It's a Winter Wonderland at Montana’s Luxe Triple Creek Ranch
Riders in the snow. Photo by Linda Cabasin.
DARBY, Montana – Winter brings its own enchantment at Triple Creek Ranch, set in the Bitterroot Mountains near the Continental Divide. As I learned during a four-night stay, the less busy season (from January through mid-March) is a special time to discover the magnificent landscape, low-key luxury, and warm Western hospitality of this all-inclusive, adult-only retreat. Yes, traditional ranch activities are critical to the DNA, but so are Western art (1,500 works in cabins and public areas) and superb cuisine (the ranch is a member of Relais & Châteaux).
As someone who embraces winter travel despite not being a skier (the ranch is near downhill and cross-country options), I found that the cold sharpens the senses, enhancing the stark beauty of snow-covered Ponderosa and lodgepole pines rising into skies that varied from misty gray to an intense blue. At Triple Creek, the wintry beauty was matched by memorable experiences indoors and out. I watched an elk herd run across the valley during a cooking class and feasted on huckleberry pancakes and wild boar osso buco in the dining room. Relaxing in my cabin’s outdoor hot tub and taking a horseback ride through the mountains of a silent, snowy national forest were moments to cherish.
Outstanding service is part of why the ranch is expensive – and why it’s exceptional. Before I arrived, the pre-arrival concierge team welcomed me, helped schedule my time, and answered questions about winter clothing and the weather. People at the activities desk, food servers, and the horse wranglers were all friendly and knowledgeable. In winter there was more time to chat and hear about life in Montana: I appreciated that.
Well over a foot of snow fell one night during my stay, so while my two companions couldn’t ski one day, Triple Creek cleared snow efficiently and kept things moving, continuing trail rides and suggesting alternative activities. It was a good reminder that winter travel requires flexibility – as well as a good base layer for the cold.
Relaxing in a lovely cabin in winter absolutely counts as an activity.
Checking In
Location and Vibe
Near Montana’s border with Idaho, Triple Creek’s 750 acres are secluded, surrounded by four million acres of the Bitterroot National Forest. The ranch is 90 minutes south of Missoula and thirteen miles south of the town of Darby (pop. 783).
Traditional Western style rules in the luxurious log cabins – think leather sofas by a fireplace, a Pendleton throw on a hand-carved king-size log bed, and steam showers. Hosting a maximum of 66 guests, it’s the kind of place that has a helipad but encourages a rustic casual style, with guests in jeans dining on sophisticated fare.
Who It’s Perfect For – and Not So Perfect For
Triple Creek draws well-to-do adults (minimum guest age is sixteen) – executives, professionals, groups of friends – looking to decompress, recharge, and connect with the outdoors actively while being thoroughly pampered and fed well. It’s also quite romantic in winter. Many guests are loyal repeat visitors.
It’s not great for people who thrive in nature only if they are near a large town or urban outpost or who must be connected 24/7. There’s no cell service (Wi-Fi calling may work), and the Wi-Fi can’t handle streaming or large downloads. Cabins have a landline phone.
On-Site at the Ranch and What’s Included
The Main Lodge’s Activity Center serves as the ranch’s heart, with staff to help guests organize activities and obtain included gear. The lodge also holds a shop, the dining room, and the Rooftop Lounge. Challenging, handcrafted wooden Stave puzzles, great for a snowy afternoon, are also stocked here.
Triple Creek has a seasonal heated swimming pool, hot tub, fitness center, dry sauna, and outdoor tennis and pickleball court. Also on the property are hiking trails, two stocked trout ponds (the kitchen will cook guests’ catches), and a disc golf course.
About 70 horses call Triple Creek home, with the Rider’s Roost a year-round hub for equestrian adventures for riders of all levels. Triple Creek, an Orvis-endorsed fishing lodge, offers fly fishing lessons on-site.
What’s Included
Nightly cabin rates for two people include all meals in the dining room, lounge, and various outside areas; snacks and packed lunches; the excellent house wines, spirits, and beer; lift tickets for skiers; on-property facilities such as the pool and fitness center; gear and instruction for included activities (horseback rides that originate on the ranch, skiing, snowshoeing and snow tubing on the property, group yoga sessions, and activities such as a leather tooling session and a frontier skills class); and evening programs. Worth noting: Activities during the ranch’s special theme weekends – more than a dozen focus on art or wine – are included, a good value.
What’s Not
Premium beverages, spa services (in the Treatment Cabin or guest cabins), airport transfers, laundry, and off-ranch activities with outside outfitters, such as dogsledding and fly fishing the Bitterroot River. Most guests tip 15 to 20 percent.
Food + Drink
Meals are served in the Main Lodge’s log dining room, often with the fireplace crackling. In warmer weather, there’s dining on the deck. A vaulted ceiling, large windows, white tablecloth-draped tables, and assorted taxidermy on the walls set the mood for creative, indulgent feasts prepared by executive chef Jake Leatherman (at Triple Creek since 2005) and his team. In season, the ranch’s orchard and gardens provide produce. Guests can also have meals delivered to their cabins.
I’m not the only one who anticipated each evening’s changing, globally influenced menu. Mains, like Idaho rainbow trout with scallion sushi rice and roasted bison tenderloin with trumpet mushrooms, and desserts, including a cheese option and dark chocolate pot de crème, all shone. So did the unstuffy but professional service. Servers and the sommelier provided recommendations from the wine cellar, a longtime holder of a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. The Rooftop Lounge with its comfy seating offers creative cocktails like the signature Lemondrop Huckleberry along with wine and regional craft beers. Guests can also have lunch, snacks, and a casual dinner in the lounge.
