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Photos by Kent and Charlene Krone.

Overview: Just north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana lies the vast Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Containing almost one million acres, this wilderness is the largest single land block above 10,000 feet in the contiguous 48 states. This region also boasts the highest mountain in Montana, Granite Peak, which rises to 12,799 feet in elevation. And nearly 1,000 miles of trails lie within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Outfitters: If you’d like, Hell’s A-Roarin’ Outfitters in Gardiner, Montana, will guide you through this vast area. Your hosts will be owners Warren and Sue Johnson. The Johnsons have been outfitting for three generations. Their son, Jeremiah, is a saddlemaker and an outfitter. Their daughter, Aimee, helps with the business.

Guests may stay right at the Johnson’s picturesque lodge overlooking the Yellowstone River valley and participate in rides ranging from an hour up to all-day picnic rides. The Johnsons provide pack trips to a base camp in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area. At the base camp, guests are provided with wall tents, woodstoves, wholesome meals, cots with foam pads, and a primitive shower.

Top day ride: Make sure your horses are in shape and used to difficult trail conditions. If you get in trouble, there may be no one around to help. For a Rocky Mountain high, take a day ride to the 10,016-foot Hummingbird Peak. Go about a half-mile south from camp to the intersection with Trail # 84, then take that trail going left. It’s a climb of 2,800 feet and about 2½ hours to the top. The trail goes through subalpine and, finally, alpine conditions.

We tied our horses and walked the last distance to the mountaintop, where we enjoyed expansive views in all directions. Peer into the cirque-like Telephone Basin, across the Buffalo Fork, and to the Absaroka Divide.

Horse packing: We packed in ourselves. Our route into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness was via the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the Hell Roaring Trailhead. Since it was July, the wildflowers were out in full force. Brilliant shades of yellow, pink, and blue were splashed generously across expansive meadows. Below our trail, a scarlet rivulet of Indian Paint Brush cascaded down a dry streambed.

Horse camping: Beaver Creek Camp is located where the trail crosses Beaver Creek. From our starting point, we rode about 14 miles, dropped 200 feet to the suspension bridge, then climbed up to 7,500 feet elevation. This camp is an excellent spot to spend several days. There’s ample grazing, and water is nearby. It’s centrally located with a number of day rides radiating out from camp

Horse-camping tips: Keep stock in electric corrals, picketed, or highlined 100 feet from streams and 200 feet from lakes. Protect trees, leave a clean camp, and spread manure. Limit group size and the number of days at one campsite to reduce impact on the land. If additional feed other than grazing is needed, use processed or certified weed-free feed to help limit the spread of noxious weeds.

Be bear aware: Be grizzly bear aware! Grizzlies and wolves frequent this region. Sleep at least 200 feet away from your campfire and cooking area. Hang your food and garbage at night. Keep food odors off clothes, tents, and sleeping bags. Avoid fresh, perishable, or smelly foods, such as bacon and sardines. The smell of fish can attract bears. Don’t clean fish in or near camp.

Kent and Charlene Krone combine their interest in photojournalism with a passion for horses. They enjoy sharing their horseback adventures in the United States and Western Canada. When riding season starts, you can usually find them on the trail, checking out new places to ride.

RESOURCE GUIDE

Gallatin National Forest
Bozeman, Mont.
(406) 587-6701
www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin

Hell’s A-Roarin’ Outfitters
Gardiner, Mont.
(406) 848-7578
www.hellsaroarinoutfitters.com

Montana Horses, Inc.
(888) 685-3697; (406) 285-3541
www.montanahorses.com

National Geographic/
Trails Illustrated Maps
(Order Yellowstone National Park, Tower/Canyon map)
(800) 962-1643;
www.natgeomaps.com/trailsillustrated.html

We know you love to trail ride on your own beloved trail mount. But for a change of pace, consider a vacation where an attentive staff takes you riding all day, then pampers you at night. Echo Valley Ranch & Spa caters to all your needs, plus offers a wide range of activities for you and/or your traveling companions.

Location: In the mountains near Jesmond, British Columbia.

