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Bar W Ranch
  • Jcrieff
May – Jun 2025

Bar W Ranch

Birthday trip to a dude ranch in Whitefish, Montana Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 31, 2025
    JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Eastward ho!

    May 31 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 75 °F

    My plan was to leave at 10am. I was up at 7am and watered the garden, fed the cat, and all of the other pre-trip chores. Heather texted me while I was getting ready and asked if I had time to chat. We made plans to talk at 10am.

    I was backing out of my driveway at 10am, and Heather called when I was 2 blocks away. I had to pull over to get the speaker working. We talked for over 1 1/2 hours and I completely messed up where I was going. I got on I-205, instead of I-84, and it took me several tries to get back on track. (Map attached) At one point Heather reminded me that "the world is round!" It's almost like she knows me...

    We ended our call as I was arriving in The Dalles--my first planned stop. We said our goodbyes, and I stopped for gas and bathroom break. Next stop Boardman rest area.    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Windy lunch

    May 31 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 84 °F

    Boardman rest area is my "go to" stop for lunch when I'm headed east on I-84. I packed my normal salad for lunch. I knew it was windy, but wow!

    My car door flung open from the wind. I found a spot on one of the picnic tables that was somewhat sheltered, but it was bad. I ended up finishing my salad in the car.

    I left earlier than anticipated, which helped me make up time after my many detours this morning. I stopped again north of the Tri-Cities...Pasco? Again, really windy! There were a lot of big tumbleweeds crossing the highway. At the last rest area, I saw folks pulling tumbleweeds out of their grills!

    Next stop Spokane!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Hotel Indigo

    May 31 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Spokane sort of snuck up on me. All of a sudden, I was here. The hotel is in the entertainment district, which I would use the word "gritty" to describe. This is an IHG hotel, so I used points, but it isn't a Holiday Inn! The parking is $30 extra and valet only. I asked when I checked in, whether the parking was secure. I packed my overnight bag separately and didn't plan on bringing in my big suitcase. Definitely wouldn't have parked in the street overnight here!

    I was upgraded, but I cannot say for the life of me what the upgrade was. It is a smallish room on the 2nd floor. It is also over an art gallery that is blasting music with a lot of bass. Other than that, the room is nice.

    After getting settled in, I walked around the neighborhood. There is some sort of concert going on that is attracting young women wearing short dresses and cowboy boots. It is also prom night. Bottom line...great people watching!

    I am currently at the hotel restaurant, Dona Magnolia. I had a cocktail and some arancini for dinner. They have an amazing bar, and I've been chatting with the bartender all evening. Very nice person.

    It is.time for bed. Tomorrow is my first day of "Cowgirl Camp!"    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    The drive

    June 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    I woke up at 7am and relaxed while I watched CBS Sunday Morning. Then I took a shower and packed up. I forgot to get cash before I left, so I walked around and found an ATM. It was a beautiful morning, so it was a nice walk.

    I hit the road, deciding to wait until Idaho for gas, as it is about $1 per gallon cheaper. I stopped in Coeur d'Alene for gas and moved on. I also stopped at a rest area soon after. There aren't many rest areas, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity.

    The drive on I-90 is beautiful. The speed limit was 75, but it was too curvy to go that fast. I stopped at the rest area at the Montana border, right before I started heading north. I think Mom and I stopped at the westbound one on the way home from Glacier.

    The trip north was alone Flathead Lake. Wow. All of the sudden I was in Kalispell where I gased up before making the final 30min drive.

    Next stop... Bar W Ranch!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Bar W Ranch--Whitetail room

    June 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    My planned arrival was 4:30pm, but I ended up arriving at 4:15, so no one was there. I found out that most people fly and get picked up the airport.

    A very nice guy, Nolan, helped me with where to park and also to my room. It seems like a master suite, complete with a giant closet. There was a happy hour/orientation at 5pm by the back of the lodge. We met the general manager, Jamie, and the other guest service manager, Lauren. They gave us a rundown of the week and a tour of the property.

    After that, we all walked to the dining hall, which used to be an indoor ring. It is huge! Meals are buffet style, with just a few options. I had brisket and potatoes.

    After dinner, there was a campfire, but they had to put it out when the staff left, which was at about 9:30pm. A few of us went into the lodge and played pool and chatted. We all said goodnight at 10ish.

    It was a long, good day!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Assessment day

    June 2 in the United States ⋅ 🌩️ 55 °F

    This morning, I got outside for Cowboy Coffee right after 7:30 or so. It was beautiful and clear out, but a bit chilly. The company was fine, the coffee not so much.

