One of our Colorado dude ranch guests wrote a great article about her experience at Rainbow Trout Ranch in Mommy Magazine of Sarasota, Florida.

Dream Trips Save and Plan Your Way to Nirvana
by Kerri Dieffenwierth

I guess it’s true: Some of us have always had wanderlust. Instead of posters of Leif Garrett, Michael Jackson or Bon Jovi, my teenage hangout featured world maps (and vintage horse tools, but that’s another story!).

For years, I dreamed of traveling to exotic places. I just graduated from high school when the movie “Summer Lovers” came out starring Daryl Hannah and Peter Gallagher – Santorini, Greece was definately at the top of my list.

Fast forward a decade. And then another. Marriage. Kids. Mortgage. Careers. You get the picture. Loved being a mommy, but missed my old visions of escape. And so I made a plan. I thought of the one major trip I really wanted to go on… a dude ranch vacation with my husband and kids. Before I turned 40.

My short list included being allowed to gallop, a great kids program, herding cows, learning to fly fish, wide open spaces, and swimming a horse across a river.

And then I took the next step. I opened my own savings account and started saving for the trip. I researched ranches from Wyoming to Montana to Colorado and sent for brochures that I filed alphabetically in my dude ranch folder. If I had a particularly tough day at work, I would run a bath, light candles, and settle into the tub with a new ranch packet from the day’s mail, letting the steam open the envelope and savoring each word and photography.

“So, Kerri, how did you end up at Rainbow Trout Ranch, ” asked David Van Berkum over cowboy coffee at 13,000 feet in the wilderness of Antonito, Colorado.

“Honestly, Dave, I have to say that this trip is a dream come true. I planned it for years, chose this ranch, and then my grandma, one of my most favorite people in the word, died and left me some money. So we were finally able to come.”

From the gray wispy fog at the early morning campfire, folks got quiet and looked my way. Doctors. Lawyers. Bankers. A couple who flew their private plane to the ranch from Martha’s Vineyard. With my faded jeans and cowboy boots from Goodwill in Osprey, Florida, I felt something wonderful: an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and thankfulness at what I had just said out loud. My dream really came true.

Now, I know there are good people out there who take these kinds of fanciful vacations once or even twice a year. We are not in that crowd. And that’s okay, because I don’t think I ever appreciated every moment of a trip like I did at the ranch. In fact, I gained seven pounds in one week. I said yes to everying, including extra dessert(s).

At the end of the week, my husband, James, on his horse Eastwood, won the “Most Improved Horseman” award. James is not a horse person, let’s just say, but he said he would give it “150 percent,” because he knew it was my dream.

Our daughter, Julia won the “Talking Mountain Goat” award because she chatted the entire way during a half day ride to a waterfall. And our son, Sam, trotted his horse around barrels in the final day rodeo, something we never thought he would be able to do.

As for me, I got to ride a buckskin mustang named Ford for the week. He and I accompanied a small group of riders on the overnight trip to a campsite 13,000 feet in the clear, cool Rocky Mountain air where we could see the Continental Divide. I took my sleeping bag outside that night and slept in the grass. I didn’t want to miss a thing.

Together as a family, we square-danced, rode in a buckboard wagon, cast fly rods, sang, hiked, laughed, played with hummingbirds, and swam our horses across a river. Each Christmas, we add our RTR rawhide bolos with our names wood burned on them to the Christmas tree, along with other memorable souveniers from trips together.

I don’t know if you heard or read about it, but last year, there was a big hullabaloo around research regarding money and happiness. As reported in a Boston Globe article, the consensus is that people should buy memories instead of things. It seems that experiences make people happier than material possessions. And that a big, fat happy memory becomes even happier as time goes by.

What’s your dream trip? Even in these anxious financial times, dream big, plan, send for information (don’t forget the hot bath and candles!) and start saving now. Hopefully, we won’t have to visit the land of “Staycation” for long. And someday, no matter where your dream destination takes you, make a toast, even it it’s just cowboy coffee (it means there are grinds at the bottom!) to dreams that come true.

