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Where are We? | The Lodge
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Where
are we?
Like
Jeff Foxworthy says in his show, "Turn off the paved road..."
Triple
Peak is remote.
We are located on the O'Brien Ranch on South Cottonwood
Creek
in western Wyoming. The Ranch is approximately 25 miles northwest of
Big Piney, and 30 miles southwest from Pinedale.
We
do not take drop-ins. Reservations must be made in advance.
No
matter
which way you come to get here, you'll leave paved roads
far behind
and travel approximately 20 miles down a windy gravel road headed
west towards the beautiful Wyoming Mountain range.
The
ranch is
located at
7,500 feet elevation, and has views of the Wyoming Mountain Range,
the Gros Ventre Wilderness Area and the Wind River Mountains.
This is the
heart of the historic Mountain Man country, the site of six of
the 16 Mountain Man Rendezvous near present day Daniel, Wyoming
near the confluence
of Horse Creek and the Green River. The Rendezvous was a time to
trade in the furs that were trapped for new supplies, as well
as
reaquaint
with old friends. Lasting from one to two months, it was attended
by as many as 4,000 Trappers and Indians.
As
you drive to the Ranch, you'll feel the worries and stress of modern
life drop behind you as you drive into a slower pace of living and unhurried
lifestyle. Watch for herds of antelope and deer in the
rolling
sagebrush hills along the way, and you might even see a badger along
the road as you drive by. Folks you pass will probably wave at you.
Smile and wave back. Everyone is friendly!
Our
Triple Peak Lodge is at the end of a dirt road, and we're the only place
on it. The Lodge is perched on a hill overlooking the South Cottonwood
Creek valley facing the Wyoming Range mountains. The scenery is serene
with miles of open country and nothing obstructing your view. You'll
find the Lodge is a warm and friendly place where you can relax and
where the outside world seems far, far away.

Triple Peak webcam
About
the Ranch The
O'Brien Ranch has been in our family since 1950 and five generations
of our family have lived here. The ranch covers over 360 acres and in
the early years was a working cattle ranch. The Triple Peak Lodge and
O'Brien Ranch main house are located on top of a hill overlooking an
open valley with South Cottonwood Creek to the south and Killpecker
Creek to the north (yes, there is a story behind that name) Three
mountain ranges can be seen from the History Ranch, the Wyoming Mountains,
the Gros Ventre Range and the Wind River Mountains.
The
Lodge
Triple
Peak Lodge looks like an old historic hotel, complete with western
looking old false front and narrow windows. Building the Lodge
was a family project with construction completed in 2001, although
some
finishing touches still remain to the outside including the decks,
front porch and landscaping. Eight guest rooms are located on
the second floor
and have great views of the Wyoming Range, Wind River Mountains, wildlife
along South Cottonwood Creek and the South Cottonwood Creek and
Killpecker
Creek valley. Each of the guest rooms is unique and decorated in a
different theme. Rooms vary in size, some have double and some
with twin beds.
(Room with twin beds can be converted to doubles.) Each guest room
has its own tub, shower and sink in the room. A living room gathering
space is located on
the main floor for casual conversation, reading, or enjoying the view
of the mountains from the large windows. The lodge has cell phone
reception for most providers and internet access.
We
do not take drop-ins. Reservations must be made in advance.
The
Rooms:
"Jedediah
Smith-Mountain Man Room" This room pays tribute to these first rugged
individuals who lived in this
wild
land. Mountain Men like Jim Bridger, William Sublette, John Colter and
Osborne Russell braved the elements and wild animals, trapped, hunted
and explored the entire Green River Valley and Wyoming territory. The
Trappers came here to trap the valleys of the Green River for beaver,
whose luxurious fur was used to make beaver hats, all the fashion in
the early 1800s. The Trappers and Mountain Men were the earliest white
people who lived in this area, before there were any roads or towns.
They survived on their instincts, made their own shelters, hunted their
own food and lived a way of life that is gone forever.
This is one of the larger rooms facing the Wind River
Mountains and is decorated with wood furniture, tables & chairs.
The wall decorations include snow shoes and historic pictures of famous
Mountain Men.
"Butch
Cassidy-Outlaw Room" In the early frontier days the law was often
far away and outlaws had their run of the land. Butch Cassidy and others
are known to have been in the Upper Green River Valley running horses
from eastern Wyoming, the Green River Valley over to Jackson Hole. Lookouts
were posted all along the valley sidehills to warn the gang members
if the Law was on its way. Remnants of old corrals, said to be used
by outlaws running stolen horse rings, can still be seen today in the
Upper Green River forests. This room faces the Wyoming Range and is
decorated with pictures of famous outlaws and pieces representative
of the period.
