At The Trapper Lodge & The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch we do not take our resources for granted, but try to make good use of what nature and the environment gave us.
Our own vegetable garden
Since 2 years we grow many of our herbs and vegetables which we use at the nearby The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch (www.thehideout.com) kitchen in our garden behind the lodge. Our chicken coop surrounds the garden in a way that no grasshoppers or other insects make it to the vegetables. Our chickens hunt down any insects crossing their “territory”.
No need for chemicals anymore.
Chickens to recycle the kitchen leftovers
24 chickens recycle all leftovers from The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch kitchen during the guest season, happily paying us with fresh eggs.
Rotating grazing
At the Trapper Creek Ranch and The Hideout we practice rotating grazing. Rotating grazing can be defined as the selective use of grazing to allow the diversity of grasses, plants and herbs that the region offers an opportunity to flourish. Certain areas are grazed, (or not grazed), during various periods of the year to respect different plants flowering times as well as the birds and animals that thrive on these plants during those periods.
We do not overgraze, and we constantly rotate our horses & livestock from area to area, allowing us to leave plenty of forage for wildlife. We invest heavily to bring water to dryer areas for our livestock. The combination of access to water and rotating grazing has attracted an increasing amount of wildlife to the properties we manage.
Protecting Trapper Creek
Parts of this precious stream that comes right out of the Trapper Canyon are fenced off under a USDA stream protection project, to keep livestock and horses out of the creek or destroy the riverbanks. Cows are especially notorious at “parking” themselves on the banks of rivers and streams, destroying trout habitat. As a next step we have planted indigenous shrubs and trees along the creek and selectively place big boulders in the stream to create rapids and improve hatching areas in the creek.
Weeds & Russian olive Project
Over the years certain shrubs and plants not indigenous to the area have invaded, thus crowding out the native plants. The Russian Olive tree was introduced in this area over a generation ago, but the Russian Olive has now become a pest and is listed as a weed. Under another USDA project we cleared the properties as much as possible of the Russian Olive Trees and replanted local shrubs to provide shelter and habitat for the wildlife.
Replant some of the pastures
Over the year too many trees were removed from the property and turned in to fields. We fenced some of the wet areas to be replanted spring 2011.
Fishing & Hunting
We encourage those fishing on the property to use barb-less hooks and to catch and release. We teach our guests the technique of releasing a fish in such away it can survive.
We allow very little hunting on the Trapper property which is a corridor from the Wilderness Area and the high country to the lower valleys.
Geothermal Heating & Cooling
In 2013 we installed a Geothermal heating and cooling system using ground energy to cool and heat the lodge.
For lodging and overnight stays, please call: (307) 765-2080
or e-mail info@thehideout.com
