A Peak Experience
By Leslie Doran
Imagine.
A luxurious retreat (open May-October) hidden away in some of the
most
mountainous and breathtaking scenery in Colorado and so exclusive that
the only way to get there is by train (pulled by vintage 1923 and 1925
coal-fired steam engines) or by helicopter.Welcome to Tall Timber. Meet hosts Denny and Judy Beggrow and their three-dozen staff members who work hard to accommodate the thirty guests staying there at any one time. Even before visitors arrive, every requirement and desire has been considered and all is ready when guests first enter the property to stay in one of the ten comfortable, homey, bi-level suites available. It is Tall Timber’s attention to detail that brings back more than sixty percent of guests annually as repeat customers.
The resort is all about family and a tradition of pleasing guests. In 1907 Ross McCausland Senior (great grandfather to present co-owner Judy Beggrow), built a lodge near Needleton, site of a former stage stop near the present-day Durango & Silverton rail line. Down river a few miles (and forty years later), Ross and Ethel McCausland established Ah! Wilderness, an eighty-acre guest ranch at an elevation of 7,473 feet. Guests came to experience horseback riding and horse packing into the wilderness. In the 1960s, the McCausland’s granddaughter, Judy, married Denny Beggrow, a frequent guest and ranch hand. A few years later the young Beggrows acquired an additional 180 neighboring acres, and Tall Timber was born. They built all the buildings by hand, and all supplies had to be brought in by train. The Beggrows welcomed their first guests in 1974 at mile marker 475.
Today,
Tall Timber has many impressive buildings including the big lodge and
the depot easily seen from passing trains. The depot houses a spiffy
red 1947 fire truck and two (rail) motorcars. The lodge accommodates a
spacious dining area, gourmet kitchen, lounge serving before-dinner
cocktails, indoor/outdoor pool area, and library, which contains 15,000
books. The building also has a 1950’s soda fountain, a 1940’s
barbershop, and a four-story greenhouse, which houses plant plugs
cultivated for use on the property.Tree Top Adventures
Soaring Colorado
Tall Timber
Resort has evolved with the changing interests of its guests, most
recently adding Soaring Tree Top Adventures, an extreme zip line
touring through the 300 year old growth of the ponderosa pine canopy.
The sport is the brainchild of Johnroy Beggrow, son of Judy and
Denny
Beggrow. His interest began at age ten, when he fashioned a cable and
barn pulley connection between two tree houses.This exciting activity is a life changing experience and is fun and safe for all ages (five-ninety) and most abilities. It is now available to day-guests who arrive by train as well as guests of the resort.
The adventure begins by suiting up in state-of-the-art Petzl climbing harnesses. Sky Rangers introduce guests to the sport in stages, first demonstrating how the tree platforms work (they do not harm the trees), then explaining the gear and redundant safety features which include a sturdy stainless steel cable. The Soaring Learning Center includes a movie clip and an explanation of how and why the Beggrows developed Soaring. Guests move on to the elaborate forest simulation room to learn about the Soaring system of stainless steel platforms and attachments in the trees. Visitors also get an education on old-growth forest in the process.
The platforms and Soaring system were designed, patented and trademarked by Johnroy and built by Durango’s Holt Sheet Metal Company. The unique design gives new meaning to the phrase “tree hugger.” Local arborist, David Temple, stated after examining the Ponderosa trees that “these old girls won’t even know you’re here.”
The
Soaring journey begins by stepping outside from a second story room,
where guests catch their first glimpse of the course. The first five
trees are called the Genesis section and the platforms are lower to the
ground and closer together. The heights get higher and the experience
more thrilling after that. After climbing up a spiral staircase, a
helicopter hoist raises guests 100 feet in the air for the next
segment. Aspen Alley, a 420-foot span, brings guests to a water break
and a brief respite on the ground. The Meadow section is the final
prelude to a gourmet four-course lunch served alongside the roaring
Animas River. After lunch guests soar through the river section, which
includes spans that traverse back and forth across the river four
times. All too soon the adventure ends, and then, after divesting of
soaring gear, it’s off to the train for a return to civilization
for
day-trippers or back to the suite for the lucky resort guests.Tall Timber not only takes care of guests, but also is a steward of the land. Staff are trained as first responders and in rescue techniques. They constantly run drills in search and rescue, fire fighting and Soaring rescue procedures. This is a non-smoking resort and there are no cars and no roads to access the property.
Tall Timber Resort: www.talltimberresort.com • 970-259-4813
Soaring Colorado: www.soaringcolorado.com • 970-769-2357
Photos
Guests relax in the dining room, pool area, and library, courtesy Tall Timber Resort; Guests arriving by helicopter, © Kathryn Retzler; last two photos © Leslie Doran