Our announcement went fairly well last week, letting everyone know we are selling the ranch. Reactions have been mixed. Although everyone is sad to see this bit of our lives pass on, everyone seems to approach their grief in a different way.

 

Most of our staff and guests have been very supportive. Many staff members have come into my office to let me know they are with us, and will see things through to the last day. Although they are sad to leave the ranch, they understand the decision and are happy for us as we start a new adventure. Even some whose personal reaction was very emotional tell us they understand and wish us the very best.

 

Several of our guests have shared what the ranch has meant to them and their families over the years, or told us of those milestones they were looking forward to: the toddler who would be able to ride a big horse, the child or teen who wanted to be a wrangler. And yet, in the same breath, these same guests have been able to give us their encouragement in our new life. They know that all things must eventually change, and are grateful for the ways in which the ranch has touched their lives.

 

I very much appreciate the notes and words of encouragement. The grace with which staff and guests have taken the news, and the appreciation for what we have given them.

 

There have been a small handful of people who have taken the news too personally to find it in themselves to be encouraging. They are not yet able to let go of the future and simply be grateful for what they have had in the past, as the change is too painful for them. This pain has led a couple of people to be angry with us, as grieving usually includes an element of anger. Others have expressed their ideas of how things should have been handled differently. I’d like to address one or two of these.

 

First, we had not really decided to sell the ranch until we were approached with an offer. We’ve talked about how we might exit, but no options were very appealing. Let’s follow some of our options through their courses.

 

Some speculate that it might have been better to put the ranch on the market and see if we could find a buyer who would run it under the same program. Here is the scenario: We announce to the staff and guests we plan to put the ranch on the market. The staff do not feel secure in their jobs, and begin to look at their options. Perhaps they would rather stay with us, but the security of a good permanent position elsewhere is awfully appealing. Turnover starts, and the experience goes downhill for everyone.

 

Sales decline. A few years ago, the land down on highway 20 where our sign used to sit was for sale. The owners put a big “for sale” sign up that literally wrapped around our directional sign to the ranch. Rumors flew around that we were for sale. Two retreat groups and one large family reunion group for the summer told us they would not book because they heard we were for sale. The retreats did end up coming when we explained that it was only rumor, but the reunion had already placed a large deposit elsewhere. Nobody wants to place their faith in plans with a company which may not be there a few months down the road. If we were truly for sale, our sales would spiral downward.

 

A long time on the market. Any way you look at it, this type of business does not make the return on investment that someone looking for just a business opportunity would consider. Those ranches that are successful are those where the land has been in the family for a long time and there is no huge mortgage to meet, those who are owned by someone who made their fortune elsewhere, love the idea of dude ranching, and are willing to support it, or those properties who are large enough to get better economies of scale. This makes the market for an operating dude ranch really, really small. Most are on the market for quite a while before selling, years even.

 

The combination of a downward spiral in staff and revenues with a potential time on the market of three years would have been devastating. Not to mention, usually new ownership and management brings changes that those who love our creation may or may not like.

 

Others feel that we should have had one of John’s sisters run the ranch. I don’t think they understand the commitment. During the summer, John and I cannot leave town, and are here typically 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. We turn our lives over to this place for the experiences of others. Their father, Rocky, has talked about selling the ranch for the past several years. In these conversations, none of John’s sisters has ever mentioned a desire to buy John and me out and take over.

 

And lastly, others simply cannot understand why we would walk away from something so beautiful. I’ve talked about this at length in my previous post, so I will not go into detail here. Suffice it to say that the commitment we’ve made for the past 20-sonething years is enormous. Now, we would like to focus our lives on our own experiences for a time.

 

Again, I thank everyone for your understanding and encouragement. It makes me satisfied and even joyful to end with so much support and such a wonderful summer.

 

In Joy~

 

Eva

Over the past decades, we have spent our summers sharing the “ranch life” with people from around the world. Families spent a week or two of their summer vacation with us, horseback riding, relaxing, and sharing meals together. This summer we are doing the same, but with a huge difference. This summer will be our last, as we have entered into an agreement to sell the ranch.

 

We will be finishing out the summer, as well as two weddings at the end of the season. (We could not see putting their nuptials in the lurch, and felt we really needed to see them through.) 

 

Certainly, this change brings many mixed emotions. Grief for the end of an era. Sadness at the thought of losing touch with our wonderful guests. Regret for our staff as we will no longer be their employer. Angst about venturing into the unknown. Uncertainty that comes with change. But also excitement at new beginnings. Hope for more time with our children and to explore our own possibilities.

 

We have known for quite some time that it would come to this. Bend is growing out toward us, and we have seen our riding terrain shrink almost every year. We no longer ride to Coyote Canyon or to Laidlaw Butte, because the land from here to there was sold by the county and irrigation district to private individuals. The land from those parcels which we purchased ourselves we had to sell to keep our operation afloat. Now we don’t even cross Tyler road on horseback. Other places have disappeared into private ownership, such as Sandy’s Meadow, much of the Second Rimrock. Although we still have access to thousands of acres for riding, we remember the time before and the change disturbs us.

 

The irrigation district is working toward “improving” their water delivery system to minimize loss. This means our wonderful Tumalo Feed Canal will eventually be piped. No more water crossings with wet boots. We already lost the Columbia Southern canal a few years ago.

 

Also, it seems that offering a remarkable program and taking care of our staff is no longer enough to make it financially. We have been scraping by for about seven years now. Several things have contributed to this. Schools start earlier to have more time to get ready for the federal standardized testing. No more full weeks in late August, children are in the classroom starting on the 15^th.

 

The travel industry started discounting heavily after 9/11. Because this changed to traveler’s perception of value, many people are no longer willing to pay full rate. People are increasingly looking for the best “deal.” Having always based our pricing directly on our costs, we can’t compete without changing our service or programs. We have always offered the programs people find in a larger facility, but without the crowds of people to pay for it. The skyrocketing cost of food, hay, and fuel have further eroded our position.

