Reservoir Ridge: Wildlife, rocks, and views

One of the smaller natural areas in the Fort Collins area, Reservoir Ridge is just north of the city and west of Overland Trail. Paths in this natural area make for a great short ride or can connect you with miles of trails in the other natural areas around Fort Collins.

Following Overland Trail north from Fort Collins, the road bends sharply to the left, then sharply right and continues into LaPorte. To get to the parking lot, drivers should continue straight when Overland turns right and follow Michaud Lane. The road dead-ends at the parking lot after a narrow bridge. Trailers should parallel park at the fence on the right of the lot. Cars should continue into diagonal parking on the left side. Parking is limited, so be courteous and use all available trailer space. If the lot is full, you will have to ride at another time.

The trail leaves from the south end of the parking lot and continues through an open meadow. Even through the meadow, the trail is rocky and fairly narrow. Horses should be equipped with shoes and riders should be vigilant for signs of lameness in their horses. The rocks and low grass are also ideal habitat for rattlesnakes, so use caution and carry a snakebite kit.

As the trail starts to climb, riders meet their first option. To the right, the trail climbs the hill and does a long, wide loop back to this junction. To the left, following the Foothills Trail, riders will have several more options for routes to take. About a quarter mile up the trail from this junction, another option is available; it goes straight over the ridge and connects back to the loop trail or to a parking lot on County Road 23.

The Foothills Trail continues south over some rough terrain with some large rocks for horses to climb over. If riders continue on the Foothills Trail, they will walk though an open gate and make the final choice to stay in this natural area or continue through the foothills. If riders take a right turn, they will reconnect with the other trail options and can make shorter or longer loops back to the parking lot. This option takes riders though some nice meadow areas and gives views of both Fort Collins and Horsetooth Reservoir. Taking the Foothills Trail, riders can connect into Maxwell and Pineridge natural areas and extend their ride for several hours.

Reservoir Ridge's largest loop takes about 1.5 hours and makes a nice evening ride.

The trails in this area are challenging, with many rocks, tight spots and other trail users. Riders need to watch for mountain bikers, hikers, dogs and wildlife while out riding on this trail. For the effort, riders are treated to views of the city, the reservoir, the Bellevue area and the foothills.

Lory State Park

Just a short drive north west of town is one of the best places in Northern Colorado to ride. Lory State Park has a wide variety of trails for horseback riders ranging in difficulty level from beginner to advanced. 

There are several places to park each with their own options for trails. After stopping at the visitor center to purchase a day pass, follow the main road through the park. The first left leads to the first parking lot with trail access. There are two trails you can access from this lot, both head south on either side of the valley and reconnect at the south parking lot.

The next parking on the main road is on the left and connects to the east valley trail as well as beach access. The east valley trail has some bridges that can be challenging for horses new to trail riding. They are wooden bridges, fairly narrow without sides, while most bridges on the trails are short, one on this trail is fairly long and winding and provides a great schooling opportunity. This trail is also great for conditioning for eventing or endurance riding as the trails are long and have a variety of terrain. 

Just before the road ends, there is a large trailer parking area on the left.  This parking lot gives you access to all the trails. The east and west valley trails meet at this parking lot and continue into the next valley. Following those trails into the next valley also gives riders access to the cross country course. The jumps are being worked on the the CSU english riding team, but not all of the jumps have had recent maintenance. When schooling, walk around and inspect the jumps and take off and landing areas as they may be holes, loose boards, nails, or other hazards. The east and west valley trails connect at the south end of the park and make a nice loop. From the end of this loop, riders can continue into the Horsetooth park open space. 

From the east valley trail, another trail branches to the left and heads down to Horsetooth Reservoir. This trail gets steep and rocky and can be hard to follow, but there are several beaches and reservoir access. There is also a short branch from that trail that follows the ridge line and gives beautiful views of the park. 

From the west valley trail, a trail branches off and heads west. This trail heads into the backcountry of the park. This trail is steep and rocky and for more advanced riders. There are several branches off this trail that can connect back to the west valley trail or into Horsetooth park. 

Lory State Park is also part of a trail system that connects to Devil’s Backbone Open Space though Horsetooth park. This trail can also be a great all day ride. 

Lory State Park offers year long passes so riders can feel free to explore all the trails this park has to offer. 

Happy Trails!

Mount Margaret

About 20 miles west of livermore, horseback riders have a choice to make. Turn left and explore the Lady Moon trail or turn right and explore the Mount Margaret area. 