Overview: This 160-acre working cattle ranch is surrounded by desert canyons, glaciers, rugged mountain and lush, green valleys. The area has a rich Native American and gold-rush heritage, as well as four distinct geographic regions.

What sets it apart: The ranch is set amid four distinctly different geographic regions known as biomes, enabling guests to experience very diverse terrain from forested mountains, open grasslands and a canyon with sagebrush and cactus.

Your hosts: Norm and Nan Dove, owners

The horses: A variety of breeds, including Quarter Horses and Tennessee Walking Horses. You can also bring your own horse, but make sure you have all your papers in order if you’ll be traveling across the border, both into Canada and back to the United States.

The trails/scenery: Trail terrain is very diverse, ranging from open grassland to desert canyon, mountains, and forests.

Accommodations: A range of accommodations from standard to premium rooms (some with lofts), deluxe cabins (some with lofts and one two bedroom cabin); and the luxurious Baan Thai Suite.

Season: April 1 to November 1, and over the Christmas and New Year’s period.

Contact: Echo Valley Ranch & Spa, P.O. Box 916, Clinton, Jesmond, B.C. V0K 1K0
Canada; (800) 253-8831 or (604) 988-3230.

In the cold, dark days of winter, set your mind to summer rides. One of our favorite summer destinations is the Kersey Lake Trailhead horse camp, located three miles east of Cooke City, Montana.

This horse camp makes for an attractive summer-riding package. First, at 7,500 feet elevation, it has temperatures in the 70s when lower elevations are in the 90s.

Plus — location, location, location! Kersey Lake Trailhead horse camp borders the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area and is 10 miles from the northeast Yellowstone National Park entrance.

You’ll be surrounded by endless riding opportunities, pristine lakes, vistas that feed the soul, and abundant wildlife.

One highway traverses this area: the Beartooth All-American Highway 212. This highway begins its spectacular route near Red Lodge, Montana. It travels over Beartooth Pass (10,947 feet), and crosses three National Forests before reaching Cooke City, Montana.

(For an Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Map, go to www.fs.usda.gov/custer; for a northeastern Yellowstone map, go to www.natgeomaps.com.)

The Horse Camp
The Kersey Lake Trailhead and Horse Camp is located about three miles east of Cooke City. There are four roomy corrals, a big parking area, toilet facilities and no camping fee.

Fragrant pine trees provide welcome shade; mountains unfolding in the distance offer a restful view.

For horses, there are two sources of water: one is from a nearby creek and the other is from a water tap at Colter Forest Service campground, a mile up the road toward Cooke City.

The camp host at the Colter campground is very friendly. When we asked permission to get water, we also asked about the unusual sign at the campground entrance, “No tent camping allowed.”

He said that a few summers ago, two campers were mauled by a grizzly bear, one fatally. Both attacks occurred on the same night in nearby Soda Butte Campground.

The campers had followed safe-food-storage rules, but had food odors on their clothing, which likely attracted the grizzlies to their tents.

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
The 944,000-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area lies in south-central Montana. This region is considered part of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Our 6-year-old Missouri Fox Trotters, Nate and Cowboy, were ready to leave the corrals and seek adventure. We started by heading over to Russell Lake, which is roughly 6.5 miles from our camp and has a 1,300-foot elevation gain.

Leaving camp, we headed to the right of the Skyline Guest Ranch and Guide Service’s barn and crossed the Broadwater River. For a mile, we followed an old road until we came to an unmarked junction. Here, the road veers left, but we continued straight ahead.

After two miles, the trail begins to climb, leaving sheltering pines and soft soil. The trail was rocky in places. Then shrubby bushes replaced trees, and we saw Kersey Lake—a sparkling blue sapphire.

The majestic Beartooth Mountains were visible in the distance. We stopped our horses and took a few moments to appreciate our magical surroundings.

When we reached the junction to Big Moose Lake, we turned left. At the Fox Lake trail junction, we were roughly 2.5 miles from Russell Lake.

Continuing to Russell Lake, a portion of the trail went through a canyon; gray granite walls towered to our right.