 

We have made it our priority to take care of our staff as well. Many ranchers put their staff on salary to avoid paying overtime, or use their gratuities to cover their wages. Unfortunately, our idealistic views are not in line with profitability when much of the public is not ready to pay for these practices. We can either be someone we do not wish to be, or get out of the business.

 

This has all taken its toll on us. Where we used to feel the passion for the ranch every day, now we are getting tired. It is disheartening to put so much energy into something without success in all aspects of it. Although we know from our guests that by the measure of their experience we have been successful, that does not re-roof the cabins or re-tile the pool. So, when we were approached about this, we were ready to let go. The ranch will be a wonderful fit for the company buying it. We have liked everyone we have met in their group, and love that it will still be a place to “unplug and reconnect.”

 

As for ourselves, we are not sure where we will go from here. John and I should have enough buffer to be able to take time to think through “what we want to do when we grow up.” We will not be able to retire, but at least can decompress and explore our options. He is exploring video production, travel logs, and podcasting. His degree is in finance and real estate, and he may turn toward something in that arena. I have long wanted to write but lacked the time. I’ll spend my time exploring travel and copy writing, as well as committing to words the stories in my head and see where they take me.

 

I hope that our paths will cross again. Perhaps in our own wanderings.

Holy  Cow,

We've already finished the first week of our summer. It will be week 7 before I know it! Things are going really well so far. We've got a wonderful crew, and some really outstanding people here this year. Of course, we all miss having Hud here every day. Wednesdays are not enough, especially since that's my day off and I really don't see him at all. Hmmm- I wonder if that was on purpose...

But, Alex and Paul have not missed a beat running the youth program, and both Hollie and Alice are really outstanding with the kids. They've both worked with children a lot, and it shows. This week started pretty quiet down in the YC building this morning, I imagine that will change as the week goes on and the kids all get to know each other better.

Chris, our new head wrangler, is doing well in the barn. A little nerves here and there, but he's relaxing into it. I think Heather is enjoying her last summer with much less weight on her shoulders. It's great to have the familiar faces of Talia, Lander, and Sarai back. Talia just graduated in astrophysics, and Lander just took his LSAT. They're all taking out great rides and visiting with the guests at dinnertime. The new wranglers are a lot of fun. Emily is excited to be trying out Chris' barrel racing horse, Brittany is getting lost on the back roads in her Jeep, having to back out of windy dirt roads for miles, and Karalyn will probably never try to drink out of a horse watering trough again!

Both Josh and Alison in the office are terrific. They are really competent and reliable, and also engaging. Naturally, Tricia and Heather are both still amazing and also very happy to have such great help.

The kitchen crew is mostly the same, with Steven, Shaun, Bryan, and Vera cooking things up. They are joined this year by Nancy, who is just delightful. This summer, we also brought in a friend of Alex, opera singing Harrison. He totally gets the guest thing, and is both hard working and gracious. The dining room looks great, thanks to Julia.

Our housekeeping is no less friendly or competent. Charlie, Dawn, and Darla all work really hard, yet never fail to say hello or stop to chat if they have time. The new international girls this year are Renae from Jamaica, who will not hesitate to take on any task, and yet is so gracious and poised. And, the ever giggling Aika and Dina from Kazakhstan both add laughter and work hard to keep everything clean as well as serve in the dining room.

The maintenance crew is all returning, with Jamie, Charlie, Joe, and Derek. They are all so very helpful, and jump right on fixing anything that is broken.

So, we are very fortunate! Everywhere I look I see faces of people I enjoy and respect. It also helps that this week includes some of my favorite guests, as well...

 

 

Irish Times newspaper (in Ireland- duh) included us in an artcle they called 10 Great American Holidays. We were very excited to make this list. The other trips they included were mostly general areas, such as Florida Family Fun, Fall For New England, Viva Los Vegas, and Shop in New York. The only other individual property featured was Canyon Ranch Resort in Tucson, Arizona. And, they are about 8 times our size!

I've attached a copy of the article, if you'd like to see it. Here's what they said about us: (no, we did not tell them we had log cabins...I don't even remember talking with the writer)

10 Ride the Oregon trail

If it's a dude ranch you're looking for, look no farther than Rock Springs, in Oregon. This 26-room venue punches so far above its weight that it has featured in National Geographic and won accolades from Condé Nast Traveller.

Visitors stay in their very own log cabin, and you know you've come to the right place when you hear a place advertise a lack of mobile-phone coverage and e-mail facilities as a plus.

Visitors are paired with horses for the week before setting out into the sagebrush and ponderosa pines. And when not doing your Billy Crystal City Slickers impersonation, there's yoga, massage, tennis, swimming, golf, fly-fishing and rafting to choose from, as well as more barbecues than you could shake a refried bean at.

It's a family affair, too, with a children's programme of riding (below), games, crafts and nature walks.

The ranch is open from June until the end of August, with some vacancies still available this summer. Prices start at about €1,785 for a week; the local airport is served by connections from Los Angeles.

00-1-541-3821957, http://www.rocksprings.com/

 

For summer!!

Steven and the kitchen crew put in a new fire pit for cooking down by the campfire, and Jamie is putting in new log tables and benches, like the ones out at the breakfast ride site. He's planning on cooking out one night a week, and we are very excited to try out the new space.

John just ordered a new peddle boat. The old one imploded last year. OK, not really, but it did become un-pondworthy.

Tricia and Heather C. have been replacing bedding.

Chris and Heather B. are buying some new horses. (You can see a couple of the new ones on our horse of the month on the website at http://www.rocksprings.com/Dude_Ranch/Horseback_Riding/Horse_of_the_Month/)

Kent (former Rock Springs Guest Ranch employee) came out and cut another window into the little bar in the lodge. Now it will be open toward the living room, not just toward the walkway between the living and dining rooms. It opens up that corner, and will allow the person working in the bar to see and talk with everyone better. John sanded down a juniper slab countertop for the window, which turned out very pretty.

And another big purchase of the kind I really dislike (because nobody sees them, and it does not improve the guest experience,) a new commercial washing machine. I know housekeeping is excited, but as I said in an earlier post when I was talking about the new kitchen stove, it's sort of like having the breaks done on your car. Gotta have them, but it feels like money just vanished.

