FAQ and A: Most Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

This is the ninth annual WQ Horse Adventure. Indulge and enchant yourself with women of like mind. Ride your horse through the alpine forests to learn to live in close relationship with the heartbeat of the earth.

This retreat is designed to teach you about communicating naturally with horses. You will participate in learning to become a horsewoman, naturally as well as experience riding in the high country, yoga and many more wonderful surprises from the earth and your leaders.

Base Camp for this trip is the exclusive Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash Colorado. We will be staying at a 5 star Eco friendly lodge with 5000 acres of raw Colorado right out your door. We will ride the horses in the National Forest and the James Peak Wilderness area. This lesser-known wilderness in the high country has unpopulated basins with pristine waterfalls, blankets of wildflowers and fabulous trout-filled streams. We will be accompanied on our adventure with competent WQ staff, and the guides from Cabin Creek Stables for a most enjoyable and thrilling experience.

 The Horse Adventure includes:

•  lessons in communicating naturally with your horse
•  lessons in catching your horse, then learn to halter, groom, saddle, and bridle
•  lessons in riding fundamentals
•  daily guided horseback trips into the fabulous high country
•  chuck wagon ride one evening with dinner
•  team penning with cows (fun play with cows)
•  4 nights lodging at Devil’s Thumb Lodge – double occupancy
•  meals starting with dinner on Monday and ending with breakfast on Friday
•  Lunches will be out on the trail
•  yoga every afternoon
•  journaling
•  spa treatments available every afternoon, along with use of pool, hot tub and sauna ***great after a day of riding
•  professional guides, wranglers and horses
•  professional equipment for riding

 
When does the WQ Horse Adventure begin and end?
The Adventure begins on July 28th at 12:00 noon with registration. You can get a flight in on Sunday night or get one on Monday but be sure you can get to Devils Thumb by 12:00 noon on Monday so we can start the adventure. You will want to have eaten lunch before noon and have some snacks for the day because we start the meals with dinner on Monday night. We will end our adventure by noon on Friday August 1st. We will go for our morning ride and play with the horses. You can stay and have spa treatments and the lodge can store your bags all day if you want to hang out and enjoy Colorado and get a later flight out that evening.

How many WQ participants will the Horse Adventure include?
This adventure is available to only 15 participants. Women's Quest will provide competent staff, guide, wranglers, horses and tack. We will break the riding groups up based on ability levels so we will not have 15 women on the same trail.

Do I need to have horseback riding experience to participate in the Women's Quest Horse Adventure? No. The horses have been trained to perform well in the backcountry with a novice rider. The guide, wranglers, and Women's Quest staff will accompany you and supply you with information and help you whenever you need it. However, we do recommend that you prepare physically for this retreat as much as possible. You can help break your "seat" in with some concentrated hours on your bike, and by building the adductor muscles of your inner thighs in the gym. We recommend that if you have an opportunity to ride a horse before this retreat, that you do so as much as possible.

What will the acommodations be like?
You can check out devilsthumbranch.com to view their new 53 room lodge overlooking the Continental Divide.. This lodge is where we are staying…(AMAZING!!!!)

What will the food be like? The food will be awesome! We will be eating at Devil’s Thumb ranch restaurant in our lodge for dinner and breakfast. The chef will be making our menu and it will be healthy and wonderful. You can get wine, beer and other drinks at dinner and put that on your room. The lunch will be packed for our daily adventure trips. There will be plenty of healthy snacks provided Women's Quest style too!

 What will the weather be like? They say in Colorado that if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes, as the weather changes rapidly. Dress in layers so you can cool off and warm up as needed. Expect the days to be sunny and mild, with temperatures in the 70s to 80's, and the nights to be chilly with temperatures in the 40s to 50s. It is not unusual to receive intermittent afternoon showers or frosty nights.

