Spring Has Sprung

The Grass is Always Greener on the other side of the fence!! Hope you had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!!

Greetings from our entire herd & in particular, Scotch, our newest addition! He certainly has this concept down already...leaning right over the fence for that patch of green grass! You can see the pool & hot tub in the background...it won't be long until it is surrounded by green grass & sounds of laughter & fun!

It IS Dude Ranch Vacation time!!

We are thrilled about our upcoming 27th season! The horses have a spring in their step enjoying our warm temperatures, the river is beginning to thaw...the kitchen & ranch is getting a deep clean...a wonderful fun filled staff is being lined up! We are SO ready to have all of you with us!!

Planning is simpled at North Fork Ranch; the perfect Colorado family vacation!! All you have to do is join us...we'll take care of the rest!!

We are thrilled to be adding several New activities for you to enjoy (like there wasn't enough to do)! Your new selections are: Mountain Biking, a Jeep Tour & Zip Line!! These will be in addition to all of our already popular & familiar activities; horseback riding, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, hiking & kids activities including the always busy petting zoo.

In my last blog I showed you a picture of Dean remodeling the 1940 bathroom in the Stonehenge, he is delighted to report the new walk in shower & tile work is complete! It is a Great new look & quite stunning as one of our Colorado Lodging options! We will also be adding new wooden southwestern headboards which will polish off this wonderful showpiece mansion! Make sure you follow us on Facebook to see the pictures of all of the happenings at North Fork Ranch & Fishing Lodge!

New News...The secret is out....We feel very honored to have been chosen to be included as one of the Top 50 Ranches in the world! You can see us at http://www.top50ranches.com/ Don't forget to tell all of your friends about us & add us to your social media pages as well! A Big Thank You to all of you who have helped us along in our journey!

With summer right around the corner don't wait to make your reservations & invite your friends to join you as well! http://www.northforkranch.com/ Your week at North Fork Ranch, the best Colorado Dude Ranch vacation is waiting!

In With The New...North Fork Ranch Year!!

Happy New Year from all of us at the Ranch!!
The holidays seem to have flown by & we certainly hope they were filled with joy, friends & of course lots of food!! The New Year is always filled with slogans of "loosing"; weight, bad habits, you've heard them! We'd like to twist that message for 2012 & encourage you to "gain"; creating memories of a lifetime, spending time with friends & family, taking time for yourself & reconnecting! North Fork is your perfect destination!
We are busy in preparation just for that! Winter at the ranch is moving quickly and we are already getting excited about our 27th season! Many of you have asked...what do you do in the winter? Well, here are a few of the improvements we have been working on getting ready for your dude ranch vacation!!
In our last blog, if you missed it, we have built new beautiful log benches around the campfire & at the trap shooting range. Make sure you scroll down to see the photo. Our classic Stonehenge was built between 1930-1940 & it is a challenge to make changes to. Dean has been chisling out the tile that has been in place for over 70 years...quite literaly! He is putting in a walk in shower, new southwest tile, a granite counter & sink in the upper unit, the Santa Fe. The two downstairs bathrooms both have had some more minor improvements with tile work, new stain on the cabinets in the Mesa & a new pedistal sink & counter adding more counter space in the Taos unit.
Our river is frozen over for the time being but brings on a new, different, beautiful look & sounds in the winter. Most days we see the local bald eagle fly through the valley...my goal is to capture a photo of him to share with you...be patient! We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Orvis as a premier Colorado Fishing Lodge. If you look in any of the Orvis Fly Fishing catalogs such as their Guide to Adventure, Orvis Fly Fishing or on their website you will see us featured as one of their promoted destinations.
Now that you know a little of what goes on behind the scene both during & off season...We want to personally invite each & everyone of you to help all of those you know "gain" in 2012! Spread the word about North Fork Ranch...any way you choose, Facebook, Twitter, tell a co-worker, neighbor, put a flier/brochure at your school/gym, drop a brochure to your local travel agent, newspaper, ask for our banner to put at a local event...the sky is the limit!! Contact us for any material you would like to have in hand....share your stories....Isn't it time everyone heard about your Colorado Ranch Vacation? We can't wait to meet your friends! Let's Celebrate 2012 together, North Fork style!

What's new at North Fork Ranch?

