The Homeplace
by A. J. Mangum
Western Horseman magazine, February 2000

An Alberta guest ranch offers visitors unforgettable horseback experiences in the Canadian Rockies.

LOCATED in the ranching region next to Kananaskis Country, southwestern Alberta's expansive provincial park, the Homeplace Ranch specializes in providing guests a tranquil getaway in the Canadian West and horseback treks into some of the most beautiful country in North America.

Just an hour from the Calgary International Airport, the guest ranch's isolated north operation occupies 480 acres of timbered rolling hills broken by open meadows. To the west are the jagged, snowcapped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. At the ranch headquarters, the guest lodge overlooks a wooded meadow where the Homeplace's 50 or so saddle horses graze. Other ranch buildings date back to 1912, when the outfit was first homesteaded.

Neighboring Crown-owned land and the vast "K Country" provide endless hours of riding on trails where you'll encounter plenty of wildlife-deer, moose, and coyote most commonly - but no humans other than your riding companions.

The operation

Ranch owners Mac and Jayne Makenny limit the number of guests at the Homeplace to around a dozen each at two locations: the north ranch and a more remote operation that is an hour's drive to the south.

The two ranches provide distinct options for guests.

Visitors to the north ranch stay in a comfortable lodge with several guest rooms, each with a private bath. A chef prepares breakfast and dinner (lunch is usually eaten on the trail), and guests can relax in a common area after a ride, visiting in the warmth provided by a wood stove. Local attractions-Calgary, Banff National Park, equestrian events at Spruce Meadows-are within easy reach.

At the south ranch, located southwest of Longview, guests stay in small cabins, each equipped with its own wood stove. The camp cook serves meals in a cookhouse, which doubles as an evening gathering place for guests and wranglers. A creek runs past camp, and more than one guest has taken advantage of the opportunity to catch a trout or two.

Riding

Whether guests opt for the north or south ranch, the days start early. Wranglers encourage each guest to spend some time each morning grooming the horse he or she has been assigned. After breakfast, riders hit the trail promptly at 9:30 for a half or full-day ride.

Navigating trails that wind through the Crown land and K Country, riders travel through thick stands of fir, spruce, and pine, emerging in wide-open meadows that offer spectacular views of sprawling valleys and the mountains beyond. Ride routes occasionally cross trails once used by Indian tribes.

At midday the group-usually not larger than a half-dozen people- pauses for lunch, the highlight being fresh coffee brewed over a fire.

Riders on all-day excursions return to the corrals in the late afternoon, groom their horses, and relax for a few hours before dinner.

Ranch history

Mac Makenny's family has been in the outfitting business since 1946, but when Mac began building a business of his own, economics forced him to consider a different approach.

"Outfitting is the best life anyone could ever consider," he says, "but I realized I couldn't do it and get by. I needed to develop a year-round business rather than relying on a short season. That's why I wound up around Calgary. I have a million people I can draw from in the 'shoulder' seasons."

After settling on a ranch west of Calgary in the mid-1970s, Mac discovered by accident the property that would become the Homeplace.

"The former owners used to lease the place to a guy running steers," he recalls. "The steers got out and we happened to be riding that day. We got ahead of them and moved them back. I came around a corner and saw the old ranch buildings. There was an old house and some log buildings I found out later were built in 1912. There was a really warm feeling. It felt right."

The house was unoccupied and the outbuildings hadn't been used for years. Mac saw potential in the place though. He researched local history and discovered that the daughter of the original homesteader owned the ranch. Because of the ranch's sentimental value, she was initially reluctant to sell. Mac's assurances that the ranch's history would be protected finally convinced the owner to let him buy the property.

The ranch's past, Mac has found, adds significantly to his guests' experiences.

"We have artifacts, letters, pictures, old newspapers. The ranch's original branding irons are hanging by the corrals." Mac says. "When people are in the old buildings and hear the stories that go with them, that makes quite a difference. When people come, they want to be a part of something. Here, they can relate to the western cowboy lifestyle, and it becomes more significant to them. We're not a resort, but we can give people the feeling of being part of the family and part of the history."

Appeal

The Makennys encourage prospective guests interested in the posh trappings of a resort-tennis courts, golf courses, swimming pools-to look elsewhere when planning their vacations.

"All those things are nearby," Mac says, 'but it's not what we do here. We make it clear that if you like horses and riding, you'll be happy at this ranch."

Visitors to the Homeplace, Mac has observed, come because they're seeking an escape to the real West, a chance at experiencing the "cowboy way." He and his staff take their guests' expectations seriously.

"I tell my wranglers that when someone drives up to the lodge, they're paying us the biggest compliment imaginable," Mac says. 'They want to be what we are. This is what we do. If you want to be a part of it, we'll share it with you."