Sunday Guests for the week begin arriving after 3:00 PM. Upon arrival, guests are shown to their cabins to settle in. Sunday afternoon is a good time for moseying around the grounds and exploring the ranch layout. We invite all guests and staff to gather at 6:15 PM in our Main Lodge living room for complimentary sodas, beer, wine and appetizers. This is a good opportunity for the guests & staff to become acquainted with each other. Dinner is served at 7:00 PM on Sundays only. Your hosts, Meade & Andrea Dominick, will discuss some of the week’s activities and other important information with you during the dessert. There are no evening activities scheduled on Sunday evenings so that our guests can settle in.
Monday As with all meals, a “warning bell” rings 15 minutes before the meal is served and a final bell rings when the meal is being served. Breakfast is served at 8:00 AM, however, coffee, fruit, cereal and pastries are available at 7:00 AM for early risers. All meals are served family style in the Main Lodge dining room. All guests interested in riding at any time during the week must attend our Horse Orientation Monday morning. Orientation begins at 9:00 AM. After the clinic, guests are fitted to their horses and saddles. Riders are divided into groups for a short morning ride, or for further schooling and orientation in our riding arena. Monday morning rides usually run 1-1 ½ hours in length, returning to the corral before lunch at 12:30 PM. At 12:30 PM, we have a lunch barbeque cookout on the lawns. Afternoon activities begin at 2:00 PM which includes a fly fishing casting clinic. We ask that riders be at the corrals 15 minutes early. Each day, the children’s counselors will have a scheduled activity, such as riding or a nature hike, for children in the age group of 3-12. Babysitting is available during activities for children under 3 years old. The Dinner warning bell rings at 6:15 PM, and dinner is served at 6:30 PM every evening except Sunday. A yard game (kickball, Frisbee, Capture the Flag) will be scheduled on the ranch lawns, beginning about 8:00 PM.
Tuesday Rides depart from the corrals quite promptly at 9:00 AM and again at 2:00 PM. Guided fishing is also offered. Self-guided and guided hiking is always an option. We are happy to provide maps. There is a hike to the Indian Caves in the afternoon for children and families interested. Hikes and rides provide an excellent opportunity for an informal education in geology, local history, ecology, birdwatching and wildlife viewing. As with any day at the ranch, guests who have cars may choose to drive into Cody to shop or tour the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, followed by an evening at the world famous Cody Night Rodeo. A local singer or cowboy poet will be scheduled to perform at 8:00 PM in the Rec. Hall.
Wednesday A cowboy-style brunch cooked over an open fire is enjoyed on Wednesday mornings. This is a great morning to get a little more sleep! Guests can get juice, coffee & fruit in the Main Lodge dining room anytime after 7:00 AM. Riders leave the corral promptly at 9:15 AM for the short (about 30 minute) ride to the cook-out spot. Non-riders can either hike or catch a ride in a ranch vehicle. A western feast is served in the forest by the 7D crew. The brunch is followed by rides of varying length; from a ride straight back to the ranch to a ride of about four hours in length. Massages are available in the afternoon as well. Fishing and skeet shooting round out the afternoon. After supper, enjoy an evening of western dancing, commencing at 8:00 PM and lasting until about 9:30 PM.
Thursday This can be a day out of the saddle for our guests and horses, or guests may choose to participate in an all day ride or shorter lunch ride. A special hiking and/or fishing trip is offered to the Beartooth Mountains or into Yellowstone Park on Thursdays. Yellowstone trips focus on the northern part of the Park from the Lamar Valley to the Mammoth Hot Springs (about 2.5-3 hours of driving to the Springs). Hiking excursions range from 3 miles to 11 mile excursions depending upon interests. All guests will be provided with a sack lunch to pack along with any gear necessary for an all-day outing. Lunch may be eaten on the trail,
beside a lake, or at a picnic location.
Friday Morning rides are offered and will leave the corrals at 9:00 AM. A Gymkhana, which means “games on horseback” in Greek, typically is scheduled on Saturday afternoons — an opportunity for children to show off their new riding skills. Supper is a special Steak Cookout served on the picnic tables on the front lawn. A campfire, complete with s’mores fixings, rounds out the day and week.
Saturday Breakfast is served at 8:00 AM and check out time is 10:00 AM. For guests that have early departures, we will be happy to pack a light breakfast for you. Please let us know the evening before.
Please note: At the 7D Ranch we appreciate the fact that no two weeks and no two groups of ranch guests will be the same. We take pride in maintaining enough flexibility in our weekly schedule to accommodate the special interests and wishes of our ranch guests. If you have a particular interest in learning to fly fish, in getting extra riding instruction, in a long all-day ride, or in other ranch-related activities, please visit with Meade or Andrea. You will find that we are willing to listen to your wishes, and that we will make real efforts to accommodate you as an individual.
Sincerely,
Meade & Andrea Dominick
Managers
