Westcliffe will be hosting its first annual Ghost Walk on Friday October 30th from 6-8pm.  The event starts at the Jones Theater and will visit seven historic buildings with “ghostly” pasts.  Participants are encouraged to come in Old West attire (optional) and area businesses will remain open until 6pm for holiday shopping.  The tour will include visits to a former jail, hotel, mortuary, and other haunted sights. If you can’t make it to the event but would like to learn more about Westcliffe’s history visit their Chamber of Commerce for photos and brief stories about the buildings, characters, and events of Westcliffe’s wild west days.

The historic Feed Store built in 1885 - photo courtesy of westcliffefeedstore.com

On Halloween day the merchants of Westcliffe and Silver cliff will be holding their annual trick or treat event from 4-7pm.  The surrounding communities of Buena Vista, Canon City, and Florence will also host downtown trick or treat events and festivals.  For those seeking live entertainment, the play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be running  all weekend at the Steam Plant Theater in Salida.  For more information or details on any of these events contact Jen at jcole@maytagmountainranch.com

October started out as a chilly month across the country, but the temperatures have warmed back up here in the Rocky Mountains to give outdoor enthusiasts a second chance at summer.  The leaves have been gorgeous, with the Aspen and Cottonwood glowing golden and the oak brush a brilliant orange.  The views both from the ranch and up in the mountains are unbelievable, as is the amount of wildlife present this year.  Horseback rides across the ranch have been giving owners and their guests up close sightings of huge bucks, does with their young, and herds of antelope.  The elk can be heard bugling at dusk,  their calls competing with the singing of the coyotes.  The nights have been cool and clear, with bright starry skies, and the sunrises and sunsets have somehow managed to become even more beautiful than they are in the summer.   The fishing has been outstanding as well, both on the ranch and in the nearby Arkansas, and the recent clean up work done on our creeks has created even more lateral pools for our fly fishing enthusiasts to explore.  There is never a bad time to be out here on the ranch, but fall at leaf-turning time is truly is one of the best.

Aspen along Monarch Pass

Oak brush and trees at the Hemmes' homestead

View along Lake Creek Lane

Snow covered fourteeners along Independence Pass

Chef Don Belveal

Friends and family of the ranch gathered in the cookhouse Saturday night to enjoy Don Belveal’s amazing barbecue.  Known to many folks as the highly entertaining host of the Westcliffe bluegrass festival, Don is also quite the BBQ master.  He brought his smoker to the ranch early on Saturday morning and spent the whole day smoking Maytag GrassFed beef for the party in the evening to enjoy.

Don and Jeannie

Don's amazing BBQ beef

Over 30 guests brought a huge array of potluck dishes and desserts to share, covering the counters and bar of the Lodge kitchen with a tasty spread. Ranch owners have been out to enjoy the Cookhouse Lodge’s amenities often this year, with quiet gatherings enjoying a good fire while sipping wine in the comfortable leather couches, and others pushing together seating in the dining rooms to hold many people at one table.  Marshmallow roasts have been common all summer long on the cookhouse beach, as it is hard to beat a good fire with good friends while watching the deer and elk emerge from the trees into the tall grass of the pastures surrounding the main ranch compound.