Summer in the saddle

By Karen Ashbee

Ever since Brokeback Mountain swept the nation, there's been a call to the West. The film, shot in the Alberta Rockies, got a lot of people dreaming of trading in their corner office for a quarter horse. I've understood this attraction to the "simple life" for a long time (and I'm not talking Paris Hilton style).

As a horse owner, dressage competitor and basic judge who lives in Calgary, I often find my inner cowgirl needs to kick back, ride the trail and get outta town. Located just five minutes from where the foothills of the Rockies meet the Prairies, Misty Mountain Ranch was just place for me to let loose and swap my chinos for chaps.

Misty Mountain Ranch

I get Misty

Midway between Watertown National Park and Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Misty Mountain is perfectly positioned to block out the intrusions of the modern world. My room came with all the cozy comforts of home but with no radio, TV, phone or fax. “Emphasis is on a simpler back-to-nature kind of experience,” explains rancher and outfitter Joe Jacobson, who owns Misty Mountain Ranch. “I encourage people to throw away their watches when they come here as we don’t follow a timeline.”

Time not being of the essence, I challenged myself to a seven-hour trail ride (45 minutes in the saddle a day being pretty much my norm). But have no fear if you’ve never logged time in the tack; the Jacobsons will help you no matter what your riding skills. Joe and his wife, Doreen, are professionals who've been leading horse pack trips in the region for over 26 years. Visitors have come from as far away as Tasmania, Japan, Poland and Sweden. And you can see why: There’s really nothing like Alberta’s "big sky" country.

The great outdoors

The remote Kananaskis wilderness is hauntingly beautiful – a combination of mountains, meadows, streams and rugged landscape that totally satisfied my yen for freedom. The terrain is so untouched that we ran into a herd of elk and saw a mother grizzly with her two cubs. Luckily, my horse was less daunted than I was!  

After all that fresh air and time in the saddle, my favourite part of each day was a dip in the wood-fired hot tub under the stars, followed by a slice of one of Doreen’s delicious homemade pies. But then everything here is homemade – even the beef, which is raised on the ranch.

With these thoughtful little touches, combined with a feeling of relaxed comfort, I felt more like an invited weekend guest at the Jacobsons’ home than a visitor at a "dude ranch." The simple life never felt so good.

(Born and raised in the East, Karen Ashbee has spent the last eight years writing and riding in Calgary. Her other favourite ranches include The Lazy M Ranch, Saddle Peak, and Willow Lane.)

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