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HAWLEY MOUNTAIN
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News of the Ranch, 2009 Season
The Barn Enter… the building inspector, who coded our barn as being a “public building” and said we needed to hire one of his referred plumbers and electricians. The plumber then told us the bathrooms had to be handicapped accessible. What’s that? For our wranglers who will be living there? Public building? So we had a 2 month delay before we were able to get it sorted out. Meanwhile the interior of the barn was completed enough to set up our new tack room. Arlene, the Head Wrangler from the 2008 season, returned in 2009 and along with several of the returning guests, we were so happy to have her back. Early in the season before the horses arrived at the ranch, Arlene had the new tack room in the barn in ship shape ready for business. The space is twice as big as our old tack room, which makes it so nice! Saddle racks were measured, painted, and put in place against the walls, hooks were hung for halters and bridles, horses’ names were posted above the appropriate halters and bridles – in alphabetical order of course! Ron and Phyllis’ granddaughter, Ashlyn, even drew a nice “Welcome” sign for above the door. Arlene also painted the doors a nice red that matches our tin roof. The drywall is now up and painted, water lines have been dug and are filled in (no easy task with all of the boulders to deal with), and the electricity will be hooked up in the spring. We’ll need a big “Barn Opening” in 2010 to celebrate its final completion!
The Bear Then one morning we came into the lodge to find a bear had broken into the back room of the kitchen – climbed right up the side of the lodge and broke into the small wire mesh window at the top of the second story annex. Ron had seen the bear during the night and knew it to be a small young black bear (something must have happened to its mother, because normally bears stay with their mothers until 2 years of age). There were paw prints on the door, about 15 lbs of brown sugar had been eaten, and he had the audacity to leave us a pile in the corner next to one of the large freezers. Hmmph! That day Ray, the wrangler, worked on a road block for the climb up the side of the lodge. We expected the bear to make a repeat visit that evening. Ray put several long nail pointing out of the wood on the route up the side of the lodge. That evening Sharon, the cook, decided to camp out on the floor of the lodge to serve as the kitchen guard. We weren’t sure what she was planning to do if the bear came back, because she was only armed with a toy machine gun, a water pistol, and some oven cleaner spray. We were somewhat comforted by the knowledge that there was a solid door between the main kitchen and the back annex added on in 2007. Amidst all this, Ray and Joe decided to play a joke on Sharon by scaring her in the middle of the night with the bear rug that lays on the rock in the lodge. They just can’t pass up a good opportunity. Sure enough, that night at 2:00 am we had a repeat visit by our black furry friend, who proceeded to eat half a ham, about 10 lbs of bacon, and several blocks of butter (he broke into our locked fridge). Coming back a second time that night Sharon scared him off by banging on the men’s bathroom wall. Go Sharon! Then at 3:00 am, as she was cleaning up in the kitchen, Ray crawled into the kitchen in stocking feet, cloaked with bear rug, and gave her a scare. As we often say, never a dull moment at the ranch! The following day we decided to get serious about the bear, since we didn’t want him to become a permanent visitor. Ron worked all day rigging electrical wire around the upper walls of the kitchen annex. On the third morning of our bear escapades, Ron and Ray saw signs of bear prints, which looked like he had hit the ground hard under his climbing spot - evidence (we hoped) that he had gotten a shock. And we didn’t see him again this season! We did keep that electric fence charger on each night, though…
The Horses The end of October we did bring a small group of horses back to the ranch. These would be used by Ron and his son, Chad, and his grandson, Gage. They were planning on doing a good bit of riding to scout out hunting possibilities. The horses had other things in mind, however. They hadn’t been in the corral a full day before they got out and headed back to Crystal Springs Ranch – the grass was better, plus all of their friends were there! This happened twice before we decided not to turn them out in the pasture at the ranch, but instead keep them in the corral where they couldn’t escape so easily. It took a little over a month for the herd to run out of sufficient grass at Crystal Springs, so they were then trailed another 8 miles down the valley to Boulder River Ranch. Heading down the valley provides easier eating for the horses – less snow to dig through to get to grass, and less severe weather. Boulder River Ranch is the ranch that sits right on the road that has buildings on both sides as you drive through – including a creek that runs under one of the cabins! It is a large ranch with about 650 acres. The horses will stay there for a few months before heading even further down the valley to rented pasture near McLeod. We provide a salt block for them and check on them periodically to make sure they’re all doing well. The older horses will go into Big Timber for the winter and continue to be fed twice daily.
