A typical horseback riding trip in Willmore Wilderness Park

It all begins by meeting you at the trailhead at about 10:30 a.m. You may have come from Edmonton or Calgary and stayed the night before in Jasper or Hinton or nearby at a guest ranch. There is also good camping near the trailheads.

While the crew packs your duffel and the camp gear, Gerald introduces you to your horse, fits you to your saddle and gives you a short riding lesson [if needed].

He talks about how the ride to camp will proceed and then we head out for the first campsite, located from 3 to 4 hours [10-12 miles] from the trailhead.

About half way to camp, we stop for a hearty bag lunch and stretch and rest. We are in no rush because we have plenty of time to make it to the camp.

One there, we familiarize you with the camp–the showers [yes, we even have hot water], the biffy, and a wash up area. There are no buildings–we use tarps and location to provide you with privacy. We get your duffels off the pack horses and while you set up your bedroll in one of our tents or your own, dinner is being prepared outside or in our large cooktent.

The first night is usually a steak fry with all the fixings and then campfire chat before retiring to a bedroll. Of course, there's almost always a sunset to enjoy on the way to bed or maybe some alpenglow on a nearby moutain.

Day 2 starts with a good breakfast eaten as early or late as the guests want. After breakfast, there's further familiarization with your horse and an additional riding lesson [if needed]. Then we take a day ride up above timberline to one of the beautiful alpine ridges. We tie the horses, eat lunch, relax, take photographs. Each day, the length and type of ride [easy-flat or more advanced] is chosen according to the experience, physical shape, and desires of the guests. Usually on the second day, we return to camp early enough for some leisure time, photography, a walk about, or whatever appeals. If people are at different levels, we can provide different rides on a given day.

Day 3 on the longer trips is likely to be a move to a new camp. Breakfast is at 7:30, and then, while you pack your duffel, the crew dismantles the entire camp and packs the horses. When we arrive at the next camp [8 or more miles from the first], you guests relax while we set up camp, start the campfire, and cook dinner.

Day 4 is likely to be another layover day–a day that we don't move our camp and go out for a ride. Again, we will offer several choices of day rides, depending on what the guests want to do: long or short, easy or more advanced. Sometimes swimming in a nearby lake is an option.

Day 5 we start the move back toward the trailhead–possibly staying at the first night's camp or possibly locating in a new one.

Day 6 is another layover day with options for rides. Most places in Willmore are good for rides to alpine lakes or along wildflower-filled ridge tops. Sometimes we visit historical sites such as trappers cabins in the Pope-Thoreau Valley or a historic grave site at Big Grave Flats. We'll tell you about the options and take you where you'd prefer to go.

Day 7 is a return to the trailhead early enough so that you can make it to the local town [usually Hinton or Jasper] for a good meal. Maybe you've booked a room in a comfortable hotel or you might even proceed on to the international airport at Edmonton or Calgary. We are happy to suggest good bed and breakfast or motel stopovers.

On longer trips (10-, 12-, 14-days), depending on the wishes of you guests, we can move 40 to 100 miles into the park and do a large circuit–meaning every day offers a new ride and new vistas but for the last ride out.

Some people think that a few days of riding is all they can handle. But we've found that longer trips are not more difficult or demanding on our guests. If you don't ride regularly, you can expect to feel some mild discomfort on the first few days. By the third day, the mild discomforts are gone and the rest of the trip seems easier rather than more difficult.

This year will be my 21st season of taking guests into the Willmore and I still can't think of anything I'd rather be doing than showing it to you.

Gerald Ward