Fall News, 2011

Grace and peace to all of you!

My name is Andy Blackmun and I am the new Director of Ring Lake Ranch. I have written a longer introduction for the fall newsletter, but let me say here how thrilled and honored I am to be working with Ring Lake Ranch. My family and I first came to the Ranch in 2007 and immediately loved everything about it: the beauty of the Torrey Valley, the sessions that the Ranch offers, the great sense of community with new and old friends each week.

I know I speak for all of the staff when I say we look forward to providing a chance for all of you to seek out your own rest and renewal at Ring Lake next season.

The 2011 season ended with several full, busy weeks. We had great sessions that asked us to consider, among other things, the changing definitions of spirituality and religion, the wonders of God’s Creation all around us, and the variety of meanings of the Christian language many of us use. Daily Ranch life was rich and satisfying. Hikers journeyed far and wide across the landscape, as did riders on horseback and two groups of flyfisher-folk. One of our horses came down with colic one morning, but thanks to the efforts of Ben and our wranglers Gary and Paul, among others, she recovered and is now off to winter pasture with the rest of the herd.

Just a few days before we closed the Ranch, we discovered one of this season’s osprey chicks hung up in twine in its nest, unable to escape. Once again, Ben came to the rescue with the help of a friend with a bucket truck, and the osprey was last seen swooping across Trail Lake looking for its next meal.

Most important of all the events this summer was the arrival of Ben and Amanda Verheul’s son, Clayton Thomas. He was born on August 10th at 2:13am in Jackson, WY. He was 7lbs and 19.5 inches at birth and continues to be a happy, healthy baby. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Ranch baby with us! Ben and Amanda offer thanks for all of the prayers and gifts sent their way over the last few months. They look forward to introducing Clayton to many of you next summer.

Our 2012 session and registration information is now posted. We are already receiving registrations for the 2012 season, so it’s not too early to look at next season’s programs. Scholarships are available for anyone in need of assistance, so please contact me at andy@ringlake.org or 888-458-5253 for more information.
Andy Blackmun, Director

Summer News, 2011

Greetings of peace to you!

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver

Our first session with Scott Copeland produced lots of wonderful photos of Wyoming wildlife – just as promised. We hope to put some of them on the website gallery soon.

The first session of high school boys from Cincinnati braved snow drifts to hike to the Peak of Whiskey Mountain. It was a cold, snowy spring and snowmelt is only beginning. Nevertheless, the young men made it as did our hike leader, Leah Vader.

The third session of the summer with Dori Baker and Joyce Mercer ends today. The 23 participants had a profound experience of sharing their stories and receiving support. And, after a two hour ride trying to find the Bounced Boulder (how could a 64 ton boulder hide?), one of the girls declared as she came for lunch, “We had the best ride ever!”

As for the rest of the summer sessions: We’re having a full season with most sessions nearing capacity. Even so, we have a few spaces in all the programs except for Marcus Borg. If you wish to come – and we hope you do – please let us know soon.

Volunteer Week: Our great crew put a new roof on the Living Room, refinished the Office exterior, painted new signs, cleaned and cleaned, worked on saddles, sewed curtains, etc., etc.

Scholarships: Partial scholarships are available to people needing assistance to attend programs at the Ranch. Please direct your questions to or ask for our simple application from Carl Koch at HYPERLINK "mailto:carl@ringlake.org" carl@ringlake.org or phone 888.458.5253.

Stay for two sessions at a reduced rate.
For more about these two sessions and life at Ring Lake Ranch, email us at info@ringlake.org. or – Give us a call at 888.458.5253 toll free.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Spring News, 2011

I know that officially it is still winter, but if you winter in Wisconsin like I do, you would embrace meteorological spring too. Wyoming is not so different. So, Happy Spring!

In less than three months, the horses will be getting in shape after a winter’s leisure, the cooks will have stocked the kitchen and readied menus, the cabins and buildings will be spic and span and ready to welcome our first guests for a week of renewal in wilderness. Can you tell that spring gets me excited to return to Wyoming!

What’s new with the Ranch? Here are some highlights –

Marcus Borg’s session has a waiting list, and we only have a couple of spots still open in Diana Butler Bass’ session. Same thing with Terri Schulz and Wayne Shepperd’s session – one or two places open. However, we still have some spaces in all the other sessions.

