The Colorado Mule Riders have a membership of 35 riders. Members are guaranteed a spot on the annual fall "Ride of the Aspens," which takes place from the third Saturday in September through Thursday of the following week. Openings for nonmembers, called Mavericks, occur when members don't fill out the ride.
It's a great opportunity to ride, on a mule only, unique places in the mountains of Colorado. Riders may bring their own mules or rent a reliable mule at a reasonable price. Accommodations are always first-class and the meals five-star.
The Colorado Mule Riders select the site for their annual ride from among the guest-ranch facilities that make up the Colorado Dude Ranch Association. President Lee Sheard of Johnston, Colorado, chose North Fork Ranch in Shawnee, Colorado, as the site of last fall's ride. The ranch is located on the bank of the North Fork of the South Platte River at an elevation of 8,400 feet. It has a picturesque setting and great guest facilities with terrific hosts Karen and Dean May.
Ride activities kicked off on Saturday night with a group trip to the Flying W inColorado Springs. On Sunday morning, the mule riders assembled at the Al-Kaly Mule Train tack room for coffee and sweets before departing the barn for the two-hour plus trip to North Fork Ranch. Lunch was next on the agenda. A tasty Mexican fare followed by cream-cheese brownies soon had riders thinking more about a nap than an afternoon ride.
A Rainy Start
The morning began with sunshine and clear skies, but about noon, it turned to clouds and overcast skies with a hint of rain. In spite of the threatening skies, the afternoon ride was joined by a majority of the riders. Still, the rain that started about 2:00 p.m. (ride-departure time) fell on a number of mules still in the corrals. Randy Gibbs of Peyton, Colorado, was heard to say he "didn't mind putting on a slicker to get home, but there was something bad wrong with leaving on a ride with your slicker on." Those hardy souls who took the ride returned in about two hours, a little damp and cool, but in high spirits.
When the riders gathered for the evening meal - flank steak, broccoli, and new potatoes, with white-chocolate bread pudding for dessert - host Dean May introduced his family and staff, and gave a brief history of North Fork.
In the 1960s, North Fork was an egg-laying operation. The unique Stonehinge House, across the river, was built in 1940 as a home for the Petterson family. Dean and Karen arrived in the mid 1980s, and the rest is history. North Fork bears no resemblance to its early beginnings. You can imagine rustlers, gunfights, romance, and all sorts of stories but not a chicken ranch.
Monday dawned clear and cool. As the sun warmed the morning chill, riders gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. Pack lunches were the order of the day as they prepared for a 9:00 a.m. ride departure. The ride - scheduled for five to six hours into the Pike National Forest - began with a moderate climb up Dead Horse Gulch. From Dead Horse, riders crossed the upper end of Crow Gulch and rode over into Slaughter House Gulch. After a break for lunch and a brief rest, they continued down Slaughter House on the ride's return leg.
The highlight of the day was a slight detour to ascend Derringer Peak, about 9,000 feet in elevation. This is a special place in the hearts of Colorado Mule Riders. It was on Derringer Peak, in May of 2000, that the ashes of one of our mule-rider brothers were spread. A small capsule inscribed with the name Augie Brown marks the spot. Not much talk as we rode off Derringer Peak. The wind picked up, stirred the aspen leaves, and left coolness in the corners of eyes.
