The other day I stumbled across some great historical photos that I had saved in a file. They were from Elvin Tufly, who sent them to me after he visited the ranch a few years ago. His stories from that visit took me on an amazing journey back into the early days of Vista Verde…
Steamboat Springs is a pretty wonderful place and has become a bit of a hub of Colorado dude ranches with three ranches belonging to the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association within a 6 mile radius of each other. We all enjoy the camaraderie of being neighbors and friendly competitors. Dude ranching can be an…
Many people know what cross country (XC) skiing looks like, but many of our new guests ask us “What is backcountry skiing?” Backcountry skiing is the most popular kind of skiing at the ranch and one of our hallmark winter activities. First off, it’s important to understand that backcountry skiing is a broad term that means different…
Some people just love Christmas, and some dread the holiday with all the expectations and pressures. Want to know how to have a relaxing yet festive holiday? Spend the week at Vista Verde Ranch and enjoy a Christmas vacation without the stress! One guest put it well to me recently when she said, “We give…
So, maybe you just got back from your dude ranch vacation and realized you caught the bug? Or, maybe you’re gearing up for your upcoming getaway and want to get a little jump-start on riding before you spend a week in the saddle. You’re not the first to have either of these ideas! If you have…
With so many guests asking us how we get these amazing people to work at Vista Verde season after season, I thought it would be fun to do an interview with Beka, who handles the day to day process of hiring our seasonal crews. Q) Where do most of the staff come from? A) We…
Have you ever dreamed of spending a white Christmas in Colorado? Watching the snow fall outside while a fire crackles in the fireplace, or singing carols on a horse drawn sleigh, or making snow angels in fresh powder with your kids? It’s not just something that you see in the movies. In fact, every December,…
By Steph Say you’re from a big city, and have never been to a dude ranch or don’t even really grasp what it means to take a dude ranch vacation? Every once in a while, I find myself trying to explain to someone what it means to visit a dude ranch. Typically, they are surprised…
By Steph With summer quickly approaching, many people are planning their dude ranch vacations now. Many are surprised to find out that they are behind the 8-ball as most dude ranches tend to fill up quickly and often by spring are very full. With the availability at dude ranches waning and the pressure on, here…
By Annie Please note that this is an informational blog post, not an instruction piece intended as a how-to in training a horse. Every safe trail riding horse needs to be “bomb proof.” But what does that actually mean? The goal of Vista Verde’s dude ranch breeding and training program is to breed high quality…