October 19, 2009A Wellness Week culminated our 2009 season with great success. Guests enjoyed the activities and interaction with our facilitator, Heidi Fledderjohn, and the weather couldn’t have been nicer. Most of the meditation and yoga sessions were held outdoors taking advantage of the beautiful natural surroundings of our wilderness area. This allowed guests to experience their week to the fullest extent possible. Another interesting observation this season was the increase in number of grandparents coming to the ranch bringing one or more of their grandchildren with them for a wilderness guest ranch experience. Some weeks there were several sets of grandparents interacting with each other while the grandkids bonded not only with their family members but other peers as well. What wonderful memories these families took home with them! Fly fishing on our Boulder River frontage was outstanding this year. One guest who has returned to the ranch each fall for over 15 years claimed that this was the best fishing yet! Our October weather turned quickly into winter with several snowfalls, so the autumn colors will not be as magnificent as some years in the past. But temperatures have moderated with the promise of some more fall days ahead. Work to complete the barn project continues, and it is hoped that the barn will be totally ready for our 2010 season. With all of the moisture received this spring and summer, the landscape stayed green throughout most of the summer, and fire danger was low. Bookings are now coming in for the 2010 season, and we are anticipating a revisit from many who enjoyed their wilderness experience in past years. Anyone with questions about our guest ranch operation is encouraged to contact us. References can also be furnished to help give a clearer picture of what is offered at Hawley Mountain Ranch.
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John, Robin and Brad, AZ
JoAnn and David, AL
Gabe and Gina, AZ
Norm and Lisa, CA
Gary, Jennifer, Kyle and Rachel, CA
Allison, CA
Bob and Skippy, CA
Austin and Connie, CA
Dear Ron and Phyllis, The setting is as beautiful as we have seen, but your warm and welcoming hospitality is what makes it so special. You have the ability to put folks like us at ease in an environment that is vastly different from where we live. That is a gift as important as the beautiful rides, the delicious meals and the talents of your wonderful staff. We like our two-year tradition of closing out our summer here. We hope to make it longer term with a third stay in august 2010! In the meantime, we wish you a great end of your season and a much-deserved rest during the winter months. Very happy to know you…..Jean
Jean and Ann, CA
Herb and Eleanor, CA
Pam and Mo, CO
Ken, Washington, DC
Sandi and Austin, FL
Jerry and Thada, GA
Vickie, GA
Lewis, GA
Robin, Rob, Natalie and Caroline, IL
Caryn, KS
Thomas, Maryland
Wendy, MD
Louis, Caroline, Evelyn, MA
Steve and John, MI
Morgan and Amy, Ron and Sandy, MN
Kelly, MN
Valerie, MO
Larry and Sheila, MO
Bobby, MO
Tim and Karen, NC
Cara, NC
Tom, Vivian, and Austin, NC
Mark, Karen, Meg and Jake, NH
The Abbott Family, NY
Jared, NY
Spencer, NY
Gerry and family, OR
Michelle and Clair, PA
Ross and Michelle, PA
Susan, PA
Linda, Troy, Casey and Bailey, PA
Leroy, PA
Roger, PA
Greg, PA
Sandi, SC
Hank and Beth, TN
Thurman and Florance, TX
Power Family, TX
Derek and Leigh Ann, TX
David and Carl, TX
Ann and Jim, TX
Marty and Norma, and grandson Ethan, VA
Jeremy (Emily, Abby and Francie), WA
Dick, Wisconsin
Bob, WI
Kirt and Sara, WI International
Seamus and Olive, Dublin, Ireland
Josephine, Hampshire, England
David and Ann-Marie, England
Paul and Tracey, Minnesota, Australia, New Zealand
John, Oxford, UK, Australia
Yvonne, Dublin, Ireland
We had a fabulous week!! It was more than we expected. We LOVED the staff and the other guests. Everyone was friendly, kind, patient, and fun. We loved the food, absolutely loved the view, and totally enjoyed the horses and riding. What more could you ask for? We will definitely be back, sooner better than later.
John and Joni Howlett What an incredibly beautiful place! Thank you for sharing your storybook river with us. I can only say it took us 80 years to find you! It has been one of the best weeks of our lives.
Tom and Michaela Thompson After a year in the US, I found you and this incredible place. It’ll be one of the best memories for me. Your hospitality was outstanding, and I felt at home from the first moment. Thanks for everything.
Oliver Galach If God didn’t create these mountains, then I don’t know who did! It has been a magical week that went by too fast. All of you made us feel so welcome and a part of your lovely family. Many thanks.
The Leonard family This has been an incredible week—experiences that are almost indescribable. The wonderful mountains, the scenery, the horses, and the wonderful mountain air! But, more than anything, the best of it all has been the people. We can’t wait to return!
Mike and Diane Petras Aside from being one of the most wonderful vacations we have ever had, our stay at your ranch exposed us to an entirely new way of life and amazing people. We also enjoyed our “co-vacationers.” Your staff was super and always fun. Thanks for everything.
Kevin and Jackie Timmons We have always wanted to experience Montana, and our week at Hawley Mountain was more than we could ever have expected. We will take a piece of the West back with us in our memories. Thank you for a vacation of a lifetime!
