March 27th, 2012 by Gail
Just what happens to the horses of our Colorado Dude Ranch during the winter? They relax, they enjoy the scenery, and they eat. They’re well cared for. It’s a good life.
Damon and his wife and daughter recently took some photos while out feeding the herd. Enjoy, and dream about the upcoming summer at 4UR.
February 9th, 2012 by Gail
We had a wild encounter a few weeks back at 4UR Colorado Guest Ranch. Thanks to Kyle, everything turned out alright.
Kyle, our hero.
The ranch is pretty quiet these days. The Christensens are living in town for the school year, and those of us living at the ranch ranch have been traveling a fair amount. Given the relative lack of activity and people, it’s no surprise we had a visit from a mountain lion.
A few weeks ago, the Gibbons were on vacation in Wyoming and Kyle was watching their dog, Red. Kyle had been up to Humphrey’s, and on his way back, he noticed a scuffle in front of Damon and Kiera’s house. Investigating, he saw that a young female mountain lion had jumped Red, the Gibbon’s dog. Red was putting up a good fight, but he wasn’t winning. Fortunately, Kyle arrived in time to rescue him. Red will have his revenge when he stretches out on our new cat rug.
Such encounters are part of life in the Colorado Rockies. Yet in truth, they happen quite rarely. Once the staff arrives in the spring to ready the ranch for the season, solitary creatures like mountain lions retreat to more isolated areas. Still, this is an excellent reminder of how important it is to respect the wilderness that surrounds our Colorado Dude Ranch.
The fate of the mountain lion that attacked Red.
We still have some openings for the summer of 2012. If you’ve been dreaming of a Colorado Dude Ranch Vacation, give us a call.
December 20th, 2011 by Gail
As Christmas and Hanukkah approach, your children may be tugging on your sleeve and whispering in your ear about all the goodies they’d like to have. They share stories of magnificent toys owned by their friends. They accompany you in stores, point to something they’ve never seen before, and declare, “I want that!” as if they’ve dreamed of it every night for years. Consumerism is contagious; their behavior is understandable.
Give them a gift they'll always remember and appreciate.
As parents, we want our children to be happy. We want to watch them open presents and smile and laugh. Their unbounded enthusiasm adds a wonderful spark to the holiday season.
At the same time, many of us don’t want to simply give our children every little thing they want. We understand that many of those toys won’t have staying power–they’ll be played with once or twice, and then end up disappearing under the bed or in the back of the closet.
We want to give them something they’ll really appreciate. Something that will impact their lives. We want them to have a gift they’ll remember for years to come.
Consider giving them a week at our Colorado Family Dude Ranch.
We’re offering a Two For One Kids Special again this year. One child stays for free with one paid child (for children 9 and under). That’s the kind of bargain some folks fight for at the Walmart. You won’t have to shield yourself from Bear Spray or Mace–you just need to give us a call.
A week at our Colorado Family Guest Ranch will involve horseback riding and hiking in the Rockies, swimming, and fly fishing on Goose Creek. It will be one adventure after another, with plenty of good food and many new friends. Your children will never forget it. Now that’s a present worth giving.
Your children will have to wait until summer, of course. But patience is a virtue and worth cultivating, right? Our Two For One Kids Special Weeks are June 9-16 and August 11-18, 2012. August is nearly full, but there is still plenty of room in June.
Please contact our Colorado Dude Ranch for more information about the Two For One Kids Special.
November 23rd, 2011 by Gail
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and as we prepare to gather with friends and family, we find ourselves reflecting on all we have to be thankful for in our lives and here at 4UR Colorado Vacation Ranch.
We’re thankful for our families and friends, for good health and good humor. We’re thankful for the opportunity to live and work together in a beautiful setting.
We’re thankful for our fabulous staff and terrific seasonal employees – also friends. We’d be lost without you.
We’re thankful for our wonderful guests. We’d be lost without you, too.
We’re thankful for the beautiful location of 4UR Family Dude Ranch. Waking up to see the Colorado Rockies each day makes waking up worthwhile.
Thanks to all of you who make living and working at 4UR special. Happy Thanksgiving.
September 13th, 2011 by Gail
It’s easy to understand why children love 4UR. Children have fun while they’re at our Colorado Family Dude Ranch. They also learn things in the best possible way – through experience.
Bring your children to 4UR, and watch them thrive.
Children ride horses at 4UR, in the ring and on the trail. They go fishing. They climb and hike and swim. They build muscles and they build confidence and they breathe in the fresh air of the Southern Colorado Rockies. We swear we’ve seen kids grow while they’re here, so fertile is the soil (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Kylee, Aaron and Robin Christensen’s daughter, ended her rodeo season this year as the Reserve All-Around World Champion Little Wrangler at the National Finals Little Britches Rodeo. At the start of the competition she was in 9th place, and she finished in 2nd place. She won 12 buckles while she was there, and she had a blast doing it. We’re all so proud of her.
Kylee has grown up at our Colorado Family Dude Ranch, reaping the rewards of her environment. Children who visit 4UR get a taste of what Kylee and her siblings experience every day. They have thrilling experiences, they gain confidence, they make friends and they have fun. As parents, what more can we want?
May 11th, 2011 by Gail
May is always an exciting time for those of us who live and work at 4UR year round. New and returning staff arrive throughout the month, to help open our Creede Colorado Dude Ranch for the season. The first guests are scheduled to arrive on June 5, 2011. We can’t wait!
