If you are wondering what it's like to work on a guest ranch during the winter, then hopefully I can help answer some questions for you. I worked at a guest ranch in the western United States for a year and a half and spent two different winter seasons out there. This was one of my favorite seasonal jobs for many reasons and it is an experience I highly recommend. The winter season can look extremely different than the summer, so hopefully my experience will help you prepare for your winter season working on a guest ranch.
Getting a Job on a Ranch for the Winter Season
There are different types of ranches you can work on and they are generally seen as a working ranch or a guest ranch. I worked on a guest ranch where guests stay on property, are served meals, participate in activities, and live out their cowboy dreams for the length of their stay. Some are only open for the summer but many need help for the winter season.
I found the job at my ranch on CoolWorks but there are lots of websites where you can find ranch jobs. I had no ranching experience when I applied. After sending in an application I had an interview and ended up getting a job working at the front desk. I originally applied for the summer season but staid on through the winter.
When applying for the job they really wanted to hear about my hospitality experience. They wanted to know that I was a people person who could welcome and assist guests during their time on the ranch. With most guest ranch jobs, this is what they are looking for. Even if you are going to be a wrangler or a fly fishing guide they want to know you can do the people side of it.
My Job on a Ranch During the Winter
I worked at the front desk on the ranch as an activities coordinator. I met with guests each day and helped them plan their activities. I also did office work; booking reservations, checking in guests, organizing transportation, and working logistics. I spent my work days at a computer in the office or walking around the ranch to assist with guest requests or problems. Since I worked inside, I got to stay warm during the winter season.
There are lots of different types of job you can get at a ranch during the winter such as; server, kitchen, ranch hand, reservations, housekeeping, wrangler, guided activity instructor, and more. If you rather work indoors away from the cold there are plenty of options, but if you want to spend your days in the snow you can do that too.
The Western Look and Dress Code
No matter the season, every department needs to look the part, and this means dressing in your best western attire. As an office team member this meant we got to dress cute and comfortable. Jeans and cowboy boots were always expected and since it was winter we got to wear sweaters with western-like patters, fringe shirts, and leather jackets. It took me some time to build up my western closet and it all came out of my own money, but I really enjoyed that part of the job.
While I did not need to worry about outdoor gear as much, many departments work outside. With how cold it gets it is important to bundle up and that means investing in good winter gear. The wranglers, who ride on snowy trails, usually wore many layers and thick overalls to keep warm. The ranch hand's main winter job was snow removal so they invested in serious winter boots and thick Carhartt jackets. Even housekeeping staff had heavy jackets and winter boots on hand to move from cabin to cabin.
A Day in the Life Working on a Guest Ranch
I worked 5 days on with 2 consecutive days off, about 40 hours per week, 7-9 hours per day. I worked the evenings and would start work at 12:00pm or 2:00pm depending on the day. My work day ended at 9:00pm.
With the morning off, sometimes I would join an indoor horse clinic and sometimes I would just hide inside from the cold. My morning routine almost always consisted of shoveling the walkway to our housing and usually digging out my car. I alway let my car warm up for at least 20 minutes before heading to work. It was only a five minute drive up the road.
Once at the ranch I clocked in, got updates from my co-workers, and took care of anything pressing like a guest request. I would respond to emails and answer phones to deal with bookings and questions about the ranch. If guests were checking in that day I would check them in, give them a tour, and get them up to their cabins. In the evening I would meet with each family individually to plan their activities for the next day.
The more guests we had on property the busier it was. Mid-winter our guests numbers could get really low and days sometimes dragged on. Usually there was at least two of us in the office to keep each other company and someone in another department was always stopping by to talk. At 9:00pm I would close down the office.
Days Off During the Winter Season
One thing about working on a ranch is that you are far away from civilization. On a good day it was about 45 minutes to town, but sometimes it could take an hour depending on how bad the roads were. There were some weekends I never left my housing because it was too cold and snowy for the drive to be worth it.
On days I did get into town I spent a lot of time at the library or a coffee shop. I would walk by the river if it wasn't too cold and would grocery shop when needed. Downhill skiing was a big thing for many of my coworkers but I am not a skier so I had more chill days. There wasn't too much to do in town if you didn't ski or want to shop, so I spent a lot of time indoors reading, doing puzzles, and writing. I also took advantage of the horseback riding we got to participate in and would try and join a riding lesson or trail ride each week.
Because of how cold and dark it gets in the winter months, the season can feel like it drags on. It’s important to find a hobby to keep you busy and an activity to keep your body active.
Working the Holidays on a Guest Ranch
As a guest ranch we offer holiday stays. At my ranch, we were closed from October through early December and did not have Halloween or Thanksgiving stays. We did offer holiday stays during Christmas and New Years.
For Christmas we would put up a huge tree, hang wreaths, tinsel, and other decorations. We had multiple evening activities leading up to the actual day such as cookie decorating and ornament making. On Christmas day we served guests breakfast in bed and then there is a huge lunch feast that the kitchen spends multiple days cooking. It's crazy how much food there was; steak, shrimp, lobster, potatoes, pasta, a salad bar, sides, drinks, several dessert tables, and more. During the day we had special family sleigh rides and it was always a white Christmas. After hours we had a staff party and a Secret Santa gift exchange.