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Pagosa.com recently posted the following article on Rainbow Trout Ranch:

Experience the True West at this Colorado Dude Ranch

Living in Colorado the past 7 years, we thought we had been living the Western lifestyle. However, after spending a wonderful week at Rainbow Trout Ranch, a Colorado dude ranch in nearby Antonito, Colorado, we discovered the true meaning of the Old West. Rainbow Trout Ranch sits at 9,000 feet in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. Not only is the scenery incredible, but the fly fishing along the ranch’s mile long private stretch of the Conejos River and their quality quarter horses and horse program proved to exceed our expectations.

Owned by the Van Berkum family, guest ranching became a tradition for the Van Berkum family in the late eighties when Doug and Linda’s son David went to wrangle on a ranch in Montana and daughter Rachel took a job helping in cabins on a Colorado ranch. Doug and Linda visited them both and pretty soon, guest ranching was in their blood. A few years of searching for just the right place led them to the Rainbow Trout Lodge in southern Colorado, long famous for the amazing lodge and superb fishing. They changed the name to the Rainbow Trout Ranch, bringing the focus onto both the exceptional fishing and riding and the rest is a wonderful, rich history of western vacations and experiences.

Doug provides entertaining stories on hay rides while driving his team of draft horses – Duke and Dan. Additionally, every evening featured a different Western theme, such as Western dancing, live Western singers, square dancing, BBQs and hayrides. Linda provides gracious service in the office providing advice, running into town and signing people up for the various activities such as all-day rides, massages, trap shooting, and team penning. Additionally, David and his wife, Jane, oversee the horse program for all guests. When they are not running the ranch in the summer, David and Jane raise and train quarter horses as well as compete in team roping. This expertise helps them pick the right horse for each guest during their stay.

Personally, our kids improved their riding skills immensely during their stay. The Colorado dude ranch provides great instruction at the various levels as part of their teen and children’s programs. Our teenage son, Brayden, was not too wild about spending a week around horses, yet by the end of the week, he loved loping and got best ride of the day during the rodeo. He met friends from around the world, swam in the heated pool and enjoyed himself thoroughly without TV or video games for a full week! Our two daughters, ages 11 and 8, fell in love with their horses El Paso and Capitol as well as got close with their Cowpoke camp counselor, Callie. My husband, Bart, loved the incredible fly fishing on their private mile of the Conjeos River. He caught more than 20 rainbow and brown trout throughout the week on his artificial lures. I even caught my first rainbow trout on a fly rod that week.

One of the best things about the ranch was that everyone could pick what they wanted to do and everyone was happy. In the mornings after a hearty breakfast, our kids rode with their counselors and friends while I would go out with the adults on our own ride in the National Forest. My avid fisherman husband, Bart, would walk down to the river and have a great morning fishing. Then, we would all meet up for a delicious lunch and everyone would pick what they wanted to do.  We would meet up again for dinner and evening activities. Being a mom and business owner, it was quite relaxing not having to think about anything other than what I wanted to do every day! The meals were planned and delicious, the dishes were done, the cabin was cleaned by housekeeping every day and everyone was smiling!

Rainbow Trout Ranch enjoys many return guests year after year. One of the return guests explained why Rainbow Trout Ranch was one of the best dude ranches in the country, “The food is great, the cabins are very comfortable, the scenery is spectacular and the staff and owners are outstanding.”

For those families or individuals looking for a fun-filled, restful and exciting Western adventure, I would highly recommend Rainbow Trout Ranch. Only 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Pagosa Springs, you can enjoy a relaxing week at the ranch and then head over to Pagosa Springs to soak, float down the river and enjoy our little piece of heaven here.

For more information on Rainbow Trout Ranch, visit their website at http://www.rainbowtroutranch.com or call      1-800-633-3397   1-800-633-3397   1-800-633-3397 . Make sure you mention you heard about them from Pagosa.com!