The Mount Margaret parking lot is well maintained with ample room for trailers. The trailer parking area has pull through spots and easy access to the restroom facilities. The trail heads north though a gate out of the parking lot.  The trail is wide and meanders though open pine forests and meadows. 

About a mile from the gate, the trail crosses south lone pine creek. The crossing is friendly and wide, and should be easy for any horse, even those unfamiliar with water.  The trail continues through meadows and open forest areas to a rickety old gate. 

Shortly after the gate, the trail branches, the dowdy lake trail heads off to the left, while the Mount Margaret trail heads straight. As the trail continues, there are several trails that branch off giving riders the opportunity to make their ride as long or short as they want. 

The main trail is well marked and easy to follow, but doesn’t have a well marked end at the summit. There is very little altitude gain on the trail, but toward the end of the trail, riders a treated to a gorgeous view of the canyon carved by the north lone pine creek.

Along the trail are 9 campsites available for back country camping. Each site comes with a bench and enclosed fire pit. While not equipped with horse stalls, camping with hobbles or high lining is possible at the sites. 

This area is a gorgeous place to ride for any level of horse and rider and definitely worth the drive.

For more information about the trail, and other trails in this area, check out the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers website.

Happy Trails!

Colorado Equine Emergencies

Spring time is a great time to travel with your horse for trail rides and shows, but here in Colorado we have a few concerns for people traveling with horses to be aware of.

Equine Herpes Virus 

A horse recently was euthanized after showing neurological symptoms associated with Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy, which also is known as EHV-1. This virus caused a massive outbreak last spring after horses were exposed to it at a large event in Utah.

Currently, only a few barns are affected. The horse that was euthanized had been transported from Iowa by a transport company along with several other horses. The facilities affected are locked down and monitoring their horses for symptoms.

Caution should be used when brining new horses onto your property, and all new horses should be quarantined for at least two weeks before being allowed to interact with other horses on the property.

Several good resources for information on this outbreak are online.

For information about the disease and prevention of its spread: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/equine_herpesvirus_brochure_2009.pdf

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh/docs/EHV-1WhitePaper.pdf .

For news and updates on the outbreak in Colorado:

http://www.colorado.gov/ag .

For news and updates around the rest of the nation:

http://www.aqha.com/en/Showing/News-Articles/05102012-EHV1-Outbreak.aspx .

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Hewlett Gulch Fire: Protect Your Horses!

At 1 p.m. Monday, a fire broke out in the Hewlett Gulch region near Poudre Canyon. The fire has caused trail closures in the area including the Hewlett Gulch and Gray Rock trails.

The Hewlett Gulch area often is used by horseback riders. As of Tuesday night, there are no evacuations, but residents are on alert in case the fire’s path changes. The fire covers more than 600 acres and is 10 percent contained.

Equestrians should not trail ride near the area and may want to avoid Poudre Canyon in general to allow emergency crews unhampered access to the area. The smoke is thick and can be seen along much of the Front Range. Riders should use caution when riding because horses can be affected by the smoke in the air.

Horses may need to be evacuated from the fire area. If you are in the area and need help with horses, or have resources available to help with the fire, visit the Facebook group Front Range Area Equestrians at https://www.facebook.com/groups/346370242066987/.

If you cannot get your horses evacuated, make sure they have identification (such as a halter with contact information). Then, open gates on the property so horses can escape from the fire if needed.

Please try to plan ahead and get horses and other pets out of danger before being forced to resort to last-minute measures.

Cherokee Park State Wildlife Area: Lone Pine Unit

Cherokee Park State Wildlife Area provides opportunities to see a wide variety of species including bighorn sheep — and to enjoy a beautiful day in the hills with your horse.

The state wildlife area can be entered through two main access points: one off of Cherokee Park Road (Larimer County Road 80C, which leaves U.S. Highway 287 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins) and the other off of Red Feather Lakes Road.

Maintained by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Cherokee Park is divided into five management units which cover almost 21,000 acres of public land.

The Lone Pine Unit connects with all the wildlife area's other units, so riders can feel free to explore and ride for days. It's named after Lone Pine Creek, which runs through the tract. Access is off of Red Feather Lakes Road, about 8 miles from the Livermore turnoff along U.S. 287. The dirt parking lot has plenty of room for most horse trailers to pull in, park and turn around, but there are no designated parking spots. Drivers should be courteous to fellow trail users and park so that other trail users have easy access to the lot.

