August 4th & 5th, 2023
Come join us to CAMP, LAUGH, RIDE and make memories on the historic Colorado Trail! Truly fun rides for all. We’ll have plenty of natural water, dinners after the rides, lots of fantastic awards …. and most of all gorgeous views and wonderfully marked trails to explore!!
Heads up-- Register Early!!! The campsite is limited to 40 rigs daily. As a back-up for non-required vehicles, we also have overflow parking at the Little Scraggy Trailhead.
Trail Experience: Prepare for a fun stunningly gorgeous mountain experience. All distances start at base camp in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area near Pine Grove, Colorado with sections of the ride on the historic Colorado Trail. We will have distances of 30 & 50 miles both Friday and Saturday, and an additional introductory ride on Saturday only.
There is very little that is “flat ‘n fast”, but gradual trail changes provide plenty of scenic places along the route to catch a breathtaking view or soak up the sounds of the river while getting get a refreshing drink of water!
Beautifully clear mountain water is fed by spring run-off so sometimes these are dry depending on weather, but there are incredible year-round natural creeks. Along the trail, water is also available in tanks hauled in by volunteers (THANK you Volunteers!!).
Yummy tummy stops for our horses too-- there is excellent forage and great grass in many places along the trail.
Given the trails are in the Rocky Mountains footwear protection is recommended. Several of the trails are comprised of Granite or decomposed Granite.
Vet Checks: All vet checks are at Base Camp, for all rides!
More Day to Day Chatter: To keep up with ride development, please join and follow our Facebook page or reach out to Chalice or Jesse anytime! We are so excited to share smiles with you!
Ride Management
Ride Manager: Chalice Coward
Registraion: Todd Howard
Trailmaster: Jesse James
Event Schedule
Thursday
| 12:00 PM | Office Opens |
| 1:00 PM | Vetting in begins and will continue until sunset |
| 6:00 PM | Ride meeting, our trail masters walk through tips and tricks for the trail Day 1, includes extra maps if you need them |
Friday
| 5:30 AM | 50 Mile controlled start |
| 6:00 AM | Vetting begins for 30 milers |
| 7:00 AM | 30 mile controlled start |
| 12:00 Noon | Vetting open for Saturday |
| 6:00 PM | Awards for 30 & 50 Mile events along with good camp laugh awards, followed by ride meeting with our trail masters walking through tips and tricks for the trail Day 2, includes extra maps if you need them. No ties for the event placing. |
Saturday
| 5:30 AM | 50 Mile controlled start |
| 6:00 AM | Vetting begins for 30 milers |
| 7:00 AM | 30 Mile controlled start |
| 9:00 AM | Introductory ride meeting, Q & A session. Riders may start afterwards between 9:30-10:30am |
| 5:30 PM | YUMMY dinner serving begins. |
| 6:00 PM | Awards for Introduction, 30 & 50 Mile events along with good camp laugh awards. |
Sunday
| 11:00 AM | Base Camp closes. |
Yummy Tummy Meals!
Friday Night
On your own for Dinner.
Saturday Night - Main dish combined with a pot luck!
Main dish provided will be Sweet Baby Rays Bar-B-Que sauce over meatballs, in sandwiches or excellent alone. Watermelon, and a wonderful salad! Please feel free to bring a side dish and join the meal.
For riders and volunteers Saturday's meal is included, all others at $10 per person. All are welcome-- Please let us know early so we can plan for headcount accordingly!
Availability & Restrictions
Port-a-Potty - Several will be available throughout camp.
Dogs - Dogs are allowed, but on leash only please.
Weed Free Hay - Being a National Forest, there are restrictions on weed free hay. We will have very limited amount weed free grass hay bales for sale in camp. Please bring weed free hay. Bag any excess hay when you leave and scatter manure.
Photography - Professional photography will be provided by Pat Jarvis Photography. One picture is included with your entry fee, all additional pictures are $7 each.
Water - Non-potable water will be available for our horse partners- again THANK you volunteers! Please, be sure to bring enough for your use.
Colorado Health Paperwork: Current health certificates and coggins for any out of state horses required. Address for Health Certificates - 19384 CR 126, Pine, CO., 80470
Awards- Fun fun fun!!! -- expect lots of laugh and smile awards, completion and top ten.
