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Horseback Riding Canada Rocky Mountain, Banff Jasper Horseback Trips, Rocky Mountains Trail Rides, Calgary Stampede, Canada Backcountry Lodge Rides, Skyline Trail Horseback Trips, Canada Ranches, BC Rockies Horseback Tours, British Columbia Guest Ranches, Ranch Holidays
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03-05 Days Backcountry Lodges Rides
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GRT#01 Backcountry Lodges
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Overview: For folks who are looking to take a little bit of home into the backcountry, Sundance and Halfway Lodges provide just the right combination. Like the Wilderness Tenting rides, days are spent horseback riding and exploring. Unlike the tenting rides, evenings are spent in a cozy lodge. We call that roughing it the civilized way! Our backcountry rides are perfect for people of all ages and abilities, who have a little more time to spend in the rockies with us. Leave behind deadlines and schedules and trade them for fresh mountain air, a good horse, and a trail that leads you to one spectacular view after another. Wake to the bugling call of a bull elk or the tantalizing aroma of panfried trout. We'll take you to the perfect spots for once in a lifetime photos, mountain stream fishing and viewing wildlife in its natural habitat. We are conveniently located in Banff, with its fabulous backcountry trails and wilderness, and just 75 miles from the city of Calgary
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The Lodges: Completed in 1991, Sundance Lodge now sits on the original site of the horse corral for Ten-Mile cabin, built by Canadian Pacific Railway back in the 1920's. The cabin itself remains standing and was declared a historical site in 1990. It was used as a refuge for mountain guides and packers travelling to Mount Assiniboine, whose names you can still see carved into the logs. Sundance Lodge sits alongside a gentle curve on Brewster Creek, with the Sundance mountain range as a backdrop. Built entirely with fir logs, the lodge has 10 sleeping rooms, a large country kitchen, and a cozy living room area with woodstove. And although it is a remote backcountry lodge, we decided to add what we felt was an important comfort from home - hot showers! (Please note that, for environmental reasons, showers are restricted to one per stay.)
Surrounded by the beauty of towering peaks, Halfway Lodge has been a welcome haven for over 75 years. Rich in tradition, this cabin was used back in the late 1920's by mountain guide Erling Strom as a stopover for his guests travelling from Banff to Mount Assiniboine. Then a single storied cabin, Strom's wranglers spent the night sleeping in tents while the guests found floor space within. Halfway has remained pretty much as originally built, with the exception of a second story added in 1967 when a bear made an appearance through an unexpected entrance - the roof!
Thanks to the bear, Halfway now sleeps a maximum of fourteen guests. The lifestyle at this rustic backcountry cabin remains similar as 75 years ago - simple. Propane lanterns and candles provide the lighting, and a woodstove keeps the water hot and the cabin warm and cozy.
Note: At Sundance Lodge, private sleeping arrangements are possible depending upon trip size, but are not guaranteed. Sundance has 10 sleeping rooms with 3 beds in each room, rooms are designated on a choose your own basis once at the lodges. Halfway is equipped with single beds only and sleeps 14 guests in 4 rooms.
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The Backcountry Rides:
1. Day: Banff – Sundance Lodge
Riders meet at our office at 9:30 a.m. and are transported by van to the stables. There they are met by their guides and horses and mount up for the ten mile ride to Banff Sundance Lodge via the glacier-fed waters of the Bow River, Healy and Brewster Creek. For those with a vehicle, free parking is available for the duration of the trip.
2. Day: To Halfway Lodge
Your horseback riding adventure continues southward with a ride up to Halfway Lodge. The trail winds along the historic Strom pack trail with the rugged Sundance Range dominating the eastern horizon. Enjoy the views admist the wilderness of the Rockies.
3. Day: Halfway Lodge
The day begins with a hot, ranch-style breakfast after a good night's rest at Halfway Lodge. Then we go to the corral to mount up for the day's ride. Trips may take riders to the headwaters of Brewster Creek or to the breathtaking views enjoyed at the top of Allenby Pass, at an elevation of 8,100 ft.
4. Day: To Sundance Lodge
After a warm good-bye to the cook and Halfway, the winding trail leads back along the Brewster creek to Sundance Lodge. At midday, both horse and rider enjoy a restful break, while the lunch mule is unpacked and coffee is brewed.
5. Day: Return to Banff
The gang gets together for one last day on the trail, a "soft" ten-mile ride from Sundance to the stables, arriving at approximately 4:30 p.m. The adventure has come to a close, but the magic of your holiday will linger on to be relived and shared.
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Rates per Person CAD$
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$599.00 |
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$599.00 |
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$670.00 |
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$670.00 |
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$599.00 |
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$599.00 |
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Rates & Dates (4-Day)
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July
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$895.00 |
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August
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$895.00 |
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September
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$790.00 |
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Rates & Dates (5-Day)
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July
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$1090.00 |
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August
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$1090.00 |
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September
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$980.00 |
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• 3/4/5 Day Backcountry Tour
• Professional Wrangler Service
• All Meals
• GST Tax
• PST Tax
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