Journeying through Utah's Red Rock: A rare adventure

People all over the country and Canada have tried to secure their spot for this bucket list ride, but many have been unsuccessful. The same cannot be said for local resident Jill Andres and McHenry native Sue Bakko.

Andres and Bakko had the opportunity to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime trip through national parks and trails in Utah called the Red Rock Ride on June 3-9.

"I saw this picture from one of my horse groups on Facebook, and said I have to ride these trails," Andres stated, and set out to make it her mission to get on this trip.

When applying for the trip, it is a lottery-type system that sells out in less than 20 minutes, which makes it difficult. Andres recalled, she had her phone and computer making calls, and Bakko had three phones and two computers to try and secure their spots for this trip.

There were two different rides going on simultaneously, and each consisted of 40 riders. On Andres and Bakko's ride, people from 18 different states and 3 Canadian provinces went on the journey with them. The ages ranged from a recent graduate of high school, to an 80-year-old woman who would not miss one ride.

The trip started off in Zion National Park located near Springdale, Utah, with just a short three-hour ride. Then on day two, Bryce Canyon, where they saw giant limestone called "hoodoos" which are tall rock spires that are beautiful red, pink and orange colors. Day three and four, they went to Bryce Canyon's "little brother" Red Canyon, where they saw the famous hideout of Butch Cassidy, and Thunder Mountain.

On day five, they went to Paria Canyon, also known as Slot Canyon, where they rode through narrow trails carved out by the Paria River. Lastly, they rode along the north rim of the Grand Canyon, where they peered all the way down into the canyon.

This trip had an average riding time of five-and-a-half hours a day on horse or mule. The riders stayed in small cabins along the trails in Tropic, Utah, for the first four nights, and then in hotels in Kanab, Utah, for the last two. They were provided with meals and snacks at every stop, along with entertainment every evening.

Bakko said, "They would haul the horses to where we would be starting, and we went in a bus to the starting point." The riders didn't have to worry about saddling or feeding the horses, since the guides took care of that.

The rides were guided by some very experienced riders, the Magnum family and the Houston family. The Magnum family have been guiding people on the trails for 51 years and has over 300 horses and dozens of mules to choose from. Not only have they just guided riders on the trails, but they have also helped numerous film crews navigate the area to film old Westerns like "Gunsmoke," and horror films like "Exorcist II: The Heretic".

From their experience they can provide you with information about almost anything along the trail, and they are considered real cowboys!

The Houston Family provides the food on the trails. They have been in the restaurant business for over 49 years. This family has served meals in the snow, hail, rain and in temperatures ranging from 20 all the way up to 127 degrees. The riders receive lunches to-go for the trail. When they arrive at their destination for the night, they are presented with a hearty meal.

After completing the trip, both Andres and Bakko said they would go again. Every rider remarked after each ride they loved that place the best.

Andres commented, "I don't know if I could pick a favorite place after seeing every spot!" Bakko, on the other hand, loved the Paria Canyon, but said that each place was great in their own special way.