trails end horse adventures

This was absouletly the best trail ride I have been on. I have been on several including 3 in Hawaii, but Mark makes it so special. His knowledge and skill as a story teller make it very special. Make sure you ask him how a city boy from Minnesota got to be a cowboy in Alaska and be prepared for a very entertaining story.Robin and Ruth, Charlotte, NC

we have been fans of the TV program - Alaska The Last Frontier. in it they herd cattle along the area called the Kachemak Bay. that is were we went on a fantastic trail ride which had us herd cattle to their new pasture area. cowboy Mark was the greatest guide and educator of all things Alaskan that we met during our three weeks vacation. the highlight of our trip.

First thing...this is not a short ride for those who have leg, back or knee problems. You don't need to be an experienced rider but you will very likely be sore. But this was so much fun! Mark is very entertaining, with lots of great Alaskan cowboy stories. Be prepared for rain and cold though, when we were there in June the weather shifted and it was pretty miserable toward the end of the ride. We were able to cross the river, what a thrill! We had a fun group of other people on our ride and had lots of fun and laughs while taking in the beauty of the area.

Mark's place was easy to find and he had everything set up when we got to there. We drove about 10 miles away and he got the horses out and we headed down a 700 foot cliff road path, which was intense on such big horses. I was impressed with his level of knowledge of the area, his calm demeanor, and his professionalism. We had a flight out and he kept us right on schedule. Sharing his land with us on his horses and telling us stories the entire time was wonderful. I would definitely tell anyone going to Homer, if they don't do anything else, they have to give a day to this adventure. The landscape and Mark is something not to be missed and we will definitely remember our visit for the rest of our lives.

Ok this trail ride is great because it's truly a trail ride and not some pumped petting zoo walk around the park. And it's not some dude ranch out in Arizona.Mark was our guide and he took us down a cliff and into the Fox River area.If you enjoy horses and truly enjoy riding them then this is for you fellah! You will be on the horse for up to 6 hours. The money is well worth the adventure and the scenery is excellent!Suggestions:Bring waterBring a hearty lunchDress for hot and cold; the winds change during the ride and you will switch from sweating to freezing in the flash.Do not pee into the wind; bathrooms are not available; this is the real deal and if you need to go to the restroom be prepared to do it in the open maybe behind some tall grass.

So here's the thing. For a novice rider, or one that hasn't ridden in a long time, four hours will leave you sore for days afterward. For an experienced rider like me, the duration didn't bother me, but the lack of variety did. From a description I read somewhere, I thought it would be mostly mountain trails, trailering to a starting point, eventually reaching a beach, then heading back to the stables in a linear path. In reality, we trailered to the end of a road, dropped down to the beach in less than a quarter mile, then road the mud flats 3 miles or so to a river crossing, which we couldn't cross because the river was too high, stopped for lunch (you provide your own), then headed to the upper tide line, which had some foliage along it, and rode back the same 3 miles, along the edge of the beach, only in trees. We never trotted, much less cantered, despite the openness of the flats, so it was walk, walk, walk, walk, walk for two hours, half hour break, and walk, walk, walk, walk, walk for another two hours. Climbed the quarter mile up to the trailer, where I hitched a ride with one of the other customers back to the barn. While some people enjoy talking throughout a ride, this was too much. Mark was a character, but he never stopped talking from beginning to end. Another customer did the same, so no matter where in the line I went, I was inundated with chatter. Would kind of have liked to enjoy a little of the Alaskan silence, but it never happened. Horses were mostly well behaved, except one woman who was stuck with a horse that tried to pick a fight with every other horse, so she had to be constantly aware of others around her. But there was a nice view of the glaciers across the bay the whole time, if that's enough for you.

