Chico Basin Ranch, Colarado: Cattle ranches and cowboys in the American West

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Chico Basin Ranch, Colarado: Cattle ranches and cowboys in the American West

By Julie Miller
Rancher Duke Phillips, left and Western painter Duke Beardsley, right, ride together for the last round up of cattle for the season.

Rancher Duke Phillips, left and Western painter Duke Beardsley, right, ride together for the last round up of cattle for the season. Credit: Helen H. Richardson

It's an eight-person job to prepare a male calf for its future on Chico Basin Ranch – after a cowboy on horseback ropes and leads it, bucking in protestation, away from the herd, another two wrestle it to the ground, restraining it while the rest of the team step in to do their jobs: one to tag, one to vaccinate, one to sear its flesh with a brand, one to dehorn and one to do the rather gruesome task of castrating, throwing the evidence on the ground for the dogs to consume.

The youngster lows in confusion and fear, its eyes wide as it has its first physical contact with human beings. But within 60 seconds, the ordeal is over; and without any evidence of residual suffering, the steer trots back through the dust to its mother who nudges it reassuringly.

As a vegetarian, I expect to be horrified by this routine; but instead, I'm relieved by the expeditiousness, and more than a little impressed by the compassion of the cowboys and girls handling the cattle.

Chico Basin Ranch in Colorado.

Chico Basin Ranch in Colorado.

On 35,000 hectares of high prairie near Colorado Springs, Chico Basin is a working cattle ranch owned by the Colorado State Land Board but managed by the family-run Ranchlands group using traditional farming practices with a high conservation focus. Their philosophy is that responsible ranching can enrich the land rather than deplete it, with natural grazing methods enhancing biodiversity and negating the need for fertilisers and pesticides.

Preserving the cultural legacy of America's West is also at the heart of the operation, with a slate of educational programs designed to show kids and adults that traditional life is still viable in this stare-at-the-screen Pokemon Go age. As an extension of that, the ranch also welcomes a handful of paying guests, providing an authentic experience for travellers who want to indulge their inner cowboy.

This, however, is no "dude ranch" – if your fantasy involves nose-to-tail trail rides followed by a rejuvenating spa treatment, look elsewhere. This is true grit, involving long hours in the saddle, exposure to the elements and more than the odd bruise. But if it's authenticity and a genuine insight into the workings of the American West, Chico Basin delivers, bow legs and all.

Cowboys working at Chico Basin Ranch.

Cowboys working at Chico Basin Ranch.Credit: Helen H. Richardson

Half an hour south of Colorado Springs, the snow-capped peaks of the Continental Divide are reduced to a distant blip on the western horizon. Looking east, however, there are no distinguishing features – just mile after mile of flat native grasslands, tussocks interspersed with fragrant sagebrush, saltbush, clumps of kingcup cacti, delicate wild white poppies and prickly cholla, its vibrant pink flowers adding seasonal colour to a sepia landscape.

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It's late afternoon as I drive under the Chico Basin gateway, a scampering jackrabbit coming within a cottontail of my rental vehicle. After checking in at ranch headquarters, I am directed several kilometres down a dirt track to my accommodation; but within minutes I'm stuck fast in a boggy puddle, wheels spinning hopelessly in the treacherous slime. I sheepishly walk back to the office and admit my predicament, feeling like a rookie city chick – certainly not the most auspicious start to my week.

Finally, with the aid of a sturdy Landcruiser to navigate the mud, I arrive at May Camp, an adobe brick homestead which houses several staff members as well as up to six guests. The two dedicated guest rooms are basic but comfortable – fan-cooled, with a queen bed and double bunks; while there is a shared bathroom, kitchen and lounge area plus a veranda for shooting the breeze over a cold beer.

Ranch hand intern Margo Chalmers takes a dip to cool off in one of the ranch's ponds with her horse Rose.

Ranch hand intern Margo Chalmers takes a dip to cool off in one of the ranch's ponds with her horse Rose.Credit: Helen H. Richardson/Getty Images

My host for this evening is apprentice manager Jake, a long, tall drink of water who saves small talk for his beloved dogs. Throughout the week, I'll be the dinner guest of a different staff member each night, allowing me to probe into their private lives, gain different perspectives on ranch life and break down initial staff/guest barriers.

But it's out on the range that it becomes apparent that I am not here to be pampered or given preferential treatment. By 7am, I'm saddling my allocated horse – a rather dour-looking chestnut with the unfortunate name of Meat Knot – before trotting out across the flat expanse to begin our task for the day: moving 1000 head of cattle into a neighbouring pasture.

It should be prefaced here that I ride regularly – I have my own horse, and consider myself somewhat ride-fit. But in this case, "trotting out" is a euphemism for endurance; we trot …and trot … and trot … for perhaps an hour, a relentless pace which gives me a stitch and stinging thighs and reduces poor Meat Knot, who has a tracheal condition, to a guttural wheeze.

But this sturdy, honest beast is undeterred, despite sounding like a dinosaur; he knows his job and has the stamina of a camel. Like the cattle, Chico Basin's ranch-bred quarter horses are wiry, fit and tough as nails, receiving no supplementary feed even in the dead of winter. They are bred to thrive in these harsh conditions, and if they don't pass muster, they are moved on to a less demanding home.

