Cresto Ranch: A Rare Intersection of Nature & Culture

09 Aug Cresto Ranch: A Rare Intersection of Nature & Culture

View from the Lodge proch

Enchanting rumors have long surrounded Dunton Hot Springs, the restored ghost town-turned-luxury resort. As of June, 2013, there is something substantive and new to talk about.

On a recent summer day, we set out for lunch at Cresto Ranch, Dunton’s charming newly-opened sister property, just four miles down the road from the main event. The Ranch taps into the popular trend of “glamping” or glamorous camping, an old story on the African continent – but the concept has spread.

Glamping makes economic and green sense. In places where the natural setting is all the excuse  anyone needs for a visit, who needs a picture window when a lavish tent has a porch that overlooks a green meadow with a river running through it?

About an hour from Telluride, the Cresto Ranch is located on the West Fork of the Dolores River, a renowned fly-fishing area. The journey there is half the fun, amazing unto itself.

En route to Cresto

The road switches back through shady Aspen groves and precarious cliffs, traverses green fields and, ultimately, meanders along the river. Bucolic scenery – a herd of sheep tended by a watchful border collie, abandoned wooden cabins—is punctuated by the freakish sight of a Sixties-era station wagon that had long since fallen off the road and gotten wedged into a rocky cliff. Legend has it that its passenger, a group of nuns, somehow scrambled to safety despite the sheer drop-off.

After 11 miles, we passed Dunton Hot Springs, a covey of restored buildings that appears decidedly low-key, but looks can be deceiving. The rates? Upwards of $1200/night. When fully booked, the gate is closed and access is not permitted, hence our attraction to Cresto Ranch, which, depending upon availability, is open for day excursions. We called ahead to make lunch reservations, which we had to secure by credit card, and arrived early to hike.

Located on the river, Cresto Ranch is as understated and elegant in its own way as Dunton.

The first glimpse is the Main Lodge, a restored 19th- century cabin with wraparound porches that also serves as kitchen, guest salon and dining area. Manager Mandy Simpson came out to welcome us. Armida Huerta, our server, offered us whatever we wanted to drink. We opted for Pellegrino Aranciatas, which we sipped over ice while watching hummingbirds barhop from feeder to feeder.

Across the river, tucked into the forested hillside, are the eight luxury tents. Guests traverse a quaint wooden bridge and walk on trails to reach them. Each structure is positioned with privacy in mind, but the ones on the ends are the quietest. Named after epic trails like “El Diente” and “Johnny Bull,” the tent names allude to the adventure in store.

A well-appointed, plush bed sits in the middle of the room. Cowhides cover the wood floors, and the en-suite bath and gas stoves cancel out any thoughts of “roughing it.” The desk is stocked with good reading. A copy of “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey lends a dose of irony  – and truth, its content centering on the contradiction between nature and culture.

Bedroom in Cresto’s well-appointed tents

Hungry from our hike, we sat down just in time to enjoy a three-course meal by chef Daniel Sopiwnik. Sopiwnik, who has been Sous Chef to Dunton’s Carrie Eagle, thrives in the farm-to-table style of cooking. The meal was fresh and delicious – though the staff later confessed Sopiwnik often makes up his mind what to cook at the last minute. That may be because he is a gardener and works closely with John Sutcliffe, whose Cortez vineyards, we discovered, are owned by Dunton.

For starters, the spinach and arugula salad with champagne vinaigrette, farm-fresh cucumbers, and heirloom carrot confetti was a rainbow of colors. That was paired

Pasta dish with homemade sausage

with a 2011 Sutcliffe Vineyards Pinot Gris. Second course was pasta primavera with two types of sausages Sopiwnik had made from wild boar, spiced apple, elk, blueberry and cabernet sauvignon. Sopiwnik paired that with a 2009 Sutcliffe Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. He served double chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

I realize I could have just taken the Abbey book, packed a picnic, and camped just down the road for a lot less. The scenery is just as beautiful. But what makes a place like Cresto special  is the service.

We loved the staff, who made it their job to make us feel at home. They are all down-to-earth, interesting people, who clearly love what they do: Sopiwnik warned us about the stinging nettle; Huerta politely re-poured white wine after my aunt inadvertently mixed two different varietals together; Simpson was friendly and inviting, although we did not stay the night. Thanks to each of them, lunch was unforgettable. Perhaps Abbey would roll his eyes at the whole adventure, but still, Cresto is a place where nature and culture intersect harmoniously (in direct opposition to the nun’s vehicle down the road).

The former guest who told me about  the ranch also said I wasn’t supposed to talk about it, that I had to keep it a secret. But after meeting the Cresto staff, I realized I that just had to pay it forward.

Armida Huerta, Daniel Sopiwnik, Mandy Simpson the staff at Cresto

Directions from Telluride: About 17 ½ miles down CO-145 driving south, turn right onto County Road 38. Drive about 15 miles to Cresto Ranch. Look for the sign on your left.

Three Course Lunch with alcohol included, $75/per person

For further information, call 970-882-4800 or go here.