Campfire Stories - Galentine's Day Edition
Valentine’s Day is often viewed as a holiday for romantic partners to share their love. Well, we are here to celebrate ALL kinds of love, including best friendships.
Please enjoy the story of Jess and Jessie, best friends since the age of 4 who came for a Copper Cayuse ride to celebrate their 40th birthdays.
Jess and I grew up a block apart in a small town in Ontario. Since we were 4 years old we were inseparable. We went to public school and high school together, and after high school she went off to college and I stayed local. When she came back to Ontario, I went to live in BC. After a few years we switched lol I moved back to ON and she moved out to BC shortly after. We always stayed connected through social media, phone and visits when we could, and became even closer as the years passed and tried to see each other at least 3 times a year. Geographically, she is in BC (Delta region) and I am in Southern Ontario. So it wasn’t always the easiest to plan. Since the pandemic, we knew the next time we saw each other it had to be a big one!
Our trip was to celebrate our 40th birthdays together. I turned 40 on September 12 and she turned 40 on October 15. We picked a time frame of in between our big days and figured BC was the best for fall riding. We booked in January for a September excursion with Copper Cayuse Outfitters. We chose to ride with CCO because the 3-day expedition met both of our interests: my love for trail horseback riding and Jess’s for backcountry camping. This tour was the best of both worlds! We were also impressed by the customer reviews that we found and the price. For this kind of ride, CCO is the best bang for your buck and adored by anyone who experiences it.
Our experience was nothing short of spectacular.
The way Copper Cayuse handled the larger group, hand picking horses based on experience of rider and horse. The way they have an experienced head n heeler to help with any and all hiccups with minimum disruption to the group. It was all a well oiled machine!
The accommodations were 5- stars. Bathroom, sleeping tents/cots/blankets, etc awere clean and well taken care of. I can not say enough about the horses and the care they receive. I have seen some shady things in other trail riding operations and I was looking for it when horses were pulled off the trailer to greet us. They are happy, healthy, tack is clean and in great working condition. There is nothing half -assed when it comes to this operation.
The food!!! OMG!! those meals were hardy, delicious and well thought out. My only wish would have been maybe a snack charcuterie style lunch as a lighter option in lieu of a sandwich. I get why as we worked up an appetite on the trails, but it was too much food for me lol
The trails were scary but the horses handled it as if they were raised here (wink). It does push even an experienced rider if you are not used to that type of terrain. But at no point did I feel unsafe or like there wasn't a level of control from the outfit riders and horses. You are exhausted at the end of day, everyday, it is a physical activity! I had seat cushions on our saddles and I am grateful for it. We had the opportunity to come back to the ranch after the weekend and see the operation there. I definitely would love to try a trail ride the next time I'm out that way.
Overall though, this experience was everything I wanted and CCO gave more than I expected. We do plan on coming again and trying other excursions that CCO has to offer!
Celebrate the love for friendship, horses, or the great outdoors this Valentine’s Day by booking a ride with Copper Cayuse. For a limited time, you can save up to 15% during our early booking sale. Read more about the sale and how to book here.