When I say "experience", I mean this is something that affects you in the most positive and beautiful way!! My family of 8 (ages 5 thru 50+, and some of which were visiting from Hawaii) went on a beautiful ride down a switchback and through the tidal flats at the mouth of katchemak bay! It was breathtaking! Mark is very keen on the safety of everyone riding! I swear he has eyes behind his head---and that's a good thing!! He's very knowledgeable of the area and the people! He shared much history & facts and that in itself is very interesting and entertaining! He was also very attentive to any of our needs! He truly is a good old fashioned, hard working, tough cowboy!!! He's absolutely fun to be around!! We were all very impressed and pleased with our ride! My 2 children fell in love with him and his beautiful horses...they ended the ride calling him Uncle Mark! We had another guide --Babette. She was a huge bonus in taking care of us amateur riders along with Mark! And she too was very fun to be around! This truly is a MUST NOT MISS experience!! The only negative is that in our 4-5 hour ride, our butts were very sore! But it's sooo worth it! One more thing...dont forget to bring lunch or a snack---you'll have an opportunity to get off your horse and enjoy a quick bite while enjoying the views! I cannot emphasize enough, the beauty of this place!! We would definitely come back for this experience with Mark!!!

I have been on a few different trail rides from Hawaii to Arizona and this was by far my favorite. As other reviews have mentioned Mark is very knowledgeable and shares stories about the history of Homer on the ride. The trail ride starts at the top of a hill and drops down to the beach and it takes you through a few creeks and has a gorgeous view of the mountains and glacier. The only thing I would mention is our ride ended up being approximately 6 hours which was an amazing value for the cost of the trip, but at first we were expecting around 3-4hours of ride time. Overall it was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys riding. I will say we were sore after the ride, but we haven’t ridden in a long time.

As all other reviewers have noted, Mark is professional, knowledgeable, and above all else very entertaining. My in-laws came to visit us in Fritz Creek and this was the highlight of their trip to Alaska. The views are spectacular and Mark is full of interesting information about the area that he loves to share. I learned quite a bit of interesting information while enjoying the ride. Mark clearly cares for his horses and is attentive to all riders. He makes it feel like an outing with family and friends rather than a tourist event. He had a backup guide on our ride who was also attentive and personable. I'm hoping to see them both again regularly and will always send visiting friends and family to Mark for a fun filled and affordable day.

We are on a one year ride across America on our motorcycle. The ride with Mark was definitely one of the top three things we have done. The scenery is amazing, the day went so fast. We will definitely ride again if we ever make it back to Alaska!

We had a great day with Mark. He answered all our "Living in Alaska" questions and kept us entertained the whole day. The views CANNOT BE BEAT!!! If you are headed to the Homer area make sure you give Mark a call (in advance, he fills up pretty quickly for the summer)....also, you will not find a better activity for the price in all of Alaska!!! Would do this again the next time we are in the area. -Mike & Deborah

If you miss this in Homer, you've missed one of its best treasures! Mark is a professional, personable and deeply knowledgable Homer resident who will take you on one of the most beautiful tours of your life. He was very good working with both locals and tourists of all skill levels. A gentleman at heart, he even let me borrow a pair of Xtra Tuff's to keep my feet dry! An awesome deal that he should be charging way more for! Don't think twice - call him now!

My daughter was initially reluctant to visit Alaska (who knows why but she always groans about outdoorsy activities). She does, however, love horses and had started riding at 7---a trip that included a chance to go on a trail ride couldn't be all that bad. I wasn't surprised by how much she enjoyed it, which she did---she had a blast. I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I often think the measure of a good travel experience is in how much you get to enjoy something that is different from your regular life. Our trip here definitely showed me something completely different and amazing. We had the opportunity to ride to the Head of the Bay, where we saw some amazing scenery and great conversation and near a community of Russian Old Believers. It was truly the most unlike-regular-life thing I've done in a very long time. At the end as we were riding along the tidal flats with the fog rolling in, it was like something out of a book or movie. The riding trip was the highlight of an amazing vacation and what I talked about the most when we returned. Just incredible. Also, kudos to Mark who clearly emphasized safety. There were riders of varying ages and abilities on the trip (and one who spoke little English). He was very cognizant of keeping everybody together and safe and erring on the side of being cautious. Just amazing.

2 daughters and Dad had an AMAZING 5-6 hrs with Mark!He has 13 gorgeous horses, a Border Collie named Alyeska that ran the entire 13 mile ride thru rivers in the Valley and up a 700 ft switchback / breathtaking views and fabulous ride with this Cattle Rancher !

We had a great time on this horse ride, mark was a great guide and very orofessional, the horse were in excellent shape and all was very clean, had a great time with a friend who was visiting Homer