Transfer Option:

2010 Special Weeks:
June 19 to 26   -- Sold Out
- this week includes a day of "Reenactment of the the "Custer Battlefield" (+$170)
June 26 to July 5 (extra 2 nights charge +$340)
- this week includes a day of "Reenactment of the the "Custer Battlefield" with the 4th of July parade 
From the End of May to early September
- Weekly Rodeo spectacle in Cody  (rafting options)



Activities are scheduled around the ranch and the cattle. The ranch operates their cattle on three different mountain ranges
- Pryor Mountains Range, Beartooth Range and the Bull Mountain Range. Depending on your riding ability and the time of year, you may be riding on each one of them during the week (some transfers may be necessary in the morning to get to these remote places)
Here are some examples of what we (you) will be doing: moving the cattle from one pasture to another; riding through the herd checking health and growth; riding the fence line and at times having to mend a section of it; irrigating hay and oat fields, and so on.
But after the work is done there’s often time for leisurely rides to see the Indian pictographs or driving up on the Pryor Mountains to experience a panorama of beautiful wild flowers and the wild mustangs of the Pryor mountains. In our new arena, guests are able to ride faster, run barrels, pole bend, and participate in 0 Mok See games, team penning and ranch roping.



The type of work is dictated by the seasons 
We have a saying . . . “all activities are dictated by the cows, weather and Lonnie”. Certainly the cows and weather have far more to do with what we are doing and where we are going, but the plan can change quickly.
January through March – this year will be the start of our Ski/Ride Holidays. Due to our close proximity to the Red Lodge Ski Complex (23 miles) we are offering our guests the opportunity to stay at the ranch house and either ride or ski during the day.
April – Spring has arrived and we are starting to prepare for the year’s ranch activities. Many of our returning guests take this opportunity to visit the ranch at a less busy time, also we are sorting cattle that are due to calf, and moving other cattle out to pasture once they have had their calves. Our guests also have the chance to combine activities and travel to the Red Lodge Ski Slope for world class spring skiing.
May – Starting beginning of May, we’ll be branding and working with the cows and calves at the Pryor Mountains and Grove Creek Ranch. Anyone wanting to take part in real cowboy activities, long days and hard work May is the month to look at. As well as all the cattle work, we will be starting to train some of our home-grown colts. Perfect riding weather and the newborn wildlife make May a great month to visit Montana.
June – Rodeo time starts on 1 June thru end of August so join us and the wranglers as we complete once a week at the Cody Nite rodeo. We’ll be finishing most of branding and main cattle drives for the year at the various ranches by mid-June. After this we fall back into checking the cattle regularly for the need for doctoring and moving stray cattle back to their range. This affords more relaxed riding days but a lot of fun checking and pushing the cattle from one location to another.
Marc Dixon and his family (our horse whisperer) come to the ranch twice a year to work with our young stock and mustangs, getting them prepared for their lives as ranch horses, past guests will be familiar with Hero and Ajax who were born and bred here and are now great working ranch horses. Last year we were fortunate in adopting three mustangs. Marc had an opportunity in 2009 season to start the gray (Smoke) and bay (Awesome) mustang, but has not yet seen the newest addition, Vaquero. We are very excited about starting Vaquero in 2010, as well as some other our other young homegrown colts like Maverick, Redneck, Tony and Max.
We will of course be seeing our friends the Real Bird family from the Crow reservation when we go on our Native American rides and following in the footsteps of Custer’s famous battle, as well as the one or two day rides we will also be able to visit the Custer museum and the Real Bird re-enactment of the battle, we are always amazed at the riding skills of the young crow Indian braves riding skills with no saddles in the re-enactment of the battle!!! 1st ride week starts19th June, 2nd week ride start 26th June, don’t worry our guests are provided with saddles and overnight camp is set up in Crow Indian teepees.
July –Join us for the 4th July parade and the Home of Champions rodeo in Red Lodge, Summer in Montana can hot in the daytime and cool in the evenings. Much of our ranching time involves checking, doctoring or moving stray cattle from one range to another. Due to the hot daytime temperatures we start early in the morning and try to finish our day when the temperature rises above 90. This allows us the opportunity for other afternoon activities, such as visiting the wild horse range, shopping in Cody, a day at Thermopolis at the hot spring spas or a spot of trout fishing locally. Or if you prefer we also can take you on a adventure to Yellowstone Park, always a favorite spot to visit!
August – The summer days continue and we maintain schedule for riding and working the cattle, we have weekly campouts one night a week with Mike our camp cook and historian. We also have a special week, the Crow Fair (15th thru 22nd Aug) is the single largest collection of teepees (1,400) with crafts, dancing, local customs and three days of great rodeo at the Crow Rodeo Grounds. We make this an excursion with a horseback ride through the Custer Battlefield, Indian rodeo in the afternoon, followed by the pageantry of the Indian dance competitions at night. Native food is available from vendors and we have the very special treat of spending the night in the Indian Village in authentic Crow teepees. Daytime activities at the Pow- Wow the next morning followed by the trip back to the Ranch. Those of us at the ranch highlight this event and everyone wants to attend.
September – At the ranch we are all looking forward to the cooler temperatures arriving and with it the change in our standard weekly duties. Slowly as the month goes on we start gathering the cattle from the high country and slowly push them down to the lower ranges. As the month progresses we get them closer and closer to the corrals. Due to much of these activities taking more time in the saddle, we are very busy all month on the gathering and preparations. That doesn’t curtail the beauty of September, the leaves are changing and the scenery is breathtaking. Spotting wildlife is also a treat as the wildlife are also making their way down the mountains for the coming winter.
October – This is the month where we get very busy with moving cattle . The 1st couple of weeks are spent finalizing the gathering and positioning of cattle We also have our 2nd Horse Whisperer Week with Marc Dixon returning the first week of October. As well as all this going on, we have the Nile rodeo in Billings where there is a week of livestock and horse shows, horse training clinics and four night of Rodeo!
New, this year our guests can combine a ranch stay with a trip to the professional bull riding finals in Las Vegas from 20th thru 24th October.
November – November’s first couple of weeks is spent with some finishing off of gathering, sorting and rounding up strays. Thanksgiving is fast approaching!
December – with Lonnie’s close association to rodeo, we head to Las Vegas for a few days of the NFR (National Finals Rodeo).
This year we are planning to attend 2010 NFR AND as well as our ski/ride program we can now offer our guests this trip to the NFR in Las Vegas from 3rd December thru 12th December.