After working our way out of the canyon, we found a 700-foot climb to Russell Lake. Our horses navigated their way up the rocky trail, did the big step up onto the slab rock, and carefully walked across it.

Russell Lake is a worthy destination and a good lunch stop.

The next day, we headed to the Kersey Lake trail. We followed the trail for a while, and then turned right onto another trail that leads to Lily and Vernon lakes, just two miles away.

This is a good trail, but it’s steep in places. You definitely want to check your cinch before heading down!

The first lake, Lily Lake, is small and shallow. Vernon Lake is the destination lake. There’s a comfortable campfire spot, lots of jumping fish, and welcoming hordes of mosquitoes!

Here’s a trade-off to keep in mind: in July, at low elevations, you have hot, humid weather and some mosquitoes; at high elevations, you have less humidity, cooler temperatures, and starving mosquitoes!

Cooke City
To take a break from mountain riding, we decided to head to Cooke City. Like many small Western towns in the 1800s, Cooke City was a thriving mining town.

Present day Cooke City is a rustic, old-fashioned tiny town. It boasts 75 year-round residents and a fascinating grocery store in operation since the late 1800s. There’s no cell-phone service, no newspaper, and no wireless connection.

Nate and Cowboy wanted to check out the town! We parked our trailer at the edge of town, rode them to a bar/café, and tied them to the hitching rail.

Within minutes, our boys were eating carrots that magically appeared from the café’s kitchen.

Republic Ride
While in Cooke City, we rode up to Republic Pass. On the west end of town, there’s a Republic street sign. Turn south, and park at the first large parking area before the bridge.

Ride across the bridge beyond the parking lot. Go left, and follow the road a quarter mile until it dead ends. There, you’ll see remnants of the old Mayflower mine.

Head back to the bridge, turn right, and begin riding up a rough dirt road 1.3 miles to the Republic Pass Trailhead. This dirt road is passable for small rigs only.

Finally, we arrived at the trailhead and began riding toward Republic Pass, which borders Yellowstone National Park.

The soft dirt trail was a joy to ride after so many rocky trails. Even though the trail is continually climbing, it’s a gentle climb, with rolling hills, meadows splashed with wildflowers, and views of Woody’s Ridge.

After six miles, we neared the base of the pass and turned around. From that point on, the trail has a steep climb to the pass, and much of it was still under snow, even in July.

Photos by Kent and Charlene Kent

Seasoned trail riders and equine photojournalists Kent and Charlene Krone enjoy sharing their riding adventures in the United States and Canada.

With more than 3 million visitors every year, Yellowstone National Park can clog up with traffic jams in the summer—not the most relaxing way to see the famous sights. But take a horseback ride into the backcountry, and you’ll experience Yellowstone’s quiet (yet wild) side even in the high season. Kipp Saile, owner of Rockin’ HK Outfitters, is one of several licensed guides that take guests on horseback rides into the Yellowstone wilderness. Saile tailors his trips to the expectations of his clients, rather than fill predetermined trips.

“I assumed there’d be a set itinerary, but Saile just said: ‘What do you guys want to do?’” says recent guest Rebecca Rodie. And there are no lack of choices in this national park that’s larger than some states (nearly 3,500 square miles) and home to buffalo, wolves, grizzly bears, elk, and much more. It’s a thrill to see animals in a part of the West that has always been wild.

Most outfitters also lead a string of mules and rarely travel at more than a walk. It’s a perfect pace to relax in the saddle, look for animals, and savor the scenery. In other words, riding experience is helpful but not always necessary. Trips can vary in length and focus, and guests are encouraged to pursue riding, fishing, photography, or wildlife viewing. Or ask Saile to take you to a natural hot spring.

A visit to Yellowstone virtually guarantees life-long memories—like the evening I spotted a dozen elk scaling an incredibly steep mountain slope in the glow of sunset. Or those very fresh grizzly-bear tracks. And that great fishing in a pristine river.
Food always seems to taste better in camp, and Saile, a former chef, offers gourmet campfire cuisine like Thai shrimp, filet mignon, smoked salmon, and even fine wines and cocktails. Sitting around a fire, we felt like we had the park to ourselves, much like the early fur trappers and the Shoshone Indians who once called this area home.