Oh, and another fun one (not,) some re-working of the new pool heater.

Early arrival staff are starting to show up, things are coming together for the new season. Hope to see you soon!!

 

 

 

 

 

Ahh. Spring is here...finally. It's turning warm, although the sprinklers create an icy landscape in the early hours. Things are just beginning to green up, and the daffodils are blooming in the garden. It's been a long time coming this year.

We have a few new residents here at Rock Springs Guest Ranch. Besides Chris, I mean. Our numbers have grown in fur, feathers, and fins. First, we had a stray feral cat move in this winter. Nasty thing that kept attacking little Bo Kitty. Poor Bo would make a run for the door to try to get inside any time she could. We trapped the little wild thing, which left us in a dilemma. The local humane society always puts down feral cats as they come in. Although extremely shy and wild as heck, she was healthy and pretty, and we struggled with the thought of taking her to her death.

So, we contacted the local "sniphouse," a spay and neuter clinic/ no kill shelter. They were completely full, as they recently rescued a large number of cats some crazy had "collected" in a trailer somewhere. We couldn't have Bo living in constant fear, so I made them an offer. We traded Bo's attacker for another semi-wild kitty and her sister.

Both were very scared little kitties, and we set them up with a bed and food in John's new international recycling center. (If you weren't here last summer, that is a whole other story...) Sadly, one of the sisters disappeared the second night. Actually, they both disappeared on the second night, and one reappeared under our deck a couple of days later. She has progressed from very scared to letting us pet her some of the time. Some of you may remember that Bo was a scared little wild kitty when she showed up, too. That was before she realized she was a princess.

Between Marlie and the staff here, I think we've settled on the name Pookie Blue for the new kitty. I'll post a picture.

As for feathers, well, the babies only have down yet, the feathers are just starting to come in on the older three goslings. The usual two couples are back, along with a could of other geese, and they are leading around their mini flock.  

And lastly, the fins are the new load of fish for the pond. We had a delivery yesterday, so the Osprey and the Eagles should be showing up to fish soon... Hope they leave a few for our guests.

 

Hello everyone!

Heather here, just trying to stay warm on this 40 deg. day at the end of April. Funny that May begins in 2 days and we still aren't out riding every evening. :-)

Besides that, all is quite well. I am enjoying my time with Chris. He will be a fabulous Head Wrangler. We have been looking at a lot of new horse prospects and have even brought a few home to the ranch.

Other than that, we are spending a lot of time going over our programming, taking out rides, and more generally, giving Chris a crash course in Head Wrangler 101. Just 5 more weeks until our 2008 staff arrive and about 7 weeks until go time.

Of course my life continues to change and evolve.. I am no longer heading to massage school. I start a Reiki Master program tomorrow and then I am attending a 2-week intensive acupressure course in Sept. After completing the course, I will be certified in Equine/Canine acupressure and will continue to learn/practice energy work and healing.

I have re-opened my business, "Equine Connections,llc" and I plan to specialize in Equine assisted programs... It is quite expansive really. I will be doing anything from consulting to energy work to instruction to soul directed therapy.

Garrett and I are still heading south to AZ for at least the winter season. We also have plans to travel abroad and work in the next year or 2. There are so many options, we love it! Well, enough about me. :-)

I hope to see all of you soon and I appreciate all the kind words and wishes. I am happy to spend another fabulous season with all of you at RSGR. I know that we are gearing up for the best one yet! In joy and appreciation~ Heather Barklow

Hi everyone! So, I finally made it to Rock Springs and have settled in. I left Kentucky on April 15th and made it to the ranch on the 19th, 2,300 miles later. Well, I must say the trip was definitely worth it. I brought along my dog Harley for company and a good roommate. She'll never hog the remote and I doubt she'll complain that we go out riding too much. I am having two of my horses shipped out too to join the herd and make some friends. Everyone at Rock Springs has been awesome and I am really excited to be here and can't wait for the season to begin. Heather and I are already working on what is going to be an amazing season.

Yesterday Jamie and the folks from The Leadership Challenge were here a the ranch setting up the dismount from our new zipline, and were working through the details of operating it. Several of our staff were able to go out and take a run on it. There was much laughter, some some more nervous and some less. Heather C. from guest services, Julia, our new dining room lead, Chris, our new head wrangler, and Chef Steven all took a turn. John and I had cameras in hand and captured a large part of it, well, not really on film.

We're hoping to get it set up so we can use it during the summer, but we have some things to work out first. We built it for our conference groups, and open it for them. It takes several people to run, and we schedule a crew for the day to do it. In order to open it up for our summer families, we need to work out kids full harnesses (rather than the seat kind) and scheduling for it, even though there will be weeks when nobody is interested. Like I said, we are hopeful, but not ready to advertise it on our website.

I'll post a few pictures, too.

 

 

I've been working with Paul and Alex to put the plan together for our summer youth program. They will be heading it up, now that Hud has followed his wife to LaPine for her teaching job. Knowing that he would be leaving the ranch, Hud spent quite a lot of time with them last summer while he was working with them to let them know the "management" side of things they will need to know to make sure all of our younger guests have a really fun vacation with us this summer. He'll come out before the summer, too, to help them get everything set up. But the best news yet is that he's planning to be here every Wednesday this summer!! He's arrange things with his new employer so he can come work one day a week here to see everyone. I know we will miss him, and I know my girls will miss him. They're already figuring out how they can be here on Wednesdays, which we usually take off together as a family.

We have the other people hired for the season, as well. One is a good friend of Paul's who has been a youth counselor for several years named Alice. The other is a girl named Hollie who has nannied and been a teen program intern/coordinator at the High Desert Museum. We are very excited to have this terrific youth counseling crew here at the ranch this summer!

 

 

Hello everyone! It has been I while and I apologize for that. :-) It seems like we went straight from Feb. to April around here. I am back from vacation and we are gearing up to welcome Chris, our new head wrangler this month. He will be starting by the end of the month and is even bringing  a few horses and his dog! YAY!

