GROWING THE FARMSTEAD AT SMITH FORK RANCH

Last night we enjoyed fresh radishes, yukina savoy, herbs, and other veggies picked from our garden - washed and prepared only thirty minutes prior to their arrival on my plate! It doesn't get much fresher than that. At SFR our Farmstead Garden is a very special part of our Ranch.

We never lose the thrill and exhilaration that comes with each new season here in our beautiful valley in the mountains. The SFR Garden focuses on the preservation and organic production of heirloom varietals. All visitors to Smith Fork Ranch are welcome to take part in the garden activities - wonder the rows with our gardener, learn about the seasons, techniques, and harvests, and pick a fresh, organic veg to snack on or add to the Chef's basket for the evening meal.

Our gardener Alma Roberts and our Chef Matthew Dusharme will welcome your participation in harvesting the perfect, fresh produce - with names like graffiti cauliflower, winsor fava beans, tavera, rainbow chard, dwarf grey sugar pea tendrils, and allstar gourmet lettuce - this is not your ordinary garden.

Have fun getting your hands dirty! It’s part of the pleasure and experience of Smith Fork Ranch.

Wilderness Whitewater Rafting!

Wilderness Whitewater Rafting is quite rare and special. At Smith Fork Ranch you have the opportunity to raft some of the greatest water in the West. We have a special relationship with a local authority on these waters and can offer first rate rafting trips through some of the incredible canyons and rivers this region has to offer. Here Owner of SFR Marley recounts his experiences on a typical rafting trip.

"First you have to get up early, grab a coffee and boxed breakfast from the ranch kitchen, and be on the road by 5:30AM. The driving part of the trip there takes about 2 hours. A third of the way there you change vehicles, and a guide takes the wheel of a really rough 4-wheeler because a normal SUV might not be able to handle the “road” ahead (it’s not really a road, but a trail that is wide enough for a tough vehicle). The next leg of the trip is basically a bumpy 7-mile, 1500’ descent from the high-country down to the startlingly beautiful Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The last part of the trip starts about 1000’ above the river. Everyone gets out and hikes the remaining mile or so (relatively easy) old Indian trail down to the river’s edge. The rafts, supplies and guides have been brought down the night before by pack mules. The guides (the best river guides in Colorado) inflate the rafts, pack in the gear, and sit everyone down to hear safety instructions. Of course “everyone” is just you and your party, the guides, and an occasional bighorn sheep or eagle looking down from above. There is no one else around."

"The whitewater trip down the river is a truly remarkable adventure. The 11 miles of rapids are wild, and thrilling and you will definitely get wet. The difference is that the river and it’s environment is so pristine, so wild, so empty of other humanity that you quickly realize that there are very few people who have ever had an experience like this."

"The first time I did this rafting trip I felt like I was Lewis and Clark. After rushing through 1000’ high narrow canyons and surging rapids for 11 miles, and pulling over to the shore for a relaxing lunch, the last three miles of the river trip is relaxing, through calm, easy water to the take-out area. In that 14 mile distance the landscape has suddenly changed. Now it’s barren, sagebrush covered prairie. But good news! The 40 minute ride back to the ranch is smooth and comfortable. You’ll be back in time for cocktails and dinner."

In addition to Wilderness Whitewater Rafting, we have a tremendous variety of activities to offer including guided horseback riding and lessons, guided fly fishing of our own private waters, guided hikes, archery, horse drawn wagon rides, massage therapy, yoga, vineyard tours, float trips, or even flying a bi-plane!
We hope you can join us this summer for one of these amazing adventures, an experience at Smith Fork Ranch is something you will never want to forget!

How about you? Are you interested in a wilderness whitewater rafting trip or have you been on one? Any memorable stories? We'd love to hear them!

-The Team at Smith Fork Ranch

Holy Cats! Look at that returning staff!

At Smith Fork Ranch, we pride ourselves on our staff. These gracious, kind, fun-loving people come from all over the country to work on our dude ranch for the summer, and help your family build the kind of memories that will last a lifetime. As Chief of Staff, I personally am very proud of the number of returning staff members we'll be seeing this summer season!

Who was your favorite staff member? I bet they'll be back!
Levi and I will be returning in expanded management roles, and we'd like to give a great big THANK YOU to those of you we'll be seeing in a month (for the second time!):
Connor Maguire- Kids' Program
Jason Ryburn- Outdoor Guide
Katie Schramm- Wrangler
Austin Crawshaw- Wrangler
Jessalin Newbury- Wrangler
Jon Marc Winchester- Outdoor Guide
Kyle Hartley- Cook last year, Outdoor Guide this year!
Matthew Dusharme- Sous Chef last year, Head Chef this year
Bethany Tunheim- Cabin Host
Johanna Reed- Cabin Host
Lindsey Rogers- Waitstaff & Cabin Host

Come on out to Smith Fork Ranch, and let our staff make your year!
Warm regards to our friends all over the world,
Ciara

Happy First Birthday, Jonah!

