Winter Weekend in the Wild: A Vermejo Itinerary
Winter may be the most idyllic time of year at Vermejo. From diamond-coated landscapes that sparkle in the sun to the peaceful crunch of wildlife meandering through a snow-crusted forest, nature speaks to each of our senses in a new way during the quiet of winter. Time outdoors is balanced with cozy fireplaces begging us to curl up with a warm mug and a favorite novel or an intimate conversation.
During the nine years I lived at Vermejo, I witnessed how this special time of year invites guests to slow down and linger as the land rests. Here’s what a winter weekend at Vermejo could look like.
The journey and arrival
The beauty begins as soon as you turn off the freeway and onto Highway 555, up Vermejo’s 40-mile-long forested driveway. Stop once along the way to take photos of a massive elk grazing on the side of the road or a view of snow-capped purple mountains, flanked by an evergreen lined highway.
You receive a warm welcome and tour of your accommodation, Casa Grande, a turn-of-the-century mansion that now holds seven guest rooms and shared living spaces. Even the entryway makes you feel like royalty with its intricately patterned floor of Italian marble tiles, tapestry wallpaper, and skillful scrollwork on the walls and ceiling.
After settling in, you walk just a few steps to the wooden lodge for a warm dinner by the fire, already feeling at home.
Day one: Into the wild
It’s a quiet and cozy morning in the lodge. A few other guests and staff exchange pleasantries and enjoy hot breakfast bites by the crackling fireplace before heading out for the day.
Wildlife and history tour
With chunky coats, gloves, and hats in hand, you set out on a pleasant drive through fields and forests glistening with frost. Your guide stops the truck a few miles down the road, where two mule deer peek at you from a thicket of bushes. You spot a golden eagle soaring overhead as your guide explains that these massive birds of prey along with their cousins, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and others are abundant in the mountain skies this time of year.
Strap on snowshoes to help navigate over drifted snow as you hear the story of Catskill, a turn-of the century logging town, as you wander through the still-sturdy charcoal kilns of yesteryear and the remains of an old cemetery.
You learn Vermejo’s 558,000 acres carried a legacy of logging, mining, and heavy grazing before Ted Turner purchased it in 1996 and restoration began. Since then, more than 50,000 forested acres have since been treated with ecological thinning and prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and return the forest to a more open structure. Standing here helps you truly understand what that work is undoing.
Midday reset
After returning to the lodge for a hearty bowl of potato chowder and a bison burger topped with arugula fresh from the greenhouse, enjoy a luxurious massage and a nap in your Casa Grande suite.
The antique porcelain tub looks inviting, and you plan to enjoy a soothing lavender-scented bubble bath before bed.
Afternoon stroll
Across the lawn from the main lodge, the River Trail provides the perfect location to spend an hour getting a little exercise and a nature fix without venturing far from headquarters. Bundle up and take a brisk walk on the gentle, rolling trail that meanders over a red wooden bridge and across the gurgling Vermejo River before winding into the trees.
Back at Casa Grande as the sun sinks below the horizon, spend a few minutes watching it from the veranda with a toasty mulled wine in hand.
Private dinner and fireside stargazing
Tonight you’ve planned an elegant dinner in Casa Grande. The table is beautifully set with linens, candles and stemware for wine pairings, and the menu is carefully crafted to give a taste of local specialties that appeal to your palate and preferences. From the amuse-bouche, through the entrée, and dessert, each plate is a sensual delight highlighting the flavors of the land and the season.
After dinner, you are full and sleepy, but not quite ready for the day to end. Wander out to the campfire to enjoy the mesmerizing crackle of the logs blazing with orange and blue. Overhead, a dark moonless sky shimmers with more stars than you’ve ever seen. If you step out onto the lawn, you can even see the hazy stripe of the milky way dancing across the sky.
Day two: Slow morning and afternoon adventure
As welcome snowflakes gently fall outside, you opt for a cozy morning in Casa Grande, making yourself coffee in the kitchen and sinking into the velvety blue couche in front of the fireplace in the glamorous great room. Surrounded by antique cherry wood furnishings, Ted Turner’s collection of over 10,000 books, ornately carved towering ceilings, and a gorgeous Steinway grand piano, you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time to the early 1900s.
Grounding
It’s time for yoga, so you pad upstairs to the sunroom where your instructor has mats, candles, and gentle music prepared. She leads you through a warming, strengthening, and stretching sequence just right to energize you for the rest of your day.
Ice fishing
Into the truck once more with to-go breakfast burritos in hand, you roll out the curved driveway. Your guide points out new mountain peaks, lakes and valleys, that rival yesterday’s views in beauty and grandeur, and you catch a glimpse of a bobcat scampering away into the woods.
As you arrive at Adams Lake, your guide straps cleats onto your boots to grip the ice, and you’re surprised you don’t slip when you walk out on the frozen lake. He then takes an auger and makes a perfectly round hole in the ice and pitches a small tent over the top of it. The whole thing doesn’t take more than ten minutes.
The sun is warm on your face, and inside the tent the crisp breeze is gone, tempting you to take off your hat and gloves. It would be quite dark inside, but the brightly lit lake illuminates the tent from beneath. You’re dazzled by the alien green glow coming up from the frozen floor beneath the tent. Even more enthralling is the way the lake and its creatures gleam through the hole in the ice. It’s like watching a glow-in-the-dark aquarium through a plate-sized opening in the ice.
There’s a tug on your line and a jolt of excitement flashes through your body. Your guide is already there, helping you reel and then scoop the fish right out of the icy water with his bare hands. He deftly removes the hook and hands you the squirming fish for a quick photo. Then you gently release him back into his glowing watery home beneath the ice and watch him swim away. It may not have been a native Rio Grande cutthroat trout, but your presence on property means you are a part of the conservation story of the species.
Lunch with a view
Savoring a tasty lunch in the wild is a hallmark of a visit to Vermejo. You decide to earn your meal by hiking the Adams Lake Trail, a wandering loop around the water. There are two striking viewpoints on the loop, one that overlooks the Castle Rock valley below, and another looking out to the peak of Ash Mountain. You stop here for a steaming mug of tomato basil soup along with some charcuterie, cheese, crackers and crudité.
Lodge dinner
By your second evening, a fireside dinner in the lodge truly feels like family supper as you sit down with newfound Vermejo friends nearby and chat with staff. You enjoy swapping stories about your days’ adventures over a leisurely dinner and roasting s’mores on the veranda before falling into your welcoming bed, exhausted and care-free.
Day three: a farewell ride
With a late-morning departure, you still have time for a horseback ride after breakfast. Your wrangler has a saddled horse waiting, carefully matched to your skill level. For the next hour, you feel like a character in an old Western as you ride across the rugged landscape and feel its pull on your soul. You wish the moment could last, knowing the memories will.
Winter Pause
Embrace the stillness of Vermejo's most tranquil season. Book three nights between November 1 and March 31 and receive a complimentary fourth night to pause and connect with nature in the quiet beauty of winter.
Exclusions and blackout dates apply. Offer is subject to change based on availability.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deann McBride is the Educational Experience Designer for Ted Turner Reserves, where she combines her background in education, hospitality, and marketing to help guests discover the natural and cultural stories of our properties. Her work can range from researching bison and beavers to designing guide training, developing interpretive signs, and finding creative ways to turn ecology into something guests can see, touch, or experience.