From Brayden, a 14-year old at his first dude ranch who wasn’t very wild about horses before he came…

When we first came to the ranch, all that ran through my mind was: “I hope this week goes by fast.” But by the time we got to the lodge, that thought was changed into “This is gonna be fun!” From the first time I caught a hummingbird to the time I first loped, I never wanted to go. I made many friends at RTR: Rob and George, Ellie and David, Mary-Anne, Jarrod, and Daniel. We had a ton of fun together, from chasing squirrels and chipmunks to playing capture the flag at 9:00 at night. I loved my horse, Mikey as well, and earned a ribbon at the rodeo while riding him. I loped for the first time on him, drove cattle, and I was sad to see him go. Altogether, my experience at RTR was very memorable, and I will never forget my time there.

Posted by Hayley Mitchell, 11 years old – Memories from my first Colorado Dude Ranch

From the first time I eyed the beautiful ranch, I was shocked. It was the most magnificent ranch there could be. It was completely forest green, with a  wonderful dew. But the main thing that caught my eye was a dark brown foal with the cutest face there could be. As she was milking from her powerful, wood brown mom, it looked as if she had a big smile right across her face. And then I thought “this is just the beggining.”

At the first meal we had a splended dinner. It was just like a restaurant except in the woods. Then, when we went to our cabin, it was beautiful! Me and my sister, Sydney, had a wooden bunkbed, with navy blue covers. And we loved it.

After that, in the morning we got assigned our horses. Mine was named El paso. And when I first got on him I felt like a beautiful angel riding a magnificent mustang. And then when we met Callie, our counsler, she was so sweet, and goofy. She was the best counsler you could have.

So with all the horse riding, fishing, and excellent meals, I will say this is the best dude ranch yet. I loved meeting my friends from around the world, laughing and learning how to ride better!

The Peanut Butter Jelly Ride is a great event here at Rainbow Trout Ranch. This ride is the all day horseback ride for the cowpokes, who are ages 6-11. When the clock strikes 10am, I hear the eager voices of the children running down the mountain from the lodge to the stables. As the cowpoke counselor directs them to the restroom, they catch a glimpse of the horses in the corner of their eyes and scream for joy. I then helped them up on their faithful steeds and we were off to the dusty arena to do some barrels, poles, and team penning. The kids did great at the barrels and poles but when it came to team penning, they were thrilled to actually be able to move cattle and direct them where to go. This is a great way to build team work with the kids and teach them how to take on certain roles within a job. As the kids were giving it there all to get the steers into the small, green pen, the cowpoke counselor and I cheered them on and gave them a few tips that would assist them to be successful. Once the kids finally got the hang of getting the steer into the pen, the cowpoke counselor challenged their skills by giving them specific steers to pen and certain steers to keep out. After a while, the kids were ready to depart to the trails.

As we were making our way through the meadows of Rainbow Trout Ranch and heading into the woods, the kids organized a sing along time. They sang various songs ranging from “Replay” by Iyaz to Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me.” This was a surprise to me because when I was a kid, we sang songs such as “Row Your Boat” or “Blow the Man Down.” We began to head uphill in the mountainous terrain, so we decided to do some quality loping on the Logging Road on our way to the gorgeous, green meadow, also known as Overnight Meadow. This was an exhilarating  moment for the kids. They were asking me since the first minute they were on their horses when they were allowed to go fast, and this was it. After getting into a single file line and shortening our reins, we began various lopes through the mountain and through meadows. This was no doubt one of the kids’ favorite part about the Peanut Butter Jelly Ride. We then drew closer to Overnight and there was the fort, awaiting our arrival. We dismounted and unpacked our lunches. Right then and there, we dug our teeth into the delectable  peanut butter and jelly sandwich, along with chips, fruit, and apple/grape juice. We sat in the nice cool shade as we feasted and one kid broke out in a song singing, “Peanut Butter Jelly Time.” Some kids explored the giant fort while others sat and played a game called Tarzan. This game was new to me and it turned out it was quite fun. People sit in a circle and slap each other’s hands while singing a song about Tarzan. Whoever’s hand was hit last by the time the song was over, that person had to leave the circle. Whoever survived the longest won the game.

One of the traditions of the Peanut Butter Jelly Ride is to play a bloody good game of capture the flag in Overnight Meadow. We divided into two fair and determined teams, discussed our strategy, and hid our red bandana we used as flags. “And let the game begin!” I yelled as I was running at a full sprint towards their territory. The kids scattered and search for the flags begun. We played three games and the final score was my team had two wins and the other team had one win. We were victorious and felt and looked like champions. My team ran towards the horses singing “We are the Champions” by Queen.

