Our family of 6 (youngest 11) enjoyed an all-day trail ride last week during spring break. Steve was an amazing wrangler. He singlehandedly manhandled a burned out tree off the trail. He had a fine sense for the horses and how they were doing. He gave us great advice at the beginning of the ride: attitude is everything! He took several photos of us near the Cassidy Hideaway and shared interesting information about the flora, history, and landmarks along the ride.
The horses were also amazing. We enjoyed all of them: Rio, Cedar, Sally, Preacher, Pepper, and Bean (who had a tummy ache or some concern for a short while). They were mild and careful, and they minded any directions we gave.
The all-day ride was extremely beautiful. It crosses parts of Red Canyon, Losee Canyon, and Casto Canyon, and it traverses the cliff heights and the creek bottoms. Most of us had only ever ridden once before (on a half-day ride), so doing the all-day ride was a bit of a stretch. My youngest and I were both really sore by the end of the day, and I was really sore the next day, but by two days after, I felt pretty good. The lunches provided for the all-day ride hit the spot. I would probably recommend only doing the all-day ride if you are experienced riders and everyone in your party has a great attitude. It is not for the faint of heart! It is about 14 miles of riding, with quite a bit of ups and downs, and with only two breaks off the horse (5-6 hours in the saddle). Gloves would be a good idea. Enjoy!