    Breakfast at the Homestead was good, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I had coffee and a few strips of bacon. The eggs were dry, so I didn't eat them.

    After breakfast, I went back to my room to put my boots and jeans on. The ring assessment was my first thing. They split us up into 2 groups--half ring tests, and the other half did roping and fly casting.

    There was about 8 people in the group and we started with a half hour of "horse basics"--how to approach and walk around, how to get on, how to sit, how to get off. Then, one at a time, we got on our horses. I was on Snappy. Or Snappy the Appy. He was an Appaloosa. Then we all walked around the ring following the guide. We all made a turn and followed the other way. This was for about another 1/2 hours. Finally, we did a trot one at a time. I went first, as I could tell I was the most experienced. It was a bit rough, but I did fine. After that, I was the only one in my group to canter. I received no feedback, I think it was because I passed with flying colors.

    Next, we went to the area near the lodge for fly casting practice and roping. The fly casting was fun but boring after a while. The roping was frustrating, but more fun.

    After that, Danielle and I went to the ring to watch the other group's ring tests. Then lunch, which was make your own tacos or burritos. It was good and I was hungry!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    First trail ride

    June 2 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    After lunch, we had the option of a lesson in the ring or a trail ride. I picked the ride because I didn't want to trot for an hour in the ring.

    There were 6 of us plus 2 wranglers. Three were from my group this morning who didn't want a lesson, and the others were two experienced riders from the other group. We went up Spencer Mountain, which is just behind the ranch. It was all at a walk and very pretty. One of the older guests had his horse decide to lay down, about halfway through. He isn't a strong rider, and his horse took advantage of him. He handled it well! It did rain for about 10 minutes, but it wasn't too bad.

    My knees were killing me afterward, and it took me several minutes to get moving after I dismounted. I am now in the hot tub relaxing!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Wagon ride and entertainment

    June 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    After a brief break, we had a wagon ride around the property. They had 2 Belgian draft horses that pulled the wagon.

    The property is pretty big, but we did an inside loop. We saw the other area where they do public rides. There is a total of about 150 horses spread out over several places. After the wagon ride, we all headed down to dinner. It is all buffet style. There were chicken legs and beef stroganoff, along with mashed potatoes and corn. It sort of looked like Polish funeral food!

    After a bit, we all loaded into a van and drove up to an overlook for some musical entertainment and drinks around a fire. The music and the view were great. There are 2 "cruise directors," Nolan and Lauren, and they are both awesome. Nolan is from Tyler, Texas, and is very goofy and fun. They make us drinks and keep us entertained.

    As it was getting dark and a bit cold, we headed back down to the ranch.    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Trap shooting

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    I woke up a bit later today but still made the cowboy coffee by the fire. I really like sitting by the fire in the morning. Breakfast was a delicious egg casserole and sausage.

    After a brief break, we drove out to the gun range to shoot trap. I have done this a handful of times and always enjoy it. The shotguns were all 20-gauge, which means lighter and less powerful. Fine by me! I got one clay my 2nd try, then never hit another one. It was still fun. One of the girls in our group, Paige, had never done trap shooting before, and she killed it! Put all the men to shame... including her husband, who did pretty well. Len and Danielle didn't hit one for a while, but I finally got a few. Danielle is a left eye dominant and didn't want to ask about shooting left-handed. I asked and was worried she'd be mad at me. But she was fine and happy that she was able to hit the clay!

    After that it was time for lunch!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Team penning practice

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    I wasn't sure what this was going to involve. They have a herd of long horn cattle for this, which i had seen on the wagon ride. We all got on our horses. This time, I was on Comet, a chestnut gelding. There was a small pen on the middle side of the ring. Our job was to move the 6 cows into the pen.

    Herding cows is way harder! The group was supposed to work together. One person pushed the cattle from behind, and the others blocked them from going back. In this group, I was the only experienced riders, and the rest were having challenges with their horses and confidence. The horns on the cows were intimidating, but i figured they wouldn't put us in danger.

    I mostly pushed, cutting back and forth pretty fast. It was a blast! My horse did a great job. Some folks were complaining about their horses not being as good as mine. I didn't tell them that it's usually the horse knows they have a good rider and behave appropriately.

    They added more cattle, and we had to separate them out. Everyone was getting the hand of the teamwork needed. At the end, I asked the wranglers if I could do a lope around the ring. They said yes, and I made 2 loops each way, then a walk around. Yay!

    This was by far the most fun thing!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Cliff Lake ride

    June 4 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Today's activity was a lunch ride to Cliff Lake. They trailered us and the horses about 15 minutes away to a trailhead. There were 4 of us plus 2 wranglers, Mattie and Sadie.

