equestrian travel across the country & around the world Trail Riding in Wyoming Ride Lodge-to-Lodge in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming By Anne Burmarck & Joris Neven The Hideoutis natural horsemanship oriented and the quality of horses is one of the main reasons guests return every year. What could be more fun than riding all day in the vast and beautiful territory of Wyoming, then relaxing and enjoying a gourmet meal at a luxurious lodge? Doing it for seven days in a row, perhaps? This wonderful experience can be yours, when you visit a 100-year-old ranch called The Hideout at Flitner Ranch. There s plenty of wide open space, as the ranch encompasses 300,000 acres, and your wonderful hosts, a combination American/European family, offer you all the ingredients for a spectacular riding vacation. Excellence in Hospitality The Hideout at Flitner Ranch has always been known for providing the unique combination of an authentic working cattle ranch experience, while riding big country in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, then being pampered in style and grace at the end of the day. Their unsurpassed hospitality combined with a unique riding program offers a very upscale trail riding opportunity. Unique Scenery and Unlimited Riding Space Trail riders at the The Hideout have access to over 300,000 acres of private land, National Forest and BLM leases (which are shared with wild mustangs). In addition, The Hideout has outfitting permits in both The Cloud Peak Wilderness and Big Horn National Forest. All this provides endless riding with an incredible diversity of scenery. This area is unique in the sense that one day you feel like you are riding in the red canyons and desert that you would find in Arizona. Then the next day you can ride through salt sage and dry canyons with junipers. As you move up in altitude, the trails lead you through pine forests, groves of aspen, and crystal clear creeks in mountain pastures. When you climb up further, you reach the high mountain lakes and alpine forests. There is a wide variety of wildlife, birds, plants and geological formations at all the different elevations. The Hideout s headquarters in Shell are located at 4200 feet, and 42 October 2008 w w w.trailbl AZERM AGAZINE.US
The mares and foals of the Flitner Ranch Quarter Horse breeding program roam the mountain pastures during summer. the highest mountain, Cloud Peak, reaches over 13,000 feet. Year-Round Staff That Knows the Area The Hideout Trail guide exploring a Shell Creek river crossing looking for moose. Peter De Cabooter and Peruvian Paso Montana, overlooking Shell Valley from Devil s Leap, exploring the next day s trail ride. The Hideout has access to two year-round chefs with culinary school training, a yearround staff, and professional management. The number of guests is limited in order to maximize the attention given. The fact that the staff is year-around is one of the secrets of The Hideout. It takes about 3 years to get to know the terrain and ranch property. A skilled group of wranglers looks after both the livestock and the guest s activities, which makes them interesting and personable riding hosts and guides. They are very polite, authentic, fun, interesting, and above all, professionals that assure a safe experience under all circumstances. Experience in Logistics When it comes to logistics for overnight stays, there are several lodges and cabins spread across the property. Most of these destinations are within riding distance. As part of the guest ranch program, The Hideout has for years offered a one or two night stay in the high mountain lodges. The guests ride the trails and the chef and housekeeping bring up food, luggage and fun in 4x4 vehicles. Even at 8200 feet you dine and sleep in style and comfort! The Horses. The horses used for the challenging terrain at The Hideout are currently all Quarter Horses, which come from different sources. There are several Flitner Ranch-bred horses, as well as horses from other breeders and sources. The horses need to be able to For those who do not mind taking a packhorse and setting up tents, one overnight stay can take place in the Cloud Peak Wilderness at higher elevations. handle the rugged terrain, be outside yearround, and tolerate 105F in summer to -35F in winter. The Hideout is natural horsemanship oriented and the quality of horses is one of the main reasons guests return every year. Endurance is a very important consideration in selecting the horses for The Hideout programs. There are horses for different levels of riders, and very often there is as much as a 4-to-1 horse / guest ratio. This assures that guests have access to fresh, well-rested horses. The Hideout used Peruvian Paso gaited horses this summer. Great horses, but they were not suitable for the terrain and had difficulties keeping up with the other horses. However, after having experienced the smooth gait of the Peruvian Paso, Peter De Cabooter will continue to explore other gaited horse breeds as the trail riding program continues to grow. The Hideout staff uses Parelli techniques and other training methods for their horses. They invest in additional equestrian training for their staff on a continuous basis. Some of the staff was even sent for training to Europe in an effort to expand their equestrian horizons! The Flitner Ranch has its own Quarter Horse breeding program. Greg and Pam Flitner focus on breeding horses that offer athletic performance and the ability to handle the rugged Wyoming mountain terrain. Strong bone structure, cow sense, and great disposition, as well as endurance and gentleness are must-haves. All horses are trained at the ranch using low-impact and low-stress methods. Bloodlines include Doc Bar, Two-Eyed Jack, Leo, Doc Jack Frost, Three Bars, and Quick Emotion. The Flitner horses are only sold during the four-year ranch production sale. The next sale is coming up spring 2009. Contact peter@thehideout.com for more information. Some of the other horses in The Hideout Guest String are bred out of Doc O lena, Hancock, Hackberrys Star, Zippo Pine Bar and Triple Chick continued next page w w w.trailbl AZERM AGAZINE.US October 2008 43
