In July of 2014, we went on a trip starting in Vegas and circling through the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.
After spending days sipping Miami Vices by the pool at Mandalay Bay and watching shows at night, we decided to explore the desert surrounding the oasis that is Las Vegas. Just west of the city is Red Rocks Canyon. We could see the rugged crags from our hotel room, right behind a giant ad for the Michael Jackson experience performed by Cirque Du Soliel.
We scheduled a tour with Cowboy Trail Rides and left in the morning as the sun was rising. We drove off toward the marbled sky and red rocks to meet our horses.
Our guide told us to not act nervous because the horses can tell. I spent the whole time wondering what kind of signals I could possibly be sending to my horse through my saddle. My little dude could have cared less. He was super easy to ride, nimble and knew the routine. He spent a lot of energy nudging the butts of slower horses in front of him. He wanted to get through the trail and get back to snacking. I didn’t blame him.
We rode for about 2 hours and went over some terrain that had me trying to subconsciously lie about my nerves to my horse. In the canyon there are steep cliffs and beautiful vistas. One hillside was browner than the other areas. You don’t see the green out there unless you really look for it. Our guide said there had been a fire 6 years before and that it could take 40 years to look like the rest of the area again. I was amazed that fire could sustain itself over large areas of sparse, grassy tufts.
Riley, Stoney, Todd and I returned safely to the stables. While the other horses made a nice circle for their riders to dismount, Stoney made a b-line for the hay.
