Here at the CWR, things are winding down.  Moving horses to winter pasture, shutting down cabins, filing end-of-year paperwork, and a million other chores fill our days, while we try to stay warm.

The few guests willing to brave Montana’s first snows are a welcome distraction from the closing “to-do” list.  If you are one of those brave souls, you certainly get a worth-while reward: lower numbers, lower rates, and elegant vistas of snow-powdered mountain slopes.  Plus the horses are getting adorably fluffy.

Borrowing the farrier’s forge to warm up

Even Braxton is helping clean the lodge!

You have to get all those hard to reach places!

Aspens

Uno keeping up with the latest horse fall fashion

First snow

We’ll be sad to say goodbye to all the new friends we made, both human and equine, but we’ll always have our memories of this summer.  So so long, Dudes!  We’ll see you next year!

How to Survive a Dude Ranch

Let me tell you, being a guest at a dude ranch is a lot of work.  I can tell by watching our guests that they have it rough.  Most nights they’re moaning and groaning after dinner about how full they are, and sometimes they stay in our hot tub so long I’m sure they must feel terrible.  It’s so bad here on the ranch, that some guests are crying by the time they leave!

So if you decide to visit the CWR, here are five important pointers on how to leave intact.

• Love on your horse. The Covered Wagon is all about horses.  We love our horses and we want you to as well.  Once you get here, we’ll match you with a horse to ride for your entire stay.  When you meet your horse, introduce yourself!  Scratch her behind the ears, give her a treat.  You can even help brush her or saddle her if you want.  You’ll soon be BFFs (best friends forever)!

• Be kind to the crew. They don’t need their ears scratched, but a friendly “hello” when you see them is nice.  At the CWR especially, the crew is family, and we want you to be part of our ranch family too.   Trust me, your stay at the ranch will be way more fun if you interact with the crew, simply because they’re fun people.

• Dress the part. I don’t mean you have to wear a cowboy hat and flannel every day (although let’s be honest, those are the coolest fashion choices available).  But you will need cowboy boots or at least riding boots.  And Montana weather is kind of weird, so bring sweatshirts and shorts, even in July.  Be prepared for any weather and you won’t be unpleasantly surprised.

• Break the diet. Don’t even try to watch your weight while you’re on the ranch.  Just forget about it.  The will power required to resist our chef’s magnificent cooking is more than one human could possibly possess.  Besides, you’re on vacation.  Who diets on vacation?

• Don’t forget the rec hall.  We specialize in horses, but there’s a lot to do on the ranch besides riding.  Guests often seem to forget that we have a pool table, piano, and plenty of board games in the recreation hall.  You can also borrow some of our fly-fishing rods and go down to the Taylor Fork Creek or the Gallatin River.  We have some tubes for floating down the creek too, on hot summer days.  Or you can take a vigorous hike up the hill behind the ranch to Benson Point, which provides a splendid view of the canyon.  And of course there’s the hot tub.

So there you have it: everything you need to know to survive your stay at the Covered Wagon Ranch.  Happy trails!

There’s a new girl on the ranch!  Tassel the filly was born on June 3 to Rain Dancer.  She had a bit of a rough start, but now she’s healthy and happy, and stealing hats like a pro.

            Even though Tassel was born a month after her due date, she was what the vet called dismature – meaning she was in the oven but wasn’t cooking.  She didn’t get enough colostrum, her bones were not calcified, and her cartilage was not completely hardened. Tassal spent her first few weeks at the vet, but thanks to Dr. Flint of Montana Equine, she got to come back to the ranch.  After a few more weeks recuperating and letting her cartilage harden, she was able to roam the property with her mom, making friends and delighting guests.

            Sassy and curious, Tassel loves to spend her days nibbling guests’ sleeves, playing with the ranch dogs, and getting her neck scratched.  Some day she might take guests out on the trail, but for now she’s busy stealing their hearts.

Hello, my Covered Wagon Ranch Family! The time has arrived us and we have opened our doors for the 2018 season! You all know Kurt, Braxton Sawyer and me, but I thought this year I would do a Blog to introduce our crew we have on board! Below, you will find a short bio of each CWR 2018 Crew Member and a picture to go with! We are excited for you to meet each and every one of them this summer!

