Horse Trail Chicks

If you ever have a chance to horseback ride in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, take it!

In 2006 I had not ridden a horse for several years when a friend called and asked if I would like to join her and 3 other friends on a 4-day horse-packing trip in Canyon de Chelly. “Yes!” I said without hesitation. A chance to get my inner cowgirl on? Ride the trail out west? Hang out with other horsewomen? It was a no-brainer. I had been to the canyon before and knew it was a spectacular place to visit.

Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “d’Shay”), in the Four Corners region of the southwest U.S., has been home to indigenous peoples for over 1500 years, including Puebloan (formerly known as Anasazi), Hopi, and Navajo. The Navajo Nation owns the land today. The canyon is part of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument, collaboratively managed by the Navajo Nation and The National Park Service. A small number of Navajo families live and cultivate crops in the canyon today.

Carved by wind and water out of red sandstone, the canyon is 1,000 feet deep. Visitors can view it from its rim or, to visit the canyon floor and see ancient petroglyphs and cliff dwellings by vehicle, foot, or horseback, and can hire a Navajo or Park Service guide.

We all rendezvoused in Flagstaff, Arizona on a warm September day.  Our first stop was the western clothing store, where we ran around like kids in a toy store, trying on boots and hats and jeans. I selected a pair of brown leather-soled Ariat boots and a black felt hat.

The next morning we made our way to Chinle, the jumping-off town for Canyon de Chelly. We met up with our outfitter, a rag-tag operation with good strong scrappy horses, saddles with mismatched stirrups, and an easy-going guide who allowed us to trot and canter to our hearts’ delight.

As we descended into the canyon we entered a magical world of burnt ochre-colored stone, canyon walls stained with “desert varnish,” juniper, pine, and cactus. The trail was rocky and our sure-footed horses navigated the descent without complaint.  Once we reached the canyon floor the footing was beautifully soft and flat.

Over the next few days we rode through the canyon enjoying the desert and the river and learning about the rich cultural history of the canyon’s residents. Peering up into the ruins of ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings I imagined a community of people living there, tied to the land, raising crops and children, and I wondered what they were thinking when they painted horses on the sandstone walls. In my mind’s eye I saw their horses grazing on the canyon floor.

At night we camped in a meadow protected by canyon walls and a copse of trees. We let the horses go to find their own grazing spots. Being from the east coast, I marveled at this. Wouldn’t the horses just run or wander away? How would we find them? Every morning our guide would locate the horses – though one day he had to search quite far – and bring them back to our campsite for tacking up.

They often bring an extra horse or two in case one roams out of range or is injured. One day we came upon a stray horse along the trail and our guide cried out “there you are!”, roped and haltered him, and ponied him along with us. The horse belonged to the outfitter but had wandered off from a previous group.

Because access to the canyon is strictly limited, we rarely saw other people. The environment is incredibly peaceful. In the evening around the fire after a great meal made by the camp cook, as our voices and laughter died down a vast, profound quiet settled over the canyon.

Climbing the trail out of the canyon on our last day, I felt a deep sense of peace, sadness at the adventure ending, and terrible pain in my hips and backside. We had spent a lot of time in the saddle and done a lot of galloping. The words “saddle sore” took on a whole new meaning and I was not the only one suffering. After I got home it took a full 6 months for the pain in my hips to subside!

It was all worth it, and my advice is to go ride in Canyon de Chelly! But only do a multi-day trip if you are currently riding on a regular basis!

Monica