The entire staff for the summer has been hired, and are we blessed! Ben Verheul -- Facilities Manager, Amanda Verheul – now Business Manager, Karen Marshall – cook, Gary Ransom – wrangler, Joyce Heil – associate director, and I are all returning from last year. New to the staff are: Leah Vader – hikeleader/housekeeper who has four adult children, comes from Gillette, WY, has been working on a bald eagle study, and is a Certified Interpretive Guide; Connie Wood – cook who lives in Dubois with her husband and daughter, is a well-known caterer; and Toni Finley – head wrangler who also lives in Dubois with her husband and sons and has trained and worked with horses most of her life.

The Board of Directors has three new members: Sean Roche – our web developer who owns Crazy Fish Design in Bucks County, PA and has been coming to the Ranch since he was a kid; Judy Plows is cofounder of KrasnePlows, a New York consulting firm working with non-profits; Bill Brown, professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. We are honored to have these three wonderful additions to a great Board.

Partial scholarships are still available to people needing assistance to attend programs at the Ranch. While we strive to keep the cost of attending the Ranch as affordable as possible, we do not want the cost to keep folks, especially new participants, from attending a session.

Summer 2011 promises to be full of rich conversations, stimulating presentations, wonderful walks, and adventures on horseback. Please join us for our 45th summer.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Winter News

May your New Year be abundantly blessed!

The Ranch is decorated in its winter blanket of snow right now. Even so, Ben, our busy facilities manager, is working on improvement projects – albeit warmed by the Shop’s woodstove. Our horses wintering down at The Cameron Ranch near Riverton have their warm winter fuzzy coats on and so are doing well.

And, registrations for next summer’s programs keep coming in.

NB: Spaces in Diana Butler Bass’ session and that of Marcus Borg are becoming fewer and fewer. If you really want to come to one of these retreats, please register ASAP.

Finally, I wanted to share this poem by Howard Thurman (1899-1981) called “The Work of Christmas”:

When the song of the angels is stilled.
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the Magi and elders are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock.

The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost.
To heal the broken.
To feed the hungry.
To release the prisoner.
To rebuild the nations.
To bring peace among all peoples.
To make music in the heart.

We hope you can join us this summer to be renewed for the Work of Christmas.
Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Time to Say Adieu

Dear Friends –

Joyce and I love the Ranch – its mission, the people, the sacred place. These last five years have been filled with blessings too numerous to describe. Joyce and I have readily embraced and greatly enjoyed our lives and ministry at the Ranch.

Nevertheless, after much discernment, Joyce and I have agreed that the summer — 2011 — should be our final one as directors. It will be our sixth year as directors, and I will be 66 next June. We want to leave while we still have sufficient energy to do a good job. I have to admit that this last summer I began feeling less get-up-and-go. This job requires lots of it. And, we both want to have other adventures before our lessening energy makes those impossible.

There is no ideal time to make a transition like this. Letting the Board know a year ahead gives them more time to find replacements. [By the way, working with the Board has been one of the many blessings--would that all boards were so capable and supportive.] Many competent people know and love the Ranch. We are confident that the Board will find and invite excellent new leadership. Be assured that we will do everything we can to help make the change as smooth as possible.

So, friends, next September, Joyce and I will be ending our time as directors of the Ranch. Thanks to great staff, Board, volunteers, staff assistants, and you, friends of the Ranch, we can leave gratified, inspired, and challenged. We also plan to be back—God willing—as guests in this sacred place, this blessed community.

Peace and all good,
Carl & Joyce

Thank You & The Search Begins

by Terri Schulz, President of the Ranch Board

The Ring Lake Ranch Board would like to thank Carl and Joyce for five great years of service. The Ranch has thrived under their leadership – increased attendance, engaging sessions, and great staff . Together we have placed a conservation easement over the Ranch that will ensure the preservation of this scared place forever.

We also would like to thank Carl and Joyce for giving us the gift of time. Time to discern the most appropriate leadership structure for the future, time to search for that new leadership, and time for training and passing on the institutional knowledge of Ring Lake Ranch.

And so, we are now beginning our search for the next director of Ring Lake Ranch. Most of you have been to the Ranch and know the importance of its mission, the wonder of the place, and the richness of the experience people have there.

Please help by letting folks you think would make good leaders know about the Executive Director position, which is now posted. We hope to begin interviews around the end of the year. Our goal is to have an overlap of the directors late next summer. As always, we appreciate your prayers and support for Ring Lake Ranch!

Fall News from Ring Lake Ranch. 2010

Greetings of peace to you!