Some weeks are almost fully booked now, but we would very much like to accommodate your needs. The earlier you make plans the better we can service your specific accommodation and riding needs. Don’t be concerned about riding experience. Certainly the gathering of cattle in September and October require more experienced riders, but we accommodate all folks and have plenty of chores for riders of all levels.

Overnight trip: We will have an overnight camp once weekly overlooking the Bighorn and the Pryor mountains, where you can sit by the campfire and experience real Dutch oven cooking and hear local folk lore and family history, wake up to cowboy coffee and breakfast.

River float trip: We also have a weekly river float where you can enjoy fly-fishing down the river or just go with the flow and watch the native wildlife on the river banks, whilst enjoying the beautiful sunset the choice is yours! This trip is only available when the river conditions are right and is not guaranteed.

Off Ranch Activities!
While vacationing with us, guests have opportunity for off-ranch activities. The availability of these activities depends on the season, we usually visit a selection of these activities once weekly and are included and transportation is provided (part of your transfer fee).  If you drive in on your own, you are welcome to follow the ranch vehicle - if you want to be driven, there is a small charge.
A few examples are:
Viewing the Wild Horse Range in the Pryor Mountains; Touring the Buffalo Bill Museum and visiting the Old Trail Town in Cody; Reliving the Battle of the Little Big Horn near the Custer Battlefield; Experiencing the breath-taking Beartooth Highway up to Yellowstone; White water rafting -- Cody, Wyoming ; Rodeos - either watch local rodeo or whilst visiting Cody see the Cody nite rodeo Golfing --for spectacular scenery, there’s an excellent 18-hole course is only 28 miles from the Lonesome Spur, right in the shadow of Beartooth mountains.
Guided Tours of Yellowstone park are available at additional cost and must be pre-booked with the ranch, the tour includes an overnight stay, and takes approx one and a half days to see the park, including old faithful. Prices can vary depending on which time of year you chose to see the park. Minimum party to do this tour is 2 persons. We are excited to be able to offer a holiday you won’t forget. We only take 8 - 10 guests at a time on the ranch, so everyone feels a part of the family atmosphere and ranching lifestyle.

