was cross country skiing. There is a special freedom on a large ranch. But there are also chores such as feeding the animals, haying and calving which our children did because they were part of a ranching family. But they did learn a sense of responsibility and a can-do attitude.” Today, the Blakeslee children are leading their own lives and come to visit with their own kids.
Presently the ranch is leased out to a local rancher who has his own cattle and does the haying. The ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public during spring and summer. The 2 -mile interpretive trail attracts birdwatchers, where over 150 species of migratory birds can be found. The ranch hosts school children who study the history of ranching as well as the biological importance of the landscape, and current ranching practices.
Betsy describes herself as a people’s person. She is the facilities and outreach manager. Her husband, Geoff, who is simultaneously Yampa River Project Director, explains, “In addition to managing the Yampa River program, the ranch keeps me busy with implementing river restoration, irrigation and ditch maintenance and repairs as well as insuring that we demonstrate the best practices in agriculture.”
Betsy and Geoff did not grow up on a ranch. They met as “ski bums” in Steamboat Springs where Betsy made and sold candles, Geoff worked on construction and the two of them recognized their love of nature. Until they finally leased land to raise their own herd they had a series of jobs which included working on a nearby ranch, and working as “riders” on National Forest (people who check the land and the herd). It was at this point that Geoff decided to study animal science in college. Thus, when they accepted the job as managers of the Carpenter Ranch they were well prepared.
However, Betsy points out, “Of course, it’s important to know all the ins and outs of running a ranch but just as important is to be in tune with nature, and to respect nature.”
Edith Lynn Beer is a seasoned journalist who covers news in Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.
When Nature Conservancy of Colorado decided to buy the Carpenter Ranch more than 21 years ago, the powers that be knew that Betsy Blakeslee and her husband, Geoff, were naturals to manage the ranch.
But first, a few words about the Carpenter Ranch. Farrington R. Carpenter (1886-1980) who was a Princeton and Harvard Law graduate was first a ranch hand at John Barkley Dawson’s ranch in Hayden, Colorado, a flat area surrounded by the Rockies and still known today as one of the smallest towns in the United States. In 1926 Carpenter, known as Ferry, took over the managing of the Ranch, where he raised Hereford Cattle and bought the ranch in 1947. He and his wife Eunice enjoyed culture and invited artists to stay at the Ranch, including Ila Mae McAfee(1897-1995), who resided and belonged to the school of painters in Taos, New Mexico. Some of her paintings can still be seen today at the Carpenter ranch, along with the contemporary art of Bonnie McGee and Joan Hoffman.
When Betsy and her husband accepted the job of managing the Ranch, their oldest child was in college but their two youngest were able to enjoy their formative years at the Carpenter Ranch. Betsy outlines, “They were able to hunt, fish, swim, raft and kayak on the Yampa River which graces the Ranch. In the winter there
From Colorado
Managing a Ranch
by Edith Lynn Beer