After the intense game of capture the flag, it was time to mount up and head on home. On our way back through the wilderness, we played a game while on horseback called “The Stick Game.” The object of this game was to pass a stick on from the front of the ride to the back without dropping the stick. We had to pass the stick by placing it on trees or bushes. We started off easy in order for everyone to get the hang of it and progressed to a much harder version of the game. The person who drops the stick was required to sing a song of their choice in front of everyone. Unfortunately, everyone did so well that nobody had to sing! I didn’t realize I was riding with a talented group of kids. But after a few lopes and a few attention-grabbing songs, we arrived to Thompson’s pasture and headed back to the barn. This was the end of the road for the Peanut Butter Jelly Ride. As we made our way up to the barn from the bridge, there were all the wranglers waiting to help all the kids down and drive them back up to the lodge.

This event at the Ranch is definitely worthwhile for the kids to experience. It builds the community within the kids and really shows them a good time. There has been, in the past, a few adults to accompany us on the Peanut Butter Jelly Ride because it is such a great time! This is a trip of a lifetime and is looked forward to every week by the kids, counselors, wranglers, and adults!

A fun picture of a ride coming in, taken last week. That is wrangler Dave on the paint, guest Susan, guest Joe, wrangler Luke, and guest Deborah on the right holding her hat in the wind–it was pretty windy last week but very beautiful. Note how many of the aspens weren’t budded then–they are all beautiful and green now.

One Week At A Colorado Dude Ranch
Is The Travel Bonanza Of The Year
By Candi Pillitterri

There’s a reason somebody made a song about springtime in the Rockies; this is the kind of place people get silly and rhapsodic about approximately five seconds after they arrive. And if you’re lucky enough to get to spend a week on a dude ranch 9,000 feet in the mountains, forget it – there’s no talking you down. My City Slickers vacation was at Rainbow Trout Ranch in Antonito, Colorado, which is in southwest Colorado’s Conejos River Valley near the border of New Mexico, about 185 miles from Albuquerque and two and one-half hours from Santa Fe.

The ranch is surrounded by southern Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest. Snow-covered Mt. Blanca rises above the range, which looks like a backdrop for Nelson Eddy-Jeanette MacDonald movies. This is high western mountain country, the place where days are clear and dry, the nights are chilly, and the air is as clean as you’ll find in America. This is where, for one week, my daughter and I left our east coast Florida personas back at the shopping mall and were transformed, day by day, into cowgirls, the kind of cowgirls we had always wanted to be – with our own horses and cowboy boots and campfires at night. A four-year-old who won blue ribbons at the rodeo and a 35-year-old who used a Swiss Army knife for the very first time. We were stars in our own movie, riders on the range. We were in heaven.

Rainbow Trout Ranch offers the quintessential western family vacation – including riding, rafting, fishing and overnight campouts – in an unparalleled mountain setting. The guest capacity of the ranch is only 60 people, dispersed among 15 rustic log cabins, which ensures a sense of privacy and personal attention that actually maximizes the experience. There are no telephones, no televisions, no daily newspapers – just the sound of the Rocky Mountain winds in the pine trees, the spring run-off charging up in waterfalls, the sound of horses and, some-times, coyotes in the distance. There are separate programs at the ranch for adults and children so adults really do, in fact, get a vacation and kids have the kind of fun they like, which usually involves about 20 different activities in five-minute intervals.

The first thing you see when you roll up to Rainbow Trout Ranch is the grand lodge, the focal point of the ranch, a massive old-fashioned log lodge built with timber from nearby Spruce Hole, with a rambling porch on three sides looking out at the mountains and the meadow where the horses graze. As you step inside, you find yourself in the kind of old wooden ranch house you imagine the Cartwrights used to have, with sun-light pouring in from every direction lighting up the rustic furnishings, the animal trophies and bearskins on the log walls. The lodge contains the reservation area, the library, the dining room where all the communal meals are served, the rec room downstairs with Ping-Pong tables and children’s arts and crafts and the laundry room.

