Expeditions Director Benjy Duke is all about options. “We give guests
a chance to cater a trip to their interests,” he explained. “They can
be on their own schedule and choose to do things like fish until dark
without worrying about having to be back before dinner.”
The Elizabeth, Colorado native’s first season at the A Bar A was in
2007. Now he leads the Expeditions Program. As a guide, he accompanies
guests to Radiana, a ranch home on Big Creek Ranch, or Burta’s, a
cabin along Big Creek. The cabins can accommodate two to six people
and are well-stocked for breakfast and lunch. Dinners are prepared by
the guides for expedition guests. Guests can choose to move from A Bar
A to each location by horse or vehicle over a week or stay at one of
the cabins as an addition to their week at the A Bar A. Once on an
expedition, Benjy explained, it’s up to the guests to decide what to
do. “There’s no other hustle and bustle,” he said, “so there’s a
strong connection between where you’re staying and the land around you.”
Benjy’s connection to the land runs deeper than most. He’s been
coming to A Bar A since he was two years old and his family’s history
is richly entwined with the ranch. “My grandfather worked with Charlie
Gates at the Gates Rubber Company and oversaw a large portion of the
Gates Family Ranches. They were good friends and fishing buddies.”
Though Benjy’s father and his brothers spent time at the ranch as
children, they were under strict orders to separate themselves from
the guests. Benjy explained, “They would fish and hike, but my
grandfather didn’t want them to ‘spoil anything’ for the guests.”
As a child, coming to A Bar A was the highlight of the summer for
Benjy. Each year, more than 20 of his family members would gather at
the ranch. He explained, “Having the whole family together at once was
really special. We truly enjoyed each other’s company and I was able
to spend quality time with cousins, aunts, and uncles I rarely saw
during the year.” Benjy’s family stayed in Hubbell House, where he has
fond memories of learning how to cast a fly. “My grandfather taught me
how to fly fish on the Hubbell House lawn when I was five or six years
old,” he said. “When I was ten, he and my father would get me the
right flies, talk to me about the water, then leave the rest up to me
to figure out. They never stood near me in the water, so it was left
up to me to learn how to untangle my line and learn how to have fun
with it. I remember going out with a guide once, but it was strange
because I had already fished so much.”
Fly-fishing remains Benjy’s favorite activity at the ranch. However,
when he applied for a position during his freshman year at Washington
College in Maryland, he didn’t think he was qualified enough for a
guide position. “I applied for and was given the gardener position,
which was really fun for me. Because I knew I wanted to work here
since I was a young guest, I was just happy to be out here. My second,
third, and fourth summers I became a fishing guide.”
This family connection with and experience at the ranch allows Benjy
to see the land from a unique perspective. “I’m constantly thinking
about my grandfather and grandmother when I’m here since they treated
my family to A Bar A every year. I try not to just understand the face
value of the history of the land, but try to dive deeper into why
people moved here in the first place,” he said.
The Expeditions program gives long-time guests the opportunity to
explore the landscape in a deeper way, as well. Though they may have
been coming to A Bar A for decades, staying at Burta’s or Radiana has
allowed these guests to explore Big Creek and State Line ranches, too.
Benjy explained, “It creates a new avenue for guests who have been
coming for years to open doors to new places and experience the land
in a new light.”
In addition to riding and fishing, expeditions can include hikes to
Native American historical sites like wikiups, which were used as
temporary shelters by the Ute Indians during hunting season, tee-pee
rings, and eagle traps. Though he’s been coming to A Bar A for so
long, these opportunities have allowed Benjy to delve deeper into the
history of the area. “Searching for [an archaeological site] was a neat trip
for me because we were all exploring at once,” Benjy said. “I removed
myself from guiding to be immersed in the group, and we were all
trying to discover something together.”
“It’s nice because the program is still young, so the doors are wide
open,” he explained. “We’re still developing it, which allows us to
create an adventure that is very flexible in accommodating whatever
the guests want to do.”
For more information about the Expeditions program or self-guided
expeditions in October, contact Benjy via email at
benjy.duke@abararanch.com or call (307)-327-5454.
By Cassidy Duckett