The trailhead presents two choices: Follow historic Maxwell Ranch Road or take a trail up the hills. Both trails reconnect in the gorgeous canyon where Lone Pine Creek runs. The road is flatter, wider and easier, although it makes several stream crossings before  reconnecting with the other trail. The other route climbs over a few hills, and provides for gorgeous views in all directions. The descent into the canyon following this route is steep, rocky and not for inexperienced riders or horses.

Once down the hill, riders can head due west, following Maxwell Ranch Road, which also follows Lone Pine Creek. The road crosses the creek several times, but the crossings are friendly, shallow and great for teaching horses about water crossings. The road heads up a hill and then descends into another beautiful canyon. The road is about 8 miles long and enters Forest Service property.

Riders who head northeast along the road will find a bathroom and access to the Lone Pine Trail. This trail loops through the unit and reconnects with Maxwell Ranch Road. The loop is about 8 miles long as well, so riders should plan for around half a day of riding.

This area is open to recreation from May 1 through Sept.1 but is limited to hunting and fishing the rest of the year. Permits are required for hunting, and if riding during those months, riders should be cautious and wear orange hunting vests and other fluorescent-colored gear.

Happy trails!

Coyote Ridge Natural Area: An Adventure

For those looking for a more challenging trail experience along with gorgeous views, Coyote Ridge Natural Area is the natural area for you.

The parking lot is off of South Taft Hill Road, just south of the Fort Collins landfill. The large lot has plenty of room for horse-trailer parking and hitching posts for those that can't be tied to your trailer.

The trail heads west from the parking lot across plains full of prairie dogs. About a mile from the parking area is a cabin and restroom facilities which include hitching posts for your horses.

The trail then climbs into the foothills. It's fairly wide in most places but does rise fairly rapidly -- and, as you climb, the trailside drop-off is long and steep. The trail also is very rocky, with some slick, flat stones as well as small, sharp ones; your horse should have shoes or strong feet.

Cresting the second hill, you follow the ridge and then start heading down the other side. At this point, a sign recommends that all riders dismount for the stairs. The part-rock, part-wood stairs are between 1 and 2 feet high. The turn in the fairly narrow steps is difficult for some horses to navigate, especially when being led and having to watch out for the person leading them. There is no path around the steps. If you choose to descend the stairs, make sure you or someone with you are experienced and confident so that your horse can safely be led through this obstacle.

After the stairs, the trail narrows and switchbacks down into a wide valley. Across the valley, it heads into a canyon. This part of the trail is narrow and cuts into the side of the hill. Horses need to be surefooted here because the rocks on the side of the trail give way easily and there is not much room for error.

The trail forks as you leave the canyon, but taking either fork will lead back to the same point because it is a small loop. You can leave the loop and connect into the other Front Range trails which connect Devil's Backbone to Lory State Park.

After the short loop, riders must return on the same trail. While no sign advises riders to dismount before riding up the stairs, less experienced riders may want to lead their horses to stay safe.

This area is best to ride in the spring or late fall, because many rattlesnakes gather on the rocks and in the grass during the warm summer months.

While this trail is intense, the rider is rewarded with views of Fort Collins, Loveland, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain Horse Expo: March 9-12

A great way to get geared up for spring riding and competing is the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo.

Hosted this Friday through Monday at Denver's National Western Complex, this event has everything a horse person could ask for -- including clinics, art, shopping and competitions.

The clinics are a great learning experience for every level of horse person. This year's featured clinician, Julie Goodnight, is a Colorado local but is known nationwide as the Horse Master and has her own show on RFD-TV.

Other clinics include cattle working with Jeff and Gerrie Barnes, working obstacles with Debbie Bibb, an introduction to three-day eventing, starting your horse over fences and improving your horsemanship.

The expo also features an art show and craft fair as well as an extensive trade show. Riders can spend hours just wandering this area to find all sorts of tack, clothing, supplies and decorations.

Those who want to watch the horses will have many opportunities at the expo. All of the clinicians will work with several riders, but you can sign up to “Ride with an Expert” next year by visiting the website.

A miniature horse and pony show will be held all three days. The “Mane Event” on Friday and Saturday nights will feature reining, dressage, vaulting and other exciting riding which shows off both horse and rider.

While the expo brings together many excellent horse people, it also is hosting the Holistic Horse Fair and many related clinics. As with holistic health care for humans, many of the ideas of holistic horsemanship are not founded in reality or science. While some of their methods or ideas may be harmless, many are not and could lead to injury or death of rider or horse. If you choose to participate in these clinics, please be cautious when applying any of these ideas and use common sense. If something sounds dangerous or if you do not know what is in the supplements you are giving your horse, ask your veterinarian or trainer, or avoid that activity.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo!