Bitterroot Ranch

What is paradise? Every person has his or her own view of paradise; some like a very busy atmosphere and others prefer simple open countryside. People think of paradise in different ways because everyone has his or her own pleasures and life styles. When I think of a paradise I remember the ranch I went to over the summer for a week with my family and a group of friends. The mountains are beautiful, the air smells clean, and the people are all unperturbed. My paradise is relaxing, beautiful and horse related; my nirvana is Bitterroot Ranch.

The mountains, distance from all civilization, and the open spaces makes the Bitterroot Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming, relaxing for me. The peaceful mountains keep going forever and look like a great natural structure that is still untapped of its beauty. The mountain breezes smell like pine trees and fresh springs of water, combining the perfect balance of wind and coolness. The untouched land always amazes me. I like spending time out in the open with the natural elements and away from cities. Dubois, the closest city is forty-five minutes away, and extremely small. Being away from the city lets me relax and get away from everyday stresses and worries. The distance from the city also makes the space seem even more open and free. I have a weakness for wide open spaces because the people are laid back and it seems like I can just get away from anything I want to. The feeling of being in the middle of nowhere lets me feel free to be myself and not have to be self conscious. Hearing the river rush past and the animals, calms all the guests. The river sounds like a whitewater rapid kayak course.

The untouched mountains, abundance of wildflowers and bright cerulean sky makes all of Wyoming picturesque. The endless blue of the sky is breathtaking with clouds in a perfect pillow shape. The zeniths of the mountains seem to reach the heavens. The pure white snow covering the mountain tops stands out against the grey-blue slate of the rock. The wildflowers add to the palette of color created by the mountains and sky. All around the fields bloom with wildflowers ranging in hue from a flamboyant pink to a dazzling azure to a deep crimson. The wildflowers take over the mountains and enhance the appearance of wilderness. The smell of the plants and trees is a combination of citrus, pine and rose. The natural landscape around the ranch has its own simplistic beauty.

My life will always include spirited and free willed horses. The spirited horses at Bitterroot Ranch enjoy their freedom. The horses graze in an immense pasture on a flat area of grass. Every morning the wranglers herd the horses into a corral. Only the ones that are going to be ridden receive their grain and the remainder of the herd plays and rests in the corral while some even swim in the river. The horses are trail ridden in western saddles and on Fridays, they have a team penning competition, where four people on a team try to single out calves, in numerical order by the tags in their ears. My team had a lot of fun even though we did not do so well. Thursday consisted of a cow herding ride, where a group of riders finds some lost cows out in the open fields and has to get them back into the reservation where they live. Saturday’s picnic ride to the top of a mountain ends the week nicely. All of the sure-footed and friendly horses enjoy the rides. If a rider wants, he or she can go down and groom the horses that he or she is riding. The horses enjoy the rider’s attention and look back to see if their rider is content.

Kind people and wonderful horses make Bitterroot Ranch my favorite vacation spot. Over the summers, I have traveled to many places such as Portugal and Canada, but they do not compare to my experience at Bitterroot Ranch. Bitterroot Ranch will always be my paradise and my idyllic place of relaxation.

Virginia Shriver