Spruce Lake Park Backpacker's Lodge a Success!

The first season ran very smoothly as the lodge. Our guide, Anders, from Denmark, spent the majority of his summer there taking care of guests, renting out canoes and fishing gear, and cooking for guests. We also filmed a few videos there that you will be able to watch on YouTube shortly.
Jarmo, one of our guests at Spruce Lake this summer, moved from Norway to Canada and has been living near Algonquin Park in Ontario for a while now. He is a true outdoorsman and adventurer who attempted to travel the trans-Canadian trail on horseback. Unfortunately his horse bacame injured before he was able to reach the west coast, but all the same, he's a true rider through and through. We had the pleasure of welcoming him to Spruce Lake for a fishing and riding holiday, and even he was impressed by the beautiful landscapes and vistas offered here in the south Chilcotin Mountains.
If you are interested in receiving more information about the services offered at the lodge, check out our website or contact us today!

Are you Spontaneous?

This is a question not to be taken lightly here at Chilcotin Holidays. Although we do allow for relaxing "Holidays", some guests are actually seeking a vacation at a ranch who's name should sound something more like "Chilcotin Adventures". Usually we can spot these individuals from a mile away, and like to surprise them with opportunities they will never forget.

This summer we welcomed Nicole to the ranch. Travelling from Germany to learn a bit about the tourism industry and to relax for a few days at the ranch, this lady got more than she bargained for! Here is what she wrote:

" Kevan asked me: “Are you spontaneous?” This was the question initiating my incomparable journey through the Chilcotin Mountains. Originally I intended to stay in the Honeymoon Cabin to find some quiet and rest, while possibly adding a day of riding or hiking to spice up the vacation a little. I didn’t expect it to get that spicy at all!

"Just shortly after arriving at the ranch I accidentally stumbled into the horse education and joined it just for fun. At that time I didn’t have a clue how essential those instructions would become for me. The next morning before breakfast Kevan, the owner, visited me at the cabin and asked with an indefinable smile: “Nicole, are you spontaneous?” And spontaneously I answered: “Yes, I am!”

"From this moment on the events came thick and fast - within 30 minutes my horse was saddled, my duffle packed and my supplies tucked to the saddle backs. I was going on a 7 days back pack trip into the Chilcotin Mountains.

"I joined a lovely group consisting of two Canadian women, an English couple and our guide Joel. From the first moment on the chemistry between us was excellent. All of us appreciated the peace and quiet of the mountains, cherished the wonderful nature and we loved horses!

"Furthermore we were very lucky having a fantastic guide like Joel ‘shooing’ us up steep hills, scree slopes and along Mountain crests. We rode to places nobody ever thought a horse would go – neither would a sane human being. We did. And it brought all of us to our limits. The horses were just incredible climbing up the hills like Mountain goats giving us at any time the secure feeling that they knew exactly what they were doing. We agreed that we will always be grateful for those incredible experiences and views.

"We saw a herd of 40 Mountain goats sun bathing at 2700 m, we swam in crystal clear mountain lakes and were spoiled with delicious dinners after 10 to 12 hours of riding. Nature presented us awesome glacier views, blue skies and blooming meadows.
This enriching once of a lifetime experience filled up my sole with joy and energy. So, it definitely pays off being spontaneous! Thank you Chilcotin Holidays for providing me an adventure like this!"

Nicole H.

Staff Member turns into ambitious Entrepreneur

Alison has been working for Chilcotin Holidays since February, 2008. During her employment at the ranch, her responsibilities ranged from customer service, office administration, form and template development, writing detailed procedures, working with spreadsheets, data analysis, staff scheduling, and marketing. Recently she has taken the first steps in starting her own business. With a science degree in International Horticulture Management from a university in Germany and experience in Project Management and Process Optimization under her belt, Alison is planning on working as a virtual assistant and consultant for her company Birkenhead Business Solutions. Her home based business will give her the flexibility of offering services to companies virtually anywhere via online correspondence and telecommunications. For more information on the types of services offered by Alison, check out her website.

Mountain Cayuse Horses - Getting Fat & Sassy at their Summer Retreat

Our horses have had it pretty good this summer. Enjoying the sun’s rays, plentiful grass and great views at Brett Camp one might ask whether our guests are on vacation or the horses! The grazing at Brett Camp has resulted in a herd of plump and happy horses, who only reluctantly come back to the ranch to get back to “work”, leading guests through the mountains. But they all get their chance to go on “vacation”, and I wonder how many of the city horses can claim the same???

The hot Summer drives Wildlife onto the Glaciers

Wildlife viewing this year has been a quite rewarding experience. Our guides and guests have spotted large groups of Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat and Mule Deer bedded down on the glaciers throughout the Chilcotin Mountain Range. Although the wildlife population is quite large in the region, the weather conditions have made it even easier to view these animals in our territory. With the hot weather forcing the population to concentrate themselves in smaller, high-alpine areas, we’ve had extremely high sighting success rates, and the use of our spotting scopes and binoculars make it easy to view these groups of animals from a distance while they relax on the cooling ice and snow. If you are interested in taking advantage of these favorable conditions, contact us today for last-minute deals.

Bomb-proof Mountain Cayuse Horses for Sale

With a large variety of different horses at different stages in their development, we always have a few of our bombproof horses available for sale. These horses have been exposed to almost every situation possible in the mountains: wildlife encounters, uneven terrain, crossing rivers, steep slopes, long hours… and they are known for their sure-footedness and calm demeanor. If you are interested in which horses are currently for sale, send us an email (adventures(at)chilcotinholidays.com) or call us (250-238-2274) for more detailed information and pictures. We also have testimonials from out past buyers which we can share with you. Once we know what kind of horse you are looking for, we will be able to match you to the perfect horse for your needs.

A Successful Trip for both Generations

We sure have had a lot of guests this summer. From honeymooners, to families, to groups of eager girl-guides, we've had the pleasure of welcoming guests from around the world to experience the beauty of the South Chilcotin Mountains with us. One guest from Vancouver had this to say about her trip:

"When planning our family vacation this year, I had several items on my wish-list. I wanted something:
• centered around the outdoors (without involving camping)
• offering a range of activities for different generations/activity levels
• reasonably close to Vancouver
• self-contained, including a kitchen
• large enough to accommodate the kids’ friends
Chilcotin Holidays offered all of this and much more. We arrived after an easy 4 hour drive and settled into the Ranch House. While not fancy, it was extremely comfortable and spacious. Not only could all 11 of us sleep, we could also sit in the living room or eat at the table at one time. It also had the best equipped kitchen I have ever rented.
After settling in, we set off to explore. Once again, our expectations were exceeded. The preparation for our ride was exceptionally thorough – a great comfort to one of our party who had had a frightening experience in the past. The scenery was beautiful and the staff could not have been more gracious.
Throughout our visit, everyone was able to find an activity which suited them. Some spent their time fishing while others chose to relax with a book. We did a strenuous hike and were rewarded with a breath-taking view. We did a pleasant and sedate ride one day and the more adventurous among us did a more challenging ride the next. We had planned to do more but never quite managed to fit everything in. By the time we left, we were already talking about our next visit. I wouldn’t have changed a thing and I’m sure we’ll be back.
My sincere thanks to everyone at Chilcotin Holidays for a great stay!"
L. Duncan
Vancouver