May Friends Surround Your Table
As Thanksgiving Day approaches it comes naturally to give thanks for all things great & small! We have enjoyed a beautiful mild fall with many colors & sprinkled among the yellow, red, orange & green aspen leaves there was also white! Some days lots of it!!Between storms there was one project the guys scurried quickly to complete...a fun, familiar place, around the campfire, now more comfortable to enjoy yourselves with family, friends & NFR summer fun! These new seats are a far cry from the stumps we started with many years ago! You will also enjoy these same new seats by the skeet range. This was not a small task & they will be greatly enjoyed!! Thanks Guys!!Wishing each & everyone joys in abundance, rich memories, favorite foods & the blessing of family & friends to surround your table!

Fall Treats

Our 26th dude season has wrapped up and we are now hosting our corporate & meeting groups and fishermen. Fall has arrived with cooler temperatures and there is snow on the mountain peaks in the distance.

The horses are making their way to winter pasture but not before they get one last treat. Here is a fun recipe that we like to "treat" our horses with before they go.

Horse Treats:

1 cup oats

1 cup bran

1 cup water

1 TBSP salt

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup grated carrots

1 apple and a small bit of apple sauce

Mix the oats, bran, water, salt, brown sugar, molasses and carrots together well. Roll into small balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Let cool and ice the cookies with apple sauce. You can then decorate the cookies with the apple peels and left over carrot peels.

We hope wherever you are that you to are enjoying many fall sunsets.

Havin' Fun at the Ranch

Even though the our dude season is drawing near and many of our summer staff have returned back to school, we are still having fun at the ranch. Riding throughout the Rocky Mountains, exciting whitewater rafting, breathtaking hikes (literally-haha), talent shows while square dancing and the most intense and laughter-filled games of Catchphrase on family game night still are taking place. The weather has been amazing as fall is approaching and the deer are even starting to sneak out of the woods again as the temperatures cool down.

And as many of you know, our staff are one of the key elements here at the ranch that do a great job of keeping our guests entertained, even down to the smallest detail. For example, our chalkboard in the dining room reveals the menu for the day and one of our wonderful staff members put a cute and creative twist to invite everyone to our Friday burger/brat cookout. Check it out and enjoy. Wishing you all were here!

A Days Work at North Fork Ranch

Can you believe August is here and summer is winding down? Wow! We've had such a wonderful summer already and have been enjoying our 26th season here at the ranch. So many terrific guests have joined us from all over the world and still so many to come.

As most of us all over the country have been experiencing "heat waves," a few of our housekeeping/waitstaff girls decided to cool down one day and wash our cleaning van named, "Queenie." This ol' girl has helped up for us for so many years ensuring everyone's accommodations are spic & span. So a little wash now and then makes her look brand new. :) We are always having a great time at North Fork Ranch! :)

The Queen

The "queen of the ranch" finally has her crown!! Well, she believes she is the queen, but we all know Karen is the first lady around the ranch. :)

This young lady definitely thinks she "rules the roost" around here and has the personality to back it up. She is quite ornery at times and a little stubborn, but she is much happier now that she has her tiara to show everyone how beautiful she is and that she is in charge. How can you not love our miniature mule, Lily? :) She can't wait to show you all her beautiful jewels when you come and see her this summer.

New Look

Our pool has received a makeover at the beginning of this summer. We now have a fence around the pool, more landscaping and a few more final touches are in the works. The fence along the river isn't quite complete yet but will be soon. It will have railing like the new bridge so that everyone can still view and enjoy the sight and sound of the river. New gates were also installed that were custom made with our Bar Double Heart Bar brand within the railing. Check out the cool pictures.

Horses are now getting pastured outside the pool and will greet you as you head that way. Be sure to give them some tender, loving care on your way to take a dip. :) We hope you'll be able to enjoy the new & improved pool at North Fork Ranch this summer.

Here We Go!!!

We are finishing up our second week of dude season here at the ranch and what a start we've had!! We've met so many new wonderful guests already and have enjoyed some fantastic returns as well. Great people and lasting memories for all. It's crazy that it's the middle of June already and we look forward to meeting everyone that will be here this summer. Please enjoy this photo of our 2011 Staff with some familiar faces as well as many new ones. Everyone is doing a great job!

Summer Vacation!!

There's a certain feel in the air right now at the ranch........excitement and anticipation. New staff have arrived, as well as some of our fantastic returns, the grass has been cut, the horses have arrived and are anxious to get out on the trail, the river is full of feisty fish and the mountain air is as clean and crisp as ever. We have been quite busy this spring with meeting groups and fisherman and are excited to get our summer vacation guests here on the ranch as well.

Our 26th Dude Season officially begins this Saturday!! We hope you'll be able to join us and experience our special place.

We had our first big group this last weekend to officially kick off spring. We have been feeding fisherman for quite a while now, but the Colorado Women's Fly Fishing Club was our first "big" group of the season. They join us every spring and fall to enjoy some instructional fly fishing classes as well as gain more experience on the river. They are always a delight to have around.