Have you ever dreamed of living on a Wyoming horse ranch where you can stand on the front porch and see forever? Does an authentic, working horse/cattle ranch experience, complete with chores and responsibilities, interest you?

How about starting young colts? What about riding? Lots of riding! Endless opportunities to ride over 66,000 acres, ranging from sagebrush flats, grassy slopes, to magnificent sculptured rims and ridges.

Would you like to help with cattle drives? Branding? Vaccinating?

Then you'll want to head to Horseworks Wyoming, owned by Nate and MaeCile Brown. Their ranch is located in Grass Creek, between Thermopolis and Cody. This area is on the Absaroka Front, a prong of the Rocky Mountains

Rustic Ranch
At Horseworks Wyoming, you can choose how long you'll stay, from one day to three weeks. This isn't a fancy dude ranch. No hot tub, maid service, or gourmet meals! It's a rustic, simple, sagebrush-y cattle ranch, modestly priced and affordable to the general public. Included in your stay are delicious meals, cabin accommodations, and a great selection of mounts.

There are no staged ranch events, just honest ranch work and activities. Some days are long and hot; others, relaxing and laid back. Selected weeks are oriented toward clinics, cattle drives, all-men's/all-women's groups, families, and youths.

The ranch also holds horse sales. It'd be almost impossible to buy the wrong horse. Why? Because you can ride the prospect at the ranch for a week or more until you're certain he's right for you. Also, you have the expertise of Nate and MaeCile, who love and know their horses. They want to sell you the best horse for your needs, riding ability, and personality.

As a guest, the schedule is flexible. At any time, you may take a break or a day off, and with good reason. We soon discovered that we were no match for Nate, who's 86 years old. He ran circles around us! He spearheaded jobs and led the rides. He also worked colts from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Coffee cups in hands, we'd observe the last half-hour of training. We never did catch the entire morning training session.

Peacefulness is guaranteed. There's a bone-weary peace that comes after a day of hard work performed outdoors and on the back of a good horse. Muscles ache, and there's no question about a good night's sleep!

Also, there's the visual peace you feel when you watch a fiery sunset, gaze into a campfire while listening to a softly strummed guitar, and gape at a black-velvet sky ablaze with diamonds.

Feeling a little lazy and sore from trail riding the previous day, I snuggled more deeply into my sleeping bag and watched through the trailer window. Only moments ago, the stars had been brilliant, but now they faded as the buttes dotting the landscape became discernable in the coming dawn. Very soon the eastern horizon turned pink, then brilliant red, and then, celebrating the coming of another great day, a chorus of coyotes saluted the lighting of this vast stage. High treble wails were punctuated by alto "yips" in a counterpoint that might've been envied by Bach himself.

We were camped in the middle of a huge eastern Montana ranch. Although our alleged purpose was involvement in a Theodore Roosevelt-style horseback hunt for antelope (I'm working on a book about our greatest conservationist president), we'd looked forward more than anything to riding our young horses in open country under the big sky. Before trip's end, we wondered at the fact that so few trail riders take advantage of the joys offered by riding on the millions of American acres sometimes called "the Big Open."

Discover the Open Range
The western halves of the Dakotas and Nebraska and the eastern halves of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado contain much land that bucks the current tide of subdivision and urbanization. Indeed, much of the Big Open is actually less settled than it was before homesteaders attempted to make a living on it. A great deal of this land is publicly owned. The Bureau of Land Management alone tends to a staggering 264 million federal acres, most of it in the western states, and most of it available (if not always easily accessible) to its owners, the citizens of the United States.

Additionally, most of the western states historically allotted one section of land (a square mile or 640 acres) of each township (36 sections) to the local school district, and such state-owned land is often available for recreation.