What is a typical day?
We will rise and shine around 7:00 and eat breakfast and be on our horses by 9:00 am until around 1:00 or so. One day we will have an all day ride.

We will have lunch out on the trail and then have the afternoon to get a spa treatment (check the website for the new spa treatments they offer), soak in the pool and hot tub and then before dinner we will do an hour and a half of yoga to loosen you up from the day of riding. There are lots of hiking and mt biking trails right out your front door so if you want more outdoor activity you can rent a bike and get a different kind of ride in.

One afternoon we will play with the cows and do team penning which is a blast! You will laugh a ton.

 What kind of clothing will I need? We strongly recommend that you select clothing made of water-wicking or hydrophobic material, such as polypro, wool, fleece, pile, etc.

 What are the "must have" items that I need to bring

• Quality, waterproof rain gear is essential. (We will be riding in the mornings       but it typically rains every afternoon)
• Riding Gloves
• Bandanas
• Sunglasses and sunscreen 30 SPF or higher
• Chapstick or lip balm 30 SPF or higher
• Bathing suit
• One pair of riding or hiking boots and one pair of running shoes
• Two pairs of jeans or soft riding tights
• One pair of shorts in  case you want to go hiking or running
• 3-4 pairs of socks
• 3-4 t-shirts
• Two cotton or lightweight long-sleeved shirts
• Two heavy long sleeved shirts (Smartowool is best)
• Hat with brim, (baseball cap is ok)
• River shoes, like Tevas, or old tennis shoes to wear in the creek
• comfortable clothes to do yoga in
• casual clothes for dining

Transportation to Devil’s Thumb Ranch
The Home James shuttle will take you directly to the Ranch. The price is $65 one way and the price could change depending on gas prices
You can rent a car at DIA or you can take the Home James airport shuttle

Pick up at DIA on Monday the 28th:
The Home James shuttle leaves DIA at 10:00 am and will get you to Devil’s Thumb by noon on Monday the 28th  If you miss that shuttle there is another one at 1:00 and the last one is at 5:00 pm (you must arrive to DIA by 9:00 am)

Pick up at Devils Thumb Ranch on Friday August 1st:
The Home James shuttle picks up at Devils Thumb on Friday at 1:15
That is the last shuttle of the day. If you plan to stay on Friday night you can arrange a shuttle the next day. They leave the Winter Park area at 6:30 am, 9:30 am and 1:30 every day and go to the airport

 What airport should I fly in to? Fly in to Denver International Airport

What time should I arrive and depart?
Your flight should arrive by 9:00 am on Monday the 28th or come in the night before
Option 1: you can come in and stay at the airport
Option 2: you can come in and stay in Winter Park
Option 3: arrive by 9:00 am and take the shuttle to Devils Thumb Ranch
Your flight should depart after 4:30 on Friday August 1st or leave anytime on Saturday

What is there to do if I arrive in Winter Park early or wish to stay later? Arrive anytime on or before the arrival date, and/or leave on or after the departure date. There are many interesting sights in and around Winter Park like mt biking, hiking, and OK shopping.

 How will the altitude affect me? The two major influences at higher altitude are decreased oxygen density and decreased humidity. The most important thing you can do to minimize the effects of altitude is to DRINK A LOT OF WATER! If you fly, be sure you drink enough water on the airplane and sleep plenty the week before the retreat. Try not to drink much alcohol or caffeine as well. The air is a little thinner in Colorado, so we will be sure to ease you into the daily exercise routines.

 Will I need extra money? You will not need any extra money once we begin our adventure, however, it is customary to tip the wranglers for their great service. Most WQ participants bring a check packed in their gear to be given to the wranglers when we depart Friday morning.

 Women's Quest Horse Adventure Reservation and Cancellation Policy:
 • $250 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking
 • Full payment is due 60 days prior to the Adventure (or when you sign up if within the 60 day period.)

"There is no end, believe me, to the happiness your body is willing to bear."
--Mary Oliver