The pasture we are heading to is enormous, almost the size of a small European principality. At the gate we split up to cover different corners of the acreage, pushing the breeding herd into one big mob. This of course requires more trotting, and I am more than relieved when I reach my designated cows and can slow to a walk to ease them along. Which of course, is easier said than done – these cattle are skittish, and some youngsters make a break for freedom. But Meat Knot is on the ball, displaying a surprising burst of speed and an admirable pivot to stop the rebels in their tracks.

There's an art to moving a huge group of cattle, a choreographed dance that encourages the lead heifer to step out while pushing the herd gathered behind, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. Once again, it's not that easy; and more than once we find the uncooperative cows log-jammed from the rear. The mob refuses to move forward; the pace is frustratingly slow.

After four of so hours, we finally manage to negotiate half of the herd – around 500 head – through a gate into the neighbouring pasture. "Now for the second lot," I hear cowboy Eric say.

Reality sets in; I look at him with wide-eyed disbelief. The midday sun is brutal, my riding helmet provides little shade (note to self, wear a cowboy hat tomorrow), I have a furious sunburn on my thigh (courtesy of fashionably ripped jeans) and I've drained the litre of water I'm carrying. My body aches, my head hurts, and I'm truly spent. There's no way I have another four hours in me.

Calling guest privilege, I concede defeat and decide to bail. I wish the staff members good luck and point an equally relieved Meat Knot in the direction home, knowing he'll find his way in this featureless landscape.

Later that night, I hear how those hardworking men and women endured another six hours in the saddle, complicated by the first group of cows breaking through the electric fence, undoing all our hard work.

"It was so demoralising," Becca, a beautiful blonde from LA who gave up a glamorous lifestyle in the entertainment world to learn the business of ranching, tells me. "We had no water, we were all slightly hysterical, and very grumpy; but we had to get the job done. It doesn't always go to plan."

I'm amazed at the fortitude of this titanium crew – and their ability to bounce back. By 7am, they are back in the corral, hoisting the saddles onto their ponies for another day of heat, dust and uncooperative cows.

This time, it's two bulls that challenge us as we attempt to load them onto a trailer. One, a hulking tan beast with fearsome horns, mock-charges my pony; Meat Knot stands his ground, and I'm grateful for my elevated position in the saddle. After several attempts of rebellion, the bull trots meekly up a ramp and onto the trailer; it then double-barrels the door before launching itself over the rail in an incredible display of agility.

"Well, he's done his dash," Jake drawls as we watch the renegade bull trot off into the distance. "If a bull doesn't have a good disposition, we won't keep him – it's selective breeding."

The working holiday of a Chico Basin guest is determined by daily ranch requirements; one day you might be cutting and sorting steers, the next repairing fences. It can be hard, physical labour; but underlying the intensity is the satisfaction of achievement, the camaraderie of shared experience and the romance of a disappearing lifestyle.

And then there's the overwhelming lure of wide-open spaces and the freedom of the range. As Becca and I ride through a dry creek bed in search of some errant cows, we pause to watch a whitetail buck leaping through the saltbush - graceful, proud and in harmony with this deceptively intoxicating landscape.

Becca then proffers a quote from frontier author Willa Cather: "Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie." I get it now.

FLY

United Airlines flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles, with domestic transfers to Denver (see united.com). Chico Basin Ranch is a two-hour drive from Denver via Colorado Springs. For car rental, see DriveAway Holidays at driveaway.com.au

STAY

A six-night all-inclusive package at Chico Basin Ranch costs $US1995 per person, including lodging, all meals and activities on the ranch, see chicobasinranch.com

Julie Miller travelled with assistance from Ranchlands, United Airlines and DriveAway Holidays.

FIVE OTHER WORKING RANCH EXPERIENCES:

ZAPATA, MOSCA, COLORADO

Chico Basin's sister property, this scenic 42,000-hectare ranch is in the high desert bordering the Great Sand Dunes National Park. As well as cattle, this ranch – which accommodates 25 guests, with an emphasis on families – has its own herd of bison, a true symbol of the American West. See zranch.org

BLACK LEG, MACKENZIE, NORTH DAKOTA

This cattle ranch on the rolling plains east of Bismarck has been owned by the Doan family since 1882, and now supplements its ranching income with agritourism. Guests can join in ranch activities, explore on horseback or an all-terrain vehicle or chill at the comfortable hunting lodge. See blacklegranch.com

LOS POTREROS, CORDOBA, ARGENTINA

While trail riding and polo on exceptional home-bred horses is the focus at this luxurious family-run estancia in the moody Sierra Chicas, guests can also participate in seasonal cattle activities such as branding with the local gaucho community. See estancialospotreros.com

BEAUMONT, SOUTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Guests at this high-country sheep farm in the extremities of New Zealand's South Island have exclusive access to station activities, riding out with the owners of the property and their hard-working dogs on mustering adventures. See beaumontexperience.co.nz

BITTERROOT, DUBOIS, WYOMING

While the focus at this family-run horse and cattle ranch is on improving riding skills, guests can join in seasonal cattle drives, pushing the herd to and from their summer pastures in the glorious pine-clad mountains. See bitterrootranch.com

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