have significant snow melt that fills the streams for spring run off but dry up latter

If you are seeing cattle and wild mustangs, you now there has to be water some where near by

Depends on what you want to see.

St George area is 2000 foot elevation, It is a desert, So it's pretty good riding late fall thru spring.

The trails into Zions National Park, (Kalob Arch, Hopps Valley) are at 6000 foot. They will get snow in Dec-February.  I've ridden them a lot around Thanksgiving and enjoyed that area then.

Bryce Canyon is at 8000 foot and April is probably the earliest that you will ride that area. I usually ride around there in May. Trails are open, Snow has melted, but there is still lots of run off water coming down the streams. At 8000 foot, temps won't get to terrible in the summer.  You can check with Ruby's Inn for more details.

Grand Staircase Escalantee is 4000-5000 foot. So it will get hot in the summer. Since I ride it the same time I ride Bryce ( they are very close)  April-May and early June seem to be more comfortable. You can easily see 100° in July and August. But late September or October would also be great riding.

The higher elevation mountains are great from June to October. The Boulder Top, Aquarius Plateau, Fish Lake, Strawberry, Unitas or any of the mountains in Northern Utah. You are riding in National Forest. Pine trees and quakie aspen. Mountain streams and cooler temps from the higher elevations. Most trail heads will be around 8,000 foot and trails can easily cross 11,000.

The San Rafael Reef and Capital Reef areas are desert. They are 5000 to 6000 foot. So they lend themselves to spring and fall.  I've ridden in the San Rafael for Valentines Day in February with coats and gloves or in May in short sleeve shirts. Many of the slot canyons in the Reef areas get snow and ice in the bottom of the canyons, The canyons are so narrow that sunlight doesn't reach the floor and the ice doesn't melt. So early trips in are more dependant on what has melted than what the temps that day are. But usually by late March any ice is gone.

Zions is red rock and Pinon pines. Basically high desert. Only limited trails allow horses.

Bryce Canyon only allows horses on the one trail, But there are tons of trails in the area outside of the park. But you need to spend 1 day in the park to see it.

The Aquarius Plateau. Is at 10,000, but once on top is a very large flat area. Lots of elk and wildlife. This is looking off the edge of the Plateau. But you can see how flat the top is.

The Uintas are a wilderness area. Not motorized vehicles allowed. The highest peak in Utah is located here at 13,500 foot. Lots of areas above the tree line.

Cajun,

      Just want you to know that the Red Rock Ride allows outside mules/horses on the rides. On the ride I went on, there was a group of several that participated. They had their own pens and hookups for their LQ at the main barn that housed all the horses & mules we rode on the trip. The food alone was worth the cost of the trip, not to mention the riding and entertainment. I still keep in touch with the new friends I made on the ride.

    Also, where did you ride in CO? I've been to Pagosa Springs and Bayfield 3 times. Love Pagosa but am always wanting to try a new spot.

The concessionairs that guide the red rock ride got pretty touchy about outside horses in 2011 with the EH outbreak at the Western National Cutting show. When we went down to Bryce, They would not let our horses near theirs. We were camped 400-500 yards away from where they unload horses and get their clients into the saddles. They came over and voiced their concerns and checked us and our horses out.  They were carrying bleach to spray down all the hitchin rails etc.  I'll bet their opinions have changed some on out side horses.

They own 500 horses and I can't blame them. I would hate to have a contagious disease get into a herd like that and put them out of business.

The San Rafael Swell area is high desert.  It ranges from 5000 foot to 7000 foot.

It has a lot of history of the wild bunch and outlaw trail.

This is from a Valentines day ride in February 2008, You can see some snow, definitely wearing coats, But we had a great day getting out on the horses. We parked the trucks up closer to 7000 foot in Justinson flats. The two riders in the back are pointing and looking at a group of wild mustangs over by the Windrock

This is looking out over Red Canyon, So we are down lower in elevation closer to the 5000 levels and you can see there is no snow as we scan the horizon

Here we are riding some of the Slot canyons near Goblin Valley in March of 2010. We had a heavy winter that year and there was still snow even on the 3rd saturday of March. Most years this is a great ride with no snow or ice.

This is Chute Canyon in April of 2010. Snow is all gone

Squeezing the horses through the slot in Wild Horse Wash

OK, all this week I am at work looking at your pix.....and each day you post more pix.....I am soooo ready to be there! Beautiful pictures and discriptions.

I have a Mustang that was captured in Utah. I am sure she is bored here in the flat-lands of West Tennessee. I hope someday I can go on a hunt out west, but for now we are getting ready for deer here in TN.

Thank You so much for the great post.

Finding and watching the mustangs is not very hard.  They have no natural enemies and are over populating the BLM lands. They have large round ups each year to remove excess animals so that those that stay don't starve.

The Extreme Mustang Make Over shows that you see on TV and held once or twice a year ( one in Dallas last Sept) are an effort to promote the breed by showing how well they can be trained in 90 days.

These high desert areas are huge, but their isn't a lot of natural feed.  The ranchers claim it takes 300 acres to feed 1 cow. Folks talk about the mustangs travelling 20 miles each day in search of feed and water.

Painted,  I was on the Red Rock Ride May 2011 when the EH outbreak occurred. The wranglers told how area rodeos were cancelled which effected many of their families. I am assuming that the several outside horses were allowed at their own risk with assurances that they'd been quarantined prior to the ride. It comes as no surprise the precautions that Pete undertook when you came upon his group. Pete Magnum who owns the string of canyon horses/mules and co-hosts the RRR is a super responsible owner. He grows all his own alfalfa, cubes it and stores it so he knows exactly what is being fed to his huge herd. One afternoon anybody who chose to were bussed to his facility and given a guided "tour" of his operation. I counted somewhere around a dozen semi trailers used to store a year's worth of cubes.

    With just a small peek at your beautiful country just makes me want to come back even more, especially when I see your pics. I look forward to them each time I see a post from you.

Pete standing before a load of alfalfa cubes that are made right on the spot

Pete showing us his semi trailers used to store a year's worth of alfalfa cubes

A couple more fall color shots,  Much lower elevation, just above the house. The higher elevations on the mountain are bare. So we are riding a little lower to catch the last of the color