Ronnie and Gwen Whisnant What a fabulous, awesome time! I could never have imagined how great a week could be. The entire staff became family. I will miss the place, the people, and the new friends I met.
Charlene Rereira We both would like to tell you a very big MERCI!! Thanks you so much for your hospitality, for being a part of your family, for being welcomed as friends. For the unforgettable moments during riding, at the river, going to the look-out, or at the cook-out!! Thank you for your natural friendship, your histories, your kindness and laughter, for sharing all with us. You are very lucky people to own and/or work in such a beautiful place, to wake up every morning with this marvelous wilderness around you. But you know that, and that is why you take care of this special place.
Babette Schily and Eric Dupont Wow! What a life you LIVE here! It’s so spectacular and amazing, just like the people here. The passion for the lifestyle comes across with every part of this experience. We will see you again!
The Voellinger family I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! This is just like I imagine heaven to be. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and supportive. To me I fulfilled a dream that I had had for some time. Not knowing if I was fit enough to do it but very proud that with your help and wonderful teaching, I was able to achieve this. I felt like part of a big family. I will never forget all of you and Hawley Ranch. Thank you all so much.
Rita Smalley
Here are a few of the comments sent to us by our 2007 guests:
Some of the comments sent to us by our 2006 guests are as follows:
Kelley Galambos and family ATLANTA, GA
Bridgette Lonergan JACKSONVILLE, IL And comments from the rest of her family were...we had a wonderful time at the ranch. I have heard from most of the people that were on the ranch and it sounds like they also had as good a time as we did. The kids are begging me to go back next year. You are all close to top of mind awareness. Thanks again for the wonderful time we had there. It was the best vacation we have ever had.
The Louder family CROFTON, MD
Bob and Yasmina Manning BOSTON, MA
Mike and Brenda Nelson, Bryce and Lucas NEENAH, WI
The Trinkle family ROANOKE, VA
A huge thank you is in order for the card you posted to Casey and Jake with JaHaa and Cinnabar's mane cuttings enclosed. What a wonderful surprise when we opened it! The kids were absolutely thrilled. It was just one more check mark that went into the "over and above expectations" column if we were ever to fill out a survey on Hawley Mountain Ranch. As the weeks pass, our time spent with you doesn't seem to diminish, in fact, we are more eager to do a return visit.
The Cogar Family
Some of the comments guests sent to us in letters and emails from 2005 follow: Oh, my gosh! I was reading the Hawley Mountain website, and it made me think. What you said you would try to offer all happened! I have so many memories that I never want to forget!- Megan, INDIANA Our visit to Hawley Ranch exceeded our expectations. We had a wonderful week, and not one of us wanted to come back home. Ah, if life could be so good all of the time. It really was the perfect getaway from city living. We were treated so well by you and everyone who works at the ranch. I could go on and on singing praises about the magical week we spent and Hawley Mountain Ranch. -Mario, PA What a wonderful week we had! You made us feel so comfortable and truly spoiled us. What a wonderful adventure! Everything was perfect. Your ranch is such a beautiful slice of heaven in the wilderness. After the hustle and bustle of the city, we really needed a little wilderness in our lives. We miss sitting on the rock in the morning with a cup of coffee, riding horses, hiking, the delicious food, and fishing. I still can’t believe I caught that giant fish!- Christine, PA What a fantastic vacation you gave us. Everyone was so gracious. We realize how much work it requires to entertain that many people, and you guys made it look so simple. Thank you for showing us how to work our horses more. We loved the trail rides!- Denny and Kathy, NC If I had to choose one word to describe you all, it would be “comfortable” because that is how you made us feel. I could not have hoped for a better time this week. Thanks you all for making this a wonderful vacation for us!- Greg and Robin, TX We had a great time, as Hawley Mountain was everything we were looking for. The food was superb. The horseback riding, scenery, rafting trip, “Old Blue” trip, and everything else we did, we thoroughly enjoyed. Most of all was all of you and your help, and the way you catered to us and everyone there. You are top notch when it comes to your relations to your guests. Thanks again for the wonderful experience.- Dennis and Deb, MN It was by far the best vacation we have taken as a family. What a beautiful place to get away from the stress of everyday life. Great fishing, excellent food, friendly staff and patient wranglers all combined to make our week unforgettable. The highlights for me were the 4x4 trip to Blue Lake and the ride to Meatrack. The girls fell in love with their horses, and tears were shed when they had to say goodbye. You really made us feel at home, as well as the other guests. We made a lot of new friends.- Greg and Tanya, VT Thank you so much for your hospitality—and that of the staff—during our stay last week. I think we all agree it was the best vacation we ever had. Just last night we were going through our photos and enjoying the memories.- Dave, Tasha, and Erin, VA It’s been a little over a year when we were at your Dude Ranch, and I am sitting here thinking about and missing “your mountains!” I can remember vividly the smell of the sage and the pine trees and when I go outside of my house—pine trees line the back of our yard—it brings back great memories of our time there.- Barbara-NJ We wanted you to know how much we appreciated our time here and all the efforts from everyone involved that made our vacation memorable and unforgettable. We have loved the activities, and the lack of TV or radio has enhanced the experience. We both feel you have been blessed with an incredible location, but also the best staff. ……have managed to make each guest feel welcome and special…..created a wonderful place, have an exceptional staff, and everything here is a testament to hard-work, dedication, and love.- Paul and Sandy, Somerset, UK Below are some comments received from guests during the 2004 season:
“What an awesome vacation! Spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife, good weather, and “too good” food. Everyone at Hawley Mountain was so client oriented. When we decided not to ride in the rain one morning, we were surprised to find Steve and Meredith knocking on our door a little later. The weather had turned nice, and they came to see if we would like to ride. Talk about customer service!”
