Snow Country
DUDE RANCHES WITH A DIFFERENCE
The Flying A is a pioneer among guest ranches: Kids are not allowed. Conceived as a tranquil, isolated refuge where adults can get away, the ranch accommodates only 12 to 14 guests. It sits on an 8,300-foot plateau in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and provides dramatic views of the Gros Ventre and Wind River ranges.
Guests can be as active as they choose to be. Guided hikes, mountain hiking and horseback riding get guests into the high country. Visitors are given their own horse for the week, and with trails going off in every direction there is no limit to the diversity of discoveries. The ranch also provides fishing equipment, instruction and guided trips. A hike to the 9,600-foot Continental Rim is a popular trip.
Built in the 1930's, the ranch has been in the Hansen family for decades. Daughter Debbie and her husband, Keith Dagel, opened it to the public in 1989. Dagel painstakingly renovated the six original, hand-notched guest cabins. The logs for the cabins were hauled down from local mountains and the hand pegged furniture is built of native pine. Each cabin has a front porch with views of the beautiful Wind Rivers; most have fireplaces.
The ranch's intimate atmosphere is its greatest asset and accounts for its 60 percent return rate. Nine staff members serve a maximum of 14 guests. With no kids, dinner is an especially civilized affair. Dishes such as shrimp etouffé and swordfish are served on gold-rimmed china as classical music floats through the candlelit lodge.
The ranch's small size and childless format create a contemplative atmosphere. A moose browsing along Little Twin Creek or coyotes singing at dawn becomes a discussed experience between visitors.