Brunch and beyond at Lake Mancos Ranch

Guest ranches are all about food and horses, so it's no surprise that, like the Don K, the Lake Mancos Ranch schedule also included a weekly brunch ride.  Every Thursday morning, we'd get saddle up...

Tack room and hitching rails at Lake Mancos Ranch, 1990

and take a short ride downstream to Rendezvous Canyon.

Rendezvous Canyon

The guests would dismount...

Roany, Popcorn, Patch

and head over to the covered outdoor kitchen where they were served a huge meal that included biscuits and gravy, eggs and all sorts of breakfast meats.

Kathy and Eddie serving up brunch

I learned pretty quickly that it was best not to eat all that heavy food.  Instead, I'd grab a quick bite and spend my time hanging out with the horses and other staff members.

Tracy and Einstein

Once everyone had eaten their fill, we remounted and headed up into the mountains for the half day ride along the Chicken Creek trail in the San Juan National Forest.

the Mavericks!

We passed cows,

cattle grazing on public land

rode through water,

and climbed some pretty serious mountains.

Pioneer (bay) and Buttermilk (buckskin)

By the time we reached the aspens, everyone who'd eaten too much brunch was feeling too nauseous to enjoy the view!

almost there!

Fortunately, the end was in sight.  This ride concluded not at the ranch, but at the Aspen Grove Ranger Station, where the horses were unsaddled and pastured overnight.  The male wranglers camped with them, but Audra and I were driven back to the ranch with the guests and other staff.  Usually I objected to this sort of gender discrimination, but in this case I didn't mind one bit!

Ranger Station, Friday morning

The next morning, we were driven back to the ranger station where all the horses were magically saddled and waiting.  We climbed aboard and headed out for the all day ride.

Lightfoot's ears

This ride was as spectacular as it was long.

Deer Lick

We started by climbing Deer Lick, which afforded us great views...

view from Deer Lick

of our next destination...

view of Golconda Meadow from Deer Lick

which was a big clearing called Golconda.

Cody and Jennifer at Golconda Meadow

This area was the site of an old mining camp. 

remains of the Golconda Post Office

Most of the buildings were long gone, but there was just enough left to make this a proper ghost town.

inside the Golconda Post Office

After leaving Golconda, we headed down a series of steep switchbacks which took us into Box Canyon.  

the switchbacks leading to Box Canyon

By this time, everyone was ready for lunch, so we dismounted, tied up...

Cody at Box Canyon

and ate.

Jennifer and Meree at Box Canyon

We may have spent a little time goofing off, too!

Randy and Meree at Box Canyon

The rest of the ride looked more or less like this...

heading home

and this.

West Mancos Overlook

Lake Mancos Ranch was sold several years ago, and is now called Majestic Dude Ranch.  If your vacation budget is bigger than mine, I can't recommend a better destination.  Such a beautiful part of the world, and I bet they still have a weekly brunch ride!