"I've never seen so much snow," I told my travel companion. "Wow. Neither have I," she responded. Granted, we're two Southern California gals with little appreciation for 15 inches of fresh powder, but still, the beauty of Vista Verde Ranch seems to impress guests from every climate. A bucolic drive from Steamboat, Colorado leads guests to the luxury ranch, owned by the Throgmartin Family since 2006. Silent but for the patted sound of snow fall, strumming guitars, and crackling wood from the fire places, Vista Verde Ranch is a timeless retreat surrounded on three sides by nationally protected woodland.
While the property's summer requires week-long bookings, the late fall and winter season can be booked for just a few days at a time. The winter season is quickly becoming equally as desirable as the summer season, which is likely due to Vista Verde's lineup of snow-laden activities. For the adventurous, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross country skiing are wonderful diversions, ideal for getting the heart pumping, and the hotel's dozens of miles of groomed trails make it easy to venture out on a full-day excursion. Horsemanship clinics are held nearly daily inside Vista Verde's giant arena, which also houses weeks-old baby colts too adorable to miss. The one hundred or so horses that call the ranch home enjoy exercising and socializing with delighted human companions.
A must-do activity is the 13-mile dog sledding trek led by Grizzle-T Dog Sledding located an hour or so from the ranch. Grizzle-T's 120 dogs, many bred for the Alaskan Iditarod races, are trained to traverse the scenic foothills of a trail even with novice mushers. The dogs, which are true athletes bred to run in extreme conditions, are lovable towards the young and young at heart. It's an unmatched experience appropriate for all ages.
Back at the ranch, staff members are gracious, accommodating, inviting and prompt. It's unusual to uncover a truly warm, familial approach, which makes one feel like a guest in a home rather than visitor of a professionally-managed property. But Vista Verde Ranch is one such rare place that embodies Midwest charm, authentic connection, and a sweet and sincere interest in its clients. Vista Verde Ranch has a simple service formula that clearly works: Success is equal to expectations, plus one. The "plus one" means the above and beyond, the extra, that little something else that isn't on a standards checklist or company handbook.
Examples of this concept come from the graciousness of the staff like Bill, a weathered, endearing ranch hand who drove us to our dog sledding activity, waited patiently for our return, and then gave us an impromptu town tour, before stopping at Starbucks upon our mere mention. Stephanie, another staff member in the office, noted how ill-prepared we were for our extended winter outing in the heavily falling snow, and insisted on plucking pants, thick gloves, and hats from the staff's closets. One of the staff's best collective plus one rituals is the weekly jam session led by a few of the musically-inclined staff members.
I chatted with a handful of guests who had visited the ranch half a dozen times or more, making an annual retreat to Vista Verde Ranch a pillar of their yearly travel. After my stay, it was easy to see why.
