Employment - Introduction

The Laramie River Dude Ranch is a small working dude ranch with a typical occupancy of 25 guests.  Our size allows us to give each guest our personal attention as they ride horses, fish, and participate in our naturalist led activities.  This personal attention sets us apart from other types of vacations.  It is not uncommon for a guest to tell us that this was the best vacation their family has ever had.  It will be your goal to make that the case for every guest.

We have high standards for the quality of service our guests receive.  Consequently, we have equally high expectations for performance of our employees.  First and foremost we are looking for employees that are warm, outgoing, and have strong communication and interpersonal skills.  They must not be afraid of long hours and hard work.  All positions require employees that are organized, willing to take initiative and pay close attention to detail.  Employees must get along well with others, work well as part of a team, and must have a "can do" attitude.

Working at a guest ranch can be hard work, but it’s also a great deal of fun.  You will have the opportunity to meet people from across the country and around the world.  During time off, you are welcome to join in ranch activities including riding, fishing, and our naturalist program.  You will have the opportunity to explore the surrounding area, camp, go white water rafting, visit Rocky Mountain National Park, or climb one of Colorado’s peaks.

If this combination of hard work, commitment and fun in the spectacular Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado interests you, we invite you to submit an application.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age on the day they begin work.

American citizens will have to produce a valid driver’s license and an original social security card -OR- a current passport before they will be allowed to start work.

Pay & Hours:

Pay rates will be established when a job offer is made.  We pay you based on the hours you work, not a salary as is the case at some ranches.  Overtime is paid at a rate of 1.5 times base pay for each hour over twelve hours in a day or forty hours in a week.  All employees work a six day week.  Employees are paid biweekly.  See job descriptions below for our estimate of the hours associated with each position.

Housing and Meals:

We have simple bunkhouse style accommodations.  Bathrooms and showers are in our nearby lodge.  You will have as many as four roommates.  Crew are expected to keep their living area picked up and clean.  Employees are not allowed to have overnight guests stay in the employee housing.  No pets are allowed.  Bed linens, pillows, and towels are provided.  Washers and dryers are shared by housekeeping, guests, and staff.  Hours of operation will be posted.

Crew breakfast is served a half-hour before the guests eat.  Crew eats both lunch and dinner with guests.  Our wait and kitchen staff eat before or after meals and will not be able to eat meals with guests unless it is their day off.

Appearance:

The ambiance at the Laramie River Dude Ranch is western.  We expect our employees to come prepared to dress in that style and maintain a neat and clean appearance at all times.  Tee shirts, shorts, and baseball caps are not allowed.  For practical reasons, guest services crew will be allowed to wear shorts when cleaning cabins but will be required to change back into jeans or pants when cleaning lodge rooms and serving meals.  Kitchen staff may wear professional kitchen clothing.  Aprons must be removed before leaving the kitchen and interacting with guests.  Employees wear Oxford or western style shirts that button down the front, preferably long sleeved, and all shirts must be in good condition, be long enough to be tucked in, be worn tucked in, and must be clean, ironed and neat.  Western style jeans are appropriate attire and are required when riding.  Jeans that are overly baggy, bell-bottomed, tattered or torn will not be allowed.  Allowable footwear includes riding boots, hiking boots, and sneakers in good condition.  Boots with a heel and smooth sole are required for riding.  Employees with long hair must keep it restrained while on duty so that it does not fall forward.  Those arriving with extreme hair color and/or style will be asked to make modifications.  Jewelry, perfume and make-up worn on duty must be conservative.  Male employees are expected to be shaven when arriving to work each day.  A beard or mustache must be neatly trimmed and if you have not arrived with one, you will not grow one during the season.  Employees will be expected to follow this dress code any time they are in the presence of guests whether or not they are on the clock.

Ranch Life:

After a hard day of work, you’ll find yourself hanging out with the rest of the crew.  Day to day, it is a relaxing "unplugged" existence.  Past crews have played volleyball, softball, and hiked or fished.  Some set up regular card games, Pictionary competitions, and other board game tournaments.  Some read.  There are opportunities to attend Laramie Jubilee Days rodeo events, Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeos and concerts by top performers, and white water river rafting.

There is a small cabin among our crew accommodations that has been set up as a place to hang out and socialize.  There is a small fridge and a microwave.  The cabin has a TV and DVD player.  No cable or satellite TV is available on the ranch.