    I was on Kusco, another chestnut gelding. He was fun to ride. This group was all the more experienced riders, Molly on Rookee, Meredith on Phantom, and Kelsey on Daisy. We had a few places where we could go a bit faster. The first one was a trot--not comfortable! After that, we were able to lope for short stretches.

    The ride was beautiful. We can see Glacier NP from a lot of vantage points. There was a spot where we saw an owl hunting in the water. There were some deer frolicking by, too. Lunch was on a cliff, overlooking the lake. Sitting on the ground, but still awesome. They packed us lunches--sandwich wraps, chips, and a cookie.

    The trip home was much shorter with a little cantering. The last time, one of the girl's water bottle fell out of the bag and made a very large noise! Very exciting with slightly spooked horses!

    We were back at the ranch by 3pm and had the afternoon to ourselves. I used the hot tub for a good soak, then stretched out a bit before taking a nap.    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Hootenanny

    June 4 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    I was thinking about jumping into the hot tub but ended up bringing down my box of wine to share with Danielle. She is originally from Eastern Kentucky but now lives in Charleston, SC. Len and Margaret joined us after a bit. We practiced our roping, too.

    Dinner was a cookout at the back of the lodge. We had steak and pork belly, along with green beans and potatoes. This is not an ideal place for a vegan. (Although, I believe they would accommodate if needed. )

    After dinner was line dancing. Nolan had learned the dances right beforehand, so it was a little confusing. My legs were tired and sore, so I had trouble keeping up. I also think I need to work on my cardio!

    Then we all sat by the fire and talked. I stayed up too late, but it was fun!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Raptors, Whiskey, and Trivia

    June 4 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    My nap was not really long enough, but dinner was at 6 pm. We had spaghetti and meatballs and chicken fettuccine Alfredo. There was also grilled asparagus and a zucchini dish. I ate mostly meatballs and the chicken and skipped the pasta. The veggies were especially good.

    The evening program started with a bird rescue organization that brought a van full of raptors who had been injured and could not be released to the wild again. Most were injured on the road. There was a hawk that has the largest wingspan of all hawks. Then there were 2 Peregrine falcons. Finally, there were owls. A great horned owl who was over 25 years old. They thought it was male until a few years ago when "he" laid an egg. There was a tiny little pygmy owl that she said weighs as much as a mini candy bar. The funniest was the barn owl that just screeched when the handler pointed at it.

    The whiskey tasting was 6 ones from Montana. I'm not a huge fan, but some were pretty good. There was one with Huckleberry that was quite tasty. Nolan was not really prepared for it and mixed up the whiskeys with the descriptions.

    He was less prepared for trivia. It was hilarious since he just started giggling when he messed up. It was all Montana/Ranch questions. I played with Danielle and Kelsey, and we won. Of course...

    I sat by the fire for a bit and watched the sunset. I knew Thursday was a busy day, so I headed to the room. Nolan was leaving in the morning to go home for a wedding, so I gave him a hug.

    The bed felt great!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Swisher lake ride

    June 5 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    I set the alarm for 7am since i knew we had a long day ahead. Stopped for some of Lauren's Cowboy Coffee and sat by the fire for a bit. It is still cold in the mornings. Breakfast was eggs and sausage and more coffee. It is the only meal that is not impressive. They do have make-your-own waffles, but that's not my thing.

    I had about 30 minutes to get ready for the ride. It was an hour drive to the trailhead. We started out just north of Eureka, MT. And that is 7 miles south of the Canadian border. It was a nice drive, but I mostly caught up on my Penguins. We stopped briefly for the bathroom and to gas up the vans.

    I was riding Kusco again today. He's okay, except he is a slow walker and wants to graze, which is a no-no. They broke us into 2 groups of 6 plus 2 wranglers. We had Mattie and Logan. Mattie was using a new to the ranch horse, Kermit. Kermit and Mattie had a bit of a hard time getting started since Kermit did not want to lead. Our day was to go past 3 lakes and ride along the Canadian border. The ride was beautiful. The first lake was smallish, and I forgot the name. We reached a big meadow and were able to lope. Kermit wasn't having it, so Logan had to lead. Kelsey wasn't able to lope again, so she and Kermit trotted. The second time we loped with Logan, he went a bit farther than Mattie wanted. It was a good 3 minutes of riding, and I was beginning to worry about my back!

