Renegade Rides

EAGLE’S EYE
Breathtaking views every day, as we ride along,
 up to higher elevations and back down, with a day at the Ten Sleep Rodeo
Three nights camping

Chances are good we will spot eagles soaring in the thermals of one of the biggest, bluest, skies you have ever seen.  The views just keep getting better as we climb out of the Big Horn Basin and ride up the slopes of the Big Horn Mountains.  You can see clear to Montana, and that is a long way!  This year we will also be able to attend the annual Ten Sleep Rodeo for a day.  This rodeo is the real deal, rough and tough.  This ride  has some breath-taking scenery with some demanding days,  for those not used to a lot of up and down.  It has the Rodeo for fun filled western entertainment, including a night time street dance.  If you want some good riding mixed up with a bit of local western flavor, come on out!

Arrival Day:  Guests are picked up at the Worland Airport, or Cody and transported to Ten Sleep, pop. 304.  There you will be taken to the Renegade Bunkhouse, 2.8 miles south of town.  There are 2 bunkrooms which sleep up to 4 people each, and a cabin with a double bed.  You may also opt for a Cowboy Teepee in the backyard with a view of the surrounding country.  We will get settled in, have orientation and talk about the ride and the days to come.  We will also have a look at the horses and the tack.  Delicious meals will be home-cooked, at the bunkhouse.  The views of the distant hills and the sunset are great from the deck, in the backyard.
Day Two:  After everyone is assigned a horse, the wrangler will demonstrate saddling and help riders to tack up and familiarize themselves with western or ‘neck’ reining.  We will be packing a lunch.  Horn bags are provided for each rider, however you need to bring your own water bottles; 2 – one quart or liter bottles.  We begin the ride from the bunkhouse. We will be riding in some rough country with hidden cutbanks and some rocky ridges.  It is a good place to familiarize yourself with some of the natural hazards we will encounter during the week.  There are also some fabulous views of giant red cliffs and the Big Horn Mountains rising beyond them.  It reminds you of a western movie, at times.  The pace will vary according to terrain, but there are some great places to open up the horses and make some fast tracks.  There are also some places that are steep and brushy with junipers and sagebrush, that might make you want to hang on to the saddle horn.
We stay at the bunkhouse again, that night.
Day Three:  We saddle up, pack lunches and pack our gear.  We will be camping out the next three nights. We ride from the house, following the road for a few miles before heading off into some sage and juniper covered hills.  There are some vast, grass covered meadows- just right for long gallops.  We will go up and down, passing by some giant red cliffs.  Native Americans loved to hunt here in days gone by.  Keep your eyes peeled for any arrowheads they may of lost ages ago.  Deer and antelope are often seen as well as coyotes, hawks and eagles.
Our destination  is Otter Creek.  This beautiful area is a natural campsite, located at the mouth of Otter Creek Canyon.  A sparkling stream comes out of the canyon.  It is good Brook Trout fishing.  For us, it is a great place to splash in and cool off.  We camp at Otter Creek.
Day Four:  We pack up in the morning, hitting the up-hill trail. Out of the canyon we ride, up and up, all day.  Along the way are some heart stopping views into the bottom of at least 2 different canyons.  As we climb up, ever higher, the views across the basin are fabulous.  You can see the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, across the basin, to the west.  The northern horizon is Montana and the Pryor Mountains, home to one of the purest Spanish Mustang herds today.
We top out on the “Thirty-three Mile Stock Drive, at over  8,000 ft..  The stock drive has been in use since livestock was first trailed into the area,  in the late 18,00’s.  It is still in use today.
We camp along the stock drive at Fisher Springs.  Our tents are set u p in pine trees that line the edge of the stock drive.
 Day Five:  We stay in camp this night, too.  We will do a ride to the north, exploring the area.  As we ride along the drive, you will see hundreds of old buffalo wallows.  These are depressions in the ground made by  buffalo rolling.  Their large numbers are testimony to the vast  herds which once roamed here in the tens of thousands.  We may run into cattle or sheep being driven to pastures, or ranchers checking their livestock in the area.  This ride is not as long as the other days.  We have al late breakfast and are back tocamp around 3:00pm.  This gives the horses and guests some relaxing time, to rest up for a long day off the mountain.
Day Six:  We pack our gear and ride back down the mountain.  We will be riding down to Big Trails.   Our route follows the stock drive for a few miles, then heads west down a primitive road  called the Dry Farm.  In the early part of the 20th century, a group of tough pioneers came up here, homesteaded and farmed  hay up here.  They have long since gone.  Today it is grazed by sheep and cattle.  They do well on the rich grass, growing along with sagebrush, Junipers.  The mountain tops are  rocky, with  pine-covered ridges.  There are lots of deer, antelope, and sage-grouse.  If we are lucky, we might spot an elk or two.  Great views again as we descend .
We are picked up in the van and trailer at Big Trails.  We spend the night back at the bunkhouse.
Day Seven:  On our last day, we will attend the rodeo!.  We will take the scenic route to get there.  We ride along the old “dump” road.  This winding red dirt road has great places to make some fast tracks.  There are old wagon ruts in the road in a couple places, from the pioneers.  The road ends at the dump.  Then it is only a mile or so to town.  Time to hit the rodeo.
We will have ringside, or arena -side seats, as we watch the rodeo, along with the locals.  This isn’t just any rodeo.  Besides excellent rough stock events, it has one of the best Wild Horse Races you will see anywhere.  This is where a 3 man team saddles a horse, one man riding the  horse to the other end of the arena, there they must unsaddle the horse and carry the saddle across the arena to the finish line.  What makes it a bit crazy is that there are 3 teams competing at once.  Horses and cowboys go every which way as chaos erupts, usually the horse wins.
We ride back to the bunkhouse from town. In true cowboy fashion, we clean out tack and our horse, when we get back home.  This ride is for “riders”, who appreciate good horses and tack and enjoy every aspect of  horsemanship.
The last night is usually a good night with toast all around with days in the saddle recounted and plans for the future discussed under the canopy of sparkling, bright stars above.
Day Eight:  Time to pack up and head to the airport.  You should be ‘walking like a cowboy’ , by now.  You put on a lot of horseback miles that most people only dream of.  Most riders leave with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, knowing they did a special ride.  After the ’Renegade Experience”  other places are just pony rides.

Included are all meals at the bunkhouse and camps, including a complimentary glass of wine at supper.  Horses and tack are included.  Not included is lunch the day of arrival  and any alcohol you may wish to have.
*Please note that routes or itineraries may vary due to unforeseen events or circumstances.

PACE: SLOW TO FAST, Ave 6-8 hrs on the trail per day.  This may vary with each ride according to riding, terrain, conditions and riding skill levels.  Riders must be able to ride on a loose rein, at all paces.  

ARRIVAL POINT; WORLAND OR CODY
(add $100 for round trip transportation from Cody)

Renegade Rides: the True Meaning of Horsepower is owned and operated by Belinda Daugherty.
For questions or concerns, you may contact Belinda by either e-mail or phone.