In the silence I opened my window to listen to the secret of the Bitterroots…a nameless hush.” – The Great Western Bus Ride, Jack Kerouac
I needed a nameless hush. I wanted to get away from the city’s wailing fire engines, ambulance sirens, and sounds of traffic. I ached to see a place where the sun and moon weren’t blocked by high-rises, where the wind whispered through the trees, where I could stare up at snow-topped mountain peaks and see the stars at night. I dreamed of hiking Wild West trails, biking without having to dodge distracted drivers in the city, and horseback riding among golden Aspens, orange cottonwoods and Ponderosa pines.
So, I booked a vacation to Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, deep in the heart of the Montana Rockies. This 26,000-acre Relais & Chateaux luxury resort, less than two hours south of the Missoula Airport, is a tranquil all-adult all-inclusive (wine and alcohol included) getaway offering gourmet meals, endless adventures, and plenty of wildlife to watch. Also a working ranch, there are 150 bison, a wild herd of 1,000 elk, and several hundred black angus cows.
My log cabin, one of twenty-five, was enormous. The living room area had a buttery-soft leather couch to sink into, swiveling armchairs, kitchen with coffee and tea maker, a fridge stocked with sodas and juices, coffee, tea and homemade granola and freshly made cookies were restocked daily. The living room fireplace needed only a match to roar to life, readied each day. There was a small dining table for meals (you could have every meal delivered any time of day), a huge LED screen TV and DVR, and a king-sized four log-poster bed. The bathroom had two ensuites, two vanity areas stocked with Moulton Brown amenities, robes and slippers, and an enormous steam shower. Upon seeing my spacious cabin, I was tempted to jump into my private hot tub on my wrap-around deck, breathe in the fragrance of the Ponderosa forest, and do nothing. But I’d do nothing later.
We watched a short video explaining how to get on a horse, how to make it go, stop, turn, etc. Then, led by Kelly, the wrangler, we mounted and rode out of the corral to a forest path blanketed in fragrant Ponderosa pines, and where Aspen, birch and larch trees glowed golden yellow. Always in the distance were the snow-capped mountains. The sun absolutely silent except for the horse’s hooves clip-clopping on the earthen trail.
I wanted to try a few esoteric activities. I didn’t feel like soap or candle making, archery, fire building, or geocaching, but I wanted to give hatchet throwing a try. Rusty, the Logging Camp guide, handed me four small hatchets, stood me in front of a wooden target, and told me to aim for the bullseye. I aimed perfectly, but hatchet after hatchet missed the target. After sixteen throws I was ready to give up, but Rusty encouraged me to try again. Thwack! On throw seventeen, the hatchet landed smack into the target, an almost perfect bullseye. Grinning from ear to ear, I sauntered, now a bit bow-legged from my ride, over to the sapphire panning area.
I was tired – maybe it was the 4,600-foot altitude – but it was time for a hot tub, then a steam in my wall-to-wall steam shower, relaxing time by the roaring fire, and finally, dinner. At Triple Creek, you don’t wait to be seated—you choose any table. Chef Jacob Leatherman, who has cooked at the James Beard Foundation, knocked it out of the park with every dish – no two were ever the same no matter which day. Dinner began with an amuse bouche (my favorite was smoked trout with lime crema and a sage pistou) to homemade soups and appetizers (think smoked duck breast with fresh figs and toasted hazelnuts) followed by dry aged beef ribeye with black truffle sauce, cheeses, and a sinful dessert.
Many come here to fly fish, not surprising as Montana fishing is the ne plus ultra and at Triple Creek, there are three rivers, two ponds and float trips from which to choose. The ranch supplies rods, reels, flies, nets, waders, and boots. I am not a fisherwoman but decided to try a fly-fishing casting lesson with Sean. We started on land, then went to one of the fully stocked trout ponds. While Sean was very encouraging, I am much too impatient to stand still and cast a line, so I suggested we go mountain biking instead.