We are finishing up our last building and round of deep cleaning to prepare for more incoming groups this next week. The lodge and the cabins are all ready to go and we are now finishing up Stonehenge.

As North Fork's 26th dude season is only a few weeks away, I thought it would be appropriate to show a few more famous faces here on the ranch.

Many of you may have ridden or your children have rode this beautiful girl, Ginger. She is a terrific kids horse who loves some tender, loving care from the young ones. She's a beautiful horse that has three different colors throughout her tail.

And this amazing girl might be the most famous of all. Jezebel is Dean's mule. He's had her since she was a baby and he is quite fond of her. She's getting a little gray under the chin these days but still loves to go out on the trail. She does not like to not be included in the dude program and isn't afraid to let you know where she's suppose to be and when. She knows the trails better than anyone. Many of you may have also heard her in the evenings as she hollers from the lower pen letting the wranglers know it's time to get fed. :) She's a gentle soul with a heart of gold.

We look forward to having you with us this summer to experience a true vacation full of beautiful scenery, great activities and more importantly, memories forever.

Wilderness Pack Trip!

We are offering something new and exciting this year at the ranch. A real wilderness pack trip! It's more than just an overnight trip like in the past. You will find yourself enjoying nature first hand for many nights in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Views you have never seen before or imagined! Here are the details:

"Looking for the adventure of a lifetime? Something unlike what you have ever done before? A Colorado Wilderness Pack Trip is waiting for you! A five day, four night, back country, horseback, wilderness camping trip at 10,000 ft. Fill your leisure days with fishing in alpine streams, hiking nearby peaks and horseback riding. Explore Craig Park in the Lost Creek Wilderness Area as only a few have been able to do. Enjoy the open space, fresh air, ultimate peace & serenity of getting away from it all! A guide and camp host will care for your every need and safety. This exciting adventure is for one family or possibly two couples and only offered three different weeks: July 2nd, July 9th and July 16th, 2011. Contact us for more exciting details."

The Three Amigo's!!

These three horses are some of the most loved & well known horses on the ranch. They are also some of the hardest working and have been for a long time. They are slowing down in their old age, but still love to come to the ranch and take our younger guests out on the trail. They each have their own special personalities but are as gentle as can be. They love to greet us every morning at the gate down at long meadow in the winter time and are excited to escort us down in the truck to their grain bins. It's brings a smile to your face every morning to see the three of them greeting us. :)

Bailey. This cute girl has been working hard at the ranch for many, many years. She loves her treats and loves to get personal affection from her riders. The cutest thing about Bailey....is her ears. Instead of holding her ears up and perky like most horses, she always has them out to the side. Does it get any cuter?

Idaho. This handsome man is an Appaloosa and has wonderful coloring. He is extremely sweet and loves to take care of our younger riders every summer. Idaho is "the man in charge" in winter pasture and the other two horses he lives with highly respect him. :) He has a very soft winter coat right now and loves to get a nice pat on the back for a job well done.

Jake may be one of our smaller horses, but has the biggest heart. This furry guy is very sweet and gentle and loves to work hard. He is very patient and always takes extra special care of his riders. He might be hard to recognize in the winter time because he gets quite a shaggy, furry coat, but we think he's cuter than ever! :)

Lions, Tigers and Bears. Oh my!

Well, maybe not the tigers, but we do have lions here in Colorado....mountain lions that is. And of course bears. These powerful animals do not like to be seen just as much as we do not like to have encounters with them. They prefer not to be in the spotlight which I think is a mutual feeling with humans. :) The bears are most likely beginning to (if not already have) left hibernation and will begin looking for food to satisfy their empty bellies. Attached is a picture from a bear we had visit the Homestead Cabin last spring (please also see the blog post from May 15, 2010). Also, here are some neat mountain lion tracks recently seen in the mud. The picture isn't great as it was taken with a cell phone and the print looks small but trust me, it's big enough to make you nervous!! :) The print is a little smaller than a woman's hand. Not a big lion, but not a small one either. :) Sorry about the quality of the photos.

Did You Know?

Spring is drawing near and summer will be here before we know it. It's time to start thinking about summer vacation! :) Please join us for more than just a vacation....You'll walk away with an experience and memories to last a lifetime!