Executive Chef

This is Chef Roy James Stegall’s third season at the Covered Wagon Ranch. This year as the Executive Chef his goals are developing new and exciting pastries, new and ancient techniques, and food that welcomes the soul home. Chef Roy James is originally from Southern California and has cooked all over the West Coast and Rocky Mountains. His cuisine has strong ties to Italian, Mexican, Argentinian, Southern, and Down-Home Country!  “I truly love cooking everything for everyone. It’s an honor to feed people life.” At the Covered Wagon you can always count on cookie jars always being full, gourmet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. “I believe in the Covered Wagon Ranch. Our mission statement is Come as a guest and leave as family. That statement is something I hold dear to my heart.”

Dinner Chef

Hello, my name is Daniel. I arrived out west in 1998 at the age of 17 and started working at the Old Faithful Inn where I stayed for four summers. I grew up fly fishing in north Georgia with my dad and my love for fly fishing and the mountains pushed me to make the big move out west for good. I worked at the 320 Ranch for ten years running their bar and worked at the Cabin Bar and Grille on the mountain running their bar for nine years. I met Kurt when I first came out to Montana and when I heard they were looking for another chef I reached out to him. My passion for the outdoors, hiking, fly fishing and skiing brought me out here and I have no desire to leave. This is home now!

Head Wrangler

Hi everyone! My name is Jordan Turner, I’m a wrangler here at Covered Wagon Ranch. I’m 22 years old and originally from Texas, although I’ve spent the last two years in Wyoming. This ranch really sparked my interest after first talking with Kurt and Melissa and coming to realize how passionate they are about this place and the horses they have. They know each and every horse like the back of their hand and I am very thankful to get to work with and learn from people that share the same passion as I do. They welcomed my two horses and I in with open arms and I have heard nothing but good stories after good stories about summers on the ranch. Looking forward to a great season and lots of miles in the saddle. See you guys when you get here! Happy Trails

Wrangler

My name is Lizzy Anderson, I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in Chugwater, Wyoming. I have worked on our family ranch my whole life, riding horses, working cows, fixing fence, doing pretty much everything ranching requires. I moved to Montana looking to start my own business as an Equine Bodywork Therapist. What drew me to the Covered Wagon ranch was the opportunity to do what I love (which is anything horses) and to have the opportunity to meet the great people who will visit us this summer. I also really appreciate the way Kurt and Melissa keep the cowboy traditions alive.

Wrangler

Ana hails from California’s central coast; exactly half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Though not from a ranching family, Ana has been riding and working with horses for 20 years, and prior to coming to the Covered Wagon she managed events for one of California’s oldest cattle ranches. She chose the Covered Wagon because she prefers getting to know her guests on a personal level​​ and wants to be able to provide them with an intimate, hands-on ranch experience. Ana is excited to be working in the barn this summer, sharing the special magic that only horses can provide with all her new Covered Wagon friends!

Wrangler

Hi, my name is Sydney Dressler I am from Dodgeville, Wisconsin and just graduated with an Animal Science degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin. I will be a Wrangler this summer at the Covered Wagon Ranch. I am excited to join the ranch family as it combines my passion for horses and the western way of life as well as the joy of working with people from all backgrounds who have similar interests.

Ranch Hand/Backup Wrangler      

Hello, my name is Weston Hamilton and I am 19 years old. This will be my first summer at the Covered Wagon Ranch. I am from a little town located in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee called Tellico Plains. There is not much to do in my hometown that doesn’t relate to the outdoors! I am very excited about working this summer because it has always been a dream of mine to “cowboy”. I have competed in rodeos my entire life and have horses of my own, but there is a drawing of a western soul to head west. I learned of the ranch from a good friend who worked on the ranch the previous year. I have been blessed to be hired as a ranch hand and I hope to learn as much as I can about the area, the people, and the western lifestyle.

Ranch Hand/Dish     

Hello, my name is Cole! I am from Cumming Georgia. I came out to the Covered Wagon Ranch to work with Melissa and Kurt so that I could learn as much and possible about horses and taking care of the land. I also wanted to get away and find who I really want to be! No better place to do it than 2,000 miles away from home! In my free time I like to Rodeo and hang out with my friends. I can’t wait to see what this season has to offer me out here in Montana at the Covered Wagon Ranch!