Veterinarians
"How lucky are we to have such fabulous talent join us!" Thank you to all Veterinarian support- we are very grateful!
Control Judge: Dr. Laura Blanton
Vet: Dr. Robbins & Interns
Vet: Dr. Nigel Miller
Dr. Laura Blanton
Branson, CO
Backgrounder: 
Dr. Laura Blanton, DVM, was born and raised in a small town in northern California. From there she left to attend Colorado State University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 1998. After CSU, she spent two years gaining experience in the industry, including time spent working for an outfitter in northwestern Colorado and on feedlots in Iowa and eastern Washington state. She eventually attended the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degre in 2004.
Immediately after finishing veterinary school, Dr. Laura took a job with Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital in Bakersfield, CA. There she primarily worked with horses, with just enough cow-calf, exotic and exhibition livestock work to keep the days really interesting. She has a special interest in goat medicine and husbandry, and really enjoys working with youth projects.
Having spent nine years in Bakersfield, Dr. Laura left BVH in the fall of 2013 to join her husband Chad, who had been managing a ranch on the Dry Cimarron River outside of Folsom, NM for the past three years. She is looking forward to sharing her experience and knowledge with the people of Union County, NM and surrounding areas.
Dr. Kara Robbins
Littleton, CO
Backgrounder: Dr. Robbins was born and raised in Aurora, South Dakota. Her love for horses started at a young age and she started riding before she could walk. Dr. Robbins grew up in the rodeo industry riding barrel horses and continued to rodeo during her first year of veterinary school. She currently has three Quarter Horses of her own, Ike, Reba, and Sparkles. Dr. Robbins completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and veterinary degree at Iowa State University. While in vet school, Dr. Robbins spent a summer working in Littleton’s intensive care unit as a veterinary student assistant. She is a recipient of the Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarship and the ACVS Student Surgery Award for Excellence in Large Animal Surgery. Her special interests include ambulatory and sports medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys spending time with her horses and cat (Bear) along with traveling to local barrel races and rodeos. Dr. Robbins is excited to be back at Littleton as a DVM and continue learning.
Dr. Nigel Miller
Elizabeth, CO
Backgrounder: Dr. Miller graduated from Colorado State University in 2016 and completed an Equine Internship at Littleton Equine Medical Center prior to joining the Animal Clinic. His interest include equine medicine, lameness, and reproduction. He grew up in Elizabeth, Colorado and enjoys running, riding horses, hiking, and camping. His favorite animals are his horse Headlight and dog Sprite.
Nearest Emergency Clinic:
Littleton Equine Medical Center - (303) 794-6359
Permit allows us to have 40 Rigs in the private national forest campground we will using as basecamp & a generous 100 Riders permitted on the trail per day.
Dogs are welcome (on leash only please).
Located off of CR 126 in Buffalo Creek Recreation Area. Wooded and open areas.
WEED FREE HAY IS REQUIRED. Please bring your own. We will supply weed free hay at the vet checks. We will also have a very limited supply of weed free bales of grass hay for sale in basecamp.
Bring your own people water. Horse water provided. We must truck all of it in, so use it wisely.
No campfires. No smoking except inside your vehicle.
Clean your site well. Scatter manure. Rake, bag, and carry out all loose hay.
Base Camp GPS: 39°21'23.9"N & 105°15'02.1"W
From the North, East, and West: at the junction of I-70 and C-470 From Colorado Springs
• Exit south onto C-470 to US 285
• Exit right (southwest) on US 285 to Pine Junction (traffic signal and a turn lane).
• Turn left onto County Road 126, go through Pine Grove, and pass North Fork Fire Protection District building on your left. It is about 10 miles.
• Drive past the fire station, begin to slow down, and look for a Trail Crossing Sign, flagging, and base camp signs. Turn right on the dirt road entrance into base camp. IT IS LESS THAN A MILE!
From Colorado Springs
• I-25 Exit West on US - 24 to Woodland Park (20 miles +/-)
• Turn Right, North West, on CO-67 (23 miles +/-)
• 67 becomes CR 126 at Deckers. Bear Left, West, at the intersection.
• Camp is approximately 10 miles. Watch for flags about 1 mile after Forest Road 550.
• Turn Left, West, into Camp