A very long read, but a good one. A day by day account about my recent horseback journey into the million acre wilderness in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri. The Mark Twain National Forest. Ps - Peter Leffkowitz is an incredible recruiter training guru who Ive come to know over the years and have trained many times at his ranch/homestead and training centre in the outskirts of Kansas City. ~A trip of a lifetime~ June 8th, 2014... That was the day Peter announced on Facebook that in just 5 short months hed be leading a ride into the 1.5 million acre wilderness throughout the Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri. Im pretty certain I was the first to claim my saddle and it was hands down one of the best on the spot decisions Ive made. Since my first trip to the ranch Ive taken a particular liking to riding and began taking lessons to learn some basic techniques while building confidence around these awesome animals. The second Peters post went up I knew this was the exact adventure I was looking for to celebrate my big 40th birthday (Im not shy to admit that publicly ☺️). The idea of being with Peter, Cindy and Dennis in the Ozark Mountains was just the ticket. 5 months later, and now home for a week ... I can say it was one heck of an unforgettable time. One Ill definitely be doing again next year. Ill begin by saying that every trip to Missouri has been a wild ride, a constant adventure of sorts from a mountain lion donkey attack, witnessing Peter and Taylor zoom off in the gator armed with rifles, explosions in Country Club Plaza, being stuck at the Drury Inn for 3 extra days due to a massive snow storm (that was an adventure in itself), bar hopping in KC on my birthday, riding a mule in the pitch dark (without my glasses) and just praying Id keep my eyes in tact...its endless and being the thrill seeking adventurer that I am, this riding trip was nothing short of continual excitement. Being a regular at Tall Pony Ranch means a great adventure will always await .... Aside from the epic and legendary world class training, its the not knowing whats next that keeps me coming back ... And this trip, is one I plan to come back for again! Being able to describe the trip in a post wont do much justice to the reality of what its truly like to be a part of this annual retreat so if you really are curious youll just have to sign up for next year (October 29th-Nov. 2nd). But to whet your appetite (and an appetite will very much be needed) Ill share a brief day by day account of what one can expect. First a brief low down on exactly where we were...we set up camp at Edgewater Beach Resort in Lake Taneycomo which is a short drive to the famous Branson, Missouri and 5 hours from Kansas City. For the past 32 years Peter has become more than acquainted with this part of the south, as at the age of 27 he was invited to ride there with some friends and subsequently developed a powerful friendship with Clovis and Nancy Moore who owned the Rockin’ Mountain ranch, the beautiful land where he has come to ride solo and with groups for the past 20 years. To get the stories about the legends of Clovis and Nancy, youll have to go there yourself to get the goods. If youre lucky, like I was, you may even have the privilege of meeting Nancy herself. Sadly, Clovis passed away in 1997 and in his honour wed stop at the entry of his property to make a toast to him (in addition to Ed and Randy who were also good friends of Peter). It was during these toasts that I realized that I had taken quite a liking to Bourbon ... Who knew?!?! Okay, so how did we roll? ~Let the good times roll~ Day 1 - Thursday morning I was greeted by Cindy at the good old Drury Inn (anyone whose been to Tall Pony knows which one 😊). Off to the ranch to greet Peter and Dennis, get the mules/horse loaded up and then set off for a 4-5 hour drive to our final destination. In caravan style I drove with Cindy as we followed Peter and Dennis who were pulling all the precious cargo, the animals of course. A quick pit stop for lunch and on our way. Being alone with Cindy was an incredible opportunity to learn more about her and although I already knew how wonderful she was, it was apparent that this matriarchal woman is one to be inspired by, a truly remarkable person and I knew that I was going to learn a lot from her over the few days. The long drive seemed to fly by and before I knew it we had arrived. Our cabin, The Dogwood Inn was hardly the roughing it that I expected (and was totally game for). Rather, it was equipped with 4 large bedrooms each with an ensuite, a spacious great room and best of all a fabulous deck overlooking the lake ~ spectacular indeed. Peter, Dennis and I set off to get the animals settled at Nancys ranch where theyd stay during our weekend. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was the 1 and only student? Yup, I sure was and I loved every second of it, seriously felt like family by the end. Due to unfortunate circumstances the other 2 students couldnt be there but it really was fine, I felt well taken care of and the Leffkowitz clan made me feel right at home. After getting the animals settled and fed, we took a quick detour to Clovis Bluff where we had some tasty snacks, another toast and time to take in the surroundings that Clovis himself would enjoy from a leather recliner that he had hauled up to this place that felt like the edge of the world! Day 2 - after a restful nights sleep I woke up to the intoxicating aroma of coffee brewing. I dont know about everyone else, but for me there is something pretty awesome about having a cup of java in the quiet morning hours while the fog is thick over the lake .... An absolutely ideal way to start a day, one that would soon be filled with some pretty incredible memories. Shortly afterwards I was greeted by Lyron, who has to be one of the sweetest 18 month olds, and who apparently is also the youngest cowboy I know. Later that day Peter shared with me that this was a particularly special weekend as it was the first time his grandson would be a part of this family tradition and one that Peter had shared many times with his own children. An intergenerational weekend and I was honoured to be a part of this momentous occasion. After Cindy prepared a delicious hearty, stick to your bones breakfast, we headed over to the ranch to get saddled up and started on our daylong journey to the top of Pilot where wed stop for lunch, oh wait .... First we stopped to get provisions where we were greeted by a friendly toothless man and engaged in discussions with him about moonshine, well Peter had at least. Oh man, Toto I aint in Kansas anymore. As Im writing this Im reminded of how much I fell in love with my mule Squeal. Have to admit that I kinda miss her as these animals can seriously tug at our heartstrings and bonding with them takes about a nano second. I put my fear aside and put my trust in her that she would be good to me and not allow harm to come my way. I learned very quickly that any riding lesson I took was tossed right out the window as you really have to just go with the flow, stay focused on the trail and be in charge of whats happening. I also knew that with Peter and Dennis leading the way, Id get any on the spot lesson as needed. It was awesome people!!! Nothing more liberating then being in control of these animals and enjoying one heck of a view at the same time. After a long trek up hill, and a few too many stops to make a toast (hooray for Fire Ball Whiskey), we arrived at the peak of Pilot where we set up camp and got busy building a fire to cook our lunch. During this time Alyssa (married to Peters son Taylor) and I developed a nice kinship and gathered what we thought was some pretty kick ass fired wood, however the twigs we collected wasnt quite the ticket to building a good fire. By the time we got back, the guys (Peter, Dennis and Taylor) had done their duty and a fire was crackling. The flat rocks were getting ready for the fresh venison that we brought for lunch. Let me tell you, this was the BEST campfire meal Ive ever had, like seriously unreal. Thick venison steaks on fire warmed tortillas, potatoes/onions packets ... Say no more!! After a great meal, some time to take in the view and lots of laughs we headed back down to where we started. An A++ first day of riding, I couldnt wait for day 2 to come. Id say Lyron had a similar sentiment as he was only happy sitting on Opis lap (that would be Peter) as they trekked down on horseback to the ranch. Im telling you, this sweet child loves horses like nobodys business and rumour has it that he tried to escape from our cabin at 2:00 am to go see the horses, got to love him, a mini Peter in the making! Day 3- to reinforce that fact that biscuits and gravy rock, we started our second (and sadly last) day of riding with another mouth watering breakfast at Nancys place...one can get used to eating like this ....didnt I tell you that an appetite is needed on this trip ...dont come expecting to leave at the same weight you came with ....a good 5lbs will be your souvenir when you leave, lol. We said our goodbyes, stopped for another toast to Clovis and on our way to saddle up again. We decided to go back to Pilot but this time took a different and equally as scenic a route to get there. As were heading off, Im