RLT #2: Magnificent Three Forks Ranch and Little Snake River

roleerob in Worldmappin • 9 months ago (edited)

Thinking I was going back in time for my trip through old homestead ranch country along this very remote river valley, I was amazed to stumble on the magnificent Three Forks Ranch!

Photo: Ranching on the Little Snake River of Colorado

As you will see, it is one thing to spend the enormous sums that would be required anywhere to build such a vacation destination. But out here? It was truly remarkable!

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Before taking a closer look, this is a map of the area:

^{Source: Highlighted Google map of area covered in this post}

Here is a brief look at each of the highlight points illustrated above, with links to more information, if you are interested in learning more about it:

The Lodge and Spa at Three Forks Ranch - No, this is not roughing it ... 😉 At least for their $1,995 "starting rate per person per night," (no, that is not a misprint ...) it better not be!

Approximate location of lead photo, with Squaw Mountain in the background.

Ladder Ranch - A guest ranch located at the confluence of Battle Creek and the Little Snake River. It has been in the Salisbury family since it was established in 1881.

^{Battle Creek flows down from the lake, with the Thomas Edison marker, shown in my "Battle Pass Scenic Byway" post.}

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Let's be on our way! 😎

Little Snake River Valley

The Snake River is a famous river with its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park. And it flows out West, where it joins the Columbia and on out to the Pacific Ocean.

But the Little Snake River? No relation ... 😉 As we can see on the map above, after flowing down from the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, it flows along the Wyoming / Colorado border.

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Many times I had crossed this river in Baggs, Wyoming which is downstream from what follows. I was very pleased to finally be able to get some idea of where all that water was coming from!

^{A river runs through it ...}

^{That pretty red metal roof is also very practical, in the winter months!}

^{Growing and properly storing hay is vital to the livestock on these ranches surviving the winter!}

^{Love little bridges like this one! Cattle living the good life!}

^{Ladder Ranch along the banks of Battle Creek, where it runs into the Little Snake River}

Photos: More ranching on the Little Snake River of Colorado

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This was a wonderful trip through this very remote valley in northern Colorado. But ... It was in the Fall, with winter soon approaching. This valley is right at about 7,000 ft (+2,100 m) in elevation.

You do not want to come visit here, in the winter.

^{Unless you are very well prepared and know what you are doing!}

Three Forks Ranch

In my introductory comments, did I mention their $1,995 "starting rate per person per night?" And that it was not a misprint? Yes. Yes, I did ... For starters ...

^{News Flash! IF you "jump on it" right now, in the dead of winter, your companion gets 50% off. NO!
Not you, you still pay full ...}

If you do nothing else, dear reader, click on the hyperlink provided for you and then "Watch Video." That will clear up these exorbitant prices for you. Maybe ....

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Always one to respect boundaries, I was thankful, after getting back home and looking this place up online, that I did not venture onto their property.

The following was the best I could do, from a distance ...

Photos: The spectacular Three Forks Ranch

It certainly provides a good idea of the setting for this amazing place. You cannot go any further up the river valley. It ends here. There are literally three forks here and they each climb very steeply up into much higher country, as they flow down from the the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness.

Closing

^{[RLT #2 in my "Road Less Traveled" series ...]}

For this old "road warrior," days spent driving through country like this pictured above is very hard to beat. I was very grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it. I hope to return to it again some day!

I’d love to hear any feedback you may be inspired to provide.

Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build up our Hive Communities and add increasing value to our Hive blockchain! 👍 😊

Respectfully,
Blogger @roleerob
Hive "Dolphin" 🐬 & Man Cave "Dragon" 🐉

P.S. Unless otherwise noted, all images are pictures taken by my smartphone - a Samsung Galaxy S9+.

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“Immutably enshrined” in the Hive blockchain on Tuesday, 6 February 2024!
^{🌲 No trees were harmed in the publishing of this post! 🌲}

Interested in reading more of my travel-related posts?

	RLT #1: Battle Pass Scenic Byway Beginning of my RLT ("Road Less Traveled") series, as I began writing again on Hive in 2024. An open road. With no one on it. Out in remote portions of the great American West. Hmmm. I wonder what it all means?
	Fond Memories: Return to Spirit West River Lodge A remarkable place. Built by remarkable people. Writing about it resulted in some of my highest rewarded posts, including "Daily Top Payout" on Hive. Don't miss my tribute , in the top comment, to Lynn Finney.
	R2R Travelogue: Recap of "@roleerob's excellent adventure!" In winter ... My R2R series - "Road to Recovery" trip of a lifetime. In 31 days, I drove 4,984 miles through a part of 8 states - Colorado, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Unforgettable memories relived and new ones made!