Other news.. We have had 2 days in a row over 50 deg. and we are out on the trails again. Some of you may not believe this but there is already 'dust'. HAHA...

Most of our wrangling staff will be arriving the first week of June and we will surely get lots of riding and training in before our guests start to join us on the 14th of June. It will be a full house this summer in the area of staff housing, which is great for guest and staff interaction. I even heard a rumor that Hud may be helping out a bit this summer. A little reunion at Rock Springs!

Besides all of that, we are starting to get the horses in shape and I am traveling around the state looking to add another 8-10 fabulous horses to our already outstanding herd. It is a joyous time! :-)

Happy Spring to everyone and I am sure that I'll write again soon.

With love and joy~Heather B.

Hello from Japan!

We have had the rare experience of finding ourselves on three continents in one month. Late February, we left for France, on the ski trip to Meribel and the Three Valleys that John has always dreamed of. We were favored with the best snow they've had in the past few years, and the skiing was all John had hoped for. We were joined by our long time friends Kris and Becky.

The apex of the trip for John and Kris was a day with new snow and their guide Andre'. They are both steeps junkies and spent the day climbing to chutes and jumping off cliffs they had only dreamed of anywhere else. Becky and I stuck to the blue and red runs...

We took a side trip to Nice and Monaco, and fell in love with Nice. We sprang for rooms at the Hotel Negresco, and they upgraded us to a suite. Our room looked out over the Bay of Angels and the promanade by the water. The hotel is a grand old, regal landmark, and their art collection was really impressive. 

Everywhere we went, the people were delightful. The French in our group was limited to my few weeks of listening to Fodor's French for Travelers in the car before our trip. Living about 3000 miles from French Canada, it is not a language that makes it's way into our everyday lives very often. Almost everywhere we went, people spoke at least a little English, and where they didn't I could stumble through.

The girls stayed home this trip, and again this could not have turned out better: Hud stayed with them. Since his move to LaPine, they miss him like crazy, and there is no adult in this world they would rather have stay with them while John and I are away. It was so nice to talk with them and have their "I miss you" no less casual than when I'm gone for a day.

The other high of the trip was the Savoie foods. We ate the most amazing cheeses and sausages, and drank so many wonderful Vin de Savoies. It has been fun for us to juxtapose the French foods with the fish and sake here in Japan, which we also love. The other curiousity is meal times. Dinner in France is never early, the restaurants do not open until 7:00 and are not crowded until 9:00. Here in Japan, dinner is 6:00 or 6:30.

The downside of the trip, which was not a small one for us, is the weak dollar, especially against the Euro. It hit an all-time low while we were there, and seemed to purchase about 25 cents worth of anything. We broke records for us in money spent on a dinner out and a hotel room. Needless to say, we did not come back with many souvenirs. Next time, we will try to time our trip when there is a more favorable exchange rate. I do wonder, though, if it will bring more Europeans to the states, as it makes travel in the US a bargain for them.

Shortly after we set our France trip dates and paid for our apartments there, my brother told us he is moving from Tokyo to Yakima, Washington. While this makes it so much easier to visit him and his family, it takes away the cultural element from any visits. Although we really can't afford to make two huge trips like this back to back, we decided we really should take the girls back over spring break.

We started our trip heading to Izu-Oshima Island, and stayed in a charming little fishing town called Habu. We love finding out of the way, remote places that are not influenced so much by tourism. Children in the grocery store here stared at our little blondies, and the Japanese we told we were going there could not understand why, even those on the island. I admit it would be difficult to navigate without by brother and sister-in-law to interpret, but our stay was lovely.

Right now we are staying on Lake Chuzenji, in a traditional Japanese inn called Hotel Kojoen. It's right on the water, and we had snow the other morning. The view was breathtaking. We drove down to Nikko yesterday, spending half of the day in shrines and temples and the afternoon at Tobu World  Square. The latter has miniatures of over 100 of the archetectural marvels of the world. Many were from Japan, some of which we've seen the real buildings on a previous visit. Most were from all over the world. As excited as I was about the Tosho-gu Shrine, the girls were even more thrilled with the miniature world.

Our guests often "complain" that we feed them too much food. Now I am glad that we do so on the buffet, where they can choose to take as much or little as they like. Our rooms both here at the Hotel Kojoen and at the Sea Cliff in Habu have included breakfast and dinner. The food has been amazing, and the quantities overwhelming. We are learning to come to meals as hungry as possible, as we have not been able to finish otherwise.

Today we head back to Tokyo for our last couple of nights before heading home. It has been a wonderful trip. Traveling with my brother and his wife has been a great way to reconnect and get to know them better. We were never close as children, and he left for college when I was a sophomore in high school thirty years ago. Just as we see with extended family groups who stay with us at Rock Springs Guest Ranch, sharing new experiences together where nobody has to cook for or clean up after anyone else offers a unique opportunity to grow closer.

And, lastly, we always feel that our own travels make us better at what we do; host travelers. I always learn more about things that work in the rooms, remember how it feels to arrive road weary, and see what information these places have on their websites.

 

 

  

Hay Y'all, it's Heather~

Just wanted to let all of you know that we have hired our new Head Wrangler, Chris Mercier. He is amazing and experienced and best of all... he comes with a KY drawl. :-)  He will be starting in April and will be taking over as Head Wrangler by the time June rolls around. I am so excited to work with him and show him the RS way. I know that he will pick up where I am leaving off and take the program to a whole new level.

I also have finished hiring the summer wranglers and it is going to be a great crew. Talia, Lander, Sarai and I are all returning for another summer. I will be helping into week #7 and maybe a bit in 8/9. We have Erin Timony helping us out part-time and 3 other new wranglers besides Chris.  Brittany, Karalynn, and one pending wrangler will be joining us this summer. Of course, from time to time, we will have some guest wranglers as well.

The situation is great for all involved and I am happy that I can spend some more time with all of you at RS in a different capacity. It will be fun for me to watch our new, up and coming staff excel.

