The Horseback America Expedition is a cross-country odyssey, traveling the nation on the back of a horse. Thousands of people are met en route who often ask how do we bathe, how do we support the trip, and how do we feed the horses. One of the most commonly asked questions is what made us take off on horseback on a continuing journey across America. The answer to this question would be a good introduction to The Horseback America Expedition.

The beginning of this trip has to go back to my childhood where I was obsessed with learning wilderness survival in hopes of freely traveling the country to enjoy nature in it purest form. Learning to process wild edible plants and becoming a stealthy hunter allows me to live off the land in the wilds; while learning carpentry, electrical and plumbing skills allows for life in civilization. Developing these abilities were all part of my grand plan for the Expedition.

My survival skills were put to the test after buying property in Montana’s Little Snowy Mountains where I built a log cabin and root cellar with the help of my horse. Summers were spent horse packing throughout the local mountains where I made semi-permanent camps using the cabin as a base. When money was needed to replenish supplies and replace worn gear, working cattle was my option on local ranches. This was a good and honest life, but nothing was new to feed my traveling spirit and things started becoming dull and stale.

Sky Lakes Wilderness, Oregon Cascades



Entering the day's events in the trip journal

Soon, every deer and elk trail was traveled and the desire to see new places was overwhelming. The thought of riding into the sunset became a reality when the Horseback America Expedition was born. After my property where the log cabin sat was sold, I left my little mountain sanctuary for a life of travel and adventure. It took a lot of nerve to pack up and leave; and the years of preparation I had already invested was no match for the education of trial and error on the trail.

There is really no point A to point B method here, but I use my heart as my guide in determining the route. Our path of travel is full of zigzags and large circles that may take up to a year to ride. Often, much would be missed if a straight direct route were taken. It doesn’t matter how long we stop or how long we travel. We no longer spend countless hours studying a route because we can wake up the next morning and be drawn in a different direction. Getting lost in the wilderness is not a big issue either, since we carry a 1-2 month supply of food and have the ability to find natural foods.

This Expedition is not an escape from society as we support our nation fully. We don’t want to get bogged down in civilization, spending so much time just to exist with car and house payments and 9 to 5 repetitive jobs. The simple life is just fine for us! We were recently told that all we do is take from society because we travel and don’t settle down into normalcy. Actually, we take very little and give back a lot through the sharing of our experience.

We frequently give presentations to schools and other organizations, teaching about wilderness survival, practical use of electronic technology and human nature. We educate equestrians as well as backpackers about how we can exist together on the trails and always set a good example of the “Leave No Trace” philosophy of back country use. We have also invented the fastest pack system in the world. Our innovative developments to equestrian camping can be helpful to equestrians and regular campers alike.

Horseback America Expedition uses affordable high-tech equipment along with methods in packing and camping that we have developed and time-tested on the trail. Solar panels generate electricity that charge battery banks while we ride or camp. This powers our electric lights, laptop computer, color TV, cell phone, ham radio, police scanner, GameBoy, short-wave receiver, xenon strobes, black light, neon lights and infrared burglar alarm. My saddle has a car horn, xenon strobe and radio controlled turn signals. My helmet has a Petzel headlamp, LED strobes and a radar detector.

The electronics enhances camping greatly, making it possible for us to track the weather and gather information about forest fires. It also makes those dreary rainy days enjoyable while spending long hours in a tent. To balance things out, we basically live off the land when possible, eating wild edible plants, hunting and fishing. There have been times when we have processed acorns into flour and later that day composed a letter on the laptop computer. We have found a unique balance between the Stone Age and the Computer age that enables us to satisfy our pioneering spirit. This is the beginning of the Horseback America Expedition with no end in sight.