The lodge is distinguished by two massive stone fireplaces inlaid with chunks of old turquoise that were lit every morning and evening to take off the chill. The smell of early morning woodsmoke and the pine trees made us know we were at camp somewhere, far from the heat and the tropics and the damp coast we had left. Nearby is the heated swimming pool, spa, volleyball / basketball court and an area for horseshoe pitching.

Our adventure started as we entered the big old lodge; waiting for us were little rawhide boleros with our names on them, so everybody could figure out who everyone else was throughout the week. Next, we were shown to our cabin which was built of logs, with log furniture inside and wooden floors, the Colorado answer to the Three Bears cottage, only with panoramic mountain views from the little front porch.

Half of the cabins have a living room with fireplace, two to three bed-rooms and either one or two bath-rooms; the other half have two rooms with a single bath. The cabins are provided with daily housekeeping services, have lots of drawer and closet space and funky little old-fashioned wall heaters.

We just had enough time to figure out where everything was and pick out our beds (this is very important to a four-year-old) before it was time to come to dinner at the lodge, an event I grew to anticipate every day.
In fact, mealtime at Rainbow Trout Ranch was an integral part of the vacation, I am happy to report; all-you-can-eat mountain-appetite inspired home cooking, from fresh trout to steak to ribs to turkey – all served family-style, all with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit and home-made breads and desserts.

Many dishes are directly from Mary Dale’s Cooking Tales, a compilation of recipes from family and guests with continuous updates to meet everyone’s needs. During the week there are frequent cookouts on the ranch and after dinner there are evening activities for those who want to be social.

Being social at Rainbow Trout Ranch requires no effort, especially since you meet everybody the first night, sharing hometowns and first names, all of you sitting by the fire in the lodge, listening to logs crackle, getting sleepy and warm and relaxed after dinner. It is here that time began to change for us. All of a sudden, there was nothing much more important to do than curl up in our log cabin, wait for morning and the moment we would meet our horses for the first time.

The ranch has 96 horses matching all different levels of riding skills; as is the case with romance, when it comes to horses, there is someone for everyone. My horse was an eight-year-old quarter horse named Tinfoil and my daughter had a full-size sorrel quarter horse named Cletus. They would be our companions for a week, our trusty mounts, our Triggers.
But first, we had to get to know each other. The week began in the arena where we put our horses through their paces (and they checked us out) to allow everyone to achieve a certain comfort level before hitting the trail. Guests were then broken up into smaller groups based on ability and interest and embarked on trail rides twice a day. An all-day ride was offered later in the week.

The experience and skill of the ranch “wranglers” is an invaluable asset to the riders. Not only do they help you learn about your horse and teach you all about our environment but they also give you helpful hints about how not to get sore. Mostly, they become your guide to the world of the mountains, bringing you to vistas and valleys and narrow trails among the wildflowers that will take your breath away.

One of my favorite rides was a half-day trip to First Meadow. The ride took us through the woods on a narrow trail with a sheer drop off the mountain on one side and a dramatic rock cliff wall on the other. The spring runoff has become a raging waterfall. At one point we came to a bend in the path, and suddenly the woods opened up to a mountain valley full of wildflowers, ringed by the jagged Rockies, grand, snow-topped, in sharp relief against a cobalt-blue sky.

But you don’t have to take to the trail to soak up the natural grandeur of the ranch; the place is actually named for what it’s famous for trout fishing. Whether you are an accomplished fly fisherman or have never fished in your life, their fly-fishing guide is on hand for your shot at The Big One. For the novice to intermediate fisherman, he can instruct you in the basics of fly fishing and/or bait & spinner. You can fish the Conejos River on the ranch for Rainbow, Brown, Brooke or Golden Trout which the kitchen will be happy to cook for you. For the accomplished angler, he can share the secrets of Gold Medal – designed waters, which is fishing-talk for hard-to-catch-unless you’re Hemingway. Still, people who actually understood the concept of shadow casting in A River Runs Through It will undoubtedly leap to the challenge.