Our Fishing Guides are getting ready to help you have the experience of a lifetime.
This year, we have quite a few returning seasonal staff. If you vacationed at our family dude ranch last year, we’re sure you’ll be happy to see the following folks:
Kali Alger comes from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she is the oldest of five. She is an Early Childhood Education Major and is pleased that she’ll be working as a Kids’ Counselor last year (although she did enjoy being Waitstaff last year).
Lindsay Gilbert grew up in Rhode Island and recently completed an internship at Roger Williams Park Zoo. She had a great time working as a Housekeeper here last year, and looks forward to spending this summer on horseback as a Wrangler.
Spencer Johnson graduates from college this year, which means he’ll have more time to train horses. He was a Wrangler at 4UR last year, and returns as Wrangler in 2011.
Jesse Robbins spent his childhood angling in rural Maine. He has fished his way around the globe, and looks forward to another season as Fishing Guide at our Colorado Fly Fishing Ranch.
Les Vance was raised in North Carolina, but he’s fallen in love with the mountains of the west. He was a Fishing Guide in 2007 & 2009, and he returns as a Fishing Guide in 2011.
Hannah Whitney came to us last year from Charleston, SC. She brings energy and enthusiasm to her work as a Housekeeper, and is thrilled to be back at 4UR as a Nanny to Cole, Kylee, Luke and Laci Christensen.
Garrett Cobarr learned the art of pastry making at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley, and has honed his skills in restaurants as diverse as five star resorts and small town steak houses. He is very pleased to be back at 4UR for another year as Pastry Chef.
We wouldn’t be able to function without our full-timers: office manager Kathy Adelman, ranch managers Aaron and Robin Christensen, Head Wrangler Damon Gibbons, our Properties Foreman Kyle Michaels, and of course, Executive Chef Wray Warner. We also depend heavily on our semi-full-timers: Kathy’s husband Jimmy Adelman leads Lost Lakes trips each summer; Kate Michaels was a housekeeper for several seasons and now Supervises Housekeeping; and Frances Kolisch creates fabulous flower arrangements for us each summer.
Next week we’ll introduce the new staff of our Creede Colorado Family Dude Ranch.
May 3rd, 2011 by Gail
Food is an important part of every vacation. Both adults and children thrive when fed healthy, wholesome food. Both flounder when food choices are grim. With this in mind, we put a lot of care into the food we serve at our Creede Colorado Dude Ranch.
Always save room for dessert at 4UR.
Our Executive Chef Wray Warner trained at Cordon Bleu, one of the premier culinary schools in the world. He honed his skills in some of the finest resorts in the country, such as the Lake Placid Lodge in New York and the Four Seasons in Jackson, Wyoming. Then we found him.
Here at 4UR Family Dude Ranch, Wray’s creativity and talent soar. He is as comfortable preparing rack of lamb and seared Ahi tuna in the dining room as he is serving up steak in a gorgeous mountain meadow. You’ll find Wray preparing our weekly chuckwagon breakfast on the hillside overlooking the main lodge, and cooking trout fillets by the the stream. You’ll see him by the pool, fajitas in hand. You’ll be as amazed by his refreshing homemade ice creams and sorbets as you are by his delicate roasted beet salad and hearty butternut squash soup. After years of watching him at work, we’re convinced there is nothing Wray can’t do with food; most of what he does makes us swoon with delight.
We value children at 4UR. We love the energy they bring to all events, including meals. We also understand that for many children, there is enough adventure in horseback riding for the first time, or catching their first fish in Goose Creek. Our Colorado Family Dude Ranch therefore has a respectable children’s menu. Let them indulge in Chicken Fingers after making new friends at the pool, and let them feast on pizza after their first time riding horses in the ring. It’s vacation for them, too, after all.
April 30th, 2011 by 4ur admin
From time to time, we host weddings at our Colorado Family Dude Ranch. We host them in early summer and late fall, before and after our regular season. Guests arrive from all corners of the country, stay for a few days, witness a marriage, and then leave. It is a delightful experience for all.
We can accommodate 50-60 guests for these events, so weddings at our Colorado Family Dude Ranch typically involve family and good friends. Guests partake in all the ranch activities – they go horseback riding, hike, fish Goose Creek, swim, and soak in the natural hot springs. They share meals and toast the couple repeatedly. When the weather has allowed, we have had some truly beautiful outdoor weddings here; on mountain meadows and down by the river.
We supply the wedding cake and the champagne, and happily make recommendations for with professionals for flowers, music, photography, etc.
If you’d like to host your wedding at our Colorado Vacation Ranch, please call 719-658-2202.
July 13th, 2010 by 4ur admin
Doesn’t it sound romantic? You call your sweetie and say, “Drop everything. I’m whisking you away for a romantic and exciting Colorado Dude Ranch vacation. We leave in 3 days.” Won’t he/she adore you even more for that?
Fishing tips from Kid's Counselor Emily.
Or imagine this: at dinner tonight you surprise your spouse and children by announcing you’re all going on a family dude ranch adventure the last week of July. They cheer, they applaud, they jump up from the table and dance a jig. Family bliss. You have just enough time to prepare.
Our luxury fly fishing resort has some last minute openings the weeks of July 17 – 24 and 24 – 31. This is a wonderful opportunity for friends, couples or families to immerse themselves in nature: partake in hikes and horseback rides in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado; treat yourselves to an angling adventure like none other, on seven private miles of Goose Creek; splash and play in our pool.
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