The final superhero: the superman (or woman) that fills the role of Head Chef. This season's chefis really a spectacular genius. You may know the food here is great, or you may be coming to find out if it's as great as we say. Either way, you'll thank this hero at least once during your stay, probably more than once. We've just been warming him up having him feed all the staff. I didn't know a grilled cheese could taste so good. All I can say is DELICIOUS! Just wait until he gets fired up for the guests.His Name: R. Calvin StrombeckPosition: ChefNumber of [...]

A few more staffers for the summer, our trusty friends! And, Trish, our longtime head-housekeeper is even wearing her super-hero attire! You can't see it, but her jacket has a giant 'T' is diamonds on the back. Usually, she only wears this when cleaning multiple rooms simultaneously.Name: Patricia "Trish" HurstPosition for 2010: Head HousekeeperNumber of seasons at DWR: 6th!!Hometown: Blanding, UtahWhat keeps you busy when you're not at DWR? Depends on the year. Currently working on a bachelors in business.Why did you want to work at DWR? I had three cousins work at DWR before me and it sounded interesting.What are your goals for [...]

Howdy! Just want to say sorry for the recent lack of blogging from the ranch. It really was a technical issue that involved an update, a conversion, and other odd computer mysteries that occur in a parallel universe. All is sorted out now so please stay tuned for a more current ranch blog.

It's time to buckle down the hatches for winter. Here comes the snow, the blustery winds, the cold and the ice. This is the time of year when light-hearted visitors and residents flee for the beaches, for lower ground, or at least for hot chocolate. It's the time of year when you peer out your frosty window and sigh knowing that you won't see green or ground for months. And, you know what? That is all okay. It's okay because we get to go skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and hang out by a roaring fireplace. Sure, it's not everyone's idea of paradise this time of [...]

Lucky for us, (he, he, get it with the picture above?) we get to see some beautiful clouds in our Colorado skies. Quinn, our employee for the summer, got some great shots. Now if only I was smart enough to tell you what type of cloud is in each photo. I'm pretty sure a fifth grader could do it, but not me! And, if you like these pictures or want to see more of Quinn's summer photos (They're incredible!) Contact him at quinn.w.wilson@gmail.com Here are a few storm clouds (cumulonimbus?) passing over the trail by first point. Many of our rides will depart in [...]

Sometimes, living out here on the ranch, I have a deep longing for the city. I want to live in a bustling city somewhere in a little loft and wake up in the morning to the sounds of beeping horns and an occasional siren. I want to own a closet full of cute shoes that have no mud or manure on them. I want to stop and grab a latte at the little coffee shop at the corner while walking to the bus stop on my way to work.Sometimes, when we have a guest from a big city, part of me secretly hopes they [...]

It's October already! Weird. We've been doing some cleaning up and we've been making some improvements around the ranch. But nothing we've done compares to the work Mother Nature's been doing around here. If you're close by, bring your family by to see her latest artwork.

You've probably heard the expression "Make hay while the sun shines", right? Do you ever wonder "what the heck is that supposed to mean?"Well, folks, I can tell you exactly what it means. After a few short years of being married to a hay-man, I've learned the expression's meaning well.This time of year is hay time. That means if the sun is shining, Justin is out working. Yep, it's time to cut hay, and ted hay, and rake hay, and bale hay, and then cut hay, and ted hay, and rake hay and bale hay, then cut hay and ted and. . .I think [...]

Jen Burn, one of our wranglers, is a fine writer. She wrote a little something to give insight to the hard work endured by our wranglers.A day in the life of a wrangler:“My alarm clock didn’t go off this morning, but I woke up before 6 on my own, anyway,” is muttered more often that it should be in the Drowsy Water barn during an early morning round-up. Dressed in well-insulated outwear (or multiple layers) a wrangler’s day begins with a brisk sunrise ride to round-up the herd of over 100 horses. If all goes according to plan, the entire herd is waiting at [...]

Sunday, May 31 was a monumental day around here for two reasons. First, because it was the first day of our 2009 season. That means all of the prep needed to be finished, cabins cleaned, food ready, staff in place. The second reason was because, for the first time in recent history, Ken and Randy Sue left it two Justin, Ryan, and I to open the ranch. We all had our doubts, our worries, and our concerns. But somehow, we pulled it off. It helps that the majority of our staff was returning this year, so they know what goes where, what it means to [...]