It’s always hard to pack for vacation when you’ve never been there, you don’t know what to expect. Visiting The Home Ranch is no different. For many visitors, this is your first time on a cross country ski vacation.

So, I asked the experts (the guides) what they wear when they ski. Here is what Mark wears when he cross country skis

Socks: Point 6

Base Layer Bottoms: Patagonia Midweight (Recycled Threads)

Outer Layer Bottom: Patagonia Guide Pants

Base Layer Top: Smartwool Lightweight

Outer Layer Top: Smartwool HowelsenSweater

Soft Shell Jacket: Outdoor Research Credo (for most days)

Puffy Jacket: Patagonia Puffy Sweater (for the really cold days)

Gloves: Black Diamond Guide Gloves

Hat: Ibex

Sunglasses: Smith Polorized

We hope this helps as you begin packing for you next cross country skiing trip at The Home Ranch!

Over the years, a few of our Home Ranch guests and staff have been privy to the fact that Home Ranch co-founder Ann Stranahan is a very fine poet; but Ann’s poetry has always been something of a rare treat, shared on special occasions, and heard or read by a fortunate few.

No longer…

We are very delighted to announce that Antrim House Books of Connecticut has recently published “Window on the River,” a new book of poetry by our very own Ann Stranahan.

Previewers of the book have been captivated by the discovery of Ann’s new work. Carol J. Pierman has noted that “to read these poems is to find sense in the incomprehensible, delight in the unexpected.” Molly Newman writes that Stranahan “is a natural storyteller, and a keen, often witty witness to the human condition.”  Barbara Cawthorne Crafton has said “Ann Stranahan writes poems that manage to be at once both spare and full of indelible images.”

Those of us here at the ranch who love good writing are truly proud to crow about her book and would like to recommend it to avid readers in our Home Ranch community.  We think it would make a fine Christmas gift for the poetry lover in your life.

To read a short selection of poems from “Window on the River” or to purchase Ann’s book online, please click on this link to the Antrim House Books website.

Good reading, Merry Christmas, and the Happiest of Holidays!

The Home Ranch

The Home Ranch is teaming up with local yoga instructor Jill Barker and cross country skiing coach Chrissy Lynch again in 2012 for a weekend of fun, yoga and cross country skiing.  The ranch will be hosting Barker and Lynch January  6 – 8, 2012.  The rate for the weekend will be $300 plus 3.9% tax and 15% service charge. This rate includes lodging, meals, yoga, cross country skiing, instruction, equipment, and shuttles to and from the Hayden airport. We hope that you will be able to join us for this exciting weekend. Please call Ashleigh or Selina for more information, 970-879-1780.

Here is a tentative schedule for the weekend and some additional information about Jill and Chrissy.

Friday, January 6
Arrive and settle in/ free time
6:30 Cocktails
7 Dinner

Saturday, January 7
7-8 Morning yoga
8-9 Breakfast
10-12 Ski
12 -lunch
2:30-3:30 ski
4-5 yoga
7 dinner

Sunday, January 8
7-8 Morning yoga
8 breakfast
9-11 ski
11 check out

Jill Barker

Jill Barker grew up on a small 5 acre ranch in Poway California where she cultivated her love of horses and competed for 6 years in Western Pleasure.  She shelved her cowboy boots to study history at the University of California at Berkeley.  After graduating from college, Jill packed a backpack, bought an around the world airline ticket, and traveled for 18 months, mostly solo, throughout Europe, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.  When she returned from her world expedition she spent a summer in solitude, living in an old miner’s cabin on Mt. Baldy in Breckenridge Colorado. Venturing on her bicycle from Breckenridge to Wyoming she passed through Steamboat Springs and met her husband Jim Barker.  Jill’s two children, Jake and Lena, continue to be her greatest teachers.

Jill discovered yoga in 1992 and has been teaching since May of 2002 after completing her 200 hour certification at Shoshoni.  She has continued her study of yoga with teachers such as John Friend, Erich Schiffman and Patricia Walden, but her primary influence was her first teacher in Steamboat Springs, Marie Aguire.  Jill’s classes blend alignment principles with vinyasa flow and she encourages students to listen to their bodies and move mindfully through their practice. Jill has a great love of yoga and it is from that place she shares the practice.

Chrissy Lynch

Chrissy Lynch was born into an avid outdoor native Colorado family.  From a young age, Chrissy and her family were skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, and exploring in the Colorado mountains and wilderness.  Chrissy’s Dad, Chuck Lewis, developed Copper Mountain Ski Area which is where Chrissy got her start in Nordic skiing.  By the time Chrissy finished high school, the Summit County Cross Country Team had accumulated 2 state championships and Chrissy was the overall Junior National Cross Country Champion.  Named to the United States Women’s Cross Country Ski Team her senior year in high school led Chrissy to Middlebury College in Vermont where Chrissy was named Collegiate All American in her freshman year.  Chrissy went on to compete in the World Junior Championships and spent five years competing on the World Cup Cross Country circuit.  In 1984, Chrissy was inducted into the Colorado Sports Women Hall of Fame.
After ski racing, Chrissy completed her education at Denver University earning her accounting degree and an MBA.   With her husband, Kerry, and two young children, Chrissy moved to Steamboat Springs in May of 1998.  This move allowed Chrissy and her family to be closer to the family ranch on the east side of Rabbit Ears Pass where everyone was involved in the ranching operations.  Chrissy coached the Steamboat Springs High School Cross Country Ski Team for 3 years and has instructed numerous Master level ski clinics.  Chrissy loves to share her enthusiasm of skiing and a healthy outdoor lifestyle.

