Transfer and Other Options:

Day 1:  Arrival in Colorado Springs and transfer (shuttle) to the Radisson Hotel near the airport. Meals are not included, but the hotel offers a 20% discount for our guests on all meals.
Day 2: Early morning full hot breakfast at the hotel (starting at 6 AM). At 7:30 AM our transfer will pick you up from the hotel lobby. We drive two hours to a trailhead on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. As the pack string is carefully loaded with duffels and supplies, one of two colorful wrangler/guides picked for the adventure (our staff fight to go on this one) gives detailed instructions on riding, saddling and caring for your mount. Setting out around midday, we wind up through aspen groves, Gambel oak and lodgepole pine, up and into a long glaciated valley. The trail is almost lost as we work around downfall Engelmann spruce, fording the tumbling stream that gurgles down toward the Arkansas river and eventually the Mississippi. We stop to rebuild a section of trail that has slid away from a section of muddy down-sloping rock. A dark tassel-eared squirrel chatters indignantly as we pass. Higher up, a cow elk with ungainly calf in tow ambles across a meadow lush with purple larkspur and yellow composites. We set camp below a gigantic rock glacier just at timberline. The horses are picketed out. The tents are up in carefully selected flat areas well away from each other, and the small campfire is glowing cheerfully as we sip happy hour spirits while awaiting dinner.
DAY 3 The aroma of brewing coffee and the fluttering of Steller's jays signals the start of the day. After a leisurely breakfast, the packhorses are carefully packed with balanced loads. Staff competes to tie the best load. If perfectly packed, the load should not have to be touched until we unpack at the end of the day. Not much is worse than a load sliding off on the steep pass, creating a scene from a Charlie Russell painting! Leaving the last twisted spruce and bristlecone pine behind, our train winds up and over a wind sweep 12,500’’' pass. Awestruck, we silently stare at the immense vast grandeur of the San Luis Valley stretching beyond vision to the hills of Taos far to the south. Then, down, down winding switchbacks to lunch in an alpine meadow. A small herd of elk scramble indignantly down into the dense timber below. Leaving the forest behind, we ride out on a vast open prairie framed by towering peaks. We wait for the burst of orchestral music that Hollywood would surely furnish, but only the quiet whisper of the afternoon wind disturbs the solitude. Evening finds us soaking peacefully in a warm pool, favorite beverage in hand, as the orange-red globe of the Sun settles behind the western mountains.
DAY 4 We camp among the aspen along a warm water stream, minutes from the pools. Valley View is a private, minimally developed resort with limited public access. (Of course, we are members.) The Springs were considered sacred by the Mountain Ute who came to revitalize and give thanks after a successful buffalo hunt. Although quiet during the week, we share the resort with other members coming to soak in this magical spot. The day is set aside to soak, take saunas, to relax. Numerous natural pools offer a choice of soaking with others or finding a private small pool. You may decide to hike or explore the old Orient Iron mine nearby, returning intime for another sunset soak.
DAY 5 Breakfast, a last early morning dip, then back in the saddle again. Relaxed and stress-free we ride quietly up into the silent pine forest to make a late afternoon camp at the base of the great pass. Around the evening camp fire, our wranglers share tales of the days when The Ute hunted these high valleys or when John Fremont's ill-fated expedition wintered here. A horse whinnies in the darkness, an owl hoots out a reply, the camp Winchester rests nearby as we drift off in restful sleep.
DAY 6 Up early, we help break camp, catch the horses, pack loads.Now a seasoned, trained outfit, we are soon moving across the meadow and up the pass. Thunderclouds threaten, so we hasten along, stopping only to check chinches and loads. Dropping easterly over the crest, we stay well above timberline to find the beginning of an old cow trail leading down past a series of blue green glacial lakes. Finding a better trail below, we hurry into the valley as the high ridges erupt in claps of rolling thunder and electric display. We are, too soon, back at the road and waiting transport to urban reality.

Due to factors beyond our control, we occasionally find it necessary to change the order or the route of these activities.

POST TRIP INFORMATION
At the end of your trip you will be brought back to Colorado Springs sometime between 5:00 and 8:00 pm. We recommend making prior lodging reservations if you plan to spend the night. If you must fly out that evening, please do not schedule a flight before 8:30 pm, to make certain you can make your flight.

Passports
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).
Passport Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.
(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).

The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.
Validity
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.
Applications to:
Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).
Working Days Required
Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.