Our little foal is turning one year-old tomorrow! You might remember we adopted Gemini and her week-old foal from Spring Creek Horse Rescue in southern Colorado. Gemini had been dropped off at the auction barn with her day-old foal, and the two were tagged separately to be sold for slaughter.

Jonah is growing into a beautiful young horse! Jonah spent the winter at our dude ranch learning some valuable lessons on "being a horse" from Trixie and Blackjack, including not to bother Blackjack while he's eating, and how to reach your forelegs through the fence to reach any available leaves or weeds growing too near the pen from Trixie! She's a very trusting little girl, in contrast to her mama, which illustrates beautifully how good handling grows a good horse. Jonah leads quietly, backs easily, knows "whoa" and will happily speed up when you cluck to her. For a baby, she sure enjoys her pedicures! She's also eager to meet you at the gate each day for her special yearling feed.

As a yearling, Jonah will be going along on some of the spring trail rides while learning to be "ponied" from another horse. She won't be able to wear a saddle or carry a rider until she turns two, and even then, she'll only be ridden lightly until she turns three and her growing bones start to close up.

How is her mama, you ask? Gemini came to us about four hundred pounds underweight, obviously distrustful of humans, and unwilling to share with us the secrets of her past. She spent the summer gaining weight and taking care of her baby. Today she is around 1000 lbs, with a rich bay coat, healthy once again. We weaned Jonah in September, and Gemini seemed pleased to be a free woman again.

Gemini has proved to be an especially tough customer. She'd much rather be left to herself than make the choice to befriend a human again. Ciara has rehabilitated a number of abused horses over the past eight years, but Gemini is proving to be the toughest yet. While she will eat grain from a tub on your lap, or allow you to touch her with a four-foot training stick, she refuses to be approached or wear a halter. After several months of rest this winter, she's been progressing rapidly this spring, and the wrangler crew is dedicated to enlivening her trust in people again. Hopefully, all of our wonderful dude ranch guests can help us with that!

How is Jonah celebrating her first birthday? She's going to get a special grooming, a couple of treats, and have her hooves trimmed! It will be a special day for our special little girl on this Colorado ranch!

She's not just a cover model... she can ride, too!

Here at Smith Fork Ranch, we've got a wide variety of "characters" on staff-- one of us used to be a farm wife, driving big rigs during the harvest; one of us has built multi-million dollar log homes; one of us spent a season in Antarctica; one of us is now a cover model!

Joanne Kennedy's new book, Cowboy Trouble, might feature a familiar face for some of you: our very own Head Wrangler, Ciara Pares! Ciara has been a wrangler for seven years, but in a past life, often modeled for fashion designers, corporate marketing, events and conventions.

Ciara said the photo on the cover of the book was taken about three years ago, when she was working on a ranch in Montana and sidelining as a model for a photographer and videographer in Bozeman. "I knew there was a possibility of my photos showing up anywhere-- advertising, promotional materials, magazines. But a romance novel? I never expected that!"

Announcing Steltzner Wine Dinner June 16!

To our wine aficionados:
Smith Fork Ranch was founded on the principle of offering a western dude ranch vacation the whole family will love, while not sacrificing the finest in food and wine. In that proud tradition, we are delighted to host our second annual Steltzner Wine Dinner!
Guests of the Smith Fork Ranch will enjoy a five-course, gourmet dinner paired with selected vintages of Steltzner wines. Dick Steltzner, founder and wine maker, and his daughter Allison will attend to discuss the wine pairings.

Best of all, Smith Fork Ranch is offering three-night to seven-night stays at special off-peak rates! Treat yourself to an early summer getaway in one of our Colorado log cabins before the Aspen Food and Wine Fest, or stay the week and immerse yourself in the beautiful Colorado mountains. You'll experience the best of our dude ranch, and the best of Napa Valley's wine, all in a week!

Steltzner Vineyards has produced world-class wines from the Stags Leap District in Napa Valley since 1965. Famous for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Steltzner Vineards also produces a great range of wines including Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Call to reserve your Colorado log cabin today: 970-921-3454.
www.smithforkranch.com

EXTREME MAKEOVER At Smith Fork Ranch!

The ranch has a long, proud history dating back to the initial homestead of the 1890s, the Ferrier's Bar X Bar Ranch from the 1930s-1980, and then the not-so-glamourous days of abandon and decay under the moniker "Saddle Mountain Guest Ranch." It's been ten successful years since Linda and Marley Hodgson purchased the beautiful property and carefully refurbished every salvageable building, log-by-log. After ten years, even the whitest paint needs a refresher. The managers all chipped in this week to tear up the flooring, re-paint the walls, and beautifully recarpet the main offices in time for our celebratory TENTH season! Want to see pictures of the final result? Book a reservation, and come see all our hard work in person! www.smithforkranch.com