Since most state and federal land in the Big Open is leased to farmers or ranchers, you must sometimes gather information and make arrangements from the agencies and individuals involved. But if you yearn to ride your horse in country with the ultimate in "elbow room," terrific adventures await you and your mount.

Anyone who looks at such vast country and says, "There's nothing there" is missing a rich smorgasbord of nature in many cases less altered by man than that found even in the designated wilderness areas of the mountains.

During our recent few days on the eastern Montana ranch, Emily and I saw herds of deer and antelope, a sky filled with literally thousands of sandhill cranes warbling their way south in vast "V" formations, badger dens, and yipping prairie dogs.

There were deserted homesteads exuding the character of an earlier time, a time of isolation and hardship, but also of rewards. At night, there wasn't a single light to dilute the brilliance of the stars. And more than anything else, there was room to ride.

Clad in emerald robes and capped with ermine stoles, Oregon's Central Cascades rise to greet horse and rider. Like many natural regions, this area feeds one's soul with its incredible beauty and offers tantalizing visions of trail-riding adventures into a vast expanse of wilderness. The Cascades have an additional attraction - numerous horse camps!

With eager help from our equine partners, 11-year-old Scout and 9-year-old Buddy, both Missouri Fox Trotter geldings, we decided to check out this area, including the Three Sisters Wilderness (in the Willamette National Forest), Todd Creek Horse Camp (in the Deschutes National Forest), and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.

The Three Sisters Wilderness
The Three Sisters Wilderness is the crown jewel of the Central Cascades, with more than 242,000 acres and approximately 260 miles of trails. To get there, travel west from Bend, Oregon, on the spectacular Cascade Highway (State Highway 46).

This wilderness is generally accessible from July to October or early November, when the snow starts to fly. Snowfall may accumulate to depths of 20 feet at higher elevations; you might encounter snow on trails even during the first week of August.

In summer, this region generally receives mild, sunny weather. The sunshine, lack of grizzly bears, geological formations, and well-marked trails draw thousands of outdoor enthusiasts every year.

Todd Creek Horse Camp
Our first camp was Todd Creek Horse Camp and Trailhead, located 23 miles west of Bend, on the Cascade Highway. Even in August, there was a chill in the air at this 6,200-foot elevation camp.

Horse camp facilities were more than adequate. Metal pipe corrals were well maintained, and there was a water pump. Dead wood was easy to gather for an evening fire. And at this elevation, cozying close to a crackling blaze was the place to be.

We really hit the jackpot on camp neighbors! It just happened that we were camped next to nine amazing women who were members of the Back Country Horsemen of Oregon.

These women do wilderness pack trips and packing clinics, build and maintain trails, and are impressive representatives of Back Country Horsemen. Ranging from age 40 to late 60s, these gals were just as comfortable in the wilderness as some women are in their backyards. It was our joy and privilege to share their campfire and listen to their stories.

Palisades Country, located in southeastern Idaho, offers one of the finest horseback destination areas a trail rider could hope for.

As you know, there are three types of trail riding: day riding, destination camping, and backcountry pack trips. My wife, Lisa, and I enjoy all three types, but our favorite is destination camping. We like to locate places to camp with our camper or trailer, and ride several days on different trails without moving camp, or moving less than 10 miles to the next trailhead.

Places like this are sometimes hard to find. That's what makes Palisades Country so unique.

This area is located just 35 miles from Interstate 15 and Idaho Falls, east of Wyoming country and Jackson Hole on the Idaho/Wyoming border. You'll find Rainey Creek, Big Elk, Bear Creek, Poker Peak, and Indian Creek all in a 15-mile stretch.

These major trailheads have many loops and branches to explore. For example, at Bear Creek camp, you can ride three to four days on different trails ranging from three to eight hours, depending on your liking. These trails are Forest Service maintained, perfect for the intermediate to advanced rider.

Of these, our favorite is the Upper and Lower Palisades Lakes trail. Located smack dab in the middle of the area, it offers the best of all worlds. A 16-mile round trip takes you along the Palisades Creek for its entirety, and to two beautiful mountain lakes. You'll also see moose and mountain goats, and get in lots of good fishing.

