Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, Summer of 2019

I am doing something quite new this summer.   I accepted a job as "host-guest services" at a resort ranch in Stanley, Idaho.   It is a spectacular place, small, quiet (needed after the long stint in Yellowstone), and friendly. I am learning new skills, meeting new people. I am the oldest on staff but enjoying the energy of the young people around me.

The Ranch was started in 1929 and opened in 1930.  This project, during the early years of the Great Depression must have been a boon to locals who found work on the buildings.   It was designed as a guest ranch or club from the start.  And although there are horses and cattle on the acreage, its purpose was to serve people looking for a restful, western experience.

But rather than talking a lot about it, here are photos to show the place I am calling home for the summer.   I didn't bring my motorhome as they have employee housing.  I have a large room to myself, shared bath and small kitchen although meals are provided for us at the main lodge.  My lodgings are definitely first rate.

Some of the guest cabins with Sawtooth Range in the background.

View of main lodge (right) and some of the cabins with the pond in the foreground

View from the lower ranch, taken just below the hot spring pool.  I haven't gone horseback riding yet, but should in the next couple of weeks.

Canada Geese take flight as horse are let out to run

Main room in lodge.  This is during training, normally large cardboard boxes and clutter would not be there

Hot spring pool.   Water is fed from the natural spring, by pipe, across the Salmon River to feed the pool.  Runs between 102 to about 104, sometimes 105 degrees in the pool.  Delightful place to soak, look at the stars.  The area around Stanley has many hot springs.

We had three snow falls after I arrived in early June. Here are a few photos of how it looked.

View from ranch

Look closely.  The little white dots which may look like lint on the photo is snow.  It was just starting

The dining room

The ranch brand, fireplace in dining room

Plenty of snow shoe hares.

The crew doing wine tasting during our training.

More snow photos.   Mid June.

This photo reminds me of one I took on the deck of Old Faithful with the benches covered in snow.

This is from the museum located in between Upper and Lower Stanley

Salmon River which we floated during training.  White Otter Rafting Company works with the Ranch to provide raft trips.  It was cold and I was dreading the trip, even though I enjoy white water rafting.  But they outfitted us with wet suits and it was delightful.   River was running high, we saw bald eagle, deer and American Dippers.

Driveway for Ranch this is below the lodge and pond, looking towards lower ranch, where
hot spring pool, Salmon River, horse barn, lodgings for owners, and some staff.

View towards Sawtooth Mountains from Lower Stanley.

View from the museum.  Swallow is in the opening of the bird box, Sawtooth Mountains in the distance.

Upper Stanley, Idaho.  Custer County has no stop lights.  Stanley's population is 63 the school which has a spectacular view has about a dozen kids in k-8.  None of the streets, except Hwy 21 which runs through Upper Stanley and Hwy 75 which runs through Lower Stanley are paved.   During the summer, on Thursday nights, one of the streets in Stanley is closed to vehicles and they have dancing in the street with live band which sets up in front of the post office.Great fun.  While the year round population is small, it is a mecca for people looking for great outdoor space.

Shooting Stars, one of my spring favorites.

Another view from the ranch.  When I am at my post at the host station, I can see the 

mountains.

I have learned to carry trays of wine glasses, open and pour correctly, set up the outdoor self-help lemonade, ice tea and coffee stands, gas wine bottles at end of shift, use the application to record drinks served, and then post those to the accounts, lock up areas that are locked (lodge building is open 24 hours).   Still a little nervous about programs for making reservations for white water rafting, massage, horse back riding, but that is my goal for this week. I've managed to check out Off Ranch guests for dinner and ring up tab (fixed price dinners, drinks are separate) 

I know some friends will be horrified to hear I am carrying trays of glasses, or dishes from tables.  But I have learned some tricks of the trade.   Some things I haven't had to learn, especially conversing with the guests.  That comes easy after all the summer jobs I've held.   

I will continue to post photos as I explore the area.  There are lots of old mining sites which I love.  The light and play on the Sawtooths is ever changing and a delight.   I am not seeing as much wildlife as I did in Yellowstone, but will share what I see.  Lots of backroads to explore, mountain lakes.   But now it is almost time to start my shift, so more on Stanley, Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch will come later.

Idaho City

 OFF TO A NEW ADVENTURE    

On my way to the summer job in Stanley, ID, I spent a night in Idaho City, a gold town, but certainly not a ghost town.  Idaho City is the county seat for Boise County.   Considerably smaller than the city of Boise or many of its surrounding communities, County government is centered here. Delightfully, they have used the old buildings, even some of the old furnishings as their headquarters.

      I stayed in the Idaho City Inn, arriving early in the day from Boise.  It was a great spot to spend the last night before arriving at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch in Stanley, which is also a historic spot, just not quite as old.  As someone who spent her career in public administrations, I must say that none of the cities or counties I worked in had such interesting office buildings.  Here are a few scenes from Idaho City.

Idaho City Hotel.   Very comfortable, quiet.   Interiors of rooms have been updated.

The Boise County Commissioners hold meetings in the bar of an old hotel.  The bar, is still in place and the lighting fixtures are of the period of Idaho City's mining era..

City Hall.   It is a lot more attractive than the City Halls I worked in in Antioch and Richmond.  Richmond's wasn't bad for a fairly modern building but Antioch's, despite great location overlooking the merging of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, was a sad example of architecture.  

There was a good museum in town where I spent some time.  Besides the indoors, there were a  number of smaller buildings, such as a blacksmith shop, fire station, and jail\pest house (where people who were contagious could be kept),.

\
The Pest House was an isolation infirmary.  Combined with the jail, and rather austere accomodations, it didn't seem to me to be a particularly healthy, for the sick person, situation.   \

This is a snow shoe for a horse.   First time I saw one of these was in Bodie.

Idaho City Cemetery

Some photos repeat.  Not sure what is happening, but if I try to remove one, all of them go.....this is not how this program normally works.  Oh well, at least I got it posted finally.