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9 months ago in Worldmappin by roleerob

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actaylor 9 months ago

Haha!! Brilliant. I don’t think any amount of facial massages or hydrotherapy spas could entice me to pay $1, 995 for a single night - no matter how breathtaking the surrounds.

Just checked out the website and the suggested itinerary for day 1 includes a hike! A hike! With the addition of “Depending on the weather, this may require snow shoes!” Aha!

@roleerob - could be cheeky and prop up a tent out front. Take a long walk up the mount for free. Enjoy the scenery. Make your own culinary delights. 😏

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roleerob 9 months ago (edited)

Yes, @actaylor, this rate staggered me, when I first looked it up. This was after stumbling upon this place to begin with and marveling about the amount of money that must have been required to build it.

Quite likely it would take rates like their ... "starting rate" ... to even think about an ROI in ... what ... 15 years? 20 years? Ever? Hahaha ... Maybe I would be surprised at how booked they are and they really are somehow capable of keeping it fairly full. 🤷‍♂️

All I know is that I will never personally find out. For my money, I was very well provided for, in a remarkable place, by remarkable people at the nearby (well ... that being a relative term in this area ... 😉) Spirit West River Lodge. For the lifetime memories, Lynn charged me the "outrageous" nightly rate of $100!

You and your colleague from Wyoming may find the posts I wrote about staying there to be of interest. They will certainly provide you a glimpse into the character of some wonderful people.

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actaylor 9 months ago

I’ll respond here - but it reflects on the post you linked to…

What a special experience the Spirit West River Lodge was! 💛 Dear Lynne clearly left a profound impression on you with her openness, generosity, and authenticity - understandably so.

Such an wonderful read, @roleerob 💫 The Finneys being very much “salt of the earth” people, as you claim. I particularly liked the quote: “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving” - I think it holds true relevance in your review of the home and its hosts.

Like you I try to stay well clear of the “glitzy” big cities. Much more value to be had with an experience like yours. The photographs you took really capture the essence of the place - particularly the Indian Bathtubs Trail, personally initiated by Lynne herself. What a contrast to the Three Forks Ranch!!

** Lighthearted aside: envious of the cat getting pride of place on that cosy pouffe in front of the fire! Nice digs! 😸 And laughed out loud at the “Wyoming Rain Gauge”. You’ll need bucketloads more bottle caps to measure the weather out here in Scotland!

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roleerob 9 months ago

Very good @actaylor. Thank you for letting me know you read it and found it to be of some value. While her son is still trying to keep the place going, as far as we understand it, we (my beloved and I) can hardly bear the thought of returning. Seems best to remember it like it was, when her remarkably high spirits, grace, and charm made you feel like you were at home.

Money cannot buy that.

Yes, that "fur ball" was quite the character cat. As you can see, it had a very rough life. Lynn treated all the animals around there like her children. And she spoiled them rotten! Hahaha ...

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actaylor 9 months ago

I imagine it’s difficult for you both to consider returning at present 💛 but maybe one day you and your beloved could go back… regale her son with memories made there. And those animals were so treated! Ahah! Oh, to be a pet in that house.

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goldgrifin007 9 months ago

At least for their $1,995 "starting rate per person per night," (no, that is not a misprint ...) it better not be!

Dear steve!
Does this mean that the cost of lodging per person per day will be $2000?😲
It is very expensive!

I thought that people living in isolation in a vast, uninhabited wilderness would be very strong!
If the snow piles up in the winter, that place will definitely be a harsh place!
The lives of cowboys and farmers in American movies may seem wonderful, but in reality, they are said to be lives of very hard labor.

I had seen news reports that working life on American ranches and farms was very harsh!
From childhood, it was said that only those born on American ranches and farms could endure such harsh labor.
I remember you said that you used to work 12 hours a day on a farm.

Although the nature of the places in the photos is beautiful, I felt that it would be difficult for me to live in!!
That place is great for sightseeing, but I felt it wasn't suitable for people like me to live in!

I hope you don't feel offended by my direct and awkward English!😅

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roleerob 9 months ago

No, my East Asian friend. Once again, I am not offended. You are going to have to try harder ... 😉

Seriously, yes, life in these remote regions can be challenging. Especially during the winter months. That is why I mentioned not coming into areas like this unless you are very well prepared and know what you are doing. All of the people who are descended from the original homesteaders certainly know what it takes ...

