Spring: May 3, 10, 17, and possibly the 24th
Summer: June (rides will be scheduled later), August 30 through the 5th of September
Fall: September 6, 14
An October ride is possible the first full week of the month. |
Ride Fees: $250 per person. Monument Valley Trail Rides will pay the back country and park fees, and any permits. You must be paid
in-full two weeks before the ride or your spot will be given
to someone on the waiting list.
Deposits: We prefer
to be paid the full fee upfront, but will accept
deposits of half the amount. Your deposit will not be
refunded, but, if you choose, it can be applied to a future ride. In the case of cancellation
less than two weeks before a ride, 50% of ride fee is retained by us - unless there is an unavoidable reason for the cancellation. (Decided at manager's discretion.)
We supply twenty-one pens for horses. People paying in full and early will have use of these pens at no charge (until we run out of pens). Maxim limit for riders on each trip is thirty.
Make all checks out to Don H. Vinson and mail to 1675 Los Osos Valley Road, Space 119, Los Osos, CA 93402. Or, you can forward your fees to be applied to our next vacancy or next season.
We ride five full days with each ride, returning to the base camp in the evening. Campers can bring tents, horse trailers with campers, or motor homes. The road going in is a little rough, but we go slow and you can make it.
We arrive atbase camp late Sunday
afternoon and will be met by our Navajo guides. After dinner, we'll
gather around a big fire while our guide tells you about the
upcoming week's rides. Anticipate some songs and drumming.
You provide your food and drinking water
and your horse's food. We provide your horse's water,
holding tank water, and water for shower bags and toilets.
We have a great time with nightly pot
luck dinners each night. Our guides always join us. One
night the Navajo's cook us a taco dinner.
We do photograph each ride and supply each participant with a copy of the images on CD or DVD after the ride at no extra cost.
Other things to bring:
--Extra cash for jewelry, donations, or tips for the taco dinner.
--Extra firewood, as there is no wood to speak of out
there. If each rider brings some wood, we will be sure to
have a nice fire every night.
--Copy of your horse's health papers (including Coggins) as required by the Navajo.
Children twelve and older are welcome
when accompanied by a parent or guardian. No dogs will be
allowed on the trail. In camp, all dogs must be tied or on a
leash.
There is no other place where you can
experience rides like this. The scenery is so spectacular
it has been used as the backdrop for many movies and
television programs. Our Navajo guides are experts at
leading us on fascinating rides and they share their
history, stories, traditional music and dance. The
fellowship you'll be part of is like no other, giving you an
experience of a lifetime.
If the ride you are interested in is booked, I do keep a
waiting list in case someone needs to cancel. Once you
are signed up, you will receive a packet with all the other
details needed to prepare for an enjoyable trip.
Happy Trails! I'll see
you on the ride!
Don Vinson
