Penguin Plunge

In order to get the landscaping completed around our new pool, we had to get the snow blowers out and remove the snow this spring. That wasn’t quite in the plans, but with the record snowfall we received this winter and early spring, it was quite a task. Charlie and the ranch hands took it…

Turning up the heat

With many of us squeezing in vacation time the past couple weeks (yes, you may have noticed an absence of blog posts…that would be me sneaking away for a bit), it’s been pretty quiet around the ranch. This week the long term crew begins to roll back in. Ben is the last one to arrive…

Summer Crew 2011

Dace, our Jack of all trades with the title of ranch GM, resident cowboy, and artist/singer is also responsible for hiring our awesome staff each season. The process is intense, with multiple interviews, extensive reference checks, among other things. Each season we are amazed at how he is able to put together such a hard…

Mud Season

When it’s not quite still winter, and not quite yet summer here in Steamboat Springs, we don’t refer to it as Spring but call it by another name. Mud Season. Most years, it’s just an affectionate term that we all use as we slop through the melting snow and ensuing mud underneath, trying to be…

Springtime means babies!

With the sun shining more and more, and the snow falling less and less, we’re starting to think that spring is actually here! That means we can start getting ready for our summer dude ranch season. It also means that we can start anticipating the arrival of our 2011 foals. The mares are due anytime…

Closing Day and a Fundraiser

Wow, the clock is counting down to closing day, and I can’t believe it’s that time already. Guests tell us that their stays fly by, but the seasons seem to fly by even when you live here year-round. What’s that saying about time flying when you’re having fun? Hmmm… Saturday night brings and end to…

You did what?

Last week my daughter spent an afternoon playing with some kids who were visiting our luxury guest ranch with their family (names withheld to protect their entrepreneurial identities). That night, and for days after, she kept talking about wanting to have a lemonade stand and sell drinks to the guests. I just blew it off…

The Dangers of Dude Ranching

Kelsey, one of our stupendous servers who have rocked the ranch this winter, found out this week that life can be dangerous at a dude ranch in Colorado. Here she recounts her tale: Winter time at Vista Verde means lots of wonderful outdoor activities for the staff to participate in during their time off. From…