At least people can get indoors and out of the weather. Their livestock? Nope ... They must endure the harsh conditions. While far from an expert, having talked with people who ranch in places like this one, as long as their livestock are:

Kept dry and out of the wind
Provided water and food

They will be okay. You can drive through areas like this in the winter and even see that newborns are out there braving the elements! Amazing, but true. They do not only survive, but thrive, if properly cared for ...

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gerjer 9 months ago

Greetings friend @roleerob, thanks for sharing this wonderful publication with us, honestly, your way of writing made me feel in the place, besides being impressed with the photographs.

Where I live we can not see the four seasons, we only have a rainy period which we call winter, and a dry period which we call summer, to see these pictures of autumn in full splendor is something, it is something impressive for me, to observe kilometers of road and extensions of land where the foliage seems to be about to be extinguished, as if life ended is impressive.

I am not sure if I have read but: How long did you make that trip? How long did it take you from the place of departure to the point of arrival?

Do you continue to do this kind of trips?

Are you fond of driving long distances?

Regards my friend and thanks for taking us there.

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roleerob 9 months ago

Yes, @gerjer ...

"Where I live we can not see the four seasons, we only have a rainy period which we call winter, and a dry period which we call summer ..."

... I can imagine it appears far different to you. My only experience with something similar to what you describe is living in southern Arizona, in the Sonora Desert. There we had a long, dry, hot (very) summer and a shorter, dry "cool" summer. The natives of that area liked to call it winter, but ... We knew better! Hahaha ...

".. to see these pictures of autumn in full splendor is something, it is something impressive for me, to observe kilometers of road and extensions of land where the foliage seems to be about to be extinguished, as if life ended is impressive."

Yes, in contrast to southern Arizona, the Rocky Mountain region has four distinct seasons. We enjoy all of them, for various reasons. The changing of fall colors is a very fine experience, before the onset of winter. When the leaves are all gone and cold and snow take their place.

But ...

That season has a stark beauty of its own, in the crystalline white powder on the branches of trees, glistening in the bright sun, with birds still singing in the background. Winter, in turn, gives way to the remarkable renewal of life, with the return of leaves and flowers, and our favorite season - Spring. Where we can experience once again another growing season and our simple life of gardening ...

Thank you for stopping by and letting me know you enjoyed the post. I appreciate your thoughtful contributions to the value of it.

P.S. To preserve my anonymity, I'll leave the other questions unanswered, as is my normal practice. One notable exception is my "Road to Recovery" series (link provided in this post's footer), which provides that type of detail for my "trip of a lifetime" ...

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gerjer 9 months ago

Ok perfect, that's fine with me, thanks for your kind reply, it's good to meet people and be able to make community on this platform.

Greetings, see you next time.

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gabrielatravels 9 months ago

That scenery deserves to be put in frames and sold around the world, I swear! lol

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roleerob 9 months ago

Yes, well, I did invest my time into a "first pass" at the framing part ... Hahaha! 😉

Thank you for stopping by! 👋

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pinmapple 9 months ago

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roleerob 9 months ago

Thank you for the confirmation! From what has to be the top app on our Hive blockchain ... Who / what would make a claim to be better?

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mdasein 9 months ago

!PGM

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pgm-curator 9 months ago

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Reveal Comment

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anilaashraf 9 months ago

nice......

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roleerob 9 months ago

As I see you are new to this "virtual world" on the Hive blockchain, I can offer you some advice on constructive steps you may wish to consider going forward. I will not do that, however, unless it is of interest to you. We are from different cultures and I would not want to inadvertently say something which may cause problems.

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anilaashraf 9 months ago

Yes of course! I am a new person on this blockchain if you want to give me any advice then you can talk to me. you will talk to my advantage because you already work on this platform. And know better than me.........

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anilaashraf 9 months ago

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RLT #2: Magnificent Three Forks Ranch and Little Snake River

Photo: Ranching on the Little Snake River of Colorado

Little Snake River Valley

Photos: More ranching on the Little Snake River of Colorado

Three Forks Ranch

Photos: The spectacular Three Forks Ranch

Closing

Interested in reading more of my travel-related posts?

Check out HaveYouBeenHere's:App • Map • Hive Travel Community • Discord

Check out HaveYouBeenHere's:
App • Map • Hive Travel Community • Discord