The Continental Divide traverses the western half of the State in roughly a north-south direction.  To the west of the Divide, Montana is drained by the Kootenai, Clark Fork, and Flathead Rivers into the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River.  Many of the tributary streams in this region have their origin in the high western slopes of the Rockies.  Most streams traverse narrow canyons, at least through parts of their length, affording many valuable waterpower sites.  A relatively small area located between the Hudson Bay Divide and the Rocky Mountains is drained by the St. Mary River, which finds its way to Hudson Bay through the Saskatchewan River.  The remainder of the State is drained by the Missouri River, which is formed by the confluence of the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers at Three Forks, and travels northward through deep canyons in the Big Belt Mountains, and flows through the lower lying northeastern portion of the State.  The Yellowstone River, the principal tributary of the Missouri in Montana and which has its source in Wyoming, drains the southeastern section of the State and has its confluence with the Missouri just east of the Montana-North Dakota line.

The Continental Divide exerts a marked influence on the climate of adjacent areas.  West of the Divide the climate might be termed a modified north Pacific coast type, while to the east, climatic characteristics are decidedly continental.  On the west of the mountain barrier winters are milder, precipitation is more evenly distributed throughout the year, summers are cooler in general, and winds are lighter than on the eastern side.  There is more cloudiness in the west in all seasons, humidity runs a bit higher, and the growing season is shorter than in the eastern plains areas.

During the summer months hot weather occurs fairly often in the eastern parts of the State.  The highest ever observed was 117° at Glendive on July 20, 1893, and Medicine Lake on July 5, 1937.  Temperatures of over 100° sometimes occur in the lower elevation areas west of the Divide during the summer, but hot spells are less frequent and of shorter duration than in the plains sections.  Hot spells nowhere become oppressive, however, because summer nights almost invariably are cool and pleasant.  In the areas with elevations above 4,000 feet, extremely hot weather is almost unknown.  Summer days, however, are usually warm enough for light summer clothing.

Average Mean Temperatures/Precipitation: 
                    Low         High         Rain
• March         20             50             1”
• April            30             60             1.5”
• May             40            70              2.5”
• June             48             80             1.5”
• July              53             90              .8”
• August          50             90              .7”
• September    40             75             1.25”
• October        30             65             1.25”
• November     20            45               .7”

It is important that you bring warm and dry clothing. May and June can be cool and it can snow around that time of the year. Fortunately we haven’t really had to cope with extremely bad weather – but preparation is everything.

Note: Bring your own alcohol! Drinking Age for Alcohol: 21 yrs old (it is recommended for all persons under 35 to carry ID)

Note: Gratuities and transfers can be paid by cash or credit card- take some cash with you (10% of trip cost) it you'd like to pay by cash.

Lodging-- The lodging on the ranch is in cabins and the "bunk house".
There are two log cabins, decorated in western theme with log furniture and  separate restroom/shower;
The bunk house - each room has a bathroom and private deck - some rooms have Satellite TV/CD players. The rooms are decorated in a western or lodge theme. The bunk house has a double room with king size bed, one twin room with two twin beds and one single room. Indian teepees and a covered wagon can also be used for children lodgings.
All ranch accommodations have air-conditioning, heating and a refrigerator. 
We provide complementary fresh fruit, snacks and drinks in each room for our guests enjoyment, a gift pack of toiletries are provides for your comfort.



Spa Facilities -- We have a Catalina hot-tub where you can soak away your aches and pains after a hard days play at the ranch, relax and watch the stars in the evening in the hot-tub, or perhaps enjoy a soothing aromatherapy massage in a real native American teepee.

Meals -- Meals are served in the lodge, family style. At the Lonesome Spur, we have a saying, Keep the cooks happy and everyone will be happy.’ And this is hard NOT to do -- EAT! You may need to let your belt out a notch or two after spending time at the Lonesome Spur! Fresh-baked breads, mouth-watering and decadent desserts, salads, vegetables out of the garden, and good Montana beef A typical days menu: Breakfast -- golden buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, crisp fried bacon, cantaloupe and orange juice; Lunch (Out On the range) -- deli sandwiches, macaroni salad, apples, chips, banana bars and candy bars; Supper -- barbequed Steak, twice-baked potatoes, fresh green salad, corn-on-the-cob, and for dessert? -- homemade apple pie! How can you pass up 21 meals like that? For the light eater, we have fruit, muffins, salads and many veggies. If you have special dietary requests, please let use know in advance and we will make every effort to accommodate you. But please remember that we are a beef ranch, and most all of our meals are centered around meat.

Passports
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).
Passport Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.
(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).

The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.
Validity
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.
Applications to:
Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).
Working Days Required
Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.