Ranch Hand/Dish

Hello, my name is Brody Ross, I am 19 years old from Canton, Georgia. I first heard about the Covered Wagon last year when I had some friends that came out here and worked. I love to ride bulls and travel the rodeo circuit. I hope to be working here in years to come and call this home.

Alternate

Hi everyone! My name is Misty Seppala. I’m from a large family in a small town of southern New Hampshire. I was craving adventure and a rejuvenating break from work before diving into college.  I learned about Covered Wagon Ranch from a friend, who had worked for CWR a couple years ago (Clarissa). Her stories and experience here were too tempting to pass, so here I am! My position as the ‘alternate’ will be to cover days off for some of the other crew members and to help out wherever I am needed.  I am excited to make many wonderful new friends and am quite honored to be a part of the CWR crew!

Housekeeper

Hello, I am Hannah Allen! I grew up in Florida and have lived throughout the South.  In 2013 I graduated from the University of Montevallo and aspire to someday work professionally as a writer.  In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, and watching pointless videos on YouTube.  I’ve always wanted to live Out West, and I was drawn to the welcoming, family atmosphere of the Covered Wagon Ranch.  I’ll be working as one of your housekeepers, and I look forward to the meeting everyone!

Nanny/House

I’m Desirae Freeman, I am a proud dog mom to two wild and rambunctious Siberian Huskies from a small community in West Virginia that most people have never heard of named Canvas. Growing up something that I always watched with my Great-Grandfather and Dad was old Western Movies such as Walking Tall; Big Jake or and of the Lonesome Dove series. As a result of that I always made the comment that I would live in the West one day, it became a goal of mine. Last year when I came across Covered Wagon I knew I had to take the chance and submit an application. As luck would have it I ended up getting the Nanny position.

Head Server

My name is Caleigh….I’m from Land ‘O Lakes, FL.  I’ve been riding horses since I could walk and have always loved just being around a horse, they are such intelligent creatures and have taught me more than I could ever have imagined. I have wanted to come West as long as I can remember, I’m always looking for an adventure and this is best way to start. I’m excited to be here, the views are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  We have great beaches in Florida but we live around sea level, so the mountains are something I’ve always dreamed about.  I hope to take away from this experience, new friends, quality saddle time, working experience and hopefully enough money to put a down payment on my first car.  I have fallen in love with the Covered Wagon Ranch, after only being here for a short amount of time. the state of Montana is breathtaking. I appreciate my new family, Kurt and Melissa, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m very excited to see what the future holds for me and the ranch.

Do what makes you happy…. okay animals make me happy!

As most of you know Kurt and I do not have a shortage of animals 94 horses and mules (soon to be 95 after Rain foals), Devil the cat, Nellie the pig and 3 dogs…well that number has now changed.

Last spring, after we purchased our property by Three Forks, Montana that we now refer to as ‘Braxyer’ named after our two boys, Braxton and Sawyer. We had a few dogs occasionally show up. Each time they showed up Austin and Sarah would call the owner (they had collars at the time) and the owner would bring them home. Well we moved up to the ranch last May the season got started, fall came, winter came and now it is spring 2018. We are back at the property living and so are the 1-3 stray dogs, this time without collars on.

At first Kurt would call the owner and he would come get his dog. This started out to be 1-2 times a week. At first, him or his mother would come get the dog/dogs. They lived about a mile down the road from our property. Well as time went on we quit calling because we would leave messages and the dog would still be at the property. We finally gave in and decided to feed the brown dog, who was nameless, and we called Brownie for several days before learning his name was Levi.

(He made himself right at home)

Now let me set the scene here. This a lab, (Kurt’s least favorite dog), a male (Kurt does not like boy dogs) and we have three dogs already.

