2026 Marks the 50th Year of XP Rides.
We hope you can join us during our Golden Anniversary Year.
Please read this before moving on: The XP website is maintained by an old man with a fading memory and is subject to many errors. We post any current updates of importance at the top of the Home Page of the website. Below this message is the ride calendar. The home page has been updated and ride dates are current and should conform to the AERC calendar. Below the calendar, we post “Our Next Ride”. If the time of that ride has past, you may assume we are still busy finishing up the clean up and paperwork from that ride. We will get around to updating the information for the upcoming rides as soon as possible. If you find a conflict of information about the XP Rides, whether it be the correct date or something else please contact David or Ann Nicholson before putting anything on social media. We try to correct errors as soon as possible.
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2026 XPCalendar
| Picket Post XP | Jan 2-3-4, 2026 |
| Eastern Mojave XP | Feb 6-7-8, 2026 |
| Laurel Mountain XP | Mar 13-14-15, 2026 |
| Cuyama Oaks XP | Mar 27-28-29, 2026 |
| Caballo Sin Nombre XP | April 17-18-19, 2026 |
| Mt Carmel XP | May 7-8-9-10, 2026 |
| Chicken Creek XP | Jun 13-14-15, 2026 |
| Strawberry Fields XP | Jun 26-27-28, 2026 |
| Grand Canyon XP | Sep 3-4-5-6, 2026 |
| Colorado Fall Color XP | Sep 26-27-28, 2025Sep 25-26-27, 2026 |
| Sesenta Años | Nov 7-8-9, 2025 Nov 6-7-8, 2026 |
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Our Next Ride
The Summer XP at Chicken Creek
June 13-14-15, 2026
Basic ride information: We were finally allowed to put this ride on in mid June. There is still a concern that we wont be able to get into the high country but our chances of missing the monsoons and the summer heat makes this a great choice. This will be the fifth summer XP ride at Chicken Creek. Pictures of the camp and the surround area speak for themselves. There is nowhere on earth that is more beautiful than the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. There is no season that is not breathtaking. The camp is in a beautiful meadow off a paved forest road, about 8 miles north of Mancos Colorado. Mancos is between Durango and Cortez on Hwy 160 in the Four Corners area. This is a place you will want to return to for years to come. We are a short drive from the famous cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde as well as the Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway. Cell service is good in camp for ATT and Verizon as well as those providers who use the same cell towers. GPX files will be sent a few days before the ride as soon as we determine all the trails are open.
Certified weed free hay is required on all public lands. Compressed bales of weed free hay and pellets are available at most farm stores like Intermountain Farmers, Big R and Tractor Supply. We will try to keep the water buckets filled but we have to haul water from Mancos and its very expensive. PLEASE DON’T WASTE IT. There are many creeks on the course so there will be no buckets out on the trail. Horses that won’t drink from natural sources are a danger to themselves and their riders. This is a good place to educate those equine misfits, as there is nothing but natural water out on the trail.
Meals: There will be no dinners served but its only a short drive to Mancos for those who don’t want to cook. Annie will continue doing the XP free lunches featuring her world famous Egg Salad Sandwiches for riders and their crews.
Trail Information: The trails are mostly a mix of single track horse and hiking trails combined with some narrow 50″ Forest Service trails. There are some short sections of Forest Service roads. The trails wind their way through tree lined meadows with frequent access to natural water sources. In 2023 there were still snow banks in the high country on this weekend, obviously 2026 wont be a problem.
Directions: Starting at the only stop light in Mancos Colorado on US Hwy 160, go north approximately a quarter mile on CO184 to County Road 42. The turn off is to the right and there are signs directing you toward Jackson Lake and Mancos State Park. Follow that road for 8 miles and you will come to the third cattle guard. There are corrals and a loading chute on your left. Go over the cattle guard and turn left on the road with the XP camp sign. The camp is about a quarter mile off the main forest road. There is a short cut if coming from the north or northwest. If coming from Monticello on US 491 turn left at the Conoco Station and Bubba’s Café onto Hwy 184. This junction is 11 miles north of Cortez. After going about 8 miles on CO 184 you will turn left towards Delores and go about a quarter mile and turn right to continue on CO 184. There are mile markers and when you come into the outskirts of Mancos the turn off to Jackson Lake and Mancos State Park will be on the left just past milepost 25. This route saves the dealing with the traffic in Cortez.
Health Certificates: Health certificates (CVI) are required for horses coming into Colorado from other states. They are not required for horses coming from within the state. The requirements for health papers vary depending on conditions in other states. Your local veterinarian will be able to counsel you on current requirements. The basecamp address that you can use for health certificates: Chicken Creek Endurance Ride, Doc Lowell Flat, Forest Road 416, Mancos, CO 81328.
Phone 907 209 8881 or 970 880 0150 or e-mail duck@xprides.com
Entry Fees
The following is our basic fee structure for 2026:
LD and Endurance Distances are $135.00 / PayPal $140.50
Juniors, Intro riders and XP club riders are $100 / PayPal $104.00
Riders who are not current members of AERC riding an AERC LD or Endurance ride pay an additional $20.00 non-member fee per day. $155.00 / PayPal $161.20
Riders who enter within 4 days of a ride add $10.00 post entry fee
REFUND POLICY
Cancellation Refunds: Ride entry withdrawal requests received via email on/before 1800 on the 7th day prior to the first day of the ride will receive a full refund. There will be an administrative fee for refunds during the week prior to the ride. No refund for withdrawals within for no shows.
AERC has raised their non member fee to $20.00 per day. AERC non members are charged a day member fee of $20.00 to participate in the AERC sanctioned ride. This does not apply to the intro/fun/xp club rides.
Phone 907 209 8881 or 970 880 0150 for Dave
email duck@xprides.com
Phone 907 821 1819 for Annie e-mail annie@xprides.com
If you find something confusing or in error in this message please contact me personally and I will clear it up.
For more information contact Ride Manager:
Ann Nicholson, 907-821-1819
Dave Nicholson, 970 880 0150
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Potpourri
This is the basic catch all for the XP website. Here you will find past articles as well as some personal pages, some of which are password protected. Take me to the pages
