MOOSE RIVER / MOUNT ROBSON PARK ... SNARING RIVER / JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Day One
At 8:30am ranch staff will meet you at your accommodation to transfer you to our trailhead, where you will meet your guide and horses. When we choose horses you will find an apple in your saddle bag, to share with a new friend, and we are ready to ride. With our supplies secure on the packhorses, we will head out on our 20km ( 12mi.) ride to our Resplendent Creek Camp. Twenty minutes up the trail we will enter the Moose River valley and the sights and sounds of the outside world will disappear.






















 

The "Wildness" of the Moose River valley, protected to the west as part of Mount Robson Provincial Park and to the east by the Continental Divide and Jasper National Park, is best suited to travel on horseback and it is unlikely that we will meet any other people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





The Moose River is peaceful, remote and has remained unchanged since men first traveled, by horseback, to climb the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.

 

Leaving the silent flowing Moose River, heading into the forest and through the tall timber, one will begin to hear the roar of Resplendent Creek. Thousands of gallons of glacial water pour every minute, over a series of waterfalls, into the Moose River. Here we will stop for a break and dig into our saddle bags for a lunch, before riding onto the broad gravel flats of Resplendent Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Mountains and valleys in every direction will greet the eye. Your horse keeps you high and dry as we cross this meandering creek for miles on the way to our base camp, a cozy fire and a hearty meal.

 
Day Two
Rise early or sleep in, it's your choice. Wood smoke, a crackling fire and the smell of fresh coffee lure you from your bedroll. A splash from the creek on your face, or a basin of warm water to wash, simple preparation for a new day. Wide eyed and bushy tailed, you'll be ready to enjoy apple pancakes with real maple syrup, sizzling bacon or beef sausages, farm fresh eggs, fruit, juice and cereal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And as the wranglers round up the ponies from the grassy mountain slopes, you can get ready for a ride through the "big rocks" to the base of the monarch of the Canadian Rockies -- Mount Robson.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh from a night of grazing in belly deep grass, your horse is ready for grooming, saddling and the days work. New riders will be taught how to groom and saddle your horse, and after packing your selection of goodies for lunch, head up the valley into "no mans land".

Golden eagles, mountain goat, deer, elk, moose, caribou and grizzly bear are just a few of the "wild ones" that dwell in this overpowering landscape. The trick to seeing wildlife is knowing where to look -- the time of day, the sun, the clouds, the forest, the shadows and the wind. Close to the earth amid the wildflowers on up to the sky, the Resplendent Valley supports a reality of it's own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
What once was the floor of a great ocean now crumbles down from the peaks, while the Rocky Mountains are continually forced upward. Glaciers recede exposing geological formations millions of years old, and the river rules, constantly changing course in its timeless flow.
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Relaxed with your pony and your surroundings, nature will capture your complete attention on your second day. When we return to camp again, all but two of the horses are set free to head for the hills, green grass and rest.

 

Home cooking -- steak and potatoes, vegetables with rice, chili and cornbread, pasta with fresh salad. Carrot cake, lemon loaf and banana bread are some of the meals you'll be eager to eat. Coffee, tea (herb or black), hot chocolate and of course clean fresh water. Firelight, friends and food -- you will sleep well.