Added: 01/30/2006 |
A true western experience with the upscale Mountain Sky Guest RanchThe Mountain Sky Guest Ranch cabins, scattered about on hillsides and under the trees, can accommodate up to eighty people, with some of the cabins dating back to 1929, when the Mountain Sky opened its doors to the first guests. Naturally, all guest cabins have been refurbished for up to date comforts, with the attention being paid to retaining their rustic character. They reflect the time, gone by with charming hand made patchwork quilts and pillows, colorful braided rugs and chunky Split-Pine furniture. In contrast, there are large, comfortable overstuffed sofas and chairs, as well as a refrigerator, a coffee and tea maker.
There are enough activities or a lack of activities on the ranch to please anyone. When you mention the Montana guest ranch, the first thing that comes to your mind is horses, and with a good reason. Horseback riding is a great way to see and experience a big chunk of the spectacular country that surrounds the ranch. In the beginning of a visit, each guest will be matched up to one of ninety well-trained horses, mostly geldings, which can fit all the levels of riding ability. The experienced wranglers at the Mountain Sky can give you an instruction in the arena if you are a beginning rider or only want a refresher lesson in horsemanship.
Horses are great, but for some people a hike is the only way to enjoy this magnificent country. To see some of the best hiking and most gorgeous views, you need to look no further than the ranch property. There are guided hikes twice a day on woodland trails. Those, wishing to hike alone, will be given a piece of advice about the trails, a backpack and a lunch to take along. Twice per week, hikers or riders set out early in the morning for a scenic spot to enjoy breakfast, being cooked over an open fire in a cowboy style.
The Mountain Sky also offers a convenient access to the "world class" trout fishing. The Big Creek, which flows right through the ranch or in the nearby streams and lakes of Yellowstone Park, will let you experience mountain stream fishing. The Yellowstone Park is only thirty miles away from the ranch, and it is well worth a visit. The guests may sign up for scheduled all day trips to Yellowstone for a rigorous hike with breathtaking views, or for whitewater rafting down the Yellowstone River.
The other activities, offered at the ranch, are tennis, a pile of board games and a good selection of books. Softball, volleyball and horseshoes are always available for a lively way to spend your time after those abundant meals. There are also sing- alongs after dinner with all the old western favorites, western dancing, with the wranglers joining in, and hay rides that end with roaring camp fires and tasty snacks.
For those, who think that inaction is beautiful, there are isolated, quiet corners everywhere for reading, meditating or painting some of those amazing views, listening to the birds, watching the wranglers, herd the horses down the mountainside, or lazily watching the clouds in the big Montana sky. Then, there is always time for a swim in a heated outdoor swimming pool, or relaxing in an outdoor hot tub. Try these at night, while gazing up at a black sky, filled to overflowing with stars from horizon to horizon.
The Mountain Sky Guest Ranch welcomes families with children and offers carefully planned fun-filled daily activities for kids. There are programs that are filled with activities, which "kids like most" and geared especially to keep the children amused and busy. There is a playground with swings, a cabin for crafts and an Indian style teepee with a campfire site for stories on Indian and wild animal lore.
In this quiet little out of the way niche in the southwestern corner of Montana with the Montana Rockies all around, you can begin to feel the vastness of the land. In many areas here, there is more wildlife than there are people. The Mountain Sky is in such a place, that you can hear the spirit of the land, if you are listening.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