We had a great summer: a record number of guests, well received programs, and folks already planning their returns to this sacred place.

On September 18 our last group of guests departed. Now, the horses are settling in at winter pasture down in Riverton. All the gates are open so that moose and mule deer, elk and bighorns can wander through unimpeded. Hay for next summer has been stored in the barn. Water has been drained from the cabins and power switched off. Ring Lake Ranch has gone into off-season mode.

We do have one winterized cabin that may be reserved for use all winter. Give us a call if you are interested. Cabin A sleeps four people and has a kitchenette for meal preparation. This cozy cabin is a wonderful space for a fall, winter, or spring getaway.

Even so, we’ll be busy sending out the fall newsletter in early November, advertising next summer’s offerings, and so on. Registrations are already coming in! Ben, our facilities manager, has a long list of projects for these next seven months.

Now is not too early to consider coming and actually registering for next season at Ring Lake Ranch.
If you have any questions, email us at info@ringlake.org.
OR – Give us a call at 888.458.5253 toll free.
Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Summer News from Ring Lake Ranch, 2010

Greetings of peace to you! Join Us at Ring Lake Ranch!

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver

We still have room for you in these sessions!
July 18-24 - Amy Oden – God’s Welcome, Our Welcome
July 25-31 - Steve Tipton – American Religion & Politics Today
August 15-21 – Jacob Kinnard – Why Comparing Religions Matters
Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 – Rodney Hunter – Searching for Hope

Volunteer Week: Our great crew of volunteers built new screen doors and a porch on the Hermitage, completely sanded and refinished Cabin 8, cleaned and cleaned, constructed a canoe rack, oiled saddles, etc., etc.
At this point in the summer, the three groups of high school boys from Cincinnati and the group from Covington (KY) Catholic High School have had their time of retreat at the Ranch. This summer saw the 31, 32, and 33rd group of boys from Cincinnati. Dates are already set for their return next sumer.

Maggie Edson’s session—Inside Out--proved enlivening and stretching. The 32 of us who participated laughed a lot, pondered fresh concepts, and enjoyed this special week.
Margaret Coel will be our presenter on Arapaho Spirituality, beginning nine weeks of Ranch programs. As stated at the start, we still have room in several sessions.
Marty & Audra, our two wranglers, have designed a new trail course that tests our novice riders’ skills in the saddle. From seven-year-olds to those of us closer to 70 have all enjoyed putting mail in the mail box, steering our horses through the logs, and attempting the mud puddle.

Scholarships: Partial scholarships are available to people needing assistance to attend programs at the Ranch. Please direct your questions to or ask for our simple application.

Stay for two sessions at a reduced rate.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Spring, 2010.  News from Ring Lake Ranch

Greetings of peace to you!

Welcome, spring! We are a few weeks away from opening the Ranch for what is promising to be an inspiring, enjoyable, and very full summer. Our speakers are outstanding. Our horses have wintered well and will be ready to take to the trails. And, the staff is – to use an appropriate metaphor for a ranch – chomping at the bit.

We hope that you will join us for a week or two this summer of renewal in this sacred wilderness. Be part of our community as you step back and get your bearings again.

The session with Carrie Newcomer is full. A couple of openings remain for Margaret Coel’s session. Some spaces remain in the other weeks.

Check out our schedule of 2010 Programs by clicking the Programs link.

The spring Carillon came out in March. If you are not on our mailing list, send me an email with your address, and I will gladly add you.

Partial scholarships are still available. Contact us for a simple application.

We hope you can join us at the Ranch this summer!

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Winter News from Ring Lake Ranch, 2010

Greetings of peace to you!

Despite the often fierce winds and equally cold temperatures, Ben Verheul, the Facilities Manager, is working through his long list of projects to keep improving the Ranch. Trail Lake gets busy with ice fisher-folk though and Ben and Amanda have furry and feathered visitors around their cabin – a herd of mule deer, an occasional moose, coyotes, an elusive cougar, and the ever present magpies.

Registrations are coming in steadily for the summer. In fact, twice as many people had registered at the end of January than at the same time last year – and last year was a great summer.

NB: The sessions with Margaret Coel, Will Willimon, and Carrie Newcomer are filling quickly.

If you haven’t checked the 2010 Schedule of Programs, it is posted here.

