The country that was the "Wild West" is a huge country to explore. The land shows its age from when dinosaurs roamed, to the first explorers, the early settlers, and the cattle ranches of today. The only way to really see this land is on horseback since there are no highways. We will travel with a distant mesa as our landmark, crossing miles of prairie grass and scrub or riding through deep canyons and rolling hills. Sometimes we’ll have a dirt track to follow or, at best, a hard packed dirt road to travel on for a spell.

We’ll see the land up close, the only way to see it. We’ll visit Picture Canyon. For thousands of years, it has been a refuge and an oasis for those that roamed this land. Within the canyon were water and game and protection both from the elements and enemies. Native Americans lived here since the glaciers receded. And over the years they inscribed in the canyon walls many pictures and symbols, including the fascinating Birthing Stone.

We’ll investigate rock walls where mysterious inscriptions were carved. Some say Ogam Writing, the ancient writing of the Celts. Were the Celts here before the Native Americans? No one knows.

You may come across an old burial site, just a pile of rocks in the shape of a grave. There are a number of those around. An old cowboy grave with no name…

The Santa Fe Trail came through here. Yes, you’ll see it, and can almost see the wagon trains wending their way over this trail. Just close your eyes to have a better view. There’ll be an old stagestop you may want to stop at to rest you and your horse. Nothing will be served other than your imagination.

Throughout the land will be old homesteads, some almost like they were 150 years ago, some no more than a pile of stone. You’ll see some towns that no longer are on the map, and an old school house that has been empty for 100 years.

This was the country where cattle barons carved huge range empires out of these ancient grasslands, and where the famous outlaw Black Jack Ketchum fought the law and met his fate. The cattle barons are gone, and Black Jack lost the last gunfight, but as you ride across this land, you will believe they are still around. Such is the power of this cowboy country.