At the trailhead are wonderful camping facilities, including feed bunks for the ponies. The trail starts up the creek on a gradual grade, winding in and out of willows and pines. The absolute best time to ride this trail is middle to late September. You'll see fall colors like you've never seen before in the west.

About two miles in, you'll encounter the first of five obstacles: five-foot-wide dirt bridges with no railings, and the water raging below. They look scary at first, but being dirt covered, horses usually walk right over them.

After four miles, you'll hit the Lower Lake. This is a great place to take a break and visit the nearby Forest Service restroom. From there, it's one bridge and three miles to the Upper Lake. These unique lakes were formed by a couple of landslides, which are clearly visible.

Continue on past the Upper Lake into Waterfall Canyon. This spectacular mountain valley has numerous waterfalls, and usually a herd of mountain goats foraging above. This trail will add six to ten miles to your trip.

The wonderful thing about destination camping is that you get to hit the comforts of your camper at night. This means a hot shower and a home-cooked meal around the fire. This is one of Idaho's finest areas. If you need a guide, you could probably twist my arm, and I'd have to go!

For more information contact Idaho State Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0065; (208) 334-4199; www.idahoparks.org; or Palisades Lake, 3659 East Ririe Hwy., Idaho Falls, ID 83401; (208) 523-1412; www.rexcc.com/thingstodo/parkstrails/trailhike/palisades.htm. Contact the authors at horsepeople@juno.com.

Triangle C Ranch's main lodge overlooks the Wind River. "The comfortable log lodge is welcoming in both its décor and majestic mountain views," write Kent and Charlene Krone

Splash! A cascade of water shoots up, and peals of laughter resound. Scott, our Triangle C wrangler is leading us through deep pools in the Wind River. This is no ordinary "dude string" ride. We're a small group being led by a creative wrangler who loves his job. It's an exciting ride, and wet boots are just a part of it.

Calendar-like photography surrounds Triangle C Ranch (800/661-4928;www.trianglec.com). Within view are the Pinnacle Mountains and Absaroka Range; the pristine Wind River flows through the ranch. The comfortable log lodge is welcoming in both its décor and majestic mountain views.

The ranch is located off Highway 26 at the base of Togwotee Pass, 20 miles west of Dubois, Wyoming. Nearby is the North Gate of Grand Teton National Park and the South Gate to Yellowstone National Park. For riders wishing to view wildlife and wilderness, this is an ideal location.

Time-Tested Experience
Triangle C Ranch is owned and operated by Cameron Garnick and his wife, Vicki. Located on the site of the historical Tie Hack Camp, the ranch dates back to 1906. It was here that lumberjacks (hacks) cut logs, then floated them downriver to Dubois. A small graveyard and some cabins remain as a reminder of this era.

Talk about experience! For more than 30 years, the Garnick family has been in the guest-ranching business. Triangle C guests are given a working-ranch experience with extra attention given to details.

Bill Garnick, Cameron's father, now 95, took the first guest-ranch course that was offered in 1931 by the University of Wyoming. The present-day family is the fourth generation of guest-ranch operators.

Cameron, Vicki, and five of their eight children live on the ranch. They manage and operate the ranch, and hire help as needed. Their riding program was designed by them and tailored with guests in mind.

Horses are the Heart
Horses are the heart of a working ranch. Triangle C runs about 150 horses and mules. Wranglers have a broad selection of breeds and types to choose from when matching guests to their equine partners. The Garnicks raise their horses and train them on the ranch. They know each animal's strengths and temperament.

When pondering guest ranches, consider the horse-to-guest ratio. Many ranches have a 1:1 ratio, which runs the risk of exhausting horses long before the season ends. However, Triangle C always has a 2:1 ratio, sometimes running as high as 3:1.

By having more than one trained horse to choose from, you have more of a say in which horse you'd like to ride. Also, there's the safety factor. Exhausted, overworked horses may not be safe to ride on steep mountain trails. Unsound or green-broke horses may be pressed into service when stressed wranglers are faced with an overload of guests and a lack of ready mounts.