Riding In A Two Horse Sleigh

Last night was the annual sleigh ride. I've been doing this for almost 20 years. We gather together a group of friends who are willing to bundle up and ride in the back of an 'open sleigh'(is there any other kind?) and sing Christmas carols while I freeze my fingers off trying to accompany on guitar. Wes Haus from Winding River Resort does these sleigh rides every Christmas season and it always makes for a good time despite the cold. Years ago he used to trailer the horses down to Grand Lake but it got to be kind of hard on them so now he does the rides at the resort which is just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. He supplies blankets and a nice fire and hot chocolate at the end. Of course our gang usually brings along a little schnapps to pass around and keep the chill away! I sometimes dread this, especially when it's below zero and the wind is blowing. Last night, however, was not too cold, everyone had a great time and I still have all my fingers.