GOLD HILL, Colo.—At the Colorado Mountain Ranch one recent day, throngs of children scattered across the property. Some rode horses while others performed gymnastic flips or explored nature through hikes.
Summer camp was in full swing.
Yet a little more than three years ago, questions loomed as to whether this kind of activity ever would take place again at the more than 60-year-old educational camp for kids and young adults off Gold Hill Road.
When the Fourmile Fire ravaged the foothills west of Boulder on Labor Day in 2010, many feared the Colorado Mountain Ranch had been lost to the blaze, which was, at that time, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history.
As the third anniversary of the Fourmile Fire nears, business at the Colorado Mountain Ranch — which lost 35 structures, but did not burn completely — has recovered, but plenty of work remains, said Jojo Morrison, creative director.
Officials are starting to develop the new Thunderbird Lodge, which will replace the children’s activity center that was lost in the fire. The ranch’s owners hope the new facility — which could be built in a Habitat for Humanity-style effort through donated supplies and labor — will help re-launch the property as a year-round facility for outdoor programs, Morrison said.
Additionally, officials have started the process to obtain 501(c)3 nonprofit status in a move aimed at sustaining the ranch for future generations.
“Some parents have said, ‘Oh, that’s great. You weren’t affected by the fire,'” Morrison said. “We’re glad it’s not showing as it once did, but we don’t ever want to forget where we came from and what we’ve been through.”
As the Fourmile Fire raged, the initial videos, photos and stories related to the Colorado Mountain Ranch were bleak.
Helicopter fly-overs showed fields of black and ash. Trees and buildings were consumed. Vehicles — including a couple former school buses — were charred.
Owners Mike and Lynn Walker helped save 10 structures, including the main lodge, cabins and the office. The Walkers lost their family house to the fire, but have made a new home in a couple of rooms inside the main lodge.
During the following months, the Walkers and volunteers cleaned up the property and used the felled trees to build a new barn that housed tack and tools donated by others. Most of the insurance money was put toward the barn.
“We needed our horse program to be functional,” Morrison said.
With that critical piece of the program in place to help get the camp on steady footing, Colorado Mountain Ranch officials now are moving forward on the next step: rebuilding the children’s activity center that burned in the fire.
Efforts are underway to develop the Thunderbird Lodge, an enclosed building that not only will house activities such as gymnastics, theater and music, but also help the ranch transition into a year-round operation by allowing for a large, indoor space suitable for meetings, Morrison said.
Thunderbird Lodge, at two stories and 2,850 square feet, will be larger than its predecessor, reduced to a 40-by-40-foot foundation slab.
The Thunderbird Lodge project has an estimated value of $300,000, but Morrison said she believes the building would come together in fashion similar to a Habitat for Humanity project with donated materials, labor and funds.
“Our goal is to build a building,” she said. “How that happens is to be found out.”
Spurring the initiative for the new Thunderbird Lodge was SolarGlass Co., a Boulder-based firm that replaced the windows in the camp’s main lodge to assist in winterizing efforts, Morrison said. SolarGlass plans to donate the windows for the building, she said.
“So many people have told us they wanted to give back,” she said. ” … Not everyone has $300,000, but they can pick up a hammer.”
The ranch has continued some of its activities, such as gymnastics, by constructing a makeshift, partially open-air structure consisting of felled trees, a tarp and a plastic orange barrier fence.
“It’s great when we can be outside, but you never know what the weather’s going to be like,” she said.
If the Thunderbird Lodge comes together by next year as planned, its presence — combined with that of winterized cabins — could allow the ranch to become more of a year-round operation, Morrison said, noting that officials already have received calls to host winter weddings and corporate retreats.
John Tayer, president and chief executive officer of the Boulder Chamber, said the operation could serve as a regional draw.
“Obviously (the Fourmile Fire) was a tragic circumstance for so many individuals and businesses, but having said that, we live in a resilient entrepreneurial community and it doesn’t surprise me that we would see (people) either recreating businesses or developing new business concepts in a community where innovation flourishes,” Tayer said. “To me, it’s all part of just the character of this community.”
———
Information from: Daily Camera,
