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Rocking Tree Ranch North of Yellowstone |
  
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Rocking Tree Ranch North of Yellowstone |
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Maintaining the fences alone requires a full-time worker. Two additional men are needed to gather, care for, and prepare the 50 horses for the week-long visits from city-dwelling cowboys. The ranch also offers full-board cooking, evening gatherings around the fire with country bands, and races at Big Timber.
During the season, Mary is kept busy with her 12 employees. As she often says, “I’m on the brink of hiring someone just to manage my staff.” However, things have quieted down now. Yesterday, we packed away the tepee and did a final check of the fences to ensure they’re ready for winter.
The snowfall this morning caught us by surprise. We had planned to leave for Bozeman, the nearest city, but decided to stay in our “Bunk-House” to avoid the risk of slipping, a lesson I learned the hard way in the Canadian Rockies. My rental car is ill-equipped for the “big tracks” here, so caution is key!
Before her life on the ranch, Mary worked in software. She was fortunate enough to sell her business in 1998, just before the internet and stock market crash. She wisely restructured her life, investing everything into this Southern Montana Ranch and getting it up and running without hesitation.
The community here is tight-knit. Friends and neighbors support and invite each other to gatherings, like Mary’s birthday party. The quality of the meal that evening was exceptional, and the company was charming and attentive. The cozy wood fire, the aperitif, the piano music, and the good wine quickly made us forget the icy wind outside.
Mary has dedicated herself to her ranch for the past two years. Despite her efforts, she nearly lost everything last year when a massive fire came within a mile of the property. A shift in the wind pushed back the danger, but the traces of the fire are still visible and send chills down your spine.
Mary lives alone with her son Lee, surrounded by vast spaces and facing the mountains of Yellowstone National Park. A horse rider since childhood, Mary is living her dream in the great West.
Mary embodies the spirit of a pioneer, never complaining. Her son Lee, despite being only 10, already shows signs of being a future leader. He listens more than he speaks and possesses a quiet strength common to those in this area.
The ranch is as comfortable as a small village and isolated from everything. The Rocking Tree Ranch boasts a magnificent wooden barn, a large corral housing a few horses including a spirited stallion, three country-style guest cabins, Mary’s house, and the Guesthouse with its state-of-the-art stainless steel kitchen capable of serving around fifty people.
Additionally, there are sheds for agricultural machinery and old tracks used for property rounds, fence checks, or locating a lost calf. Near the river, a tepee stands next to a massive barbecue where 350g steaks and large potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil are grilled.
Last night, we dined at the “Grand Hotel” in Big Timber, a structure boasting 1930s architecture, around ten rooms, a bar, and a spacious restaurant where we savored the finest California wines: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
The hotel and its bar have retained their original atmosphere since the days of the western rush. At the bar, patrons enjoy beer and laughter, while the restaurant’s large room is filled with wine and conversation. I must admit, I’m slightly envious of the lively ambiance on the bar side.
We were joined by Mary’s parents, who reside on the East Coast in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. They travel some 3000 miles twice a year, over four days and three nights, to visit their daughter and grandson.
In the city center, the main street is the hub of activity. Cars are parked curb-side, and the chamber of commerce, library, Chinese restaurant, vintage gas pump, and hardware store line the street.
The latter is a one-stop-shop for all ranching needs. The Little Timber Quilts department store remains as it was in the past, with a high ceiling, large counter, and a ladder that slides along wooden cupboards filled with fabrics of all sizes and colors. This is the realm of patchwork. The ladies gather several times a week to share their expertise and invited us for coffee and cake to celebrate the store’s second anniversary under new management.
There’s also the “Lazy J” Motel, where Robert Redford filmed a love story for the movie “Horse Whisperer”. Aneta is captivated by Robert, his blue eyes, and blond hair.
Lastly, there’s a quaint hair salon, curiously situated away from the other businesses in a small cabin on an empty square. This is likely where the cowboys get their wild hair tamed before returning to the vast prairies. Their energetic entrance into stores, their direct and spontaneous physical force, reminds me of the gold prospectors I worked with in Northern California’s Redwood Forest.
Rocking Tree Ranch, Big Timber, Montana, USA - Map 
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