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Cowboy country in the Sea to Sky

Wild west alive and kicking and roping in visitors For a brief moment each summer Canadians aren’t just beer-swillin’ lumberjacks living in the frozen north.

Wild west alive and kicking and roping in visitors

For a brief moment each summer Canadians aren’t just beer-swillin’ lumberjacks living in the frozen north. Instead they’re beer-swillin’ cowboys, roping steers, riding bulls and strutting around town in their spurs, oversized belt buckles and, of course, their Stetsons.

It’s that time again in Cowtown, when the scenes hardly seem in keeping with Canada’s international image. They seem more like something out of a long-forgotten John Wayne film or a Dallas rerun.

Tourism Calgary estimates that the Stampede will inject roughly $143 million into the area’s economy this year, proving once again that the Canadian west, even if it is north of the 49 th parallel, is cowboy country after all.

This wild west heritage has spilled into Sea to Sky country too, where stables get visitors into the saddle for a small taste of the cowboy way.

Just as the Stampede draws over one million visitors into Calgary to go stampedin’ for 10 days, the charm of local stables entices visitors to the corridor.

There may be a lot of activities on hand here, ranging from rafting and canoeing to Hummer and ATV tours, but Cora Menzel, the bookkeeper with Blackcomb Trail Rides, Pemberton Stables and Cougar Mountain Wilderness Adventures, said horseback riding is still a big draw.

It has kept them in the business of horses for the past 15 years and they now have about 70 horses.

Most of their riders are first timers and many are from the United States, she said. Business changes from day to day.

"It depends on the weather," she said. "It’s very unpredictable."

When it’s really hot people prefer to be on the water, she said.

It was a steamy June day in Squamish when Little Red, Socks, Fifty-one, Blue and Levi headed out on tour at Sea to Sky Stables.

The four-legged tour winds through forest, along rushing Cheakamus River, and over meadows dotted with wild daisies, nearly ripened salmon berries and bleeding hearts.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been on a horse.

A few quick tips about how to hold the reins and steady your feet, and you’re on your way.

The horses went straight into the forest first, which offered the one respite from the heat for both the horses and their loads. And so began their sauntering rhythmic journey into a maze of timeless trees, dappled with sunlight poking through the treetops.

Sounds were reduced from the constant hum of the highway and a nearby mill to the clopping of the horses’ hooves. Leaves brushed lightly on their flanks along the way.

At an open road guide Rick McKinney asks if the group is ready for a short gallop.

Everyone is game and those who don’t speak up quickly enough soon find themselves powerless to stop their horses from joining in with the others.

Any yelps of "Whoa Blue, Whoa" fell on deaf ears, as did "Please Stop" and "Help." Blue apparently wasn’t being left behind.

McKinney makes it look easy, riding Little Red as one, moving in the saddle with grace. Of course, he has been in the saddle since before he could walk.

Others bounced down the 500 metres, certain they would bounce directly from saddle to ground and to certain death.

Gripping the horses’ flanks, the reins, the pommel of the saddle, anything to stay on top, the endless stretch of 500 metres came to a merciful end.

McKinney laughingly called for a release of the "death-grip" on the reins and beating hearts soon returned to normal.

It was terrifying and at the same time, terribly exhilarating, something akin to staring down a snowy shoot, debating the merits and pitfalls and then being pushed before arriving at a decision.

The horses carry on. Everything settles down once again to rhythm.

Twisting around in his leather saddle, McKinney wiped the sweat beading his forehead on the shoulder of his blue plaid shirt.

"Okay guys, try to keep it quiet for the next little while," he said softly.

"We’re heading into prime bear country and if we’re quiet, maybe we can sneak up and get really close to one."

He grinned and swivelled back around.

Nudging Little Red, his giant mare of questionable name, McKinney gave the subtle signal for the other horses to follow him into the great beyond.

Some may have looked a little wary about the prospect of coming face to face with a black bear in the Squamish forest but that’s just one of the potential perks of the two-hour horseback tour.

From the forest the horses meandered into an open field bordered by the majestic backdrop of the mighty snow-capped Tantalus mountain range.

This is where the bears hang out.

"They love it up here with all the berries," said McKinney.

There were no bears to creep up on this particular day, and some riders breathed a small sigh of relief.

Two Portland, Oregon visitors, who had returned to the stables for the second day in a row on their 10-day trip to Whistler, weren’t too disappointed the black bears were in hiding. Just the day before they had spied a mother and her three cubs from atop their horses.

They came back again because the first time was so much fun.

This is key for owner Mike McKinney, Rick’s father, who said repeat business is one of the most important things to the business.

Mike Stockwell said the second time around was even better than the first, despite the bears’ absence.

"I could really get used to this," said Stockwell who had returned to the stables with Linda Grimm

"This is so different from what I’m accustomed to in Oregon."

Their second trip was made even more memorable with the discovery of an artist’s conch in the depths of the forest.

Grimm slid quickly from her horse when she saw the massive fungus growing on the tree and pulled it from the bark, careful not to damage its creamy white underside.

It was a rare find. Grimm and Stockwell collect conches decorated by artists. They have about 25 in their home.

Heading back to the stables where the horses stand in tethered line, there is another short expanse of road.

After two hours on Blue’s back there was a confidence and ease that wasn’t there at the beginning. The short gallop began once again but the yelps of "Whoa Blue" had turned into "Whoo-Hoo’s."

While it was hardly the fluid motion akin to those born in the saddle, the death grip at least, wasn’t so tight the second time around.

More than just the horseback rides the Sea to Sky Stables also offers overnight traditional chuck wagon beds for the night.

There are seven chuck wagons, sleeping 12 each. The stables, like others in the area, can also organize ATV, kayak, and whitewater rafting tours.

They also offer a Survivor Series for team building.

While it may not be the Calgary Stampede, it’s still a little piece of cowboy country.

Visitors can check out stables in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.