Most of our stellar staff from last summer will be returning – much to my relief:

Marty Dorst & Audra Mullineux will be wrangling again, teaching the fine art of equine enjoyment;
Karen Marshall & Amanda Verheul will be spinning culinary magic again;
Ben Verheul will make sure the water is running, the toilets are flushing, the buildings are in fine shape;
Joyce Heil, associate director, has stayed in practice for reiki, has new treasures to sell in the gift shop, and will do the other thousand jobs she has, and  I will be directing again, trying to keep the finances on track, housing squared away, etc.
We are interviewing cook applicants to find just the right one. And, we’re hoping that Becky Meyer will be able to join us again as our very capable hike leader/housekeeper.

Look for the spring Carillon in March. If you are not on our mailing list, send me an email with your address, and I will gladly add you.

Partial scholarships are still available. Contact us for a simple application.

Come spend a week or two of your summer with us at Ring Lake Ranch!

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Fall News from Ring Lake Ranch, 2009

Greetings of peace to you!

On September 12, we began closing down for the winter. Given all the financial worries that abound, we had a fantastic summer.

Over the summer 334 guests each spent a week enjoying renewal in this sacred wilderness. This number closely matches our number of guests from 2008 – and that was a great year. We have been blessed.

A most notable piece of September News comes in the words of Terri Schulz, President of the RLR Board: “The Ranch’s Board of Directors signed a conservation easement with the Jackson Hole Land Trust. This means that the Ranch has sold the development and subdivision rights to the Land Trust, taking them off the market in perpetuity.

In addition to preserving the land as it is, the money for those rights has effectively doubled the Ring Lake Ranch endowment, thus insuring the financial stability of the Ranch. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legally binding agreement that limits certain types of uses now and into the future.

The conservation easement will allow all current Ring Lake Ranch activities to continue as well as potential expansion of facilities to a modest degree. What makes Ring Lake Ranch so special will be maintained forever: the wilderness setting, the wildlife habitat, the cultural heritage of the petroglyphs, and the limited amount of land that is transformed by human development.”

In September, we also purchased three new horses. Here’s a picture of Rosie, a six-year-old Appaloosa.

Snows blanketed the Ranch early in October.

The 2010 Schedule of Programs is posted . By the first of October over 20 people have already registered for next summer. So, it’s not too early to make your plans to come to the Ranch.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Late Summer News, 2009

• We have been blessed with wonderful groups this summer. Despite the economy, the numbers for our programs have been in line with last year, which was a great year indeed. God is good.
  

• The Guest Comments for all the programs have been filled with rave reviews –
  

• I loved the hospitality, friendliness of the staff & volunteers and of course the beautiful sacred space.

• The best aspect of RLR is the open ended schedule with structured times in this setting and generous support for basic needs.

• It has given me a chance to work through some heavy stuff. I feel more centered and whole.

• The evening sessions were so good I wanted them to keep going. Wish I could stay longer.

• The best things were connecting with nature, family, friends, animals, and weather (the hail storm)!

Well, the point is clear – once again Ring Lake Ranch has been drawing guests into wonderful encounters with sacred wilderness and the Divine Spirit.

• The 2010 Schedule of Programs will be posted on the website soon. Among our presenters are a Pulitzer and Emmy Award winning playwright, a novelist and historian of American Indian spirituality, a Methodist bishop, a well-known singer-songwriter, and several renowned theologians. Stay tuned.

• Ben Verheul, our Facilities Manager, and Amanda Wolfe, one of our cooks, got married on August 8 in the outdoor chapel with over 100 witnesses and celebrants. They will live and work from what was Cabin B, which now has a new addition that is almost completed.

• On July 25, the Jackson Hole Land Trust hosted a picnic and celebration here at the Ranch. We are completing negotiations to make the Ranch a wildlife conservation easement property, protecting the wildness in perpetuity. More about this in the fall Carillon.

  
  

• Finally, sales of the Ring Lake Ranch cookbook have been brisk. We still have copies for purchase. We will be selling off of the website in a month or so, so stay tuned for that too.
  

Have a blessed fall. Peace and all good.

Carl Koch, Director

June 2009

The season at Ring Lake Ranch is one-third over. How time zooms by here. And we are having fun – along with learning a lot, meeting great people, and encountering the wonders of creation in this sacred place.

SESSIONS:

• Katherine Turpin’s session was a wonderful reflection on Sabbath – as well as being a “Sabbath” experience. One of the participants commented, “I would definitely recommend Ring Lake Ranch. This is a unique place for activity and rest—a perfect place for ‘Sabbath’.” Another said, “An amazing week. Very spiritual & fun & rejuvenating.”