    We arrived at the Canadian border at about noon. There is a post that tells you. Plus, they cut a 20-foot gap in the trees, so you can see the border for miles. We rode along the border for another 10 minutes, then cut over to the 2nd lake. The trail still has quite a few trees across it, so we had to bushwack our way around them. At one point, I lost my hat on a branch, and Logan had to pick it up.

    We stopped Kootcanusa Lake for lunch. It is a beautiful light blue, probably from the mines nearby. "Koocanusa" stands for Kootenai, Canada, and USA. Lunch today was another wrap, this time with salami and turkey. We hung out there for another 45 minutes. The other group was about 15 minutes behind us, so we were all there together for about 20 minutes.

    The last section was about 45 minutes and took us by Swisher lake. We let the horses drink and again, Kusco splashed up a storm. I had to pull him out twice before he took a drink.

    Back at the horse trailers, they let us all dismount by ourselves. Jennifer, had done it, so they let us all. Normally they need.to hold the horses for insurance purposes. The other group showed up, right after and we hung out while they trailered the horses. We did run out of water and I was and still am very thirsty!

    I am in the van on the way home and we are supposed to leave for the rodeo at 6:30pm pm and it is already 5:10. Everyone needs to shower--it was hot and very dusty. Plus we need to have dinner!

    I'm sure they will push it all back and we will miss the beginning of the show.    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Rodeo

    June 5 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We had about an hour from when we arrived to when we had to leave for the rodeo. There were burgers and tater tots for dinner, and several people took them to go. We all needed a shower since the dust was really bad. I ate in the dining hall with Len and Margaret since there are no tables in the lodge rooms. Then I took a quick shower, put on makeup, and headed out to the vans that were waiting.

    It was a 30-minute drive to Columbia Falls where the rodeo was. We went through Whitefish, which reminded me of Jackson, WY. Very shi-shi. I may stop on my way home to check it out.

    The rodeo grounds were packed, but we had a reserved area. Two of the Bar W wranglers were carrying flags for some of the sponsors, so we always cheered them.

    They started with bareback broncos with adult men. Then it was juniors, and finally peewee--they were riding miniature horses. Next was junior calf roping and girls calf roping. There was saddle bucking and team roping, too. The best was last--barrel racing and steer riding. I love watching the barrels! The steers are thrilling but scary. I didn't see it, but others in our group saw one rider get hit by a horn.

    We headed home at about 9:30. There was a group that was going to the Blue Moon, a bar next to the rodeo. I was tempted, but I have to get up at 7am! I did sit in the hot tub for about 10 minutes after we got home. It really seems to help. Then it was bed for this cowgirl!    Read more

  • JcrieffBar W RanchTraveler

    Cattle Drive B-Day

    June 6 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Today's the last full day. 😔 I was up at 7am and at the campfire at 7:30am for coffee. I left one of my shirts in a saddlebag last night, so I had to head to the barn to have them check before they loaded all the horses up for today. It was in the last bag they looked in... Breakfast was cheesy eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes--my favorite! Back at the room, I got altogether and headed to the barn to head out.

    We drove almost as far as we did yesterday to Trego, MT. The ranch sends people up there a few times a week to help them move their cattle around. Today, we were moving all the mammas and babies to a pen, then separating out the ones without tags. Those were just born in the past few days.

    Backing up, we started out with introductions of Brian, the owner, and the folks who were going to help out, Josh and Josie. We got a little history of the ranch, then headed out on a 2 hour trail ride. We are close to the Canadian border, but not like yesterday. The ride was nice, all on forest roads where we could ride side by side. I was on Kusco again, and he's slow, so I brought up the rear.

    Back at the ranch, we had lunch on the porch of a 100 + year ago house that was built with many parts from the Sears catalog. It is not a kit house, though. Brian told us about the history of the ranch. It was the first in the area and the oldest in Lincoln County. The wife was German and the husband was French Canadian. Apparently neither one spoke the other's language! They bought the land in 1892, before the railroad. In the 1910s the railroad went right through their land. That's when they could get the parts for the house. It is no longer in the family, but it is now on the historic register.

    After lunch we went out to move the cows. Not a lot of running, but the calves need a lot of space. We moved them through 2 pastures and into a pen. Then we had to cull out the calves without tags. It was fun! (Not for the babies...) There was one whose mamma didn't claim her. She was left in the first pasture at first, and Josh and Josie had to go get it. By the end, they think they knew who the mamma was. Apparently 1st time moms sometimes don't know what is going on at first.

    At the end, I asked one of the wranglers to take a picture of me with me and my birthday tiara. This is my original one, and it is falling apart. I tried to put it on my horse, but he wasn't having it!    Read more

    Trip end
    June 8, 2025
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