DVR…

Last night was pure magic at Deer Valley Ranch. Here’s a bit of my learning as to why and how…

Deer Valley Ranch is a family owned ranch high up in the collegiate peaks of Colorado. John Wilmington Sr. had a vision for providing a Christ based vacation experience for families back in the 50’s. In fact, Jim Rayburn would start Young Life just down the street, so to speak, at his first camp – Silver Cliff, while John was busy building cabins of his own. In 1954 DVR was open for families. Dr. Scott’s family and the Christian Medical Society arrived in 1963. I was four. For me it was love at first sight. I loved the horses, mountains, freedom, and the people. John Wilmington’s son, John, was the head wrangler and I lived with him and the horses from sun up to sun down. Any ride they offered was for me. John was seven years older than me and seven times cooler. He was a cowboy.

Over the years growing up we made the annual trip to DVR part of the summer’s passing. Every year it was great to meet new families from all over the country and be treated to the same food, activities, cabins, and lodge. It was love.

When my sisters and I went away to college, our DVR trips became more infrequent. Every other year then every third seemed to be the trend. When I married Miss back in 1982 and Jordan came on board in 1985, it wasn’t long before it seemed like the right thing to do to bring him out to the high country and put a pair of boots on his little toes. As our family grew and my sisters did too the tradition of coming to DVR became a bit more dear, you could say. There would be years where we wouldn’t see each other as an extended family except when we were out here. All the while John & Clara grew older and their children (including John) took over the day to day running of the ranch. Nothing seemed to much change. The lodge, pool, cabins, corral, and comradarie all remained in some kinda 1950’s time wharp. Going to DVR was like entering a hot tub time machine back to a simpler and more predictable time. It was love.

Of course, like all relationships, our DVR love affair had painful moments where feelings were hurt. There was miscommunication, misperception, and justice threads were tweaked. At one point, I can recall, it seemed as if our families were broken beyond repair. My heart kinda broke a bit thinking I wouldn’t make new memories at a place so dear to me. We went a handful of years without so much as a mention of the old place. Nobody wanted to go back, or so it seemed. Then it happened. The cousins formed a coalition and caucaused the matriarch (Marie – my mom) for one more return to old DVR.  We’ve been back three times since the cousin uprising brought us back together. 

The Ranch is older and imperfect as ever. The faucets leak with regularity in each bathroom. The shower heads put out water like it’s coming from a thimble. The fridge in our unit reminds you, late at night mind you, that it’s alive. John & Clara are no longer with us. John, Sue, and Harold have taken lesser roles as two of their children take on leadership roles. None of my sisters ride a lick any more. I’m scared to death of all horses and haven’t ridden since Miss stopped making me. And yet here we are at DVR loving every minute of it. You see, DVR is a lot like you and a lot like me. None of us is without our flaws and imperfections. None of us just magically keeps getting better. Only a few people and places age well. This is one of those. 

Last night, sitting around the well worn couches in front of the lodge fire while other guests square danced on the deck floor just outside our windows, we were transported back to the 1930’s as twelve descendants from Dr. & Mrs. Chester E. Scott listened intently to the matriarch tell stories from her childhood. We heard about the hobo’s her mother fed, the neighbors she gave some of her precious milk, the dust storms, depression, and resilience she learned from these lessons. Cell phones weren’t making any noises (they don’t work in the lodge), and the next generation wasn’t missing ’em. Gramma was talking. FM, baby. This morning as I walked into the lodge looking for coffee, I ran, instead into John. John had noticed the magic happening late last night and told me was still kicking himself for not getting a picture. Without thinking, I remarked that I had thought the same thing – I thought it would have made for great marketing for them. His response was just as instinctive, “I wasn’t thinking of that, Chester, I was thinking of how special it would have been for you, your Mom, and your family.”

It is love…