A Few Rocks! See the basket in the rocks?

Disc golf at our dude ranch can be quite a family adventure!

This is the 35th Annual Grateful Disc Festival.

Yee-haw!

And a few trees... Can you see the basket just on the other side of the trees?

For the first time in all these years, we have beautiful weather .

Yes, most years we have snow and sleet and freezing rain.

No one is complaining!

Here are a few shots from the morning round.

Sorry, Evan, this picture makes your butt look . . . → Read More: Dude Ranch Disc Golf: Wright Life’s Grateful Disc Tourney]]> Colorado Dude Ranch: The Thirty-fifth Annual Grateful Disc!

A Few Rocks! See the basket in the rocks?

Disc golf at our dude ranch can be quite a family adventure!

This is the 35th Annual Grateful Disc Festival.

Yee-haw!

And a few trees... Can you see the basket just on the other side of the trees?

For the first time in all these years, we have beautiful weather .

Yes, most years we have snow and sleet and freezing rain.

No one is complaining!

Here are a few shots from the morning round.

Sorry, Evan, this picture makes your butt look big...

One of our fearless leader hosts, Evan. Thank you Evan!

For more info about disc golf in Red Feather Lakes, take a peek at our (oops… outdated) Dude Ranch Disc Golf webpage.

If you are new to disc golf, visit our First Time Here Disc Golf page.

Oh that sweet sound! Colorado Dude Ranch Disc Golf

For Dude Ranch Maps and Directions.

A hugs big thank you to Evan and Bill from Wright Life.

Poor Tess, the dude ranch retriever, does not get to bring back any discs...

For information about this summer’s Red Feather
Open, July 7th and 8th, call Evan at 970-980-1148.

We’ll post more pictures next week in our Dude Ranch Photo Album.

Colorado Dude Ranch Vacations - something different!

1. Do you have a less-than-a-full-week stay? Answer: Yes! We offer a four-day, three night family vacation:

Details in the “4 Day/ 3 Night Prices Section” of the Summer Rates Page.

2. How is the shorter stay different?

Answer: Our riding program is NOT nose-to-tail! It is based on a “curriculum” of learning objectives based on the level of skill you bring with you.

3. What type of . . . → Read More: 10 Common Questions People Ask Our Dude Ranch]]>

Colorado Dude Ranch Vacations - something different!

1. Do you have a less-than-a-full-week stay?
Answer: Yes! We offer a four-day, three night family vacation:

• Sunday afternoon through some-time Wednesday OR
• Wednesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon.

Details in the “4 Day/ 3 Night Prices Section” of the Summer Rates Page.

2. How is the shorter stay different?

Answer: Our riding program is NOT nose-to-tail! It is based on a “curriculum” of learning objectives based on the level of skill you bring with you.

• If  Sunday afternoon through Wednesday sometime. You follow the same riding schedule as the full-week guests.
• If Wednesday through Saturday, you have your own wrangler who will start you with the first learning objectives (depending on your skill) and build from there.

3. What type of riding is available? How are you different?

Answer: First, this is not a nose-to-tail riding program!. Our program is small enough to accommodate both proficient riders, and beginners. We are one of the smallest ranches in Colorado, and we enjoy being flexible in our programs and teaching.

Those who enjoy sight-seeing at a walk can; and those who want the faster jogs and lopes can too!

Our program uses a series of six steps to bring beginners from the ground up, starting with basic Dude Ranch Western Riding and ground manners. These steps are based on principles of Western Riding taught by the American Association of Horsemanship Safety and the Dude Ranchers Association Wrangler Safety  programs. More details on our Riding and What Makes Us Different pages.

4. How often?

Answer: Every day but Sunday (Horses’ Sabbath)!

• Monday both AM & PM
• Tuesday AM (or Rock Climbing) and PM
• Wednesday All day ride or two shorter rides AM & PM
• Thursday white water rafting or AM ride for shorter stay folks
• Friday All day ride or two shorter rides AM and PM
• Saturday AM Gymkana (Ranch Rodeo!) and swim with horses in the pond.

5. Are there fast rides? Long rides? Family rides?  Separate kids rides?

Answer: Yes, yes, yes, and yes!

Massage? Jaccuzzi?

Yes! Yes!

6. What type of terrain is the riding in (mountains, meadows, rocky, flat etc)?

Answer: We are in the Rocky Mountains. Although we have lots of meadows where we can jog and lope horses, much of our trail in the Roosevelt National Forest involves some climbing and descending.

