Ride with Mantracker at Anchor D

By Lisa Warren and Kathy Mydske

AND WHAT A RIDE IT WAS! W e arrived on a Thursday evening, greeted by the friendly staff at the Anchor D Ranch and set up for the night in “Grandpa’s” log cabin. We enjoyed the amenities including heated floors, comfortable beds, and fantastic pillows. It was a little bit of a luxury before “roughing it.” We started Friday with a hearty breakfast prepared by Marcia at the main house where we learned a little history of the Anchor D. The owner, Dewy Matthews, named the ranch in tribute of his father, Don, who worked in the Navy Reserves in Victoria. The ranch stretches over a half section bordering the Kananaskis and fields 120+ horses. Coincidentally, Dewy was invited on the project, Mantracker, but said he was busy with his ranch and suggested his cousin, Terry Grant, who worked with Search & Rescue and was a true tracker… hence, the series

Our Horsey Ladies group with Mantracker – “we caught him!” Mantracker was cast. After breakfast, we all met at the barn where the horses were handpicked for each rider. Due to high river conditions, horses and riders were transported to a starting point in Kananaskis Park. We rode up Green Mountain with our incredibly fit horses to an elevation of 6,800 ft. We travelled steep and narrow rocky paths as well as rolling meadows with incredible mountain views. We stopped for a rest on a high summit pasture eating a nutritious packed lunch from our saddle bags. While the horses rested, the riders enjoyed an afternoon siesta in full view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. After a relaxing nap, we headed down to base camp where we found our gear had been transported with tents and sleeping cots ready for our arrival. A fabulous dinner was prepared by Jocelyn, and we ate around a warm

Downtime at camp campfire. Mantracker (Terry) regaled us with great stories about both the Mantracker series as well as stories from his work in Search & Rescue. He was truly a down-to-earth guy willing to share his experiences. The evening was enjoyed by all. Saturday morning started early with a hearty breakfast. We headed out to Blue Mountain for a full day ride with wranglers Justin and Julie along for the ride. Our companion dogs, Buddy and Luke, flushed out any wildlife ahead of us as the horses carried us up and up… finally

Afternoon Siesta

Anchor D Guiding & Outfitting in Turner Valley Alberta exceeded our expectations with a 3-day/2-night horseback riding and camping adventure. We joined an eclectic group of 10 riders ranging from a novice 20-year-old to an experienced 79-yearold; yet, the real superstars were the horses. Ideally, chosen for each individual rider, they carried us sure-footed and safe through wooded trails, rolling meadows, river crossings and high mountain passes in the Canadian Rockies.

Up, up and away! And of course down!

reaching the tree line at an elevation of 7,300 ft. We were in awe; it was a crazy view of the Continental Divide.

Dewy and Mantracker were a wealth of information about the history of the area identifying bygone saw mills, grassland conservation areas and other interesting wildlife facts. Did you know moose will eat Willow bark for pain relief and Balsam Fir resin tastes like buckwheat?

Towards the end of the ride, our butts were eager to get back to camp. After a few queries of “Are we there yet?” Mantracker began the mantra, “We’ll be there in 5 minutes” with a mischievous grin.

Saturday night base camp was fully set up and ready for the weary riding crew. After a steak dinner with all the fixins, Dewy charmed us with his musical styles on the squeeze box setting the scene for a sing along evening. With a tip from Paulo to beat the night chill, we pulled heated rocks from the fire pit, wrapped them in towels and tucked them in our sleeping bags, keeping us warm as we set in for a deep sleep in our tents.

After a pancake breakfast Sunday morning, we packed up and readied for the final ride. While our luggage was transported back to the ranch, we rode out to Junction Mountain and lunched at the spectacular Junction Falls. We were able to let loose on the way back, loping for a few kilometres giving the horses a chance to let out any pent-up energy. So much fun!

Back at the ranch, Mantracker signed copies of his book for all the riders. Dewy and Terry thanked each and every one of us personally for coming.

In the end, it was a truly Canadian vista experience with photos and memories to last a lifetime. We felt safe and secure with our wranglers and the horses became our trusted partners. We were well taken care of by both man and beast. When it was all over, we truly wished we could have had “just 5 more minutes.”

Luv this photo of Bonnie V

One of our hearty breakfasts

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