Regular people who do not normally sleep with their fly rods at the foot of the bed can get a package deal that includes fly fishing equipment; if it’s in good condition, the ranch will buy it back. You can also arrange to have your prize fish mounted and shipped to you.

If fishing and riding don’t do it for you, the ranch offers several alternatives: whitewater rafting on the Rio Grande; a hike through the mountains, a trip into town to explore Taos, New Mexico.

One popular option is the Train Ride, officially called the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic railroad, a narrow gauge train excursion that meanders 64 miles in the peaks and valleys of the Rockies through tunnels and gorges and trestles between Antonito and Chama, New Mexico. This is an Old West train ride at its finest, and a great way to get an overview of the Conejos River Valley area.

The Rainbow Trout Ranch experience is as gratifying to children as it is to adults; the activities are simply scaled down to kid-size and kid abilities, and given an extra dollop of personal attention by counselors. The children, ranging from ages 3-12, ride, hike, fish, swim, play games and do arts and crafts. They also have the opportunity to roast marshmallows, make s’mores, go on hayrides and practice for the rodeo at the end of the week.

By the second day, my daughter who has never been on a full-size horse, was described as “fearless.” In fact, she won two first-place ribbons in the rodeo at the end of the week. As for me, I used my new Swiss Army knife cutting the line on a fish she caught. And I, too, won a prize at the rodeo – a ribbon for originality in the barrel racing event because I managed to execute the entire course backwards. But win or lose, it always felt good by the end of the day.

Evenings at the ranch often begin under star-filled skies around a camp-fire or a cookout and may involve things like sing-alongs, square dancing and line dancing. After a full day outdoors either riding or fishing or hiking, the nighttimes are when you begin to wind down, your muscles a little sore in the “good way,” skin flushed with sun and wind, your daughter curled up next to you in the firelight dreaming, as she would every night, of her horse named Cletus, or the way she caught a trout that was over 12 inches long. It is these quiet times that allow visitors the full effect of being on Ranch Time, away from work and schedules and Daytimers and deadlines, on a different cycle, one that begins with the sun and ends with mountains darkening against the sky. This was the best time we had ever found together, this ranch time, and it is the one that still rides through my head these days sometimes. Even though it is thousands of miles away now, Rainbow Trout Ranch is the kind of place you can go back to that way, now and then; it’s the next best thing to being there.
What To Bring

Since nights can drop below 40 degrees, you’ll need jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts, and a medium weight jacket. On the other extreme, days can heat up to 75-80 degrees so don’t forget sunglasses, swimsuits, short-sleeve shirts, shorts, tennis shoes. Other items that will be useful; rain gear, sunscreen, cowboy hat or baseball cap, chapstick, canteen or water bottle. For riding: riding boots, or hiking/work shoes with a heel. An old wrangler’s remedy for saddle sores is to wear something to absorb the friction between your jeans and skin. Anything from nylons, lycra running pants or even a pair of long underwear cut off at the knees will protect you from chafing.

by Pamela Klein & Bruce Hetrick

Antonito, CO. – Where the mountains meet the desert at the Colorado-New Mexico state line, the Conejos River winds its way through a tranquil valley 9,000 feet high in the Rockies. Guarded by towering peaks and dramatic waterfalls, the beauty of this place is matched only by its remarkable stillness. Here, for a week you pray will last a lifetime, you can trade all the honking horns and jangling phones of city life for a heavenly woods called Aspen Cathedral, a rushing stream named Elk Creek and the omnipresent watch of three towering bluffs known as Faith, Hope and Charity.

In the midst of this natural beauty sits Rainbow Trout Ranch, a 600-acre playground for urban cowboys in the heart of the Rio Grande National Forest. It’s a place where City Slickers meets A River Runs Through It – complete with daily house-keeping, hot showers and gourmet meals.

Our family of four was among 60 guests, a full house, that spent a recent week at Rainbow Trout. The 17 families arrived as strangers, drawn from as far away as London and Los Angeles by the promise of clean air, unlimited horseback riding, and a week away from the stresses of modern life.

