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The main lodge house the dining room with fireplace, cowboy and mining artifacts, sitting room and upstairs Elk Suite. There are six one and two bedroom log cabins with private bath. The Pioneer Lodge has three guest rooms. All lodging is carpeted, tastefully furnished with daily housekeeping. Superb, varied, full course meals to delight both hearty and discerning appetites. Children's menu items an option. Special occasions and diets are happily accommodated. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit, chips and the bottomless cookie jar are available in the main lodge any time. Evening appetizers. Liquor is BYOB. Bar area available in the main lodge. Ranch provides lemons, limes, club soda, tonic water and ice. Saturday night country candlelight dinner. Beef tenderloin is just one of the choices - you don't want to miss it. Buena Vista is the white-water capital of Colorado and home to the largest collection of 14,000 peaks in the lower 48 states. Tom and Sue, along with their children Hunter, 17, and Tyler, 14, are your hosts. Elk Mountain Ranch has been the Murphy family's home and passion since 1985. Typical Weekly Itinerary Sunday: Arrive after 3 pm. Join us for a guided hike to Futurity before settling in for a scrumptious turkey dinner with all the fixin's. Monday: Horse orientation followed by ride to Katie's Peak where we will "wow" you with the views. Return to the ranch for picnic lunch. Afternoon choices include trailride to Big Meadow, marksmanship tournament or just stay back and relax. Steak-fry dinner followed by hayride and campfire. Pop popcorn over the fire, roast marshmallows for s'mores, and warm up with some hot chocolate. Tuesday: Rise and shine. Ride heads out at 8 am for a beautiful trip through Aspen stands and open meadows. Enjoy our famous champagne brunch overlooking the Arkansas Valley and Collegiate Peaks. Join us for a game of fat bat ball before returning to the ranch. Afternoon allows plenty of time to soak in the Jacuzzi, fish, mountain bike or take a nap. Square dance and line dance in the evening. Then, join us in the lodge for hammer dulcimer, guitar and sing-a-long. Wednesday: Test your skill at the archery tournament. Then, load up for a hamburger cookout on the Arkansas River. Guides will pick us up right on the banks for your thrilling white-water raft trip through Brown's Canyon on the Arkansas River. Not ready to raft? Come join our van to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Die-hard rider? Stay back and ride, ride, ride. Tonight enjoy our local cowboy poet and fiddler. Thursday: Luncheon trail ride saddles up at 10 a.m. Want even more riding? Join the wranglers for an overnight packtrip. A day (or two) to remember. Plenty of riding and a chance to sleep under the Colorado skies. Friday: A plethora of choices-luncheon trail ride, van trip to Aspen over Independence Pass, van trip to higher mountain lake and stream for a day of fishing (or hiking). Tonight take on the Elk Mountain staff in a game of volleyball. You know them well enough now - don't be too kind. Saturday: Morning choices include trail ride over Hovey's Ridge or test your skill in our trapshooting tournament (guns, ammo and supervision provided). Afternoon is time for the kids' rodeo (barrels, poles, and foot games). Adults can stay back and enjoy the rodeo or take their last trail ride. The evening is topped off with our country candlelight dinner. Time to get a little spruced up and enjoy the camaraderie of friendships made. Sunday: Happy Trails! Hope to see you next summer! Summary: Elk Mountain Ranch is a small, remote, cozy hideaway that is great for families, couples, and singles who enjoy an off-the-beaten path experience. Adult-only week in September. Please visit our website at www.elkmtn.com for complete information and a brochure. If you should have any questions, just give us a call; we will be happy to answer any and all questions. Thank you and hope to see you at the Ranch. GUEST COMMENTS "We wanted to take a moment to thank you for a wonderful vacation. We all had a wonderful time and have many great memories to look back on. The first evening we said we were at Elk Mountain for fresh air, vistas and fun. There's no question our wished were fulfilled. What we didn't expect was how much we'd enjoy the outstanding staff and other guests. Your staff is always friendly, fun-loving and welcoming. Our enjoyment felt like a priority and we are all grateful!" - The Turcot Family "We had so much fun with you and your crew. Your ranch is beautiful, your horses are great, the staff was exceptional and the weather was near perfect! We appreciated all of the effort you put into everything. It really made for a wonderful family vacation that we will always treasure. Elk Mountain Ranch certainly has a warm spot in each of our hearts." - The Pittenger Family "What a wonderful place for a family reunion! In our 60+ years, our week at the ranch was the best vacation of our lives. Thank you! You delivered everything you advertised and more. The wranglers were genuinely friendly, helpful, caring and above all safety conscious. Staff responsible for the children's program were excellent. We never had any concern for the welfare of our grandchildren. Food preparation and housekeeping were outstanding. Meals and entertainment were great. Accommodations were comfortable and charming. Horses school taught by Tom was tremendous and we attribute his instruction to our lack of soreness. Su was a delightful host. The ranch was perfect for our diverse family." - N & G Weaver "If you are a couple, friends or a family, you will have the time of your life at Elk Mountain. The place is made even more special by the owners, Tom and Sue, and their professional, friendly and hardworking staff who cannot do enough for you. The cabins were spotlessly clean and the food plentiful, freshly prepared and excellent quality. The scenery was breathtaking both at the ranch and on the rides. We rode most days, but there are also activities for non riders. Or, if you feel like a break, you can go white water rafting or take a trip to the hot springs. There is always something to do in the evening too. You are encouraged to do as little or as much as you like . . . we only sat down to eat!" - R Carter & M Herbert "We came to Elk Mountain Ranch not knowing what to expect. We had such a great time! Beautiful trail rides, great food, clean cabins, but mostly the great people and pleasant attitudes. Thank you so much for a memorable and fun vacation!" - The Brincho Family "Thank you to my Rocky Mountain family. It was another amazing week full of fun, friendship and laughter. My soul is restored for another year." - Beth
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