Filthy, Sobbing Kids

By Steph This summer is a unique one for me.  For the first time, my children are joining the kid’s program at Vista Verde.  In the past, they may have tagged along with a babysitter overseeing them.  But this year, they are jumping in with their little cowgirl boots and jeans.  The past two weeks…

Dude Ranch Award Season

By Steph It must be award season in the dude ranch world.  In the past few days we have received notice of 2 awards we have won, and I just got a notice about voting opening for another award.  Get out the high heels, the bling and the ballgowns.  Well, or at least maybe I…

Colorado All-Inclusive Resorts

By Steph Out of curiosity (that’s the marketing geek in me coming out) I did a search this morning for “Colorado all-inclusive resorts”.  I was pretty surprised at what I found, and in some ways more surprised by what I didn’t find. Top of the list were a bunch of paid ads.  Some of them…

June Fly-Fishing report

 By Brandon Greetings friends!  It’s June and we’re now a few weeks into our anticipated summer guest season! While we still wait for the rivers to shape up a bit from spring runoff, the fishing couldn’t be much better on some of our nearby lakes and smaller creeks.  Hahn’s Peak Lake, Pearl Lake, and Steamboat…

Summer has arrived

By Steph The ranch is now open for business!  Opening day was Sunday, June 2, and we were all excited to welcome our first group of guests as they came up the drive and into the Lodge.  We have a full house, lots of kids, and everyone has jumped into their dude ranch adventure with…

The tree nursery

By Steph Nature has a funny way of taking care of itself.  Last summer was such a dry summer, that all we did was worry about water and fires.  Luckily, the latter did not become a reality for us here in the Steamboat Springs area.  We have been so happy to have more moisture this…

Spring fishing in Colorado

By Brandon Howdy folks! Let me start off by telling you what I’d like to be blogging about right now… Steady and clear flows on the Elk River, wild and fat trout rising recklessly to whatever dry fly I gently lay across the water’s placid surface, and a right elbow and shoulder sore from battling…

The valley comes back to life

Springtime in Colorado is such an exciting time.  After sitting dormant under a blanket of snow all winter long, the valley starts to come back to life.  The snow melts, the green grass starts peeking through, the crocuses bloom, and the baby cows and horses start to arrive.  It is hard to not be exuberant during this…

As the aspens turn

By Steph We’ve had a long running joke about the TV show “As the Aspens Turn”.  It would be a soap opera, possibly reality TV show about ranch life.  Not that our drama here is really all that worthy of TV coverage, but hey, these days anything flies.  We’d have exhausted wranglers trying to stay…