outwest guides - day tours

Never againThey must be on a downhill.Nothing like they described. worst experience of my life,Dwight is also horrible to deal with

We cam to western Colorado with intentions of seeing the fall color change of leaves and beautiful scenery. We had every intention to, and wanted to, visit the Maroon Bells near Aspen. Unfortunately, due to the governmental stalemate, this venue is closed. :) We called a few outdoor outfitters in the Aspen, hoping to take a horseback tour and see the season colors. Our search came up empty due to closure/s, and hunting trips. Well, we found out about OutWest Outfitters. :) We were able to get a two hour guided trip into the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness areas. Phenomenal views! Great animals! Super guide!(James). We rode in to areas above 10,000 feet and saw some stunning views. Thanks for 'showing us a good time.'

My wife and I just finished a three day pack trip into the maroon bells wilderness with Dwight cox and wrangler Jeremiah. There was still snow in the tree (March was a big snow month this year in the area = lots of runoff) so we took a longer, safer, route in on horseback. The weather was gorgeous for us on all four days, the stars at night unbelievable.We had 6 mule dear in camp two of the three mornings. We didn't see any elk on our trip, kind of surprising, but it is a late spring in the basin.We did suffer a couple of horse/mule incidents - but that is to be expected if you ask me. Two horses lost shoes and a mule suffered a rub from the pack moving during our inbound trip. Thea horses/mules were all led out free of a load to help prevent further injury and speed up recovery.The ride in/out is long, about 5 hours, not for the faint of heart - it's a long time to be on a horse! The camp location is beautiful and very remote. The fly fishing was great - lots of small Mtn bookies taking stimulators on top at dawn and dusk and nymphs during the day. We took a day trip up to Geneva lake to fish - and it was wonderful on several levels, the view/scenery, fishing, remoteness.I suffer from Crohns disease, and Dwight/Maureen did a wonderful job facilitating my dietary restrictions.I have lots of picture, just email me and I will be happy to share them with whomever.We never would have been able to make it this far into the CO back country without the help of guides and horses and their knowledge.We did get pretty dirty, but that was fine with me, it was a great experience. The wild flowers were coming out - and we're beautiful.

My husband recently went on a fly-fishing trip in Marble Colorado. It was his first time at this challenging sport so he was a bit nervous heading into it. His guide Chad was unbelievable...patient, really knowledgeable, relaxed, and most of all, fun. He actually caught a couple which sounds really hard to do...My husband didn't stop talking about it (and Chad) for days and is busy buying the books and supplies he recommended to get into the sport. The company was easy to work with (as I surprised him with this so I needed to do a bit of stealthy pre-arranging) Dwight and his team were great to work with, they had all the gear arranged and made it so easy for us to get our feet wet! (or not)Kudos to these people, and needless to say the beautiful surroundings they have to work in. the Crystal River and the great town of Marble.....makes it even more special!

If you want to ride trails on horses up the most beautiful mountains with serious guides this is your outfit. We called at the last minute and they were able to accommodate all 8 of us ranging from 10 to 43. These wranglers are true professionals. It was definitely the highlight of our trip. You cannot go wrong with this outfit. I think my husband may try to book a hunting trip later this year and I'd love to do a 3 day pack and trail ride. Dwight is wonderful!

I went with OutWest to scout some workshop locations and could not have been happier. I went with another group and the wranger was Dalton, and was great! He was relaxed with everyone, conversational, attentive to horse problems, etc. I am an experienced Western rider and have seldom felt as comfortable in a saddle. Horse was in great shape, responsive, tolerant of conflicting commands, etc. Mine once got caught up in munching the mountain grass and didn't notice the rest of the herd was way down the trail, and I purposely let her eat until she realized the situation. Hang on... Herd instinct was strong!! I knew we were going to cantor fast and maybe gallop to catch up... Sure enough... YAHOO! You have no idea how wonderful it is to race through the yellow and orange leaves of the aspens at sunset on a horse that knows the terrain and was very confident of everything... Wow what a rush!!

Entire family (15 years - 77 years) with mix of experienced and novice riders completely enjoyed the 5-hour ride in the Lead King Basin area of the Colorado Rockies, outside of Marble, CO. Our two guides were thoughtful and made us feel like real explorers. Even though most of the party hadn't been on a horse in years, the 5 hours flew by. The ride included time in a beautiful high meadow where we loped the horses and flushed some wild grouse. Owners Cheryl and John were very helpful. We called a couple of weeks before the trip and Cheryl made sure she knew our level of riding experience, our heights (to pre-set stirrups) and weights, etc., to ensure we were matched with the right horse. Cheryl also packed great lunches for us. Our horses were "Houston," "Marshall Dillon," "Drummer," and "Miss Kitty." We had a marvelous time, and hope to take this trail ride next year. Note: You can leave purses, etc., in your car, but definitely bring your camera.