feeling pretty good, Peter tells me that today Im going to really teach you how to ride ... What the...? Wasnt I riding the day before lol? But after some of Peters expertise, I was feeling a lot more confident with Squeal and let myself fully immerse in the experience as I had full confidence that I knew how to handle her (at least it felt that way in my moment of glory - had she bucked me off or galloped off then I may have a different tune lol) ~ few pokes in the eyes from tree branches never hurt anyone, 😉 or maybe the Fire Ball eased the pain .... Another amazing day, and on the way back as Dennis escorted Alyssa and I down to the ranch he had to endure the pain of some wannabe cowgirls talk about non-cowgirly things - hair, nails, weddings ....but being the southern gentleman he is, he took part in sharing his stories of marrying people as a licensed wedding officiant, how cool! A cowboy wedding ... That would be fun! After some rest, we got ready in our finest attire to head into the rocking city of Branson .... Looks like a miniature Las Vegas strip as you drive in. We were about to embark on a true American style feast for the senses .... The Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede! So Dennis, prepared me that in his humblest of opinions it was just a night of pure shenanigans, and something he repeated throughout the show, but silently I bet he really loves it and just doesnt want to admit it out loud 😉. I didnt know what to expect but I was pretty impressed ... A spectacle indeed, and I was wishing my 8 year old cowgirl in the making was there. Pretty darn good meal to boot. So whats the stampede all about? There is no better way to explain it then what I found on Wikipedia ... Its funny actually that it even has its own wiki: The performance is essentially a modern-day Wild West revue, pitting sections of the audience against each other in a good-natured way as the South and the North battle to win various horse riding competitions. Parton sings her Native American hit Sha-Kon-O-Hey! during the performance. Each location features a show with 32 horses, dozens of cast members, pig races, and chickens. Say no more! My highlight that night? Watching the utter amazement in Lyrons eyes, and watching the pleasure that also seemed to bring to Peter. This show had him captivated and literally at the edge of his seat for the entire 2 hours ..., Lyron that is! If that wasnt adventurous enough ... Well let me tell you, our drive back to Taneyville was one Ill never forget. As were motoring along across a bridge Dennis calmly states I think we have a jumper no one else seemed to notice, however being known for his hawk eyes (Aka Dennis Hawk) he didnt miss a thing. Lo and behold he was right, we had a real life teenage jumper ... But by the look of it, not a see ya later world type, just the dumb ass Im going to show off to my friends, Oh and I hope I survive type ... For the love of .... The best part, in impressive Peter fashion and always being incredibly quick on his feet, rolls down his window and confidently says hey Im off duty, but if I need to activate Ill activate .... Hilarious ... If I were the jumper, Id be too afraid to jump lol. The jumpers reply as he gets off the ledge ... What? Is it illegal to jump in Missouri? ... Like seriously guy?!?! At that moment in perfect harmony the sirens come flashing behind us ... We then drive off as it was now in the hands of the law ... What a story ... What a dumb ass (did I already call him that?). We all had some seriously good laughs the whole way home, especially Cindy, Alyssa and myself. Having the best time! Day 4 - woke up feeling the cowgirl blues ... The weekend was quickly coming to a close and I could have stayed longer.... A lot longer :). After a breakfast visit from Nancy, and yup you guessed it, another epic Cindy breakfast, I had some time to sit on the deck overlooking the Taneycomo River to let both my food and the weekend adventures digest. What a time...everything was what I came to expect and oh so much more. It was the experience of a lifetime in every which way. As I said earlier I felt like family and am already missing them all; I may need another Tall Pony trip to get my fix of the Leffkowitz clan, but Ive taken every possible class ... So then what to do? Oh, I know, Im doing this trip again next year, see yall on October 29th... Hmmm, what Halloween costume will I bring??? Duh, a cowgirl of course ;). Thank you Peter, Cindy, Dennis, Alyssa, Taylor and Lyron - best second family ever :). ~ The End ~
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 05:35:29 +0000
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