Back In The Saddle Again

 It has been an interesting summer! You could say we got bucked off, but we dusted ourselves off and got back up in the saddle again.  We are officially open for business, and hope all of you come and see how much of the forest around Sprucedale has been spared. There have been some changes but Sprucedale is still a great destination to…

Read More of the Ranch Summer Newsletter

Read More On The Report On Sprucedale

Sprucedale Guest Ranch Reopens

Thanks everyone for your prays and donations we can now official start our season.  We hope to see you all on the mountain soon!

Lady and her colt Flame born before the fire

Fire can be picky of what it chooses to take, and ver sadly our Brother Billy at Beaver Creek lost five cabins. Durning the evacuation, the imminent fire threat was at Sprucedale.  Whitney and Billy worked to prepare Beaver Creek.  The fire unexpectedly came around the backside of the mountain.  The fire was then at Billy’s door steps with no fire fighter to help protect his ranch.  However fire fighters were located, but it was not the crew that was familiar or assingned to Beaver Creek.  The didn’t have the equipment, time or conditions needed to save Billy’s cabins.  Very sad as he really put his heart and sould into building those cabins.  He is determinded to rebuild and we Sprucedale/Wiltbank Family are determined to help him.  For those of you who desire, there has been a donation site created to help Billy obtain the resources to rebuild www.beavercreekranchfirerelief.com or Ranch Relief Fund where you can donate supplies and labor.

The Horses came home

Behind the Pine cabin

Lady and her Wallow

 Howdy to all from the Wiltbank’s and Sprucedale Guest Ranch.  As many of you know,the Wallow Fire was recently in our area.  On June 2 the Wallow Fire was not seen as a imminent threat, but the extreme weather conditions combined with the excessive fuel of the Bear Wallow Wilderness Area allowed the Wallow Fire to plume and spread across the forest.  This unpredicted fire activity allowed only 30 minutes for evacuation from Sprucedale.  The Sprucedale staff and family were quickly and safely evacuated to Eagar.  Whitney drove the horses into the mountains and opened all gates allowing the horses space to avoid the fire.    The fire fighters stayed at the ranch and fought valiantly all through the night to save Sprucedale. 

We tried to be patient but couldn’t help but call Bob Orriell, our Forest Service Liaison, often to get updates on the status of the ranch.  Everyday we were evacuated was filled with nail biting and trying to focus on the good things (everyone was safe).  We would received bits of information from many different sources.  One of our best updates was from a wife of a fire fighter who was stationed at Sprucedale, yet we really didn’t know Sprucedale’s fate.  We were overjoyed when we received the official notice that Sprucedale had lost no structures (cabins).  The news that Sprucedale was saved was sweetened when we saw pictures of the ranch that showed, for the most part, our beautiful treeline was spared.  Dad and Whitney were especially pleased to see the pictures that most of the horses came home safely and were in the meadow.  Emma, Whitney’s daughter, was ecstatic to hear that her dog was found, fed, and renamed “Whiskey” by firefighters 10 miles from Sprucedale!  And last but not least the three little pigs were alive.  We were even able to see Sprucedale in person via a Sherriff escorted on 06/11/2011 (video of the return) to assess the damage and prepare for repairs.  The fire for the most part stayed in the forest undergrowth, which will grow back after the rains start.  There were some areas where the tops of the trees were affected, and we are working to save as many as possible.  Sprucedale’s structures were protected with onlya few melted waterpipes and electrical lines.  The fences around Sprucedale took the biggest hit, but they are replaceable.   Sprucedale will be operational this summer, but we do have a lot of work to do.  For those of you who have asked how you can help please visit our Wallow Fire Restoration page on our website for more information.  Overall we feel so fortunate and thankful that the Sprucedale tradition can carry on.  Sprucedale needs some care but is ingood shape.  This season will be different, but will be just as good if not better.  It is going to be memorable summer pulling together as a Sprucedale Family and reviving Sprucedale.  We are “putting on the work gloves” and will be back in business by June 26.

Sincerly,

The Wiltbanks

There are many videos and pictures on our Facebook Page and You Tube Channel

Please read more about the impact of the Wallow Fire and how you can HELP at Ranch Fire Restoration

New Baby

Whitney and Janae welcomed their new baby boy from their home yesterday at 6:11 am, in San Tan Valley, AZ.
Not sure of the name yet possible… Hyrum Whitney Wiltbank

Ogas Family

The Ogas Family Dave, Debby, Michael, and Stephanie have been coming to the Ranch for 38 years.  Their family has experienced Sprucedale from our early years when Grandpa Wiltbank was leading them out on rides and will be returning this year to see Whitney lead them.   Debbie wrote down some of their favorite memories for Emer and Esther’s memory book and these are some of the great times she wrote what her family has experienced, learned, and loved about the ranch:

“Wow……………..38 years of Sprucedale ………..expressing the impact that this ranch has had on my life and family.  Pregnant with both kids, bringing them up around animals, rain storms, and coral work…………….to say nothing of horseback riding and ranch-style meals.

Emer and Esther, we have such fond memories of you 2 (with your kids) running the Double Bar K………..horseback rides over to you, and the rodeo that ensued at the end of every week.  Rain or shine, we did rodeo!!  Michael and “grandpa Walter” saying good-bye for the last time in the coral, Stephani  in her pack on Dave’s back, all of us going to ‘Peg-Legs,’ stories upon stories, sighting the beautiful Sinkfoil (purple blue flower) on the Black River, shoeing horses, seeing deer give birth, watchin’ colts wobble around, doggies to love and bring home, scones, ‘pluckin’ bread, beans and cornbread (yum), afternoon showers, and nite-time lightning shows, along with the views of meter showers and falling stars…………I could on for a whole page! Oh, I almost forgot…………….branding, burning signs, roping calves, games of horseshoes and ’such.’

The Wiltbank Family would like to thank the Ogas Family for all your kind words and great memories!  We will keep the Tobasco Sauce out on the table for you.

Please send your memories to us so we can complete a book of Sprucedale greatest memories on “Where Families Come Together”.

Grandma and Grandpa Wiltbank

Margine’s Delicious Buttermilk Syrup

(Following in her Great Grandmother Fay’s footsteps of being a great

cook, Margine introduced  this yummy recipe two summer ago at Sprucedale).

1 1/2 c. sugar                        2 T. corn syrup        3/4 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. butter                          1 t. baking soda      2 t. vanilla

In a LARGE saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7

minutes.  (It foams and will boil over if your pan isn’t big enough.) Remove from heat;

and stir in  vanilla.  Phyllis also uses this as butterscotch topping on ice cream…Yum

Baldy

Horses’ hooves grow approximately 0.25 in a month, and take nearly a year to grow from the coronet band to the ground.

Horses younger than 4 years can concentrate for a maximum of 10-15 minutes

Horses lie down only about 43.5 minutes a day

Foals have milk teeth, which are replaced by permanent teeth around 3-5 years old

Horses generally dislike the smell of pigs

In the state of Arizona, it is illegal for cowboys to walk through a hotel lobby wearing their spurs.

Spring is around the corner we will be moving the horses from the winter pastures back to the ranch.

Join us for the spring horse drive.