“We wanted to tell you what a sensational time we had at the ranch. From the first to the last day, I can truly say it was an experience of a life time. For a city slicker to ride a horse for the first time in 30 years that in itself was a miracle, but to not even be sore is miracle number two. Accommodations over the lodge were “A” plus with a view of Mother Nature at her best. All our meals were delicious and always ready on time. Everyone who was there was friendly and always going out of their way to make our stay unforgettable. I told Jerry for the first time in years I truly felt like I had a vacation. We will definitely try to come back and visit again.” “Thanks you so much for a wonderful experience at your ranch in June. We had a fantastic time and only wish we could have stayed longer. The accommodation, location, and hospitality could not have been better. We definitely intend to return in the future, hopefully sometime soon….” “We wanted to say thanks to you for an excellent family vacation last month. As I mentioned to you on the day we left, it was the best vacation that our family has ever taken—and we have traveled to a lot of places. My kids both miss the ranch. Alissa especially misses her horse (Joe) and her adopted dog (Spencer), but is now pen-pals with the other girls she met there. Thanks for your “western hospitality”. We had a great time and look forward to coming back again.” “We all woke up early this morning wishing we were still there breathing that wonderful mountain air. I can’t say thank-you enough for the hospitality you all showed my family and myself through one of the best weeks of our lives. Special thanks to Steve and Kyle for making the riding experience fun and exciting. We didn’t know what to expect when we got there, but thanks to the wranglers, we are all very comfortable on the back of a horse and hope to continue riding here at home. Thanks to Bryant for the fishing guidance and also teaching the kids. I know Rachael will never forget that whale she caught in the pond! It was great to make new friends with the other guests. I know it made it a lot more fun especially for our kids who had a blast with all the other kids there. We miss you all. Finally, I had been wanting to explore Montana since I was a little boy. It took me forty-two years to finally make it and it was well worth the wait. I can’t wait to get back!” Communications with former guests are on-going, and most have plans to return at sometime in the near future. We at Hawley Mountain Ranch will do our best to make their vacation wilderness stay with us enjoyable and memorable, and we would like to do the same for you.
These are kind words received from our newly acquired friends from Scotland who visited our ranch this summer: Well, it's back home again after the best vacation ever! Yellowstone was magnificent, the people of Montana were, as usual, friendly, very welcoming, and helpful, and as for the Hawley Mountain Ranch, well, words fail us. We came on this vacation with high expectations, and they were exceeded in every department. We would like to thank you, Ron and Phyllis and Bryant and Ellen, for letting us share your little bit of heaven in the Beartooth Absaroka Wilderness. Your kindness, courtesy, and professionalism just made it perfect. Thanks must go to Steve for getting us ready to ride, rattling our bones in the magnificent trip to Independence-we really did enjoy digging out the truck. It makes the trip even more unforgettable-and for the 4th of July pyrotechnics, all done with a smile and in that inimitable western manner. The wranglers, Kyle, Lauren, and Shelby, made all the rides special, and a special thanks to Shelby on the Friday rides for the extra effort shown to Marion. The ride through the river could be her highlight of the week. To Sue, Megan, and Kristen, how you kept the place so clean, it's a miracle---especially our mess! And…to Tim, not only for the absolutely wonderful food (we may never eat again), but for the entertaining music, conversations, and a glimpse of a truly unique lifestyle-complete with a hot tub!! Also of course we must thank the other guests, Debi, Bill, Jessica, Mikey and Charles, Mollie, Dale, and Mary-Kate, and last but not least, Carolyn and Tom. Your friendly company added greatly to the pleasure of our stay. Please give a carrot to Buster and Cinnabar for their patience. Hope to see you all again. Best wishes from Marion and Duncan -----Yee-Ha!!!!
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