Fun at Circle F Dude Ranch

My experiences at the Circle F Dude Ranch were filled with kayaking, jumping on the blob, swimming, horseback riding, and rock climbing. When I was horseback riding it was lots of fun. I had the third tallest horse which made me feel superior. My horse was disruptive, that is why we were put in the back of the line. I was told by the counselor my horse would nip at the other horses so stay back. All of my friends were in front of me, so they were curious as to what I was talking about, and they had to turn around to hear me. While being carried around by the horse I felt lazy, relaxed, and idle which let me daydream.

The water blob was an adrenaline rush of a lifetime. The person being launched sits at the front of the blob and I got to launch a buddy by jumping on the other end. We had lots of laughs and in the next round, I was the one being launched into the air before falling into the water. As I landed in the water I think I had the biggest splash.

My kayak was red and low to the water; I sat forward using a paddle to move around the lake. I had kayaked before so I knew how to perform the sweep stroke for turning the boat. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to kayak for very long as it was the end of the day. I will admit I did fall into the muddy water as I was getting out of the kayak which cooled me off.

My horse had various shades from light brown to almost completely black with white spots around his eyes that extend over his whole nose. My horse’s trot was very slow and smooth. I thought the saddle was so comfortable I could have slept on it. That is probably why I enjoyed this activity the most. The only foul part was the horse’s teeth, which were a little yellow and smelled like my dog's breath.

Rock climbing was thrilling because I overcame my fear of heights and I engaged nearly all major muscle groups in my body. This was an excellent workout without having to think too much into it. I climbed at least 20 or 25 feet up the wall. Once I got as high as I could I did a dance and jumped off the rock wall. Of course, I was lowered by the counselors holding the ropes for safety. I will definitely do this activity again and climb even higher, but maybe not do that jump and dance at the top, instead just rappel all the way down.

I will always remember my day at Circle F Dude Ranch as an action-packed adventure where I overcame my fear of heights and built stronger bonds with my teachers and friends.