Oh yes, don't worry, Heath France is still at RS, he will be working in Maintenance with Jamie and helping in the barn from time to time. Other than that I am starting to buy horses for the program and getting ready for my honeymoon/vacation.

Garrett and I are going to be spending 9 days in Sayulita, MX in March. We are looking forward to good food, great surf, kayaking and fishing. :-) YAY!!!

So,until next time... love, joy and Happy Trails!! Heather :-)

We are almost finished tiling the dining room. We had a window of a few days to get it done, so everyone dropped what they were doing, and pitched in to make it happen. We did it ourselves, and turned it into a team project. We don't all get the opportunity to work side by side like that very often, and it was very cool. All of us may rely on each other on a daily basis, but we are scattered about in our various departments, separated by physical space. Over the past couple of days, people from almost every department worked shoulder to shoulder. The value in this beyond just having a floor that is not peeling up will be felt for a long time. Thank you, Steven and Shaun from the kitchen, Heather and Heath from the barn, Tricia and Heather from the office, Jamie from Maintenance, John, and even Tricia's Mike!! (Just ask Mike...)

We spent a few days last week off with the staff for our annual retreat. We stayed on Mount Hood - up at Silcox Hut. This a building sitting above timberline at about 7000 feet.  The weather was insane. The winds were up to 80 mph, and the snow was falling so hard you sometimes couldn't see much more than 10 feet. The wind was the sort that steals the words from your mouth, along with your breath. To be heard by the peson next to you, yelling is required.

Steve, our host at Silcox did a fine job. He kept us well fed and warm by the fire. He dug out the windows and doors repeatedly, and manned the snowcat when we needed rides to and from Timberline Lodge. Best of all, he was entertaining and gracious.

Eleven staff and our two kids made the trip, which was one of our better retreats. Our meeting was typical: discussion followed by some resolution and some things unfinished. Of course, the most important part was the time spent together. Braving the weather to snowshoe, playing Taboo by the fire, and drinking Heath's crazy Mexican moonshine. It's amazing, though, how something so simple as being together in a different environment can solidify bonds and open communications.

 

John, Tricia, and I were just out in the dining room talking about new tile. We've gone through several renditions on our plan: starting with tile, moving through cork and marmoleum, and ending up back at tile. It'll be really nice, and I'm excited to do an improvement that is actually something fun when it's done. Or at least, visible.

Over the past few years, we've ended up spending hundreds of thousands on some really, really, unbelievably boring improvement projects. New septic (sewage) system, (Eeww, but you really don't want that stuff coming back...) New underground electrical infrastructure. Woo Hoo. That one sure gets a lot of compliments from our guests. Not! Of course, again, people like electricity in their cabins. A new roof on the lodge. There is a fun one! OK, I guess the added insulation helps, and no leaks is a good thing. A new stove in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the one that we had to replace a couple years ago because of the electrical re-do was the newer one. Something about three phase and single phase power, whatever that means. A new well pump. Gotta have water, right? Heater for the pool, compressor for the walk-in...

They're all sort of like getting new brakes in your car. I hate spending money on new brakes, or new tires. Obviously, the alternative is not so pretty, either. But it ranks right up there with a root canal. Or the time the dogs got into some rat poison. Let's just throw some c-notes out the window while we're driving. At least then, someone would find them and be excited.

Enough rant. We do have some fun things going on. We've cut a hole for a door in Meadowview cabin, from the living room of room 1 into room 3. This makes a nice two bedroom with a living room. Room 2 is still not connected, although we'd like to figure that one out, too. We're replacing beds and some furniture out there, getting rid of a couple of queens and twins and putting in new king beds.

The old stove in the kitchen died, I think that one was circa 1940. It's pretty amazing it lasted as long as it did. When maintenance pulled it out, they disassembled it. It looked like a nightmare inside there. The old wires and grease that had made it through the seams in the metal - gross. Thank God it never caught on fire. And, another fabulous money pit!

John finished the new recycling center project, finally. For as much flack as he got over that one, it did turn out very nicely. You'd think there was nothing cool about a new place for the trash and cardboard dumpsters, recycling bins, and bottle sorting space, and really, there isn't. Except that the dishwasher sorting the stuff can stand under a roof and the trash guy does not have to blow an artery when the wheel of the dumpster breaks through the old plywood floor. But, moving it opens up the whole south end of the lodge. We can put a couple of picnic tables in the shade there, and you can see the pond and the rocks now as you drive in the driveway. And best of all, no more walking past the dumpster on your way to lunch on a hot summer day, either! (Yes, it was screened, so you couldn't see it, but the garbage company will only switch it out for a clean one once a month or so... nicely.)

Steven is working on putting together a better dining area down by the fire pit. He'd like to serve a dinner down there, which would be super fun. We'd set it up a lot like the breakfast ride site. Tricia and Heather are working on new bedding for the rooms. They have new sheets in the rooms already, which are very nice, and are working on the rest of it.

Otherwise, at this point, we just have a little more re-landscaping to do; where the dumpster and recycling used to be, by Meadowview, and by cabins 5 & 6. If any other major projects come up, I'll keep you posted here. Some really fun stuff, like a new furnace or something...

 

 

 

I just about had a heart attack yesterday. I don't have much time to "surf" online, and just came across a scathing review of us on Yahoo Travel that was left last summer. We've never had a bad review online before, and this one was about as bad as could be.

When I started breathing again, I looked at the date, the group size, and the one incident they mentioned that I remember well. I am fairly sure the family reunion group it came from, and which sister likely wrote it.

Before she arrived, she and her husband sent us a letter stating that their children would not be participating in the youth program and none of them would be riding or participating in any equestrian activities. Well, OK- they were coming with a large group, and sometimes it is tough to pick a reunion venue where everyone is overjoyed about everything. We would do our best to take care of them.

Once they were here, they were yelling at their children in the dining room and their children were livid that they were not allowed to eat with their cousins because they were eating with the youth counselors. They left property each morning and came back just in time for dinner. They participated in nothing.

