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Three Peaks Ranch
By Glenn Goodrich, Ranch Manager
Reprinted from The Leader, Fall 2002, Vol. 18, No. 1
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The ranch crew: (Top) Nikki Mann, Danielle Nicholas, Danielle Naples, Laura 'Fats' Love, Marlowe Mewborn; (Bottom) Glenn Goodrich, Jacki Klancher, Tuck, Steve McInaney
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Homesteaded in 1888 by members of the Steele Family, Three Peaks has stood as a working ranch ever since. The original building is recognized by the Wyoming State Historical Registry as the longest continually occupied dwelling in Sublette County. NOLS purchased the ranch in the early 70s. The ranch is named for Raid, Ambush and Geike, three prominent peaks that can be seen from the property.
NOLS has a long-standing history with horsepacking in the Wind Rivers. Three Peaks sits on 120 acres on the west side of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains and serves as home and workplace for the NOLS horse program, which offers Wilderness Horsepacking courses throughout the summer, horsepacking sections on Semesters in the Rockies, and logistical support for NOLS courses afoot in the Winds.
During the heart of summer season, packers bring in food and equipment to most all of the courses on the western side of the Wind Rivers. This amounts to over 50 rerations each summer. The ranch also serves as a logistical base on the west side of the Winds by supporting courses as they travel to and from remote trailheads, assisting with evacuations, and offering up a convenient rest stop before the drive to Lander via South Pass.
At Three Peaks, we promote responsible horse use that cares for the land. The horse staff at NOLS is very active in the development and application of Leave No Trace (LNT) techniques and regularly participates in teaching LNT Master horse courses throughout the U.S.
To ride and care for a horse in the wilderness provides a rare experience indeed. Horsepacking is hard work, but it offers the opportunity to see the land via a different mode and perspective. It also offers the opportunity to learn not only from the other people in your group, but from the horses themselves…every one an excellent teacher.
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