Although the lower desert areas rarely see rain, trail riders need to be prepared for all weather conditions. Wranglers and guests bring in fresh trail horses from the White Creek Canyon to the Trapper Creek Canyon for next day s ride. personal and interesting. Above all, finding soul mates and travelers looking for the same kind of experience to bond with. Guests ride the trails and the chef and housekeeping bring up food, luggage and fun in 4x4 vehicles. Even at 8,200 feet you dine and sleep in style and comfort! International Travel Experience Peter De Cabooter, a European family member born in Africa, and his wife Marijn became the managers of The Hideout, after vacationing here for 15 years. They quickly discovered that many of The Hideout s repeat guests would welcome a dedicated trail riding program that combined the same culture, resources and concept of the working cattle guest ranch experience translated into an exciting trail riding experience. The Hideout looked at similar equestrian vacations both in North America and in England, Ireland, Italy, and France. They realized that they already had all the ingredients and experience for a great luxury trail riding program where guests could ride from Lodge to Lodge. They promptly developed that program, beginning operation in the 2007 Season. What Do the Trail Riders Have to Say? One of the first guests that participated in the program, Joris, an experienced global traveler, had this to say about the new Lodge to Lodge program: Great riding in a diversity of country and scenery during the day, accompanied by very personable, year-round staff and riding guides who know where to go, and know about the country, the history, nature, and horses. The horses that are not your typical dude horse. A team of family, management, and staff who are authentic and passionate about offering a very personal riding and learning experience that is both safe and fun. Comfortable lodging, clean cabins, great food, with the ability to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening; luggage transported separately, and small groups of people to keep it How Does it Work? Groups are limited to six riders and one or two guides, who will be switched out from time to time to allow for different conversations, riding experiences and interests. The first night will be spent at The Hideout main lodge area in the valley, at 4200 feet. Both the trail riding guests and the working cattle guest ranch guests will dine together the first evening in order to get acquainted. At this time, both the family at the ranch and the head wrangler will visit with the guests to discuss options and preferences of activities during the week. The following day, the trail riding group will be given the necessary safety and horse orientation and then leave for the week. Where the trail riders will sleep depends not only on the weather but also on the guest s preferences. The accommodations will be either cabins or lodges. One night there might be tents, and if you sleep in tents they will be comfortable, and a shower and bathroom will be available. Every evening, the group will decide how many hours they would like to ride the next day, and how early in the morning they would like to start the next ride. At least two nights will be at the remote but exclusive Upper Hideout Lodges at 8200 feet, a location which has many canyons and areas to explore. Every evening one of the culinaryschooled chefs and the trail manager will bring up the luggage, food and drinks, and items that guest might have left in the valley. The chef prepares a great meal wherever you are and the guests participate as much or as little they feel like in the work. For those who do not mind taking a packhorse and setting up tents, one overnight stay can take place in the Cloud Peak Wilderness at higher elevations. The Hideout can arrange to send in the packhorse separately and set up camp prior to the group s arrival. 44 October 2008 w w w.trailbl AZERM AGAZINE.US
If guests choose this experience as part of the program, this would the only place where there are no showers or bathrooms, due to its location in the wilderness area. There are of course plenty of crystal clear lakes, creeks and springs available. Hideout guests pose with wrangler of the day, Marijn Werquin. Who are the Riders? In principle this program is designed for more advanced riders to enjoy a smooth trail riding experience. The practice at The Hideout has always been to match horse and rider, as well as matching equally experienced riders with their peers. This avoids having very experienced riders in the same group as novice riders. However, if families, friends, or groups with different riding abilities would like to ride together, this can be accommodated so long as the riders are all aware of the need to respect each other s safety and ability. Return Every Day to the Main Hideout Another trail riding option is that one can stay the entire week at The Hideout main lodge and cabins, along with the guest ranch guests, but instead of taking part in the cattle work and drives, one can choose to do a series of trail rides. And rest assured, no trail ride will be the same. Other Activities When Not Trail Riding The Hideout offers several other options for guests who prefer not to ride every day. Those include hiking, fly fishing, trapshooting, riding lessons, visits to Cody and/or Yellowstone National Park, culinary and art events and so much more. If one s partner is not into horses, he/she can even hike the trails with a guide and meet up later. The Hideout Lodge-To-Lodge Trail Riding Program. an enjoyable, unique and fun equestrian experience. The concept of The Hideout is always the same: to offer a diversity of equestrian experiences which make full use of the unique topography and scenery of this region, the expansive ranch property available to explore, the outstanding horses, the authentic staff, and international travel experiences of the family, management, and guests, all combined with the upscale background serving equestrian enthusiasts from around the world. If you would like to know more please check out The Hideout websites: www.wyoming-horse-riding.com www.thehideout.com w w w.trailbl AZERM AGAZINE.US October 2008 45