We left seven days later as friends who had danced together, climbed 10,000-foot cliffs, cheered one another’s fishing successes, bounced in the saddle and held hummingbirds on our fingers.
During our last dinner together, there were more addresses and phone numbers exchanged than at a singles bar on a Saturday night.
What is it about a guest ranch that makes fast friends of perfect strangers?

At Rainbow Trout, one of 40 members of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association, it’s the combination of something-for-everyone activities, eye-popping scenery, and a down- home-friendly and attentive staff.

Howdy, Pardner
That was evident on the afternoon we checked in, as Linda Van Berkum, who owns the ranch with her husband, Doug, greeted us by name and personally showed us to our cabin. The ranch’s staff of 30 college students – working as waiters, housekeepers, wranglers, cooks, and counselors – kept the personal attention coming all week long.

Our home for the week was a two-bedroom, one-bath log cabin with a front porch overlooking the ranch’s main lodge and barns. For larger families, the ranch also offers three-bedroom cabins with a small living room and fireplace. All the cabins are rustic but clean and comfortable, which made them very inviting when we tumbled into bed each night after a full day of fun. And fun is what Rainbow Trout is all about.

Guests can ride all they want, fish all they want, and try their hand at trap shooting, hay riding, hiking, swimming, socializing, or just plain relaxing. A supervised program for children and teens gives youngsters as many choices as adults, and allows family members to stay together or go their own ways.

Guests can also visit Santa Fe or Taos, N.M.; ride the narrow gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad; shoot the rapids down the Rio Grande; or climb the dramatic Sand Dunes National Monument – all within a two-hour drive.

Historic Home Base
Each day at Rainbow Trout Ranch begins at the lodge, an 18,000-square-foot structure built in the 1920s from spruce logs hauled in from more than 40 miles away. The lodge’s two rooms – decorated with cowboy gear, animal trophies and bear skins – serve as the communal dining room, living room, dance hall and activities center.

It was on the lodge’s three-sided porch, dotted with hummingbird feeders, that Doug Van Berkum taught us how to hold the tiny birds. Standing absolutely still with our fingers near the feeders, we were awed to hear the furious beating of their wings as they settled lightly on our hands to drink the sweet nectar. Our 8-year-old twins, at first unnerved by the birds’ swift movements, became so enthralled that we played with the hummingbirds several times a day.

Fresh Catch of Trout
When they’re not in the lodge, Rainbow Trout guests are likely to be hip-deep in a running river or in the saddle on a mountain path. The nearest fishing spot is a short walk to the Conejos River, where a ranch staff member provides pointers on how to fly cast.

More adventurous anglers can hike into the mountains, further from other folks and closer to the clear lakes and streams that run through the area. Doug Van Berkum said many of the ranch’s repeat guests have their own favorite spots – and guard them carefully. Indeed, the ranch keeps a log book of the fish caught each week, and asks guests to reveal where they got the big one. In many cases, they write “secret.”

Back in the Saddle Again
If you’re not fishing at the aptly named Rainbow Trout, then you must be riding. The Colorado horseback riding program is in the hands of David and Jane Van Berkum – son and daughter-in-law of the owners and experienced wranglers who worked at other ranches in Wyoming and Colorado before joining Rainbow Trout.

David, Jane and seven seasonal wranglers care for the ranch’s approximately 96 horses and lead up to nine rides a day. Guests can choose rides that match their ability level, from “mosey” rides for those who are happy just walking to the more advanced rides that can include loping and more varied terrain. They might wander lazily through First Meadow, climb a steep trail to the 10,000-foot top of Charity ridge or take an all-day ride into the mountains to see beaver dams and eat lunch beside a mountain waterfall.

The last day at the ranch, even guests who had never ridden before were able to guide their mounts around barrels and through an obstacle course of poles during the Rainbow Trout Rodeo.

As we wound our way out of the ranch, past the corral, across the Conejos and south toward Albuquerque, a ditty called Rocky Top danced in our heads from the sing-along the previous night:

I’ve had years of cramped up city life,
Trapped like a duck in a pen.
All I know is it’s a pity
Life can’t be simple again.

Unless, of course, we make those reservations for next year!