There are so many ways to enjoy the mountains — the whisper of snow under your skis on a powder day, the crunch of golden aspen leaves underfoot on fall hikes, glimpses of distant peaks through the pines while flying downhill on a mountain bike — but the view from atop a horse will always be my favorite. There’s something incredibly peaceful about the slow and steady pace, the rhythm of hooves on the trail, the quiet immersion in nature. Not to mention access to areas that are otherwise not easily accessible — horses are the ultimate four-wheel-drive vehicles, perfect for trekking into the Vail Valley backcountry. The Vail to Aspen ride, a four-day guided hut-to-hut horseback trek through the remote Rocky Mountain wilderness, is a uniquely western way to experience the backcountry.
Photos by Adrienne Rubin
The trail heads uphill from the start as our group guides the horses nimbly along the singletrack beneath dense aspens and scrub oak. The more we pay attention to our horses, the more all our other worries slip away. With no cell service along the trail (except at the summit of Mount Yeckel, dubbed the “phone booth,” on day three) the outside world might as well be standing still. The simple act of disconnecting allows us to connect with one another, our horses and the untamed wilderness surrounding us. The occasional break in the pine forest gives us glimpses of massive snow-capped peaks in the distance, making our line of horses and riders seem incredibly minute, our progress infinitesimal, but before we know it it’s lunchtime and we’re halfway there. After a scrumptious homemade picnic, we remount and carry on, arriving at our first mountain hut just before dusk.
Despite its backcountry nature, this trip with Equescapes Equestrian Adventures offers far more comfortable accommodations than your typical tent-camping pack trip, and the gourmet cuisine is a far cry from campfire canned chili. The first and third nights of the trip
are spent in backcountry huts, part of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, formed in honor of U.S. Army soldiers during World War II who trained at Camp Hale here in the Vail Valley in preparation for fighting in the rugged, snowy terrain of the European Alps. After the war, the hut association was founded, inspired by the interconnected hut system in the Alps. Today, the huts offer rustic refuge in the remote wilderness. The log cabins are generally equipped with solar lights and a wood-burning stove, with no running water and a drop toilet outside. The best feature is the commodious deck which looks out towards distant peaks, where appetizers await us as soon as we dismount. Riders enjoy the last rays of afternoon sun, casting a rosy alpenglow across the valley. The chef prepares meals featuring locally sourced ingredients like Palisade peaches, thimbleberries and local beef, tantalizing the senses and nourishing the body after a long day in the saddle.