Ridin', ropin', skating, stitching: Camps for adults

Baseball fantasy camp? Rock-and- roll camp? Ballroom dance camp?

Oh, man up. If you're an adventurous guy looking for a summer camp, you need to check out the Arizona Cowboy College.

Cubicle jockeys can learn cowboy skills at one of the weeklong sessions held in September, October, and November ($2,250). The days are packed with riding, roping, horseshoeing, and more riding. Students also learn about ranch operation, cattle breeds, cattle diseases, shipping, pasture rotation, and more.

Yes, there are bunkhouses.

"We've been at it since 1986," said Lori Bridwell, who runs the camp. "Most of the people who sign up, 80 percent, come just once. But we do have people who come back. Some come back several times. We had a guy come three times last year alone. He's from New Jersey."

The first two days are spent at Lorill Equestrian Center in Scottsdale; then the scene shifts to a working cattle ranch (the location varies by session). The Cowboy College provides horses, saddles, and gear, though students can bring their own, provided they meet the camp's safety standards. And how many schools include a cowboy hat, chaps, and a harmonica on the list of items for students to bring? Eat prairie dust, Harvard.

This is not a week for wimps. Warns the website: "This is very hard work and can be very dangerous to both you and your mount. You must be in good health. If you are injured, help is very far away. However, we do carry a cellular phone for major emergencies."

Further details are at cowboycollege.com.