Chef’s Corner: Kelli Balls

This recipe is named after Kelli, our fearless mountain biking and hiking guide. She loves these little snacks and doesn’t ever head out on the trail without them. Before you go out to conquer your next adventure, be sure to take the time to make these little power-packed energy balls. They’re delicious and provide the…

peanut butter cookies made at Vista Verde Guest Ranch

Chef’s Corner: Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies (gluten free): (makes about 45 cookies)   Ingredients: 3 pounds peanut butter 2 pounds, 10 ounces granulated sugar 6 eggs   Procedure: Cream together the sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Add the eggs and combine until incorporated, do not over-mix. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Using an ice cream…

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…

Touring Colorado

I have had the pleasure of serving on the board of the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association for the past 7 years. One of the parts of that job that is really fun is inspecting other ranches. Each member ranch is inspected every 3 years and then any ranches that want to join get…

Romance at Vista Verde Ranch

  I just got some great photos from a wedding of former staff members, and it got me thinking.  There are so many couples who met at Vista Verde as staff, who have now turned into wonderful marriages.  What is it about this place?  Between romantic honeymoon vacations, surprise engagement getaways and couples rekindling the…

Off Season Adventures

Although we don’t have any guests around right now, the ranch is nothing but quiet these days. The off-season is a time for knocking out projects on the to-do list, cleaning up from the winter, gearing up for the summer, and taking a little time off too. This year, the off-season at our Colorado ranch…