Cabins, Amenities, and Triple Creek’s Story
The ranch’s 25 log cabins, from one to three bedrooms, are threaded along wooded roads, paths, and creeks. Most are about a five-minute walk from the Main Lodge, and complimentary golf carts are available. Each deeply comfortable, Western-style cabin is individually decorated and has a wood-burning fireplace and original Western art. My cabin, Pintler, had twenty pieces, mostly paintings. All cabins have a private deck, and some have an outdoor hot tub, great for a soak among snow-covered trees. There’s also air-conditioning. The free Wi-Fi is dependable though not super powerful. I confess I never used the TV and DVD/Blu-ray player (old school!).
Attention to creature comforts runs deep. Among over 25 items in the kitchen area or mini fridge are house-made trail mix and cookies, teas and locally roasted coffee (and equipment for making them), a water bottle, and sodas, fruit juices, beer, and wine. Bathrooms have Molton Brown bath products in Reviving Rosemary and a box with toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, and other toiletries.
A bit of Triple Creek history: It opened in 1986 as an all-inclusive, Montana-focused “hideaway resort.” Arizona-based current owners Craig and Barbara Barrett were regular guests who purchased Triple Creek in 1993. He’s the former CEO of Intel; she’s a former Secretary of the Air Force. They gradually expanded Triple Creek and upgraded the wine list and culinary program. The Barretts, notably Craig, are knowledgeable collectors of Western art and supporters of contemporary Western artists, with works displayed outside, in public areas, and in cabins, including the Barretts’ on-ranch house.
Winter Fun Checklist
Although riding, fly-fishing, and hiking opportunities expand after winter, the ranch offers a range of winter activities and stocks all kinds of gear. And as a companion of mine noted, relaxing in a lovely cabin in winter absolutely counts as an activity.
Art Weekends
I visited during one of the ranch’s Artist in Residence weekends, with art-related activities included in the nightly cost. Though I didn’t take Western artist Jeremy Winborg’s two-hour painting class, I visited his pop-up gallery, attended receptions with Jeremy, and spoke with him about his work. I went on the guided art tour of the Barretts’ sprawling on-ranch home, an activity offered throughout the year, where I saw museum-worthy works by historical artists such as Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Edward Borein, and William Standing (an Assiniboine artist), as well as gorgeous contemporary works. This isn’t art that’s very familiar to me, and it was great to learn a bit about a genre that fit so well with the landscape.
Horseback Riding
Donning practical Western gear – chaps, a long duster coast, sturdy boots, and heavy gloves – was the fun start of an unforgettable winter trail ride in the snowy mountains. Excellent wranglers found the right horse for me, so even with my limited riding experience I felt confident doing something outside my comfort zone.
Skiing and Snowboarding
A base elevation of 6,400 feet and summit elevation of 8,200 feet give the hidden-gem Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area outstanding powder on the Montana–Idaho border, a 30-minute drive from the ranch (rentals, lift tickets, and shuttle included). The vibe is friendly, the 69 runs uncrowded. Triple Creek offers complimentary use of all gear for cross-country skiing on 25 kilometers of groomed trails on the Chief Joseph Pass Trail System, on the Continental Divide, adjacent to Lost Trail.
Food and Wine Adventures
Executive chef Jake Leatherman led my inspiring two-hour cooking class and demonstration, making a creamy tomato soup, turkey soup with mushrooms and gnocchi, and a flavorful Mexican hot chocolate. Classes are offered with different staff several days weekly in winter. My theme weekend focused on art, but others include popular vintner weekends that bring together stellar food and noted winemakers and vintages from wineries like Schramsberg. We did the five-course private Chef’s Table, in an area with a kitchen view, which paired the culinary team’s artistry with premium wines.
Smaller Pleasures
Guided yoga and meditation weren’t scheduled the days I visited, but I enjoyed two activities that took me far from my New Jersey life. At Logging Camp, activities like archery, hatchet throwing (trendy these days) at a target, working a crosscut saw, and building a fire reminded me that life on the frontier required strength and skill. I learned about tooling leather – it can make items like saddles more durable – and designed a leather coaster in a class. I am not crafty, but the physical pounding of tooling was satisfying. I sat next to a lovely surgeon who did knee and hip replacements. He was so precise and thorough.
Winter Add-ons
My massage was the perfect follow-up to a trail ride. Guided snowshoeing off-ranch and dogsledding can be arranged with outside outfitters; guests should ask in advance.
Checking Out
Mountain splendor is all around in the area, but my winter visit kept me close to all that Triple Creek offers. One intriguing stop in Darby is the Double H Custom Hat Company, where the gorgeous, practical hats are for display only; all their hats are custom designed.
Plan Your Trip
How to Get There
Missoula Airport (MSO) is 80 miles north of Triple Creek, about a 90-minute drive. For a cost, Triple Creek provides airport transfers. The ranch has a helipad and Ravalli County Airport in Hamilton, a 30-minute drive, can handle private aircraft.
Getting Around
Triple Creek strongly recommends renting a car to enjoy the wider area and off-site activities and can provide recommendations. In winter a car is not essential, and it’s not recommended for anyone unused to driving in winter weather. Four-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive vehicles are required in winter.
What to Pack
Winter travelers should take the ranch’s excellent packing list seriously. It also helps to take advantage of the ranch’s sturdy loaner boots (far better than mine) not just for riding but also for walking around.
Pre-plan Activities
Working with the pre-arrival concierge team paid off. Not all activities happen daily, and popular ones can book up. Plus, stopping by the Activity Center or calling with any questions yielded great info – and some good conversation. Reserving ahead for popular events like themed weekends is essential.