Who Put the Dude in Dude Ranch?

Back in the old days, the 60's, 70's and 80's, we would refer to men as guys, studs, hotties or various other trendy titles. Regrettably, the last ten years or so have somehow resurrected the term "dude" to indicate (usually) a male who is generally a socially acceptable commodity. But having recently been exposed to the vacation destinations called "dude ranches," I am amused at how different these venues are from the common slang term.

There is no shortage of information on the definition and origin of the dude ranch. Wiktionary defines dude ranch as "a ranch in which tourists may experience a romanticized version of the Wild West; features include camping, horseback riding and other outdoor pursuits." According to numerous sources, dude ranches starting appearing in the 1890s as a wish to return to the rustic and rugged environment of the Old West, after the industrialization and overcrowding of American cities.

As stated in traveloregon.com, "The completion of the transcontinental railroads in the 1880s put the West's rugged mountains in reach of visitors, but upon arrival, they found little in the way of accommodations. Cattle and horse ranchers, bound to an unofficial code of hospitality, opened their doors to these urban folk, who were as taken with the ranch lifestyle as with the natural wonders of the wide-open spaces."

According to Wikipedia, "This in turn led many people to have feelings of nostalgia for bygone days, but also, given that the risks of a true frontier were gone, allowed for nostalgia to be indulged in relative safety. Thus, the person referred to as a "tenderfoot" or a "greenhorn" by westerners was finally able to visit and enjoy the advantages of western life for a short period of time without needing to risk life and limb."

While learning about dude ranches, I discovered that the "tenderfoot," or "greenhorn" or "dude" was also referred to as a "dandy." In our current political correctness, I can only imagine what would happen if we chose any of the other words available to describe these guest ranches. "I'm off to Montana. Going to ride horse, rope cattle and sleep under the sky at my dandy ranch." I don't think so.

In other words, we built and worked and sacrificed and developed our cities in order to wind up feeling nostalgic about animals roaming the range and sleeping in a tent. That makes less sense to me for the 1890s than it does for current times when we are plagued with traffic jams, hard drive crashes and swine flu pandemics. And so here we are, with numerous vacation choices, including types of dude ranches.

According to traveloregon.com, "Today, there are more than 100 dude ranches operating in 13 Western states and two Canadian provinces. The experience these ranches offer varies: Some allow visitors to partake in the operation of a working cattle operation; others provide a mountain retreat with ranch trappings, and a healthy helping of horseback riding."

Another very useful guide to dude ranch options is adventure.howstuffworks.com. From there I discovered that there are three flavors of dude ranches. The first is a working dude ranch, one with the primary focus of standard ranch activities such as working cattle or sheep operations. This alternative would give one the greatest and most accurate sense of the Old West experience, including such recreation as herding cattle.

The second type is the pure and simple dude ranch. This one is all about horseback activities. None of my research disclosed promises of saddle soreness but I imagine that this is a freebie. Although you may have never imagined yourself with a lasso, you're almost certain to be able to learn how to operate one.

Finally, for those who are least nostalgic and most creature-comforted, is the resort dude ranch. These are usually the larger ranches and will be more likely to offer the option of a spa than cleaning horse troughs.

I was fascinated by the names of dude ranches in operation in the US and was not surprised by the names and descriptions of some of them. Consider, for example, the "Long Hollow Ranch" in Sisters, Oregon (www.lhranch.com) The website touts their location as follows:
"Long Hollow Ranch is a guest ranch with good old fashion values. The newly remodeled 100-year old ranch house welcomes you to historic central Oregon." Good old fashion values are some of the best, to be sure. I suppose that I'll have to visit to see them on a dude ranch.

Another of my favorites is "Drowsy Water Guest Ranch" in Granby, CO (www.drowsywater.com). You'll have no lack of clarity on the purpose of this visit. "When we arrive, Ken promises us a couple of things. First, he says, the guests will come from a variety of backgrounds, but 'everybody here's going to be just one thing this week, and that's a cowboy or cowgirl.'" Yee ha.

Make no mistake. There will be no glitz, no glamour, no gambling and probably no sushi. The names of some of our dude ranches make that perfectly clear: Beachwater Creek Ranch (WY); Elk Mountain Ranch (CO); White Stallion Ranch (AZ); King Mountain Ranch (CO); Lazy El (Montana); Grapevine Canyon Ranch (AZ); Sand Hill Double R Ranch (NE); Rockin' R Ranch (UT) and Doggie Dude Ranch(AZ).

Whenever I hear a young person use the word "dude," I think of its original meaning and hope that it goes the way of "far out" and "groovy." While I'm patiently waiting, I am inspired by those who want to teach the over-civilized and under-rustic how to enjoy a new and different lifestyle, if only for a short but exciting week in the old west.