The Home Ranch is proud to announce the addition of our new team for the winter season!  These Percheron mares are 12 years old and have been driving for the majority of their lives.  They arrived at the ranch about two weeks ago and have been doing wonderfully!

With the addition of the new team, we are in need of two new names.  The ranch staff members have come up with a few favorites but are having a difficult time deciding which names to pick.  Traditionally, the name of the horse on the left always comes first in the alphabet and the horse on the right has a name that comes after.  So if you have a team named Rocky and Smokey you would know that Rocky should be placed on the left and Smokey should be hitched up on the right.  Some of you may be asking yourselves why this would matter.  Historically, this was done in the event someone not familiar with the team needed to use them.  For example, say your neighbor was sick and his livestock needed to be fed by using the team.  If you know the names of the horses you know which horse is comfortable pulling on the left and which horse knows how to pull on the right.

We have used the team a time or two and have figured out what horse is comfortable pulling on each side.  The black mare pulls on the left and the gray mare pulls on the right.  Since The Home Ranch is going to keep these mares, we are okay with breaking tradition this time.  The names we have come up with are listed below.  What do you think the new team’s name should be?  Help us decide and let us know what your vote is on our Facebook page!

Cloudy & Stormy
Thelma & Louise
Salt & Pepper

We cannot wait to have names for the new team!

We asked one of our guests, Mary Hopkins, to help us with this month’s horse of the month. She has been visiting the ranch for a number of years and always asks to ride Teddy Bear.  The following is what she had to say about ‘Teddy.’

Teddy Bear has been at The Home Ranch for about 7 years. He is a big, beautiful black bay with a kind heart and a gentle spirit.

His gaits are wonderful from his energetic walk, to his smooth jog trot, his big trot and his enormous, energetic lope. Teddy is a joy to ride.

Hi is a curious horse and notices everything around him. He loves to be groomed and is very friendly.

Teddy’s best friend is Izzy, a beautiful Palomino mare. Where you see one, you usually see the other.

Pinot Noir, Porcini & Brookies

August brings all the great activities of The Home Ranch back country.  The Zirkels are filling with mushrooms, the streams are filled with hungry Brookies, and I have a bottle of Marsannay Burgundy Pinot Noir.  They make for a fabulous meal!  The Porcinis harvested from the forest are cleaned, and then the Brookies are cleaned.  I sauté the mushrooms with grape seed oil and finish them with parsley, shallots, garlic and butter.  The Brookies are then drenched in flour and pan seared with grape seed oil, placed on a platter, and topped with a masterpiece of mushrooms.  Serve with a chilled Pinot Noir.

Voila, a treat from the forest.

Philippe Shapiro

One of the first horses to greet you as you approach our herd is Rigger.  Rigger is a four year old bay and a good representative of the Canadian Sport Horse.  For his age, Rigger is a very willing and reliable guest horse with a playful and curious personality.  True to his breed, he is very athletic and loves going out for trail rides.  Canadian Sport Horses are known for their ability to excel in Olympian disciplines including jumping, dressage, and three day eventing.  Rigger’s breed was first used in World War I and derives from a combination of the common Canadian farm horse and the Thoroughbred.   These magnificent horses are typically more muscular than Thoroughbreds, have thicker legs, and average about 16 hands tall at the withers (one “hand” is about four inches).  Like the sound of Rigger?  Check out the details of our Weanling Week and Canadian Sport Horse Sale where The Home Ranch purchased Rigger.  Weanling week takes place this fall September 11-18, and culminates with the sale, on September 17th.

We would like to welcome Tiffany Gillen, one of our new wranglers for the summer and fall seasons.  Tiffany is riding Rigger in this photo and is very excited to meet everyone!

In today’s world we move so fast and are so entwined with our BlackBerries and iPhones, that folks are caught off guard when they join us for our Wednesday Night barn dance.  It is truly a time of celebration.

Guests of all ages and the energetic staff gather upstairs in our old wooden barn.  There is a live band and an enchanting energy.

Dance has always played an important role in our country, especially in rural areas.  It truly is in the spirit of community, and you can feel it at our ranch on Wednesday nights.

Square dancing originated in New England.  It was a combination of many dances brought over from Europe.  A favorite at the ranch is the Virginia Reel.  Reels came to us from Scotland.  For more information on the history of square dancing go to www.dosado.com/articles/hist-sd.html

Come join us this summer for a unique experience.  As one of our guests who is a psychologist said “If there were more barn dances, I’d be out of a job.”

This article was originally published October 27, 1997 by our General Manager Johnny Fisher.  We would love to have your opinion on the subject.  Please look for another article on urination in the coming months.

Let’s not beat around the bush.  Why do you stand up in the saddle when your horse is urinating?  Although this question may sound humorous, what is probably more humorous is that I have developed an obsession with this question.
I operate a guest ranch in Colorado, so already my sanity comes into question.
It all started about 10 years ago. We had a new wrangler from Virginia.  This woman had an incredible resume with numerous credentials in the horse industry.  She was giving instruction to a group when one of the horses started urinating.  “Stand up! Stand up!” she cried.  The befuddled guest remained motionless.  “Stand up in the stirrups when your horse is urinating!” she demanded.

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As the days get longer and warmer, I find myself torn between wishing for more snow and praying for warm sunny days to melt the snow. I know it sounds like the answer should be easy after five months of winter, but it’s not.

There is nothing like a fresh groomed trail, or untouched hillside, when you stop and take in the vista in front of you and the beautiful tracks that you made behind you. Whether you are skate skiing around Lodwick Loop, making tele turns in the backcountry or cross country skiing around the ranch, new snow means great skiing and trail conditions – no one can argue with that. (more…)