There have been three other times I remember that we have had guests here that were really a bad fit for the experience here and who were obviously unhappy. The other three times, we offered to give them back their deposit if they wanted to leave and finish their vacation elsewhere. (Bend has a lot of options.) Twice in the last 20 years guests have chosen to do so, and the other time the family was so surprized by it they stopped complaining and ended up having a good time. This time, we were assured by the rest of the family that it was just them, and their father was paying for it anyway.

So, yesterday I am reading this angry, bitter review of us and questioning what we are doing here. There is nothing like a direct public attack to fuel self doubt. I e-mailed the woman who planned the reuinion to follow up and find out if there was anything we might have done differently, but have not heard back from her. Then I pulled a dozen or so e-mail addresses of our guests and told them about it.

The response from those I e-mailed was overwhelming. Some responded to me directly and several posted reviews of their own, telling of the wonderful experiences they have had here. It brought me to tears last night to read what they said (and again right now as I write this.) That yes, it is a very special place and experience here at Rock Springs Guest Ranch.  That although there are much easier ways John and I could make a living, (and a lot more money) what we are doing is providing an experience for people that touches their souls.

There are people who do long for an experience that is uncontrived, natural, and human. Maybe not everyone. Large crowds of people still want to go where they can be seen, to stay where the designer's focus while planning spaces was how they would look rather than how they would facilitate conversation, and to have synthetic experiences. To stay where image is more important than relationships. But there are others, a smaller group perhaps, who do want for the unaffected and genuine.

So I thank you, our guests who responded, from the bottom of my heart. You are why Rock Springs is still operating, the reason we are still here.

If you are interested in reading the yahoo reviews, good and bad, the link is: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-7035052-prod-hotel-action-read-ratings_and_reviews-i;_ylt=AmgsO0ppHmnOV.fJkSOkNBkJ8b8F

Wow- I had the most wonderful mini-trip with my book club girl friends this weekend. We spent the night at the new Five Pines Lodge in Sisters, which is a beautifully appointed new facility. Regretfully, I was not able to work in any time at the spa, although my friends loved it.

The highlight of the weekend was snowshoeing on the McKenzie Pass road. In winter, the snow on this older highway over the mountains makes it unpassable, and the route is closed for the season. Or rather, closed to vehicles using tires. A few snowmobiles passed us, although most of the way the silence was disturbed only by our own laughter and the crunch of the snowshoes on the crusty snow.

One of my favorite things in the world is the green of the trees contrasted with the blue of the sky. On a sunny winter day here, the blue is unbelievable. The ponderosa pines take on a shimmer this time of year, as well.  Add in a little (or a lot) of snow, and the combination is stunning. Yesterday was one of those magical days that remind me of why I live in central Oregon.

Hi guys! It is me again. I know I was just on here yesterday but I want to keep all of you interested readers in the KNOW! I am planning to stay here at Rock Springs until the end of July. John and I have decided that it would be a great thing if I am here to bring our new Head Wrangler up to speed. I am excited to be of service and to help the ranch get off to a great start in 2008! I am thrilled to be a part of the hiring and preparations once again.  Do be in touch with us and if you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to email me at heather@rocksprings.com   In Love and Joy, Heather Barklow

IS CHANGE. Well, I must say that Eva's blog yesterday on my upcoming changes was really heart warming. I appreciate her, John and Rock Springs very deeply. It has truly been an amazing experience to work here and make so many great memories with our guests and staff. I feel that life just keeps getting better and that I am stepping into a new phase of life.

I would love to give all of you a little update on our plans...

Garrett Gregory and I were married on the 21st of December at our house in Tumalo. Tricia Maxson and Mike Paul were our witness and minister. It was a great ceremony and we plan to have a reception in the middle of August in Glide, Or, where I grew up. With our new commitment, Garrett and I have decided that we want to take a few years to travel and move around. I am thinking more about what I want out of life and how I want to support myself financially. I love working with horses and people but I have come to realize that I want horses as a hobby again.

I am very interested in the healing arts and am looking into a career in Massage and energy work. There is a holistic Massage school in Sedona that I am checking out and I feel that this may be my next venture. I like the idea of helping others as I have been guided through the healing arts of massage, craniosacral, and acupuncture work. I also am thinking of the fact that we are going to want a family eventually and I want an occupation that supports flexibility. :-) 

Like Eva said, I will be leaving sometime before July and I will be around Bend through Aug. so I will come visit. I know that the New Head Wrangler will be an amazing fit. I am sure that he or she will bring in new insight and freshness to our horse program. As far as I know we will have 3-4 returning wranglers and 3-4 new folks as well. It will be an exciting year for the barn.

Once again, I want to thank each guest, staff, friend, employee and especially horse :-) for making my time at Rock Springs a magical experience. I know that there will never be a time in my life again like this one. I appreciate that and anxiously look forward to the next adventure. I find that no matter how great my life is I am always eager for a new adventure and expansion. Love and Joy, Heather

We received some bittersweet news from Heather Barklow the other day. She and Garrett tied the knot in December, and with marraige comes changes for them. They are planning a move to Sedona, where she will learn acupuncture. After finishing, they plan to live abroad and travel, as this is the time in their lives for those adventures: no mortgage or children. I am sure she will tell you more about it with a few more entries before she leaves. We don't have a final date yet, although it will be sometime between now and July. 

Heather has been such a wonderful fit for the ranch, and we will miss her tremendously. We have the beautiful opportunity here to watch some remarkable young people "grow up" and move out into the world. Some start for us in high school, many in their college years, like Heather. We are able to share that time of discovery with them, when they explore the world beyond childhood, but before settling into their own time and space where they will spend the bulk of their adulthood. Even so, as beautiful as that experience is, we go through the pangs of separation as they fly the nest and head out for greater adventures.

I know that a part of Heather will always be here, echos imbedded in the collective memories of Rock Springs Guest Ranch. And, too, that her experiences here have become a part of her. To provide a place that can influence the direction of so many truely outstanding people is a huge part of the magic here for John and me.