Our postal delivery takes place only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Employees pick up mail from the ranch store after work or while on break.

Telephone service is provided using microwave towers.  During the day we are limited to one telephone line for guests and staff.  A second line becomes available during the evening.  Outgoing long distance calls can be placed using calling cards, by calling collect, or by calling toll-free numbers.  Discounted calling cards are available in our ranch store.  Incoming calls on the staff line are taken by an answering machine and delivered to staff with their postal mail.

We do not have computer facilities for the crew.  A WIFI hotspot is available on ranch if you have a WIFI capable laptop.  Internet service on the ranch is provided via satellite, so bandwidth and total traffic are limited.  High speed internet access is available in Laramie.

Transportation:

We are a remote ranch.  Past employees have emphasized that it is advantageous to have your own transportation.  If you do not have a vehicle, we will make arrangements to pick you up in Laramie when you arrive at the beginning of the summer and to drop you off in Laramie when you leave at the end of the season.  We cannot pick you up in Denver and public transportation from Denver to Laramie is poor.  During the summer you must find your own transportation if you are interested in going to town or visiting the surrounding area.

Drugs & Alcohol:

No smoking or chewing will be allowed while you are working, in any of the buildings, on any of the trail rides, at the barn, or in front of the guests.  Illegal use of drugs or alcohol is not permitted.  For employees 21 and older, alcohol use must be discreet and after work hours only.

Job Descriptions for our summer positions :

Our ranch community is made up of the Burleigh family and eighteen summer employees.  In addition to the details of the job descriptions below you will be asked to participate in other ranch duties.  We may ask you to help plant a garden, fix a fence, or clean up the area around the crew cabins.  We schedule all our employees for an occasional volleyball game against our guests and occasional appearances for square dancing Thursday nights.  These activities are paid, of course, but they are not optional.  It is all part of life in our ranch community.

Chef: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

The chef is responsible for the preparation, presentation, and timely delivery of three meals per day including cookouts and for daily appetizers before dinner.  Many of these responsibilities including most breakfasts and the outdoor meals are delegated to one of our prep cooks.  The chef is also responsible for the maintenance of a clean work space, your pots and pans, proper food handling, cooling, and storage regimes.

A seven-day menu and recipes are provided by the ranch as a starting point.  New recipes and significant menu changes are to be discussed with the owners before they are put into place.  Changes, enhancements, and new recipes will be documented by the chef for the future use of the ranch.  You are welcome to call them your own and take them with you when you leave.  If you feel uncomfortable documenting your personal recipes for the ranch’s future use, simply do not introduce them during the summer.

Candidates with prior experience supervising others in a food service environment will be considered for the added role of kitchen supervisor.  The kitchen supervisor is responsible for the cleanliness of the kitchen, maintenance of proper health and safety standards, inventory control and ordering for all aspects of the kitchen, and cost control.  The supervisor will supervise the coming and goings of the kitchen crew.  Exceptions to the normal routine - absences due to sickness and normal days off all pose a challenge to the smooth function of the kitchen.  Keeping the crew working as a team to cover all the bases is the key to success.

In order to provide adequate time for training before guests arrive and to feed employees who arrive in early May, the chef must be able to start by May 16, 2008 and must be able to work through October 4, 2008. The chef's typical week will be fifty-five to sixty-five hours over six days.

Baker: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

We take good breads and desserts seriously at the Laramie River Dude Ranch.  Its routine for our guests to ask for one or more recipes before they leave.

The baker is responsible for the production of baked goods including pies, cakes, desserts, cookies, breads, and other specialty items.  You will be responsible for the cleaning of your area, your pots and pans, and the proper storage of baked goods.  Other responsibilities include pitching in to assist in the preparation of meals, washing dishes, surfaces, coolers, and floors.

A seven-day menu and recipes are provided by the ranch.  Changes and enhancements to our recipes will be documented.  Any new recipes developed while on the clock will be documented for the future use of the ranch although you are welcome to call them your own and take them with you when you leave.  If you feel uncomfortable documenting your personal recipes for the ranch’s future use, simply do not introduce them during the summer.  The introduction of new recipes and significant menu changes will be discussed with the owners before they are put into place.

