Cowgirl Up in Big Sky Country

  There are so many beautiful landscapes to explore in America without a doubt, but there was a western landscape that I had set my sites on in the autumn of 2019.  Just eight months prior, I pondered my upcoming plans for a vacation. I knew for sure that I wanted to check an item off of my bucket list. Time keeps ticking and a few grays have appeared reminding me that I am not getting any younger. After a quick internet search, I narrowed it down to a guest ranch in Whitefish, Montana, called the Bar W Guest Ranch. It just so happened that the ranch offered a “Photography Week” all-inclusive vacation in the fall. It was a no brainer, I knew I had to book immediately. What would be better than a week of photography but a week of photographing horses, mountains, and all the activities of a guest ranch?  After making contact with the staff of the Bar W Guest Ranch in Whitefish, scribbling down all the information on the photography week, I asked my friend Natalie Hicks if she might be interested. With a big smile, she gave a thumbs up and so it began. The months passed by quickly and October found us together on a road trip north to big sky country with cowboy boots and hat in tow. The first day was mostly admiring the prairie grass and sage brush and hundreds of beef cattle. Barbed wire fences, an occasional coyote and pronghorns were seen mile after mile along the interstate and, for a while, was exciting and new. It wasn’t long however, before we were bored and longed for different scenery. So we decided to take a side trip look for the wild mustangs that roam the Pilot Butte Scenic Loop area of Rock Springs, Wyoming. These White Mountain mustangs are the largest wild herd in Wyoming. After successfully photographing these true symbols of the American West, we continued our drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

   We arrived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming late and ate a delicious meal fit for two hungry travelers at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House. After looking at cattle most of the day along our drive, we ordered steak of course. I highly recommend eating at this restaurant for a Wild West experience. The atmosphere is truly western and has that lodge feel with many antique cowboy artifacts hanging on the walls. The 1800’s buffalo coat that Hank Williams Jr. wore  on his “ Lone Wolf “ Album was displayed on the wall as well a full grown buffalo mount on display in the  entrance of the restaurant.  

     Early the next morning, Natalie and I drove into the Grand Teton National Park and were blessed to photograph a bull moose with the Teton Range as a backdrop. The morning had already proved to be exciting, but the excitement was accelerated when a Grizzly Bear walked right past us on the road as we drove through the park. I just wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. The excitement continued as we drove toward the Montana border with a little white knuckling the steering wheel as a snow storm hit in the Teton Pass. We did a lot of praying as we drove down that steep grade on snow and ice in a two wheeled suburban.  

We arrived at the Bar W Guest Ranch, given a brief orientation to the ranch and upcoming week, met the other guests and our photography instructor Danny Nestor, introduced himself. We talked about our camera gear and what to expect with the photography sessions. We were encouraged to be creative and ask lots of questions during the days ahead to get the most of our lessons. Natalie, who was more interested in the other ranch activities was given choices for all the activities she could participate in on the ranch daily. That made her very happy. Next we unpacked at our assigned glamping tent then strolled over to have our first meal in the lodge. Everyone sat at large tables having views that overlooked the ranch. The community style meal had a real down home feel as the guest got to know one another over a chef prepared meal. After desert, we settled in for the night with some guests in the lodge and some in large canvas tents which were cozy and stocked with everything we might need including a journal and pen. Natalie and I quickly fell asleep in our queen sized beds to the distant sounds of an occasional whinny or snort from the horses not far from us. We slept like a babies under the electric blankets and showered in our own shower house adjacent to our glamping tent. The next day, we stepped out into the crisp cool morning noticing the wranglers were already busy at work feeding the horses, and tacking them up for the trail ride that morning. After a hardy breakfast each morning, we chose to either go on ranch activities which included trail rides, arena rides, relaxing in the lodge or attending the scheduled photo shoot. Danny, our photography Instructor worked tirelessly to make each lesson memorable. During lunchtime, we returned to the lodge to chow down before an afternoon trail ride. I enjoyed these rides into the mountains on my surefooted gelding named “Blue Duck”. 

   The  photo shoots varied and included photographing two young brothers of the Native American Blackfoot nation in full native dress, ranch horses, draft horses, sunsets, and barrel racers at a rodeo arena along with weathered old barns, cowboys, cowgirls,  birds of prey, vintage trucks and many scenes in and around the Whitefish region. My favorite photo shoot was at the Triple D Ranch in Kalispell, MT. Our subjects this day included a female mountain lion and a male wolf. What an amazing experience to be so close to these powerful predators.  The Triple “D” provides services to a variety of still photographers and movie companies, so it was an honor for the ranch to arrange the opportunity in capturing these normally illusive animals using our cameras. The Bar W staff were all amazing from the moment we arrived until we pulled out of the drive the day we departed. For all special requests, the staff would run into town to pick up items for the guests .That special touch was very convenient for us when we found a need. Each day was filled with activity from cook outs, campfires, to shooting skeet, trying our hand at archery. Natalie and I really enjoyed riding along the Canadian border in the Kootenai National Forest on our last day. It was an all-day trail ride with scenery that proved to be jaw dropping, to say the least. That evening we participated with the other guests in branding our own belts and boots with the Bar W brand. The delicious steak dinner next to a campfire was the perfect ending to a perfect guest ranch experience. We formed new friendships and took hundreds of interesting photos home to share with friends and family.

    Before I departed Montana, I bought myself a “wild rag” at the gift shop. You see, what I always called a scarf, the wranglers called a “wild rag”.  I figured it was the perfect souvenir.  Lastly, the lady wranglers at the ranch made me proud to “cowgirl up” alongside them in the big sky country. I would surely like to return to the Bar W Guest Ranch for another adventure, anyone game?