Hawley Mountain Guest Ranch Blog

Sheep as Far as the Eye Can See

Our Dynamic Ranch Horse "DOMINO!"

When our mighty horse Domino leaps across the meadow in this manner, he gets a lot of attention!  He was added to the herd many years ago as a big, reliable, and bomb-proof animal.  But to look at these photo one might wonder if those characteristics are true.

 100th Year Milestone at Hawley Mountain Guest Ranch  

Who would have guessed that the purchase of the Tom Hawley homestead by the Jarrett family100 years ago would result in the present day guest ranch at Hawley Mountain? 2017 was certainly a year to remember up here at the ranch.  A large group of family and friends gathered in July to help celebrate this important part of ranch history. 

 First Horseback Ride of the Week

The guests gather on Monday morning at the barn for some safety and riding instruction given by our wranglers before heading out on their first ride of the week.

Got a Hankerin' for a Great Cup of Cowboy Coffee?

We know just the place to enjoy this tasty brew.  Cowboy coffee is prepared twice a week at the Hawley Mountain Ranch cookouts.  

 Crossing a Ranch River on Horseback

Why did the horses cross to the other side?  Because it's loads of fun!

Horses are wetting their whistles before heading across the pristine Boulder River.

MONTANA Moose ALERT!

Nothing gets the attention of our guests more than the words, “There’s a moose in the meadow!”  This always brings everyone to the lodge windows for a better view. 

A cow with her calf can be a hazard to anyone who dares to move too close to the pair, so remember to view from afar!  Occasionally one of these moose critters will venture to the pond to enjoy the seaweed...or simply make use of our meadow as a crossing to get to the river.  At any rate, seeing one of these majestic creatures in the wild is a total delight to experience.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

If you have ever wanted to feel like you were viewing your surroundings from the top of the world, then join us on a hike up to Monument Peak which lies at the very end of a primitive road.

 BRAY’S CABIN in Montana....Now Just a Pond!

A very picturesque place in the Upper Boulder area just south of Hawley Mountain Guest Ranch is what used to be known to us as Bray’s Cabin.  Tucked back in the forest by a pristine spring-fed pond was a dwelling built by Robert Bray, probably in the 1920’s, along the old mining road to Independence.  Robert forded the Boulder River near 4-Mile to reach his cabin.

Prospector, TOM HAWLEY, .....The Montana Ranch Namesake

Not much is known about the early Boulder resident, Tom Hawley, but it’s a fact that he had a definite role in the settling of the Upper Boulder river valley.  Hawley was a daring Montana frontiersman in the 1880’s exhibiting reckless courage and matchless endurance like many of the pioneers of that time.  It is stated that at the age of 64 he walked the 42 miles to Big Timber in one day…...no small feat for even the fittest!

When the Boulder River valley was ceded to the government by the Crows in 1882, this area became a “home seekers paradise” for future ranch owners.  Being a prospector, hunter, trapper, and mountaineer, Tom Hawley was one of nine settlers who had homesteaded property in the valley before 1884.

Boulder Valley pioneers possessed a high degree of intelligence, honesty, and sturdy independence.  Hawley was no exception.  Tom raised some livestock and crops on his homestead, but he was a miner at heart.  He also assisted in the discovery of valuable mineral deposits farther up the river valley.   The photo shows Tom Hawley's cabin built near our present-day corral.

GONE FISHING!

“Any day on the river is a great day” is a quote we often hear from our fly fishermen each summer at Hawley Mountain Guest Ranch.  People come from all over to enjoy the pristine waters on the Boulder River, a place where both isolation and successful fishing can be found.