7. What is there to do?
Answer: The list of activities is long!

• Shooting: rifles, black powder, & shotgun trap (with safety instruction)
• Rock climbing, belaying, and rappeling lessons
• Fun Fishing in nearby lakes for trout
• Serious Fly Fishing on nearby “Wild and Scenic” river
• Hiking
• World Class Disc Golf
• Private Riding lessons and Coaching
• Tomahawk Throwing
• Archery
• Horse Shoes
• Pool Table
• Fooseball
• Mountain Biking
• Adventurous side trips
• Jacuzzi
• Professional Massage
• and, of course, the hammocks…

Evening Activities include:

• Sunday Evening guided hikes
• Monday Square Dancing Lessons
• Tuesday Evening Kids’ Night Out at the Campfire and Tipi, & Adults’ Quiet Candle Light Supper.
• Wednesday Campfires with Cowboy Singers
• Friday Campfires with Cowboy Poetry

Summer Schedule of Weekly Activities

8. What is there to do nearby?

• Answer: Visit the Laramie Territorial Prison, where Butch Cassidy lived for a while in the late 1800′s.
• Visit Rocky Mountain National Park and say hello to the elk.
• Visit the village of Red Feather Lakes
• Visit the Great Stupa of Darmakaya
• Visit Old Town Fort Collins (a few hundred unique shops, galleries, brew pubs, tea houses, restaurants, a VERY cool toy store, and Ben & Jerry’s)

9. What’s new?
Disc golf course is known for being knarley! (Nice word for nasty!!!)
Obstacle course — we’re designing now. Should have up by the end of May.

10. How do I check availability?

Easy – just call us! 970-224-1222 or 800-357-4930

More questions? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Colorado Sky

You can plan your Family Adventure Vacation to include some of the most amazing, awe-inspiring and impressive Independence Day fireworks in the state of Colorado!

Suites will be available for single Saturday night stay with Sunday breakfast at our mountain lodge Bed & Breakfast rate of $149.

#1 Greeley Stampede June 22–July 4, 2012

Rodeo Events at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch

Dust off your cowboy boots for one of Colorado’s largest summer festivals and rodeos. Dating back to the 1800s, Greeley’s Fourth of July celebration puts the “Yeehaw!” in Colorado’s western culture. Justin Moore, Credence Clearwater Revisited, Montgomery Gentry and Luke Bryan will headline this year’s Stampede. greeleystampede.org

If you’ve tasted a Colorado-brewed beer, then you know why Colorado Brewers’ Festival is wildly popular. 30 Colorado breweries, showcasing more than 60 cold and fresh handcrafted beers, fill Fort Collins’ historic downtown. Summer has never been more refreshing than at this beer-lover’s paradise. downtownfortcollins.com

Matt & Leo -- Horseback Riding

I talked to Justin the other day and thought that you might want to see a couple of pictures of Leo.

He and Matthew have really bonded and spend most weekends riding around in the pasture.

They are the perfect match, and Leo seems to enjoy getting out and seeing his new surroundings.

Matthew can’t wait until summer so that we can take Leo with us on a few trail rides.

Katie

Matt & Leo -- Horseback Riding Friends

Me! Waiting to greet you!

You Dogs and Horses are welcome here! You can be part of your family’s adventure vacation!

Hi! I’m Jack-jack, the official Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Dog. My job is to be so happy I can barely stand it!

Also, I lead some special “dog-only” activities like

RJ, Me & Annie

. . . → Read More: Pet Friendly Colorado Dude Ranch Vacations]]>

Me! Waiting to greet you!

You Dogs and Horses are welcome here! You can be part of your family’s adventure vacation!

Hi! I’m Jack-jack, the official Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Dog. My job is to be so happy I can barely stand it!

Also, I lead some special “dog-only” activities like

• chasing the cats and the goats (when they want to play too, otherwise they just sit there);
• sometimes taking naps with the kittens:
• playing with kids!;
• sniffing noses with the miniature horses (who are only about 30 inches tall and weigh the same as me!);
• NOT chasing the big horses (unless you want to get kicked!);
• checking EVERY tree and, well, you know…!
  

  RJ, Me & Annie

Baby-sitting

I just talked with a couple of dogs who asked about our dog and horse “culture.” Here’s what two people thought: Dude Ranch Delight – Dog Friendly Guest Ranches, Bark Magazine, July/Aug 2009 and Pet Friendly in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, The Pet Gazette, May/June 2006.

Kristina leads a horseback ride back to the ranch

Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Is Ready With Specials and Discounts!

It’s cold out. I don’t want to go outside, so I’m playing with last year’s pictures, getting them ready to put in the albums, and I’m kinda lonely sitting here…. What can I do to “nudge” you to call me?

I know! How about:

Spring is here! Time to groom trails! Yee-haw!

By popular demand! A new get-away idea! May 13 to May 19

So, if you want to get away from

And you think that celebrating spring might include

Posts for fencing and barn - what fun!

May 13 is our spring trail maintenance week, and you are invited to join us!

. . . → Read More: A Ranch Adventure Vacation – May Trail Maintenance]]> Spring Trail Maintenance – Dude Ranch Work Vacation

Spring is here! Time to groom trails! Yee-haw!

By popular demand! A new get-away idea! May 13 to May 19

So, if you want to get away from

• the telephone ringing,
• the traffic,
• the TV commercials every six minutes

And you think that celebrating spring might include

• hauling logs,
• carrying buckets of dirt up steep climbs
  

  Posts for fencing and barn - what fun!

• setting fence posts and
• a few hours of riding horses every day for a week?

May 13 is our spring trail maintenance week, and you are invited to join us!

Who left the corral gate open???

We will have 12  – 15 new horses joining our herd, and they will need lots and lots of riding to get into shape for the summer.

