RESORTS
Luxury Unplugged
loveeverything there isabout themountains in thewinter.Theclean, powder-coveredvistas; thequiet-
nessofawinter“storm” that leavesyetmoresnow in itswake;watchingchildrensquealas theysoar
downahillonasled; thebody-numbingcoldoutside thatmakessitting insidebyawarmfireplacesore-
laxing.Yes, I love itall.All exceptdownhill skiing, that is, asport I’ve tried to likeat leastonceaseason
for thepast25yearsand justhaven’tbeenable toappreciateassomanyothersdo (includingmy family).
This is one reason I’mdrawn toTheHomeRanch inClark, Colorado. The 1,500-acreRelais&
Châteauproperty isset 30minutes fromdowntownSteamboatSprings,Colorado, adistance that
means Iwon’thave to justify toanyonewhy Iwon’tbeskiing this trip (but— for thoseofyouwhodo
love toski, know thatTheHomeRanchwill gladly transportyou to theslopeseachday).
Turning into the longdriveway that leads to theproperty, I’m struckby just howpicture-perfect the
ranch is. The snow-coveredmountains, the log cabins, thehorses, the split-rail fence… this isexactlywhat
winter should look like.
Mycabin isashortwalk from themain lodge. I’mstaying in theBirdhouse, a rustic (inaRalphLauren
kindofway) cabinwithasleeping loftandaviewof thehorsepastures. Inwinter, thehorsesaremostly for
show—comespringandsummer they’ll bepartof thedude ranchactivities.MealsatTheHomeRanchare
communal, somuchas I’d like to lounge in the room, Iheadback fordinner. I’mglad Idid.Notonly is itnice to
chatwith fellow travelers, but chefClydeNelson’s“hautemountaincuisine” issuperbandhearty.
Thenextday, afteradelectablebreakfastof strongcoffee, freshlysqueezedorange juice, applewood-smoked
bacon, andbriocheFrench toast, guideMikeBraal takesagroupofusoff theproperty forcross-countryskiing
inanopenareaof theRouttNationalForest.Mike isaguideatTheHomeRanch in thewinterseason, butcome
summerheheads toAlaska tocaptainafishingcharter.Anice life, ifyouaskme.Though it’scoldout, less than
30degreesFahrenheit, by theendofour trekmostofushaveshedourhatsandevengloves, proof thatcross-
countryskiing is indeedaworkout, especiallyonmostlyflatground (which is justfinewithme).
Inaddition tocross-countryskis, theresort’sequipmentshedwill loanyou tubes for thewell-groomed tube
hillandsnowshoes towander theproperty.Lunchbackat theranchreplenishesme, so in theafternoon Iopt for
thesnowshoesandsetoff togetup-closeandpersonalwith thepine treesanddormantaspens thatfill theprop-
erty.Snowshoeing, Idiscover, isexhausting, especiallyonhills.Evenheadingbackdownhill requireseffort.But
Ipush forward, thinkingabouthotcocoaand thefireplace in themain lodge thatbeckons.A littlepartofme (the
part thatcan’tseem tocatchherbreath)starts towonder ifmaybedownhill skiershave theright idea, and Ivow
togiveskiinganother try. Justnot this trip.
Rooms start at $475pernight, includingmealsandactivities for two. (970) 879-1780, homeranch.com
—
Lori Stacy
The
Home
Ranch
Clark, Colorado
PHOTOSCOURTESY THEHOMERANCH
