A Late Autumn Getaway In Unspoiled Montana

I was looking for a tranquil place to see the last of late autumn. I wanted unending mountain views, fragrant forests, and big skies, none of which I get in New York City. I chose the Relais & Chateau Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, a 26,000-acre super-luxe property in the heart of the Montana Rockies. There were snow-topped mountains surrounded by Ponderosa forests and golden foliage. And, the Ranch offered enough activities including horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, and mountain biking to keep me busy all day. Another appealing option was choosing to do nothing but sit and breathe in the pure mountain air.

There’s a helipad on the property but choppers have never been in my budget, so an “Experience Concierge” from Triple Creek picked me up at the Missoula Airport. The one and one-half hour drive offered unending views of snow-capped mountains, pastures where horses grazed, forests of fir trees and stands of Aspens glowing golden in the sun. We drove through the two-block town of Darby which has a cowboy hat shop, fly shop, taxidermy shop, liquor store, candy store, Sawmill Bar Saloon and not much else. We also passed the house where the TV series Yellowstone, about a ranching family in Montana and starring Kevin Costner, was filmed.

I checked in and was shown to my very private, cozy log cabin , one of 25. A king-sized poster log bed faced a sliding glass door to the wrap around deck with my own private hot tub. Surrounded by Ponderosas, cottonwoods, and aspen, it was so private I’d never need my bathing suit. The deck included a small dining area for al fresco meals or drinks and there were loungers for looking up at the trees or stars.

Inside was a giant TV and DVD player with hundreds of DVDs available at the front desk. The living room included a wood-burning fireplace re-made daily and ready to light. The kitchen was well-equipped and the fridge was stocked with my favorite sodas and juices and restocked daily. Everything was over the top, including the bathroom with two ensuites, two vanities with Moulton Brown products, comfy robes, slippers and best, a floor-to-ceiling steam shower. Each night after dinner, homemade cookies and home-made granola/trail mix would be left in my room along with a breakfast menu and a weather report.

Triple Creek was all-inclusive, and I mean all: accommodations, gourmet meals, alcoholic beverages, wine, horseback riding, fly fishing, mountain biking, guides for every activity, and so many activities to try you’d need a good two weeks to do everything available. If I didn’t want to leave my cabin, the dining room delivered steaming hot meals day and night. I loved all the details. The towel hooks outside by the hot tub were real horseshoes. Reading glasses were available at the front desk and in the dining room. With a staff to guest ratio of more than two to one, there was always someone around to help.  They don’t allow anyone under sixteen, so there were never screaming kids.

Besides friends’ getaways, it was a mecca for honeymooners, anniversaries, and milestone birthdays. In addition to being a top resort, Triple Creek is a working cattle ranch with several hundred black angus cows, 150 bison, and a wild herd of more than 1,000 elk. One day as I was walking towards the Lodge I spotted a bison – should I run? Stand still? It didn’t move and the joke was on me. The bison was a metal sculpture,  one of the hundreds of pieces of Western art scattered everywhere – in the main lodge, the cabins, and all over the property. And not just any art. The priceless art was by such artists as Charles Russell, Frederick Remington, and Greg Kelsey.

I would wake each morning to a knock on the door with breakfast which was placed on a leather placemat. I usually ordered eggs or an omelet, homemade bread and pastries, sometimes strawberry pancakes, fresh yogurt, and a latte. After, I’d meet my guide for a private activity arranged weeks before on the phone with an Experience Concierge.

First, I tried mountain biking. Even though I’m used to road biking, this was an entirely different experience and a little scary. The bikes had all the bells and whistles with full suspension and plenty of gears, and the forest trails were beautiful, but how could I enjoy the scenery when I was so busy watching out for roots, rocks, and branches?

To celebrate not falling and injuring myself, I went off to lunch where Chef Jacob Leatherman, who has cooked at the James Beard Foundation, outdid himself. There was never a repeat dish the entire time I was there. The bread and butter were made daily with a different type each day, such as adobe chipotle honey butter. I haven’t eaten meat in years but tried the organic mountain beef burger with sweet potato fries and it was the best burger I’ve ever had. Another meal I salivated over was Hawaiian crab seaweed salad.

Many come here to fly-fish (catch and release) for rainbow trout, cutthroat or brown in one of three rivers or on one of the two stocked ponds on property. Triple Creek supplied rods, reels, flies, nets, waders, and boots. My guide told me that the normal trout caught here are 16-22 inches. Fly-fishing has never been my thing, but as everyone seemed to be so enthusiastic, I decided to try it. First, Sean showed me how to cast on land. No matter how many times I tried, I was not Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It. I suggested we go to  one of two stocked ponds because maybe I’d have better success.  

Before I could cast, Sean showed me how to do a myriad of things to put the fly on the line: pass something through the eye of the hook, wrap it three times around, knot it, cut the end – I lost track. Finally, it was time to cast into the pond. Nothing was biting. I cast about five times but easily became discouraged. Later, I was having drinks with Triple Creek’s co-owner, Craig Barrett, and asked him to explain fly fishing’s appeal. “Fly fishing requires immense concentration and focus,” he said. “You get away and you’re not thinking about anything else except the beautiful surroundings. It’s a total divorce from your daily worries.” 

While at Triple Creek, I had no worries, especially when I went to dinner. I would in all honesty say the food was worth several Michelin stars. Dinner always began with an amuse bouche (the first night it was smoked trout with lime crema and a sage pistou). This was followed by a homemade soup, then an appetizer such as smoked duck breast with fresh figs and toasted hazelnuts. For my main course I tried the dry aged beef ribeye with black truffle sauce. Never again will I say I don’t eat meat! 

After a sinful dessert of cheesecake, I went up to the bar to join the other guests and hear an excellent guitar/singer duo. Finally, I returned to my room and sat outside looking up at a universe of stars.

Many guests, imagining themselves as Billy Crystal in the movie, City Slickers, come for the cattle drives which take place July, August, and September (if that’s on your wish list, the time to book for 2022 is now). Most of Triple Creek’s cattle drives originate on the legendary spot where Lewis & Clark purchased 13 horses from the Flathead Indians and set out down the Bitterroot River.

But for those who don’t want to drive cattle, there’s horseback riding all year long for riders of every level, with rides limited to four guests. The Ranch owns 60 horses, and the wranglers match up horse to rider perfectly. Since I had no cowboy hat, I borrowed one at the Equestrian Center where I could also help myself to leather gloves, hand warmers, and a duster: a long oilcloth coat for inclement weather just like in the movie, The Man from Snowy River.  

I followed my wrangler Kelly and one other couple (rides are limited to only four guests) out of the coral and up a gorgeous forest trail. The foliage was beginning to disappear but there were still yellow Aspen and larch trees. It was absolutely silent except for the clip clop of the horses’ hooves on the earth. Kelly said, “If you come back to ride in the winter snow, you won’t even hear the sound of the hooves. It sounded like a perfect reason to return.