• We are now hosting the third and final group of boys for this year from Elder HS in Cincinnati. As usual they’ve had a great time, formed strong bonds, and conversed on key issues for young men their age. We delight in having them come. Next year will be their 12th year!

• The Come Apart and Rest Awhile week with Karen Kappell and Pauline Wittry uncovered artistic talent in everyone. Maybe more important, we also discovered new ways of seeing and appreciating the natural wonders around us. One of the participants remarked, “A heartwarming experience [that] helped bring some clarity into my current life situations.” Another declared that Ring Lake Ranch “is the best kept secret that I’m eager to share with others.”

• We still have a few spaces in some of the retreats. So if you wish to still come, give us a call or send an email to check about available space. We are blessed with great speakers, generous patrons, eager guests and, of course, this sacred place in the mountains.
  

We’re having another great summer of renewal in a sacred wilderness at Ring Lake Ranch. Come. Join us.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

Spring 2009

Lots happening at the Ranch! The staff is gathering. We’re preparing for a great summer.

SESSIONS:

The Living Land is full, and Belden Lane’s session on Wilderness Spirituality is almost full. In fact, we will have solid attendance throughout the summer – despite the struggling economy. We are blessed with great speakers, generous patrons, eager guests and, of course, this sacred place in the mountains.
We still have some openings for the other sessions. I recommend that if you are interested in a particular session that you register sooner rather than later.
Remember if you have ANY questions, contact us.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Some scholarships are still available. If you wish to come, but are strapped for funds, check about receiving some assistance. Call Carl at 888.458.5253 or email carl@ringlake.org.

ADDITION TO THE FACILITIES MANAGER’S CABIN:

As you can see from the photo, the addition is progressing nicely. The Board decided that the time was right to improve the living space for the facilities manager who resides year-round at the Ranch to steward this blessed place. The addition adds a living room space, a second bedroom and bath. An unfinished loft could be made into a bedroom.

REFINISHING CABINS;

Last summer we started the three year project of refinishing the exteriors of all the log cabins. The process begins with cob blasting (yes, instead of water or sand, they use ground corn cobs to take the old finish off – eco-friendly and very effective), hand sanding, and then staining and sealing. Completed are cabins 1, 2, 7, Hermitage, B, and right now the Living Room is being refinished (see photos before cob blasting and after).
Again, part of being good stewards is making sure the buildings receive the care they need to house guests for the next forty years.

VOLUNTEER WEEK:

This week filled up quickly. We have lots of projects lined up for everyone: re-siding the Chapel, dozens of repair jobs, cleaning of all sorts, sewing curtains, and so on.

The energy is building for another great summer of renewal in a sacred wilderness at Ring Lake Ranch. Come. Join us.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director

January-February 2009

No time like the present to register for this summer’s programs. One session – The Living Land – has already filled up.

We have an exciting lineup of retreats for 2009, so please check them out on the Programs link. If you have any questions, be sure to email us at info@ringlake.org or give us a call on our toll free number – 888.458.5253.

The spring edition of The Carillon, the Ranch’s twice-annual newsletter, will be mailed out in early March. If you would like to receive our printed news or email newsletter, please email us at info@ringlake.org.

A Gentle Reminder: Spiritual Growth through the Enneagram with Eric Wheeler replaced Communicating with Animals. The enneagram is an ancient tool of spiritual growth. For more see Programs and the Read More link for details.

The last member of the staff has signed on for the season. They should be an outstanding group.

Our two wranglers are a married couple with long experience working with horses. In addition, Marty is an artist, and Audra an emergency room nurse.

Becky, the new hike leader, has led snow-shoeing adventures in the Rockies, taught pilates and kickboxing, has an MS in Exercise Science plus an MDiv.

Our three cooks – Karen, Amblyn, and Amanda (back from last year) – promise to continue the tradition of healthy, hardy meals.

Ben, Facilities Manager, has been working on all sorts of projects this winter, so the Ranch should look and operate better than ever.

Joyce, Co-Director, is working on the Ranch cookbook and has a new line of attractive items for the Gift Shop. Joyce has organized a whole group of volunteers to help out all through the summer.

As the days lengthen and snow melts, I feel the energy building for another great summer of renewal in a sacred wilderness at Ring Lake Ranch. Come. Join us.

Peace and all good,
Carl Koch, Director