New Year’s Eve was my favorite holiday at the ranch. While the kitchen and dining staff put on a big dinner for the guests, we (the office staff) covered the lodge in decorations to get ready for the giant barn dance and the midnight balloon drop. That evening, when the guests finished dinner they would enter the newly decorated lodge and join the staff for a ranch wide barn dance. We all got to enjoy champagne and desserts during the evening. After counting down the new year the ranch hands set off fireworks in the pasture and everyone would run outside and stand around the fire to watch. Usually after clean up the staff would have their own a New Year's Eve party.
Working the holidays was actually a lot of fun. It was a change in the mundane and there really wasn't anything else to do since we are all in the middle of nowhere and the majority of staff are so far away from their family. It made things magical and my first New Year's Eve at the ranch is still my favorite New Year's Eve I’ve ever had.
The Winter Weather
The snow that covers the mountains and trees made everyday look like a fairytale, and there is nothing like curling up and watching white flakes dance over the frosted pines. But the cold can be a bit too real sometimes. Being so high up in the mountains, temperatures reached negative 25 and never made it above 40 for the majority of the winter. My first winter on the ranch was a record breaking snowfall. I shoveled multiple times a day and eventually the path from my house to my car came past my head and it was like walking in a tunnel to get out of my house.
Driving was rough. Staff cars got stuck in the snow on the way to and from work way more times than I could count. Most of my off days the snow made it impossible to leave the house unless you wanted to ski from the porch or dig your car out of 5 feet of snow. Even then it was sometimes too dangerous to drive into town. The following winter was not as bad, and there were way less cars getting stuck, but the snow still piles high.
Since I worked an indoor job, I got to hide inside all day from the majority of the cold, but when I did go outside it was absolutely freezing. Just running to another building called for bundling up so that your hair didn't frost over. Some of my other friends working as ranch hands and wranglers spent their work days bundled up outside. Some loved it, some were not the biggest fans.
Staff Housing on the Ranch in the Winter
While housing was considered free there was a facilities fee that they deducted directly from your paycheck. This basically included utilize, laundry, and all your meals. I lived at three employee housing locations over my time at the ranch. My favorite was a big old wooden cabin away from the center of the ranch. The view from the front porch was amazing, snow capped mountain peaks to the right and ranch land dotted with horses and deer to the left.
In the winter there was a lot of snow shoveling to be done before work to get out of the house, along with digging out and warming up your car. Sometimes getting to work was frustrating due to slippery roads or the access road not being plowed consistently. I had a roommate who skied to work everyday and those who lived closer to the ranch just walked the 500 hundred feet. Since the weather keeps most staff indoors at night, the common areas were usually filled with other staff members having movie nights, game nights, or having dinner together.
Ranch Food in the Winter
As staff members we eat the same food the guest do and it was phenomenal. Breakfast was staff only and served in the staff room but for lunch and dinner we ate with the guests. Of course, with the outdoor areas being covered in snow, all meals take place inside the dining room.
The food in the winter is different than the summer and it is a lot more hearty foods and hot options; soups, pot pie, pastas, bread, meat, seasonal fruits, etc.. Everything is really good and really rich. On the flip side... Each meal is a set theme and takes place on a specific day of the week. Thus, as staff, we eat a lot of the same food. With every Friday being BBQ night and every Tuesday being Taco Tuesday for 6 months, you can get tired of the food really fast. At some point in the season I usually started packing my own lunch or dinner.
While meals are provided, I usually spent more time cooking on my own during the winter because to get dressed up and brave the cold and snow just to go get dinner on my day off was a lot of effort and energy.
Winter VS Summer Working on a Ranch
There are many differences between the winter and summer season. While the goal of your job is the same, tasks differ due to the weather. In the summer wranglers spend most of their time on trail rides through the mountains and ranch hands are in the pastures fixing fences. In the winter wranglers are running indoor lessons and ranch hands are shoveling snow. But the goal is still to provide and authentic western experience for the guests.
There is also a different feel to the ranch in the winter. The snow makes for a cozy and calming, yet more somber feeling overall. You want to spend your days inside by the fire while looking at the snow frosted trees that span the pastures. The activities offered for the guests change from fly fishing to ice fishing and from cattle driving to indoor lessons. The evening activities and meals all move indoors and you spend a lot of your time in the same locations that will keep you warm.
What you are able to do is also much different. Personally, I think the winter is beautiful but I enjoy outdoor activities much more. The summer provides me with access to the hiking trails near the property and a river to swim in. But, I had a co-worker that swears they sick around for the summers because they love the winter season best and can't picture anything better than skiing all day and enjoying snowy activities.
Both seasons provide a much different experience, but both are very much worth experience.
Conclusion
Working a winter season on a guest ranch is much different than working a summer season. If this post has gotten you curious about working at a guest ranch, and you are okay with braving the cold weather, then why not find a job on a ranch for the winter. Have you worked on a ranch during the winter? Please share your experience in the comments below!
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