Black Cat News
February 2008 		Black Cat Guest Ranch
Your All Season Getaway Destination
Perry - 61573 Bytes Perry riding near Grande Cache in the early 1980's

MEMORIES OF TRAILS

Some of our best times in this valley have been out on the trails - hiking, skiing or trail riding. The Solomon Summit record book proves how memorable this hike is for many people. Just one entry - "Awesome day, glorious sunshine. Great friends and memories."

Amber will never forget the rare and beautiful experience of coming face-to-face with a wolf on a narrow trail near Rock Lake.

Our snow conditions come and go due to global warming, but we're sure Perry will always remember skiing on the steep slopes of Solomon one year when the snow was deep enough to make this possible.

From the early days of Kid's Camp rides led by one of our first wranglers, Barry Ferguson, to the groups of Elderhostellers who ride here in May and October as well as the many summer guests over the years, horseback riding at the Black Cat has provided countless wonderful memories.

REMEMBER TO VISIT US

We remember all the trade shows we've done with mixed feelings - it isn't easy to be under artificial lights all weekend, promoting our business to crowds of strangers. But many of those strangers have become guests and friends. We'll be very happy to receive visits from former guests when we do the Edmonton Home and Garden Show, April 3 - 6, 2008, booth number 829. We'll be handing out discount coupons.

Gazebo - 81812 Bytes January snowfall this year highlights our new gazebo

ELDERHOSTEL MEMORIES

We've had so much fun with the Elderhostel groups who have been coming here since 1990. Amber particularly enjoys teaching the 'Journal and Memoir' sessions because her students bring forward such fascinating tidbits from their past. Over the years, we've offered courses in hiking, geology, watercolour, line dancing, pottery, yoga, writing, photography, cross-country skiing and many more.

These days, the Elderhostel program includes an unforgettable trip to Maligne Canyon with geologist, Ben Gadd, and an inside look at 'Horse Lore' with wrangler/farrier Kathy McKay. We know our guests will go home with rich memories.

Banners - 42490 Bytes Japanese brush stroke banners from a watercolour workshop

Black Cat Guest Ranch

Box 6267, Hinton, AB T7V 1X6 Canada
Phone - 780-865-3084
Fax - 780-865-1924
Reservations - 1-800-859-6840
www.BlackCatGuestRanch.ca
email address		 catlogo-70-small.jpg - 7974 Bytes

MAKE MEMORIES IN 2008!

Watercolour workshops

June 6 - 8 or 9
Sept. 26 - 28 or 29

Spa weekends

Feb. 8 - 10
- Winter Magic Couple's Spa
Mar. 14 - 16
-- Mother-Daughter Spa
April 25 - 27
May 9 - 11 (Full)
May 23 - 25
June 13 - 15
- Adventure Spa with optional rock-climbing
September 19 - 21
October 3 - 5

Elderhostel

Joint program with Banff YWCA
May 6 - 16
September 2 - 12
September 16 - 26

Scrapbooking

March 7 - 9
Fall date - TBA

Hiking

July 23 - Geology hike to Farmer's Bench fossils with Ben Gadd
Weekly trips to Ogre Canyon - minimum 5 participants

Black Cat Gathering

Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 - Please join us for riding, hiking, barbecue, picnics. All repeat guests are offered a 15% discount to our regular rates.

Climbing - 40496 Bytes Rock Climbing at Cougar Rock

DON'T FORGET THE PAMPERING

What images come to us when we recall the many spa weekends we've offered since 1997 - great chats while ladies sit and visit during their pedicures, those awkward positions in the yoga classes, that dreamy post-massage look, cooking the successful catch after ice-fishing on the Winter Magic spa and the wonderful high - literally - while rock-climbing in the Adventure Spa..

SUMMER SPECIAL

Summer Riding Package - June 1 - Sept 30
$450 for 2 people - includes 2 nights accommodation, 6 meals and two 1.5 hour trail rides.

Reserve by June 10.

(MISTY) WATERCOLOUR MEMORIES

An amazing amount of creativity must have seeped into the walls of our Lodge over the years. Inspired by the gorgeous scenery and by wonderful instructors such as Robert Sinclair and Tom Tinkler, our guests have expressed themselves with beautiful watercolour works.

We have also hosted photography workshops taught by Hilary Shannon, quilting groups and hooking weekends (rugs, that is). Amber Hayward, whose second novel "Darkness of the God" is available in our giftshop, teaches writing workshops on request. The ultimate memory-intensive weekends are for scrapbookers, as they enjoy a time to organize their family photo albums.

Ben - 31291 Bytes Ben Gadd during a geology stop on an Elderhostel tour - 1994