ASPEN MEADOW PROGRAMS AND PACKAGES

   Aspen Meadow offers several ways to pack into Emigrant Wilderness:

 

  • DROP PACKS:  Your gear is packed to a designated destination and dropped off while you walk in.  Many backpackers start out on extended trips this way.
  • SPOT TRIPS:  Your gear is packed in while you ride along.  Your packer and stock return, and then come back in to pick you and your gear up at a pre-arranged date.
  • EXTENDED TRIPS:  On these trips, your packer and stock stay with your party.  This gives you the mobility and ease to reach those out-of-the-way places.  You may choose to move camp each day our tour from a base camp into the wilderness.

  • TRAIL RIDES:  We also offer hour rides, half-day rides and all-day rides.  We have riding horses suited to all ages and ranges of riding experience.  Hour rides are taken between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm daily.  All rides must be guided.  We request reservations for hour, half-day and all-day rides.

  • All Inclusive Trips: We can do the cooking for you! The Aspen Meadow all-inclusive trip includes your guide, a cook, a packer, all necessary horses and mules and food for three meals a day. It does not include alcohol. Each rider will be limited to gear weighing no more than 45 pounds, unless special arrangements are made at the time of the reservation. Cost is as follows:
    5-6 people: $195 per day per person
    7-12 people: $180 per day per person

 

Rates:

Aspen Meadow accepts payment in the form of cash and checks.  We do not accept credit cards.  We do request a $200 non-refundable deposit of one day’s packer fee when you make your reservations.   One packer can handle up to eight head of stock; additional stock requires another packer.

Trail Rides

Cost Per Rider:
One Hour………………………
$20.00
Two Hour………………………
$35.00
½ Day……………………………...
$50.00
All Day……………………………
1-2 Riders
3-5 Riders
6-15 Riders

$75.00
$70.00
$65.00



Please see destination descriptions to determine if your destination is considered a short day trip, a long day trip or an overnight trip.

Short Day Trip
Your packer takes your gear and your group to your destination, drops you off and returns to Aspen Meadow that day.  On your designated return day, the packer rides out from Aspen Meadow that morning with your horses and mules, packs you up and returns you to the pack station that afternoon.  When estimating cost, please consider inbound and outbound travel.

  SUMMER FALL
Riding Horse ……………………… $60/day $65/day
Pack Mule …………………………… $60/day $65/day
Packer ……….…….…………………… $135/day $145/day




Long Day Trip
A Long Day Trip works the same as a short day trip, except the packer and the animals are on the trail for a much longer time. 

  SUMMER  FALL
Riding Horse ……………………… $75/day $80/day
Pack Mule …………………………… $75/day $80/day
Packer ……….………………………… $135/day $145/day

Overnight or Several-Day Trip
For an overnight trip, your packer will ride out with you, stay overnight nearby, and take the horses and mules back to the pack station the next day.  When planning costs, please estimate 4 days – a day for riding out, a day for the packer to return the stock, a day for the packer to ride back to meet you and a day to return.  For this reason, if your trip is 4 days or less, you might consider keeping your packer and stock with you for the duration of your trip. 

For a Several-Day trip, your packer takes your group and your gear to your destination and stays with you.  He keeps the horses and mules near your camp, allowing you to take day rides to other destinations or ride to several destinations over a few days. 

  SUMMER FALL
Riding Horse ……………………… $60/day $65/day
Pack Mule …………………………… $60/day $65/day
Packer ……….………………………… $135/day $145/day

Trucking Fee
For trips starting and ending at Gianelli’s Trail Head, please plan for an extra $5.00 trucking fee per head of stock. 

Sample Pricing Worksheet
Below is a sample cost worksheet for a 4-Day overnight summer trip to Upper Buck’s Lake
4 people riding; 4 horses; 4 mules and a packer that stays with the group:

Description
Cost / Day
Number of days
Number of horses / packers / mules
Totals
Horses
60
4
4
$960
Packer
135
4
1
$540
Mules
60
4
4
$960
total cost:
$2,460
     
Number of riders
4
Cost per person
$615


Package Trips
Instead of planning your own destination and associated costs, you are welcome to consider one of the following packages, based on summer rates.

The Bear Lake Weekend
Mount your horse at 6:00am Saturday, and your Aspen Meadow Packer will guide you and your gear to beautiful Bear Lake, a wonderful location for fishing, relaxing and hiking.  Your packer will drop you off by 12:00pm and return on Sunday at 12:00pm to for a 2.5 hour return to Aspen Meadow.

Cost:  $400 includes 2 riders, one pack mule and your guide.  For each additional rider or pack mule, please add $100

Four Days of Fun:  Bucks Lake
Upper Buck’s is a great destination – it’s close enough that you’re not riding from sunrise to sunset and yet it’s far enough in that there aren’t a lot of other people around.  Add to that the spectacular lake, beautiful mountains, and awesome meadows, and Bucks makes a great getaway!  Ride in on day one, with plenty of time left over to fish or swim, play on days 2 and 3, then ride out on day 4.  Keep your packer and stock for your entire trip, or send them away – your choice! 

Cost:  Please call 209-965-3402 for current pricing..
  

A Fisherman’s Dream Trip:  A Week at Huckleberry Lake
A 25-mile ride will take you over three breathtaking passes into Lake Huckleberry, where the fish are enormous, the views are spectacular and the environment is truly relaxing.  Bring an inflatable raft for access to the lake’s islands, native Rainbows and Eastern Brook trout!    On Day 1, your packer will guide you in, spend the night and return the horses and mules to Aspen Meadow on the morning of day 2.  He will then return on day 6, to pack up and take you and your group out on day 7.  

Cost:  Please call 209-965-3402 for current pricing..


Emigrant Wilderness Loop:  A Seven Day Tour
For the group that enjoys variety!  Ride to a different location each night and relish the beauty and diversity of the Emigrant Wilderness.  You will visit 4 stunning destinations, and have the option to stay 2 extra nights in two locations – but it will be hard to choose!

Cost: Please call 209-965-3402 for current pricing..

Day 1:  Cow Meadow

Day 2: Huckleberry Lake

Day 3: Emigrant Lake

Day 4: Upper Buck Lake

Day 5:  An extra day at the location of your choice

Day 6:  An extra day at the location of your choice

Day 7:  Back to Aspen Meadow