Dude Ranch Dream Come True

Mom dreamt of coming to America and marrying a cowboy who had a big ranch and a lot of horses. Well, Mom came to America, but my father was as far as being a cowboy as I am of being a marathon runner.

Mom’s dream of cowboys and horses never died, however.  When she talked about the Western fantasy or saw cowboy movies, her eyes lit up and she became animated.  That is one of the few things that made her excited.

I also have had a desire about riding horses under open blue skies.  The desire gave me a sensation of freedom, of moving without my wheelchair.  Although I took equine therapy near where I live, it wasn’t the same as riding horses amidst majestic mountains and bowing trees out West.

So, for Mom’s 80^th birthday, my friends and I decided to give her a dude ranch vacation.  After searching the Internet for hours for the perfect ranch, I decided on Sundance Trail Guest Ranch for a couple of reasons.  Owned by registered nurses, Ellen and Dan Morin, the ranch is wheelchair accessible—well, except for the rocky trails that lead to the riding area and campfire sites where the staff would assist me to get there.  From its website, I saw that the wheelchair suites were beautiful—spacious and rustic.  Pictures of the ranch also hooked me.  It was just as I imagined our dream ranch to be, surrounded by paradisiac views of budding trees, shimmering streams, and glorious mountains.
After Ellen picked us from the airport, our drive to the ranch seemed endless.  After we escaped the urban traffic snarls, I began to feel a million miles from everything and everyone.  As we passed open fields and silhouette peaks, Ellen recounted how the settlers inched their way across the plains and stage coaches were robbed.

Just as I imagined it, a couple of cute cowboys greeted us and helped us out of Ellen’s van.  After a quick tour of our room, which was wood paneled and decorated with Western artifacts, we went to dinner.  The ranch’s dining room was beautifully decorated just like its suites, only it included a romantic fireplace that added to the Western ambiance of the room.  Just outside was a long wooden porch with hanging flowers and a loveseat swing, which I’ve dreamt of our own house having.

The porch faced hovering pines and towering grey mountains.  Amidst these natural treasures, we seemed like characters from an old Western movie for two nights sitting around the campfire with some of the ranch staff and other ranch guests.  We listened to a local performing couple, Lars and Amy Larson, playing hillbilly tunes on the guitar and fiddle, along with chatter and laughter from their campfire spectators.  On another night, we sat at the campfire with old friends who came to visit Mom and me.  We listened to Cowboy poetry and funny skits performed by some of the ranch staff, most of whom are college students who work there during the summer.  The smoky whiff of roasted s’mores brought back memories of when I was a girl scout, being happy to experience friends and nature as I was now.

I could see the realization of Mom’s dream in her smiles and the glow in her eyes every time she saw the horses grazing the grounds. I had accomplished one of my goals in life.  Next I’d realize my dream.  Actually, my dream came true two days in a row.  As my friend helped me mount Stevie the horse the first day, I was surprised how balance I sat in the saddle.  Five ranch staff members, including Ellen the ranch owner, walked alongside Stevie to ensure that I didn’t fall.  They also made me laugh by teasing me about being a glamorous cowgirl.  My hips and thighs followed his strides, which made me feel connected with him.  We rode to the arena, where it was hot and sandy.   Then the ranch handlers guided us towards the bowing trees and the glassy pond.  I looked up at the clear blue sky and distant mountains, trying to let my memory absorb as much of nature’s beauty as possible.  Although five people were guiding Stevie and me, I felt free as the wind that blew through my hair.

Although another breathtaking Colorado day accompanied my second mount, I didn’t feel quite as steady as the first one.  Because my thighs were spastic that morning, I couldn’t maintain my balance.  In fact, I fell frontwards once.  The episode had its benefit, however, for two handsome cowboys straightened me back up. (Now I know why mechanical bulls are in Western bars.)  Despite the mishap, I relished the glory of the day before we had to depart for home in Cleveland, Ohio.  I tried to stitch the blue canvas above me and the grey gores in front of me into my memory.

As Ellen drove us from the ranch onto the long, historical path that brought us there, a trail of nostalgia already formed in my mind.  It was made of the kindness and the patience of the ranch staff, along with the magnificence of the place itself.  It may lead me back someday.