John and Mical Ziegman and family

We'd like to welcome you to the most beautiful spot on the planet. We don't say that as managers, but as witnesses. Trying to explain or capture this ranch on a website is impossible. You have to experience it. Every single guest we've had has said the same thing or written the same thing in the lodge journal, in their own words. We know your visit will be unforgettable, and we'll do everything in our power to make sure that is a reality.

John has a degree in outdoor recreation from Colorado State University. As a recent graduate, he worked in the nearby State Forest in Gould, Colorado. He fell in love with the area, and drifted from government work which did not suit his work ethic, into ranching in the Rand area on the Brown Ranch. The endless hours of hard labor, working for the good of the land and wildlife (the Brown Ranch is also a working cattle ranch and big game hunting outfit) was the perfect combination for him. Verl Brown, a second generation rancher, taught John how to calve in the spring, raise hay in the summer and do everything else needed in between.

His life path continued in the meeting of one of Verl's fall hunting clients, Richard MacLeod, who bought a nearby ranch. John ended up working on Richard's new ranch, using his outdoor recreation degree to build a recreation business from scratch, called Whistling Elk Outfitters. From there, the business relationship blossomed and became what it is today, when the Buffalo Creek Ranch was purchased by Richard MacLeod, and John was hired as general manager.

Mical maintains that her degree is in the area of adventure and freespirit. After attending many universities and colleges, changing majors as often as most people change their underwear, she ended up in Walden owning and running a whitewater rafting company in the North Park Area. John contracted her company a few times to take guests on whitewater adventures, and the rest they say, is history. Now Mical uses her love of horses and sharing adventures with guests to help on the horse side of the business, her love of writing to help with the web site development, and her distaste for bookkeeping to power her through all office work as quickly and efficiently as she can.

A couple of the young horses. The young spotted horse on the left is a buckskin paint colt named Buffalo Creek Takota. The mare on the right is a mixed breed (draft/thoroughbred mix) named Anna.

Tecumseh is a rare combination of animal that can work trails and cows equally well. One day he'll be roping under a cowboy and the next he'll be taking care of a novice on the trail. He's a big beautiful buckskin quarterhorse.

Bear, the dark horse on the left, is in semi-retirement, but he's yet to meet a young lady he can't make swoon. As trustworthy as a horse can get, we let him go for shorter rides with light children to keep both kids and him happy.