After three days of Levi living with us and treating him as our own, we were working on the corrals and a random car stopped. A lady steps out of the vehicle “Is that my dog or your dog?” My response, “Well that depends, it may have been your dog, but it is my dog now…” She laughs and says, “Joint Custody?” and comes in the gate to retrieve her dog. He is a happy dog (no signs of abuse) and jumps in the car. When I asked why she didn’t come get him three days ago she tells me she knew where he was she saw him in the pasture the day before and she would “bring over a bag of dog food.” And just like that Levi was gone. Well a week passed, and it is Monday morning. It is storming, and I am loading Braxton in the car to head to pre-school. On the way to my car I find two wet and cold labs. I immediately got frustrated, Kurt called and tried to reach the owner and had no luck, so I loaded the two wet, big dogs, in my car and drove them home. I will leave this part short and say I was pretty stern with the fact that if they didn’t keep their dogs at home I would not be returning them or calling them anymore.

A few days later we were at the dog owner’s house after buying a building from him. We talked about Levi and our immediate love for him and how ‘good of a dog’ he is. He proceeded to tell us that he moved into town and couldn’t take them all so Levi was forced to stay with his parents and their three dogs. Kurt and him talked back and forth about it and he was persistent that if he is happy with us he should just live with us.

Levi was adopted from a kill shelter in California by this guy’s mother 7 years ago. He must have grown up around kids because he is amazing with our two boys (more so than our other three). He has a kind eye, potty trained, well behaved and listens great. Unlike most dogs our three girls like him.

Over the course of the next few days we were at Levi’s owner’s house a lot preparing to move the building we bought from them. The renter, who lived in a house behind the main house, shared stories about Levi and that he most likely left the house and wondered to ours because no one was ever home, he was only fed once a day and said sometimes that didn’t happen and would get into the trash.

The last day of moving the building Levi came home with us and has never left. We didn’t tell them we were taking him, but they knew where he went. It has been about 6 weeks since he came home with us. Like all our dogs, he is on a verbal leash and hasn’t tried to leave once. He has never got in the garbage, had an accident, got into it with our dogs and Sawyer and Braxton love to cuddle with him. Our best guess is that he is 10-11ish, a Chocolate lab and he is semi-crippled. He is pretty Bow legged, stairs are hard for him, but that tail is always wagging or thumping on something. His eyes are bright, he has fattened up and well Levi makes number 100  here at the Covered Wagon Ranch where he will spend the rest of his life loved on by our family and the Covered Wagon Ranch Family!

Melissa

Hello Covered Wagon Ranch Family! I wanted to drop a line and let you know of a few things to check out!

******RAFFLE DRAWING*******
Kurt and I decided to do a raffle for 2 three-night stays at the ranch for 2018 season a value of $3,000. We sold 60 spots @ $50 ticket. We had lots of interest and sold out all the tickets. We did the drawing today and a big congratulation to Trish and Travis Kreiser for winning! I was so excited when I called her that I forgot to tell her who I was and just shouted you won! She needed some good news and today she got it! Trish and Travis purchased 3 tickets for the raffle.

*****SPECIAL*******

 We are offering a few Spring Specials that you do not want to miss out on!

Offering a 15% discount the week of October 7th (adults only) on singles and 20% discount if you book more than one person!

Offering a 10% discount for the week of June 4th

Must book at least 6 nights!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for giveaways, live feeds and as always I appreciate you following my Blog!

Merry Christmas!

Wow, I can’t believe another year has come and go. Time seems to go faster and faster every year. This year was a very busy one for Kurt and I. We welcomed our second son, Sawyer, into the world in January. Braxton wasn’t too sure of him at first, but they are now best friends and always into something!

I hit the ground running, (literally) six weeks post C-section Barrel Racing on a few new horses, a gray head horse named Uno (which most of you know the story behind that pony if you don’t do ask it is a good one).   I am seasoning him on the barrels and he has quickly won my heart and been my go to horse. He is the one I hit the trails on the most this summer (even over Pancake). 

Perry, who isn’t new to barrels but was new to me; unfortunately, she was out with a couple different injuries most of the summer. However, she still ended the season with two buckles and reserve national champion in my division! Needless to say when she did run she was spot on! Lastly, my rock-solid go to Barrel Horse Princess Daizy. I keep telling myself I am going to retire her and put a baby in her belly but she hasn’t told me that is what she wants yet. I am sure it won’t be long until Braxton steals her from me as he enjoys exercising her for me in the summer.  All three horses won me enough money to cover my entry fees…which is always a plus and I learned an incredible amount of information.     