So, as she leaves, we know that the magic of this place will bring us a new head wrangler. Someone with their own qualities and strengths to add to the experience of all of us here, staff and guests alike. Because turnover is so unusual here, we all face change with both hope and angst. Before the departure of Heather and Hud over this year, our average department head had been here for over eight years. After we replace Heather, it will drop to only six and a half years. Not often enough to really become accustomed to it, but with enough frequency to trust that with change comes new ideas and fresh insight.

And, with all my heart, I wish all the best opportunities and most amazing adventures to Heather and Garrett.

Hello all!

The sun is out, and the sky is the shade of deep blue it can only be in the middle of winter after a storm. The snow is left in traces, outlined in the shadows of the trees and buildings. The cold has made its way into my office, as it was closed up with the heat down for several days. My heater is struggling to warm the concrete slab that is chilling my toes. I sit here, looking at the pile of paper on my desk and the inbox I have managed to pare down over the past two hours, and I am grateful.

I am grateful for this place, for my family who bring me so much joy, and for the amazing people I work with. Life catches me up in itself, and its strong current makes me focus on the routines, rather than those things which are most important. The deadlines and responsibilties shout for my attention, and the small things of greater value sit quietly, waiting for me to notice. So I sit here, at my desk, and ignore the stacks of paper for a few minutes to think on these things.

I am grateful for my family. That I am able to work with my husband, and always still be able to sit with him at dinner and enjoy his company, even after the more stress filled workdays. I am grateful that we can understand that our ideas and approach will not be the same most of the time, but that we can also see the value in those differences.

I am grateful for our daughters, who fill my heart. I am grateful that they can spend their summers here at the dude ranch on horseback, in the pool, and meeting people from around the world. That they can form friendships with children from other places, with other ideas and backgrounds, and look forward to their return with much anticipation. I am grateful for how they have accepted this life, which they did not choose, but rather were born into. That they undrestand that they must extend themselves to our guests as hostesses here. That even those children who visit that they may not get along with, they must treat with respect. And I am grateful to them for the love I have known because of them.

I am grateful for the people I work with, and how enjoyable they make my days at the ranch. For Tricia, who always remains forward looking; seeking solutions, rather that getting caught up in how things have been done. For her desire to always make things better and to always believe and trust that the way to do so is right there in front of us.

To Heather for her unending joyfulness. For her love for all of us and her passion for this place. To Steven for his unruffled ability to make things happen, and his desire to make everyone around him calm and happy. For his compassion for people and his passion for food well prepared.

For Jamie for his ability to fix almost anything, and to anticipate what will need to be fixed. For his madding habit of playing devils advocate and forcing us to look at juxtaposed ideas. I am grateful for Charlie for his belief that the cleanliness of our buildings is central to our success. For his quirky non sequitur conversations and random thoughts that seem to break me from my focus on routine.

I am grateful for Hud. Although he has moved too far away to work here, a part of him will always stay. I am grateful for the laughter he has brought, and for his visits whenever he comes back to Bend. I am grateful for the many amazing summer staff we have each year, many retuning for several summers. For the opportunity to watch them grow up working here, and knowing that a part of Rock Springs Ranch will live with them always.

I am grateful for this place, Rock Springs Guest Ranch. Its beauty that sometimes catches me off guard when I have become too caught up in that stream of daily life. For the way it touches the lives of those who have passed through here, employees and guests alike. This place which seems to have a spirit of its own, reaching onto our minds and hearts and making us its own, belonging to it, our roles reversed. For the way it speaks to my soul.

I am grateful for you, our guests. I assume that most of those who would take the time to read this blog are those whose lives have been touched by this place and the people who belong to it. I am grateful for those of you who have shared your family experiences with us, many of you for several years. A part of you stays with us, a memory of this place, as a part of this place will live with you. Even those who have not returned in many years leave echos of their experiences here, joining in the captivating siren's song which sings to my heart.

 

Happy Holidays!

Here is a toast to one more marvelous year at Rock Springs Guest Ranch. We are so thankful to each and every guest for your love and dedication to our beautiful ranch. It seems that each year just gets better in every department and in every aspect.

We are busy with lots of Holiday Banquets this year in the joyous month of December. January and February are going to be two quite months of projects and vacations for our staff. Winter is always great for reconnecting with family and taking time to remember why we live in the beautiful state of Oregon.

Down in the barn, the horses are all fuzzy and warm. I am sure that they are thrilled with the idea of having a few months of R&R. Not a bad life for a horse. :-) We do have a few new horses that joined our herd this fall. Two were donations and two we purchased. In the spring we will add more new horses as well.

I am also trying to find homes for a couple of ou friends. Dusty, Fancy and Duke are all going to be moving on in the coming months. Each are wonderful animals but I just feel that there is a better situation out there for each of them. Some horses just do better in an environment where they have just one person.

Let us know if you have any questions about our herd, our programs or our staff. We are always here to help and would love to hear from you.  See you on the trail.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...

Love and Joy,

Heather Barklow

Head Wrangler

Today was our annual Rock Springs Guest Ranch staff outing to the woods, traipsing through the snow, cutting a tree for the lodge. The weather was perfect- new snow and sunshine, and the company is always fun. It's my favorite staff gathering during the year. I'll post some pictures here, too. We missed Hud- there were far fewer snowball fights this year, and not one snowbank tackle. This is not all bad, as it's a very slim snow year, about 3 feet less on the ground than last year up where we cut our tree.

Chef Steven, Danielle, and Melody made a gingerbread house for the Sisters Winter benefit for Habitat for Humanity. It was a ton of work, but turned out very cool. I'll put up pictures of it, too.

Thanksgiving was very nice. We had a good crowd here for the weekend, and everyone enjoyed the laid back pace of the holiday. Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous, of course, with turkey and all the traditional trimmings.

We just had a desktop calendar put together, with 12 of our favorite pictures from Rock Springs Guest Ranch. You can preview the images at http://www.rocksprings.com/Contact_RS/Download_Calendar/ and link from there to the download page. I've just put one on my computer, and it's pretty cool.

