Interview with Shelley Williams of Powderhorn Ranch

Read below how Shelley and her husband Greg moved from the Detroit Police Force to quiet Colorado to run a ranch in the Rocky Mountains.

1.     How did you and Greg come to acquire the ranch?

It’s been about 10 years, we were looking to retire but not really retire, we moved from Detroit where we worked within the police force. This was definitely a big lifestyle change.

2.     How has it changed your daily life?

We feel as though we have a better quality of life,  we get the chance to interact with people and we get to live in middle of Rocky Mountains, what more could you want?

3.     What is the one thing you hope guests come away with after staying at your ranch for a few days?

Altitude adjustment.   Guests are coming from somewhere else that’s chaotic; they arrive here and are able to totally “chillax”. There is no cell service, they can walk away from all their electronic devices that tie them down and just get back to nature, to spending time with their significant other, or whatever it may be. They can sit around the pool or be social. The experience, or what they get out of it, is different for every guest. There is something for everybody.  Everyone walks away happy.

4.     Any fun stories?

Oh, lots, so many, I don’t even know where to start. Every year we get together as an association and we hear lots of different stories. One year, we were teaching a group of guests to steer their horses around trees. One guest totally freaked when she had to pull reigns as the horse was approaching a tree, instead she grabbed onto the tree, the horse kept going, but she kept holding onto the tree. The rest of the guests jokingly deemed her the “Treehugger”.  

 But there are so many things that happen around here, family reunions are amazing, there are no distractions, they have time to bond. Kids forget that they don’t even need stuff like television, even though they think they do. The best thing about having families & couples come in, is that they can’t be reached by outsiders, and they can actually spend time with each other.

And the guests keep coming back each year, I don’t know why; I think this environment just makes them feel better.

5.     If there was one feature about Powderhorn you’d like to have highlighted, which would it be?

There is always one nuance that separates one ranch from another. Ours is its primitive nature. When people say primitive it sometimes seems to have a bad connotation. But Powderhorn is surrounded by 1.5m acres of national forest.  Powderhorn extends down a valley – you don’t hear anything except for the birds. You can walk down the road in the morning and see elk or deer. A lot of what makes our ranch so special has to do with the staff. The staff is the biggest thing that brings guests back – their attitude of hard work makes a difference.

6.     What would be a typical day scenario?

A typical day for a staff member would involve getting up at 5am and starting by 5:45am. They have a full day of socializing and interacting with guests. After entertainment is over, most are in bed by 10pm. Some people refer to it as a “weeklong block party.” People come in on Sunday, don’t know each other, we call this the”uncomfortable night,” but by Monday it’s like a light bulb went on. You’ll find them sitting on each other’s porches having a cocktail, it’s like a biosphere. Having a mid-size ranch, like Powderhorn, makes a difference.

A typical day for a guest involves choosing from a “menu” the night before. Every day is a little different, they can sit by pool and read a book if they’d like.  It really is up to them to design trip around their own personal interests. If parents want to go horseback riding and kids want to jeep – they can split up. There are even some dads that come here to spend all their time fishing, we call them “fishing widows,” you might not see them until it’s time to leave.

7.     Do you have any testimonials written by guests about their experience?

We currently have a facebook page that was started by staff members and guests, it’s called, “Friends of Powderhorn Guest Ranch. There was also a USA Today article (back in 2007) written by guest .