The ranch is situated in the mountains at an elevation of 7,800 feet. During the summer months the temperature can range from the high 80s during the day to the mid 40s at night. Most people find they need to bring a light jacket, sweater or sweatshirt to wear in the evenings and for layering. We also have occasional passing showers and it is handy to have a waterproof jacket with a hood available to you.
This is more a ranch than a resort, and we dress casually at all times. Comfortable clothes and casual shoes or boots work out the best. It is a week of adventure and activity, plan on getting your clothes dirty. Rest assured that laundry service is available at the ranch with a 24-hour turnaround.
You will need a pair of riding boots for horseback riding. It isn’t safe to ride in sneakers, because your foot could slip through the stirrup. Hiking boots are not safe either. They can get stuck in the stirrup and are even worse than sneakers! If you don’t have boots, please don’t feel you must buy new ones. A pair of old tie-on shoes with a sharp-angle heel and smooth sole will work just fine. Or, we do have a selection of boots at the barn that you can borrow for the week. They come in various sizes and shapes, so we can’t guarantee that we’ll have your perfect fit, but they’ll keep you safe.
On the topic of safety, we recommend wearing a helmet while riding, especially for the youngsters. If you or anyone in your family already owns a riding helmet that has been fitted for you, we suggest you bring it along. While we have a supply of helmets available here for you, they are in generic sizes (S, M, L) and may not fit as well as you like. We do carry some items in the ranch store in case you want to purchase those here (cowboy hats, ball caps, gloves, sunscreen, socks, bug spray, toiletries, etc..) Also, our saddles come equipped with rain slickers for those sudden showers that can occur throughout the summer.
This is an active multi-sport vacation, and you will probably be participating in a variety of different activities besides riding.
If you are interested in doing some hiking, you should think about bringing a shirt and pullover that is made out of synthetic, wicking material. In the mountains, the weather can change quickly and the synthetic fabrics (fleece, coolmax, etc..) will keep you warm and dry better than cotton when you are working hard. Hiking boots are recommended as some of the trails are rocky or you may cross small streams while out on the trail. Wool socks are better than cotton socks as cotton socks can give you blisters and don’t keep your feet as warm when they get wet. This same attire works for rock climbing and, for the most part, biking as well.
We offer watersports during the week, as well. Bring some clothes that can get wet and will dry out quickly. Fleece works best for this, but a t-shirt and shorts over your swimsuit is sufficient when it’s warm. Water shoes are good for wearing in the river.
Vista Verde has a good supply of fly fishing gear- rods and reels, waders, boots, flies etc…so, if you’re an angler, you can leave your equipment at home.
More and more guests are trying out mountain biking with us. We have great bikes for you to use, but we strongly recommend bringing a pair of bike shorts if you think you may do it more than once. We do have these for sale in the Adventure Center. Padded bike shorts just make the riding more comfortable and keep you from walking funny after your ride…… If you are an avid biker and have your own bike shoes and clipless pedals, bring those, as well. We do have bike helmets for you to use, but again, if you have your own that fits well, you may want to bring it along.
The cabins and lodge rooms come filled with amenities that otherwise would take up space in your luggage. We have hairdryers, water bottles, coffee makers and mini refrigerators in each unit. Let us know if there is anything special you need in your room for your stay.
Keep in mind the accommodations do not have phones or TVs. If you feel like you can’t live without digital entertainment, please download those movies before your arrival, as our bandwidth is very limited and downloading or streaming isn’t an option once you’re here. We do have a guest phone available, and wireless internet access in the lodge. There’s spotty cell phone service in the cabins, but if you are having trouble getting service, feel free to use our guest phone. And there is a TV on the ranch that you might get around to finding towards the end of your stay…..
To wrap things up, here is an overview of items you might want to bring:
- Light waterproof jacket with hood
- T-shirts and long sleeve shirts
- Jeans for riding (at least 3 pairs)
- Fleece pullovers or sweaters
- Shorts and bathing suits
- Riding boots
- Hiking boots, sneakers and socks
- Slippers for cabin or lodge wear
- Tevas/water shoes/old shoes that can get wet
- Sunglasses and a hat
- Sunscreen and bug spray, allergy medication if you’re inclined
- Gloves for riding (for morning rides)
- Backpack or fanny pack
- Ibuprofen! (aka Vitamin I)
Although we are casual and many don’t dress up for dinner, some find it fun to take this opportunity to “cowgirl” or “cowboy” up for the evenings with a skirt and boots, dress western shirt and jeans. It’s totally up to you…we’re informal, but have a little fun if you want! One other suggestion: With airline travel what it is these days, you could well arrive at the ranch before your luggage. While it invariably arrives within 24 hours, you could nevertheless have an uncomfortable first day. Accordingly, we suggest you pack some overnight items or a change of apparel in a carry-on.
Last, we ask guests to not tip our staff directly, there are a couple activities that are run through specialized outfitters. For those (rock climbing, rafting, kayaking, hot air ballooning, massage) it is nice to show thanks to them if you enjoy the trip with a cash tip. Otherwise, you don’t need to pull your wallet out at all during your stay!
Have a safe trip out here and we’ll see you soon!
PS- If you’d like some visuals on what to pack, check out our Pinterest boards that we put together to help you get an idea of what works well here.