We bought a little place near Three Forks, Montana that we will eventually build our house on, but for now we are using it for shoulder pasture in the spring and fall to keep the big herd and to keep our broodmares, babies and personal horses at in the winter time. Kurt and Papa T did some work this spring on the property and we now have a couple different pastures. There is a spring fed pond on the property and we even snorkeled in the pond! Needless to say we spent a ton of time out there this spring and most every Sunday this summer.  

In April we welcomed Rita’s third baby, Logan. He was the first baby born at the new property near Logan, hence his name. He is a full brother to Miranda and Dollar and a half brother to Blake, Gwen and Sass. This means lots and lots of BLUE ROANS around the ranch! Speaking of Blue Roans most of them we put more rides on this year and started the foundation for several of the younger ones. They should be ready to hit the trails come this summer. We bred Rain Dancer for a 2018 foal and bred Rita back too, this time to a High Brow Cat Stud. We are excited to see Rita’s baby’s future as cowy as she is!

Crew got here in May, we opened the doors to Guests in June had a very fun and successful season at the ranch. As always it was full of lots of wildlife, lots of miles on young and seasoned horses, oodles and oodles of stories and even more friendships were made.

This fall we finished up the season with our ‘Adults Only’ month, had a wild third week of September with a ton of snow and super cold weather and then ended the season a week later with gorgeous weather and no snow.  

We retired two long time Covered Wagon Ranch’ Horses, Bo and Cheyenne, to North Dakota and brought three more into our herd, Roanie, Maggie and Shasta! We are super excited for our guests to get to know them. That brings our herd to 96 head now at the ranch! Hard to believe we bought the ranch 4 years ago with 40 and there are only 12 of those horses left!

This is the first time in a long time we haven’t had any horses at the ranch….which means that Nikita is turned out too! This is a big moment for us as she has been doctored and in the stall for two years. She is in a small pasture with Winston (who is also healing from an injury) and they are enjoying it. She still has a road to recovery, but it is a step we never thought would come. The rest of the herd is doing great and loving their life. Rita and Rain’s bellies are growing, the colts too and the older ones are showing the younger ones the ropes. It won’t be long when we are gathering them to start all over again. 

As always this time of year we try and head over to our friends to help them out with their annual Bull sale. Kurt took a new little filly he bought this summer, Drifter, and I stayed true to the tradition and brought Pancake. Both of the horses did great, but it is hard to beat my big old Boy Pancake doing any kind of ranch work. We had a ton of fun moving cows and it was great for our horses and dogs to get out and do some work too. 

December has been so much fun with our little family preparing for the holiday. The lodge is decorated and we have five trees up!

The biggest one is 12’ and Braxton was beyond excited to decorate it.  We have a visitor from the North Pole, Red the Elf, that is watching over Braxton and Sawyer and returning to Santa each night to report on their behavior (I wonder if he can stay year-round)

and Braxton has been on his best behavior.

Braxton started pre-school in Gateway and is loving every minute of it. Sawyer is all but walking and is super busy. As for Kurt and I we are finally catching our breath and excited to spend Christmas in our home with our family and friends. We hope whatever holiday you are celebrating this December that is a great one!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the Covered Wagon Ranch and the Pucketts! 

Hey y’all!

Well we have had yet another exciting season here at the Covered Wagon! We have seen many familiar faces at the ranch, as well as many new faces that are now part of our Covered Wagon family! Our staff is gearing down for the winter, and our horses will be going out to winter pasture here in the next month.

We have had the privilege of spending time with some incredible people, seen breathtaking views, and shared great stories with all of our guests and crew! Winter is a well-earned break for all of our wonderful horses, but we sure will miss our nice lunch spot views!

All of our guests make this job and experience so worth it! We absolutely love getting to meet people from all over the country and overseas, and getting to share our little piece of heaven with you all. Getting to share our love of the beautiful Montana countryside and our horses is why we do what we do!

