Transfer Option:

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 and take you two hours drive to the trailhead on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. As the pack string is carefully loaded with duffels and supplies, one of the two colorful wrangler/guides picked for the adventure, gives detailed instructions on riding, saddling and care of your mount. Setting out around mid day, we wind up through aspen groves, gamble oak and lodge pole pine, up and into a long glaciated valley. The trail is almost lost as we work around downfall Engle Mann spruce, fording the tumbling stream that gurgles down toward the Arkansas river and eventually the Mississippi. A black tuff 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 near a meadow surrounded by high ridges and glacier chiseled summits towering skyward above. 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 hot drinks while awaiting dinner.
Day 3  The aroma of brewing coffee and the fluttering of Canada Jays signals the start of the day. Some will be up to greet the rising sun, others enjoy the leisure of a no stress morning, awaiting the enticing smell of a traditional cowboy breakfast to tempt them from the warm comfort of bedroll and tent. Following the second pot of coffee, we saddle up for a day of exploration. Leaving camp and pack horses behind we ride up valley in search of the emerald green lake above or perhaps, press on over a barren high pass , beyond the last wind-twisted Brislecone pine for a breathtaking view of the great San Luis valley to the west.
DAY 4... Up early, we help break camp, catch the horses, pack loads. Now a seasoned, trained outfit, we are soon moving across the meadow and down the valley. Thunder clouds threaten so we hasten along, stopping only to check chinches and loads. Dropping into the heavily timbered low country, we hurry along 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 our lodging near the Arkansas River. Hot showers and sheets await.
DAY 5..After an early meal we drive to Brown's Canyon on the Arkansas River for a wild ride down one of the state's premier whitewater runs. Working together you'll master the art of paddling through the rapids. Guides in each boat make sure safety comes first. During the day you'll conquer rapids such as Zoom Flume, Raft Ripper, Widow Maker and Slidell's Suckhole. You'll have lunch along the river and after the trip everyone will be transported back to our comfortable retreat for drinks and dinner.
DAY 6 Again, we head out early to another wild section of the Arkansas. Now that everyone has rafting experience, we challenge the best continuous section of whitewater in Colorado. This 20 mile trip runs right through the famous Royal Gorge. Rapids named Sunshine, The Wall, Sledgehammer, Squeeze Box and Corner pocket will leave you hollering for more. After a full day, we'll meet the van with everyone's gear and travel back to Colorado Springs. We may alter the itinerary due to weather, trail conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

POST TRIP INFORMATION
At the end of your trip you will be brought back to the Colorado Springs sometime between 5:00 and 8:00pm. We recommend making prior lodging reservations if you plan to spend the night on Day 6. If you must fly out that evening, please do not schedule a flight before 8:30pm, to make certain you can make your flight.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

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.