The baker should be able to start May 26, 2008 and work until September 27, 2008. The baker’s typical week will be fifty to sixty hours over six days.

Prep Cooks: (These positions have been filled for the summer of 2008.)

Wranglers: (These positions have been filled for 2008.)

Guest Services: (These positions have been filled for 2008.)

A team of four guest services crew members share responsibility for waiting tables, cleaning guest rooms, and cleaning our public spaces.

Wait duties include set-up, waiting, and bussing tables for three meals a day.  Breakfasts are served to order, so there is some order taking.  Most lunches and dinners are served family style so the process is more like bringing out a Thanksgiving dinner than working in a restaurant.  There is a lot of interaction with the guests during meals which makes this part of the job fun.

Morning housekeeping duties between breakfast and lunch involve cleaning up the guests’ rooms - making beds, cleaning bathroom sinks, toilets, tubs or showers, and sweeping the floor.  After lunch has been cleared, public spaces cleaning includes sweeping floors, cleaning windows of kid’s cookie fingerprints, dusting, and general tidying up of our living rooms, office, and porches in the lodge.  Mopping of floors, cleaning outside windows, constructing fires in the fire place and other duties also take place during the week as needed.

Finally, when we’re all caught up on our serving and cleaning duties there are tasks around the ranch that you will participate in with other crew members.  For example, in the spring we prepare the gardens in and around the ranch and return occasionally to weed.

One of the benefits of this position is that most of the work gets done by early afternoon, giving the guest services staff more opportunities to ride horses, participate in other activities, or relax.

All of our guest services positions start May 28, 2008. We need two to run through August 24, 2008, one to run through September 28, 2008, and one position to run through October 4, 2008. The guest services staff typically work forty to fifty-five hours over six days.

Grounds Person: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

Office Person: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

Our office position involves a number of duties including running the ranch store, answering telephones, taking reservations, checking guests in and out, and basic computer work.  You'll need to be organized, friendly, and have good verbal and written communication skills.  You will also occasionally be asked to assist others in the performance of their jobs including cleaning the office and living room and watering trees and gardens around the lodge.  You may be asked to do occasional babysitting if the children's counselor is overloaded.

The office person needs to start work by May 19, 2008 and work through October 4, 2008. The office person’s typical week is forty-five to fifty-five hours over six days.

Children's Counselor: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

Au Pair: (This position has been filled for the summer of 2008.)

The au pair will provide child care for the owners’ two boys who will be nine and six in 2008.  General housekeeping including vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, laundry, and ironing will also be part of this position.  The au pair will work approximately six eight-hour days and will need to be able to work for the period May 24, 2008 to August 17, 2008.

Summer Season Applications:

Many browsers will give you the option to "open" or "save" the file.  We have been told that it your best chance for success is to save the file to your computer and then open it with your word processor.  Opening it directly can result in problems if your computer is not properly configured.

Summer Application (PDF format) - Most compatible format for printing from your browser.  Unfortunately, this format does not allow you to edit the form and return it electronically.

Summer Application (Microsoft Word format) - Best option if you plan to fill it out on your computer and return it by email.

If you are unable to download or print our application, drop us an email and we will send one to you.  Please specify whether you prefer email or snail mail.

Other Options :

Some of our neighbors also have jobs for the summer :

A.  J.  Brink Outfitters

Jim Brink operates an outfitting business in our valley and around Colorado.  In summer, he leads guest trips into some of Colorado's most beautiful mountains.  In fall, he offers guided hunting opportunities.  Jim can be contacted at (970)435-5707.

Rose Valley Ranch

The Rose Valley Ranch is currently hiring for a permanent ranch position.  They are also looking for two motivated individuals to cook, clean, and provide child care for the owners of the ranch during the summer.  Flexibility is very important.  Housing is provided.  You'll need to provide your own transportation.  Candidates need to be able to start June 4th and work until the end of August.  Please call Todd at (970)435-5700.

Diamond Tail Ranch

If you think a job on a bison ranch sounds like fun our neighbors could use some help!  The Diamond Tail Ranch is looking for a nanny and ranch hands to help with irrigation of hay meadows and general ranch work.  Experience driving a tractor is a plus.  Contact Scott Butcher at diamondtailranch@earthlink.net.  You can also learn more about the Diamond Tail at their web site http://diamondtailranch.com.