Here are some fun facts to encourage you to visit North Fork Ranch and the state of Colorado:

NORTH FORK RANCH

• Dean & Karen have welcomed over 15,000 guests and staff to the ranch
• 2,536 trail rides have gone out over 25 years
• 634--20 lb. turkeys have been served over 25 years
• 12,515 steaks have been grilled & served over 25 years
• 73,745 beds have been made over 25 years
• 33,285 toilets have been cleaned over 25 years
• 1,230,250 pieces of silverware have been washed over 25 years
• 2,643 vans have been washed over 25 years
• We are celebrating our 26th season this summer in 2011
• We sit at an elevation of 8,100 ft.
• We are the closest ranch to the Denver Airport
• We are an Orvis Endorsed Fishing Lodge
• You can take in all Colorado has to offer, all in one location at North Fork Ranch

STATE OF COLORADO

• Admitted as the 38th state on August 1, 1876
• Capital: Denver
• Nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence
• Colorado has 58 mountains that soar over 14,000 ft.
• Mount Elbert is the highest point at 14,433 ft.
• Colorado is the 8th largest state with a population of 3,294,394
• From the Spanish language, Colorado is the word for "colored red"

Blowing Snow & Sun

For over a week now, we have been experiencing wind all day and all night long. Well, this created a problem on top of the 12 inches of snow we had last week. When the wind blows down the valley here, it creates huge snow drifts in certain areas that we constantly shovel & plow. As you can see here, Dean is using the snow blower on the tractor so that our neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Gilman, can actually get in and out of their driveway! It's quite impressive! :)

Despite the wind, we did get to enjoy a few warmer days with wonderful sunshine. And of course, the cat with the most personality you will ever see took full advantage of the warmth. Here's Chloe basking in the sun and soaking up the rays!! :) She is ornery but how can you not love her? :)

Winter Has Finally Arrived!

As the snow finally fell here at the ranch this week, it provided a great opportunity to sit back and truly appreciate the beautiful setting in which we live. We are so fortunate to not only live in Colorado but also in the spectacular Rocky Mountains and on our beautiful ranch. Does it really get any better than that? The land is so un-touched and pristine with fresh snow, the trees are truly magnificent when freshly layered and the stillness and quiet that surrounds us is impossible to describe. It's absolutely beautiful in all aspects of mother nature.

The snow did provide a much needed relief to the -22, -25, and -30 degree mornings we had been experiencing. YES....those temperatures are not a misprint. Very true & very cold!! It seems like a heat wave when our temperatures are now at 20-35 degrees! :) The cold is much more welcome when it is accompanied by snowfall. This last storm provided 6-8 inches of much needed moisture as we have been very dry all winter long. Hopefully we will get a few more along with our typical spring storms to help rejuvenate our lawns, pastures, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Please enjoy a few pictures from our most recent snow. We are lucky enough to call it home.

We Have Joined the Social Media World!!

It's true. North Fork Ranch has joined facebook & twitter!!! Yes, we know....It's about time right? :)

We finally decided to take the big plunge into this new world and have been actively learning all the bells & whistles involved in this new age of social media. Don't worry, we will still continue to blog, but will also now keep you up to date with facebook & twitter.

Please just click on the following links to become a "fan" on facebook or a "follower" on twitter.

www.facebook.com/NorthForkRanch

www.twitter.com/NorthForkRnch

You will also find links to facebook & twitter on the upper left hand side of our blog.

We look forward to getting to know you all better, spreading the word about our special place here at North Fork, sharing more news, updates, special offers and more with everyone.

See you there!!

Test

As some of you may have seen or experienced, the latest post did not send out alerts to your email accounts that a new post had been made. We are trying to correct this problem, therefore this is a test email to see if it is working again. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you!

One Extreme to the Other

Wait a minute. How did we get from here to there? Winter to summer back to winter.

Allow us to explain. We just got back from the DRA (Dude Rancher's Association Convention) in Tucson, AZ. This association not only includes dude ranches from the state of Colorado, but also many from the western states including Canada. The DRA convention took place in Tucson, AZ at Tanque Verde Ranch. What a great opportunity to see another mountainous terrain, yet in the desert.

Similar to our CDGRA (Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Assoc.) conventions, we all gathered for a few days to discuss topics relevant to our industry, economic and recreation issues and so much more! It was a great chance to get to know other ranchers outside of our home state but also a great time to get to know our fellow Colorado dude ranchers a bit better. The weather was absolutely amazing! Lots of sun, 70 degrees everyday and no wind! It was the strangest thing to go from winter here in Colorado to summer temperatures in a matter of a two hour plane flight. Winter coats & gloves to sunscreen & short sleeve shirts. It's hard to describe. I think our bodies were in shock. :) We hope you all can experience one day going from one extreme to the other. More to come soon on "pigeon rolling." :) It does exist!