Our Covered Wagon family keeps on growing, and this winter we will be welcoming baby Puckett to the family! Kurt and Melissa are expecting their second baby, due around the end of January. Braxton is going to be a big brother! Last Friday at the cookout, we had a reveal party and found out the Puckett’s are having another baby boy! We are so excited to meet our newest member of the family!

Thank you so much for all that you wonderful guests do for us, and for being the reason we love our jobs. We couldn’t do what we do without you! We hope everyone has a fantastic fall and winter, and we can’t wait to see all of our favorite people back at the ranch next summer!

Happy Trails,

~Samantha

Hello from the Covered Wagon! Spring is in full swing, and we are gearing up for another great season! My name is Samantha Lee, and I am Melissa’s new office manager and right hand woman for this summer! I wanted to introduce myself and give you all a little background on myself. I was born and raised in Suwanee, Georgia – a little bit north of Atlanta, and recently graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Communication and Public Relations. I have known Kurt practically my whole life – he was my bus driver for several years when I was in elementary school! His parents also worked with my parents and live in the same county. My mom and I came out to the Covered Wagon several times when I was younger to visit Kurt, ride horses, and see the beautiful Montana countryside!

I was never able to come work for Kurt and Melissa while I was in school since I would start back school in August, and as you all know the Covered Wagon season runs through the end of September/beginning of October. Working at the Covered Wagon is something that I have been wanting to do for a really long time, and I just felt this pull to come out to the ranch and Montana. Now that I have graduated, I finally got to come out to the ranch to be a part of the crew and Covered Wagon family! I am extremely passionate about horses and people, and wanted to use these passions to help make Covered Wagon guests stay on the ranch even more memorable.

I have been riding since I was seven years old; in fact my very first horse, a black Quarter Horse gelding named Pete, came from the Covered Wagon! Kurt thought that Pete and I would be a good fit, and boy was he right! Pete taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. He was a quirky horse with lots of personality, and he taught me to be tough and a better rider.

I am so excited to be a part of the Covered Wagon family this summer! Melissa has been telling me all about our guests we are expecting this summer, and I can’t wait to meet you all! We have a lot of fun things in store for this summer and a great crew ready to welcome you all. Be sure to keep up with our Facebook page for updates and pictures from this season. We are also getting our Pinterest page and Instagram up and running, so be on the lookout for those! We hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend and look forward to having you all at the ranch!

~Samantha

Hey there!

So if you all are keeping up with our Facebook page, you know that this summer has been fantastic 🙂 We have been amazingly booked, and have loved meeting all of our new people, and reuniting with our return guests! We have been going on new trails, finding the most beautiful lunch spots, and thoroughly enjoying our gorgeous backyard.

Those ear photos!

As I have been posting, we have been extremely fortunate in reservations for 2016 as well. We are 85% booked for next July, and are filling up for August too – so make those reservations quickly, folks! I don’t want you to miss out!

You can’t miss this 🙂

August has been very kind to us here at Covered Wagon. The weather has been sunny and warm, with a shower here or there to keep us on our toes. While some days we have some smoke drifting in from all of those fires, our pasture is green and the grass is knee-high. Flowers are still out and about, and we have been lucky enough to catch some wildlife hanging out too! We have seen grizzly and black bears, moose, elk, deer, eagles, hawks, goats, sheep, and the occasional wolf too!

Have I mentioned our pack trips too?

Oh hey there!

And now for the fun stuff:

Bradley, our breakfast-lunch chef, has earned some acclaim this season for his fabulous cookies. And he has been nice enough to share a basic recipe with me so I can share it with all of you! Our crew for sure has been enjoying cookies all summer long 🙂

Here it is:

1 cup of sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 sticks of butter

Cream the above together in a bowl

Then add: 3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

And mix together.

In a separate bowl, add: 3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together and add to original bowl

Complete the recipe with “whatever tickles your fancy. Chocolate chips, m&m’s, peanut butter, quail eggs, etc!”

We thank Bradley for his wonderful cookies and the recipe to make them! Let us know how yours turn out 🙂

Cookies are necessary fuel for trail rides. Just ask our crew 🙂

Hope everyone’s summer is going fantastically, and we can’t wait for all of our September guests to get here too! Those colors will be coming out soon, so enjoy these last few days of summer!

We sure will!

-Eryn