Our trails will also need lots of attention (that is, lots of sweat and dirt!). Areas of erosion will be repaired, dead  trees that may compromise safety will need to be removed, water bars built, and just maybe we will build a small barn.

Lot's of trails to clean up

• Hard physical labor and
• Lots of dirt.

• No texting,
• No cell phones,
• No TV
• and very limited internet available.

A break from civilization!

If this sounds like fun, visit our Dude Ranch Specials Page or call the ranch (970-224-1222) for more details.

BTW, summer is booking now. If you are planning to join us this year, you might want to call soon!

Guest Ranch Wranglers - a serious bunch

Summer is coming soon – yeehaw! We are now looking over applications for summer 2012. Here’s some highlights:

Don’t listen to those wranglers! YOU are the most important part of our ranch!

Some of the most important memories that we want to create for our guests are meal memories. We eat in the dining room, in the back yard, and on the trail. We serve “hearty western fare family style,” which can include lots of vegetables and salads as well as meat and potatoes. Because Ellen and Dan are both RN’s we see many guests who have therapeutic diets or allergies.

The kitchen staff is a group of five people who have high energy and good humor. Psychosis is . . . → Read More: Yeehaw! 2012 Summer Dude Ranch Jobs]]> Colorado Guest Ranch Summer Employment

Guest Ranch Wranglers - a serious bunch

Summer is coming soon – yeehaw! We are now looking over applications for summer 2012. Here’s some highlights:

Summer Dude Ranch Kitchen Staff

Don’t listen to those wranglers! YOU are the most important part of our ranch!

Some of the most important memories that we want to create for our guests are meal memories. We eat in the dining room, in the back yard, and on the trail. We serve “hearty western fare family style,” which can include lots of vegetables and salads as well as meat and potatoes. Because Ellen and Dan are both RN’s we see many guests who have therapeutic diets or allergies.

The kitchen staff is a group of five people who have high energy and good humor. Psychosis is not an obstacle to working in the kitchen, although active drinking problems will get you sent on your way. Kitchen and housekeeping staff typically works forty-five hours per week over six days.

Horse back riding summer ranch job

There are five positions in and around the kitchen:
1. Kitchen Manager/THE Cook (the Boss)
2. Breakfast Cook/Prep Cook
3. Dining Room Steward/Dishwasher
4. Kangaroo #1/Housekeeper/Dishwasher/Other skill #1
5. Kangaroo #2/ Housekeeper/Dishwasher/Other skill #2

Guest Ranch Barn Employment:

Don’t listen to those kitchen people! YOU are the most important part of our ranch!

Some of the most important memories that we want to create for our guests are from horseback! The barn has three types of wranglers:

Making happy people: not a bad summer job!

1. The Barn Manager (Boss)
2. Children’s Wrangler
3. Plain Ol’ Fashioned Wranglers

Dude Ranch Rock Climbing Instructor.

This is a part time position, usually done by a Kangaroo or Wrangler. (i.e. Must be bi-lingual (speaking both kitchen and horse) or schizophrenic.

Hunting jackalopes - guest ranch employment can be dangerous!

If you are interested in working for us, then please

1. Study the Dude Ranch Job Descriptions, then

2. Visit the page that lists our Guest Ranch Employment Expectations, and then

3. Wranglers (only) please visit the Dude Ranch Wrangler Video script, then

4. Feel free to send us a Sundance Trail Guest Ranch Application.

Country Inn Christmas Horseback Ride

Usually by now we are fully booked for the Christmas Country Inn holiday week, and the New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery.

Pet Friendly Sledding: Christmas Country Inn

We’re not!!! Come see us!

Come join us! Your dogs are welcome! We are pet friendly. (You can bring human friends too. Heck, even your children!)

We have Colorado snow on the ground, and sunny days. It makes for beautiful horse back riding!

We ride our . . . → Read More: 10% Off Country Inn Christmas or New Years B&B –]]> A Pretty Darn Good Deal! 10% Off Colorado Country Inn Christmas or New Years B&B -

Country Inn Christmas Horseback Ride

Usually by now we are fully booked for the Christmas Country Inn holiday week, and the New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery.

Pet Friendly Sledding: Christmas Country Inn

We’re not!!! Come see us!

Come join us! Your dogs are welcome! We are pet friendly. (You can bring human friends too. Heck, even your children!)

We have Colorado snow on the ground, and sunny days. It makes for beautiful horse back riding!

We ride our horses just about every day.

After your ride, you will enjoy the quiet. Here’s some pictures of our  Bed & Breakfast rooms and suites.

We can also arrange Swedish Massage.

Is that Charlie Chaplain?

The evening of New Year’s Eve we plan a Murder Mystery game. These games can be hysterically funny!

Sledding down the front steps.

Get in touch with your “inner murderer”!

More about our B&B Murder Mystery weekends.

Winter Country Inn B&B Rates

To book your reservation, give us a call at 970-224-1222 or 800-357-4930.

You can subscribe to our new newsletter, to be published not-too-frequently – we promise!.

Riding in the front yard

Here’s a few memories from winters past.

Happy rider, happy horse.