 

 

Holy Cow! It is the end of October - I have some catching up to do…

 

Hannah and I went to Washington DC. She was in a People to People program, and I flew out and spent a few days with her there, before and after the program. It was a fantastic trip. While we were there we had a very nice visit with three generations of the Mason family, who have come to the ranch the past several years. Arthur and Jane drove us out to Bethesda for dinner with their son’s family (Tom, Jane and the kids.) We both had a lovely time, and it was nice for Hannah to reconnect with their daughter (granddaughter) who has not been able to come with them to the ranch for a few years because of a conflict with camp.

 

I flew up to Boston to see my close friend Cindy who lives up there. (Her husband Bob worked here at the ranch back in the late 80s, early 90s.) We drove out to Jamestown, Rhode Island and found some graves of my ancestors.  I had hoped to catch fall colors there, but their heat wave kept everything green. We had more color here in Bend, where at least 80% of the trees are coniferous.

 

As Heather mentioned, we are in the process of putting together a week after our regular season called “It’s All About Horses.”  We are very excited about this program; I think it will be very popular. We will be limiting it to 24 riders, so the experience will be very intimate, and the guests should get a lot from the program. More on that as it comes together.

 

Sad day- the 15^th was Hud’s last day. Ona (his wife) took a teaching job in La Pine, and the commute was just too far, especially in the winter. They bought a house between La Pine and Sunriver, and are very excited to be homeowners. We’ll have a goodbye party for him this weekend, a Rock Springs Guest Ranch tradition to send off our employees as they leave the nest. We will miss him a ton. He’s pretty much worked here his entire adult life; (if you can call it that…) he is more family than employee. He promises to visit often, and will work over the winter through early summer getting Alex and Paul squared away for the summer without him.

 

We had a film crew out, getting footage for a travel channel show in the UK about Oregon. Heather and Tricia will be in it, and Marlie came out to ride for them, and was the token kid, as it was well beyond our summer program when we do have children here. Nice fall colors, though.

Hey there all of you Rock Springs enthusiasts. I just wanted to say hello now that we are nearing the end of October. The weather at the ranch is beautiful and we have several rides scheduled with people staying in the Bend area this week. Yes, we do offer riding to the public and we have for the last 5 yrs. It is a great way to keep the horses active and to bring in extra revenue to put back towards our programs.

As for our newest addition to our summer programs, "It's All About Horses", week at  the end of Aug, it is coming together nicely. We are contacting several knowledgeable equine professionals in the area to come and talk to our guests on a variety of topics concerning horsemanship and care. Our four -legged friends will appreciate this fun week as much as our guests.

It is so important to me, as a horsewoman and as the head wrangler at Rock Springs to know that our herd is getting the care and respect that they deserve. I am totally excited about more of an emphasis in this area. I'll keep you posted with new updates on that week as they come along. Right now we have a veterinarian, a chiropractor, a roper, a photographer, a saddle maker and a farrier coming out to speak with our guests during that week.

OK, so now onto the newest horses in the herd. We received the donation of a mare and a gelding from a nice couple in Bend a few weeks ago. The horses names are Lightning and Tanna. We also purchased Hawk and Jazz from a close friend about a month ago. I am looking at another horse this week as a possible lease to buy. I am excited to have such a solid herd and I know that 2008 is going to be the best year yet.

Well I wish you all a happy fall and Halloween. I will check in again as Turkey Day nears. Don't forget to check out our MAP family thanksgiving getaway. It might be nice to get away for a weekend to relax, ski at Mt. Bachelor and/or ride. :-) Best of Life to you... Heather

Well, it is fall at Rock Springs. The leaves are changing, the nights are cooler and the days are shorter. The horses seem a little more fuzzy and the flies are all but gone. It is a time to visit old friends and make new ones at a slower pace than the busy summer months.

We have a lot of projects around the ranch to accomplish before summer of 2008 but I have no doubt we will check them off one by one. There are also several improvements and new programs we are planning to implement into our 2008 season. I am happy that we are going to be able to offer more private lessons and riding instruction, along with a week dedicated to horsemanship. There will be details on that in the near future.

As for barn gossip, I am now engaged to Garrett Gregory as of September 2ND. Pretty exciting! No dates are set but of course we will keep our beloved guests in the know. He was even able to ride in our annual horse drive/photo shoots this year. We all had a lot of fun with that and Heath, Hud and I have lots of new great photos from our participating photographers.

As for horses, I had to put a few down this fall. Apache, Lady, and JR are no longer with us and I sold Red to a great family in Redmond. I also have a few more to sell and I plan to buy a few more this week. It is a hard thing to balance but I feel that our horses are appreciative of their home. Thanks you for all of our great summertime memories and best to all of you.

Until next time... Happy Trails, Heather Barklow-Head Wrangler

Ashley, long time youth counselor, put a video of Sam Ringleberg's Amazing Hula act (as seen at Rock Springs Guest Ranch thursday night talent show...) Pretty fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_NWPxWKpw

 

 

 

Yep- It is week # 8. It happens to be our smallest week of the summer and also a staff family week. We have many staff members this year that are previous guests, and three of them have their families on property this week.

I am busy in the barn regardless, it seems that we have a few sore horses and wranglers these days. Typically at the end of the summer we start to same a few extra lameness issues in the horses because of long rides and activity. I am happy to announce that out of all these sore horses, none of the injuries are serious.

New happenings in the barn in the fall are many. We have a new year-round employee. His name is Heath France, originally a farm kid from Kansas, now barn/maintenance staff at Rock Springs. Heath has been a wrangler here all season and has fit in perfectly. He has worked at one other guest ranch, White Stallion, in AZ. He is a great addition to our program and will be the assistant head wrangler in the summer of 2008.

We are also changing our riding rates for hourly rides to $40 per person for the first hr., up from $35. Each additional hr. is still $25 per person though. We are sorry to raise the rate, but with the rising cost of horse care and wages, it had to be done. We promise to make every minute of your riding experience worth your time and your money though.

Well, I better get back to doctoring horses and our newest guests. Take care and until next time, keep living the dream and be thankful for each day a horseback. :-) Happy Trails, Heather- Head Wrangler- RSGR