Comfort
Accommodation is in one of 17 rooms at the lodge. Each room is spacious and comfortable. Some of the rooms offer beautiful views of either the dunes or the valley.
Each room has a king size bed or two full beds and a private bathroom. The indoor dining area has a fireplace and a cozy seating area. There is a deck adjacent to the dining area, shaded by mature cottonwood trees with a flower beds that allows you to take in the sweeping views of the property.
WiFi available.
A laundry room is available when not in use.
Meals
Breakfasts are hearty to set you up for a day on the ranch : eggs, pancakes, cereals, fresh fruit.
Picnics, carried in saddlebags, are prepared by the chef in the morning according to your choice of sandwich, wrap or salad.
For dinner you will have a hot and hearty meal and a friendly place to eat it every night at the ranch. You will get to taste local meats, including beef and ranch-bred bison. The on-site chef likes spicy food. Everyone eats at the same table and a staff member will always be present to answer any questions.
Wine will only be served with appetizers. If you would like any other type of alcoholic drink, then you are welcome to bring it to the ranch. The ranch staff are happy to pick up alcohol for guests prior to their arrival and add the cost to their tab. They can make a stop on the airport shuttle to pick this up.
Vegetarian and allergies can be catered for with advance notice.
Climate
South Colorado has a sunny and dry climate. There are very few days with rainfall, with the majority falling between July and August. In March and April, the days are cool, with an average temperature of around 15-20°C, but with beautiful blue skies and sun. In March, frosts at night are a possibility.
From May to June, the days are sunny and pleasant. The temperature rises to around 25°C during the day, and falling back down to 10-15°C at night.
Throughout July and August there is a risk of showers. Temperatures can climb up to 30°C during the day and won't drop lower than 15°C at night.
The fall, September to October, stays mild at around 20°C during the day.
Tips
In all restaurants (except some self-service places), it is customary to leave a 10-12% tip. Some places already have it included automatically. Similarly, it is right to tip taxi drivers a few dollars too.
You are expected to tip the ranch team and they generally expect anywhere between 15-20% of the price of your stay, but please do be aware that this is totally at your discretion. It is customary to give the envelope to the main cowboy, who will then share it and redistribute it to the whole team, but you can highlight a particular member of the team if you wish.
Packing list
Head
- Equus Journeys strongly recommend that you wear a riding helmet and that you take your own to ensure a correct fit. There are many lightweight options available nowadays
- Sunhat for when not riding
- Western riders used to wear a Stetson (American hat). You have usually the possibility to buy one at locally at the beginning of your stay/expedition. Count about $50-120 for a Stetson. Pay attention that it has to stay on your head when galloping. Ask for a strap/cord to fix it strongly.
- There are some head protections to put under your hat (Ranch & Rider, Lexington Safety Products) or western helmet (Troxel).
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana
Upper body
- Long sleeved shirts provide protection from the sun and keep you cooler
- T-shirts
- Lightweight fleece or jumper
- Warm fleece or jumper
- Waterproof jacket - it can rain and there are frequent thunderstorms
Legs
- Lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs - we recommend riding in them at home before taking them on holiday to ensure they don't rub
- Casual trousers for the evenings, such as jeans
Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend western boots or short boots with half chaps but you may wish to take long chaps as an extra layer against inclement weather. We don't recommend taking your favourite long leather boots in case they get damaged
- Trainers or equivalent light shoes for moving around the ranch in the evenings
- Several pairs of socks
- Gloves - your hands are particularly exposed to the sun.
Evening wear
-Casual clothes for the evening
Nightwear
- Pyjamas or nightdress
Other useful items
- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery
- Bumbag for carrying your camera and small items whilst riding you can put them in your saddlebag
- Ear plugs (for light sleepers)
Medical kit
- Any medication you regularly take
- Sunscreen and lip balm - should be high factor
- Insect repellent, preferably containing deet
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc...
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Rehydration sachets
Our Recommendations
- Backpacks cannot be worn whilst riding. We recommend a small bumbag or a coat with pockets so that you can carry small items with you during the day (passport, camera, sunscreen, lip balm etc)
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!
- We recommend taking a copy of your passport and insurance documents with you just in case.