"The
Virginian-Cowboy Room" The
book The Virginian is a classic western written in 1929 by Owen
Wister, an American writer whose stories helped to establish the cowboy
as an classic, individualist hero. Wister spent summers in the West,
and on the basis of these experiences, wrote his Western sketches set
in the Wyoming territory in the late 1870s and 1880s. Wister began writing
his stories of America's last internal frontier. They paved the way
for the novel THE VIRGINIAN: A HORSEMAN OF
THE
PLAINS (1902). The work was dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt, and
in later editions had Frederic Remington's illustrations. The story
of modest, quiet hero who was more comfortable with his horse than with
other people gained a huge popularity. It was later filmed by Hollywood
three times. In The Virginian Wister created the image of the
West that was heroic as well exotic. Courageous but mysterious cowboy
known only as the 'Virginian' works as a foreman of a cattle ranch.
He meets a pretty schoolteacher Molly Wood, who introduces him the works
of Sir Walter Scott, Shakespeare and Keats. However, their relationship
is threatened by Trampas, who also works on the ranch. The climatic
gun duel between the two men is the first "showdown" in fiction.
In the end, the Virginian marries Molly and rides with her in the mountains.
"Molly
Wood-School Marm Room"
Molly Wood was the pretty School Marm from Owen Wister's famous stories
about "The Virginian", the classic Wyoming cowboy.
The Triple Peak Lodge is located adjacent to a "School
Section", a parcel of land set aside by the State of Wyoming so the
revenues generated from the land would go to the schools in the state.
During the homesteading years, the schoolhouse was actually located
where our lodge is now, instead of on the School Section. The School
Marm was typically a young girl who came from back East to teach and
usually married a cowboy or rancher from the area. The School Marm typically
taught children ages 6 through 18. This room has two twin beds, painted
furniture, and expansive views of the open pastures, Triple Peak and
the Wyoming Range.
"Joseph
& Justina Prescott-Pioneer Room". Our
Great, Great Grandparents, Joseph and Justina Prescott, were pioneers
who travelled from Maine along the Oregon Trail to the area that is
now Baker City, Oregon in the 1870s. The Prescotts and their children
were one family of thousands who used the Oregon Trail through Wyoming
to reach a land that promised a better life. Ultimately, the Prescotts
homesteaded in Durkee, Oregon. From our research we know that Joseph's
grandfather was in the Revolutionary War and the orignal Prescotts came
to the United States in 1665. This room
has two twin beds and simple furnishings with views of the .
"Chief
Washakie-Shoshone Indian Room" Washakie was chief of the Eastern
Shoshone Indians of Wyoming during the 1800s. Washakie became a noted
warrior. Although the name by which he would be widely known has been
translated in various ways, it apparently dealt with his tactics in
battle. One story describes how Washakie devised a large rattle by placing
stones in an inflated and dried balloon of buffalo hide which he tied
on a stick. He carried the device into battle to frighten enemy horses,
earning the name The Rattle. Another translation of Washakie
is Shoots-on-the-Run. He was also a scout for the U.S. Army.
By 1850 Washakie was head chief of the Shoshones, apparently earning
the position by his deeds in battle and wise counsel, though there is
no record to show exactly when and under what conditions the decision
was made. It is thought that the various Shoshone tribes may have united
under one chief to deal with threats by hostile tribes, such as the
Sioux and Cheyenne. Washakie became an ally of white men, deciding early
that warfare was pointless and a policy of adaptation and mutual assistance
should be followed. He assisted U.S. Army operations, with military
forces and advice, against hostile tribes, particularly the Sioux and
Cheyenne. Washakie granted right-of-way through Shoshone land in western
Wyoming to the Union Pacific Railroad, aiding the completion of a coast-to-coast
rail line. Washakie Pass is located in the Wind River Mountains to the
east of the Lodge, a mountain pass route used by native Americans to
traverse the rugged mountains between eastern and western Wyoming. Two
twin beds with native
American design fabric bedspreads and curtains are in this room.
This
room has a picture of the great Chief on the wall.
"Ann
Bassett (alias Etta Place) Cattle Queen Room" Etta was a companion
of Harry Longbaugh, "The Sundance Kid", and Butch Cassidy, members of
the Wild Bunch Gang. Few facts are known about Etta Place and much of
what has been written about her is romanticized. Her real name, and
how and when she died, are uncertain. She has been described as the
most beautiful and wildest of all women in the old west. This room is
a favorite with the women-folk, with comfortable double size antique
bed, red lace drapes, crocheted bedspread, and a lovely crystal chandelier.
This large corner room has two windows, one with a view of the Wind
River Mountain Range and the other
facing
south Cottonwood Creek, where deer and moose are frequently seen.
"Pat
& Lura O'Brien-Homesteader Room" Our
family's love for Wyoming began when our great grandparents came by
wagon train from Denver to the Green River Valley around 1912 to
homestead in what now is known as LaBarge. In
the early years, this was a working cattle ranch with hay being put
up with teams of workhorses. In more recent times, the ranch has been
a retreat and haven for the members of our family. Family members built
the original ranch houses on the property and each successive generation
has added to the ranch. What has tied us all together are our roots
to the land and our love for the country. The Ranch has always been
a place that has meant "home".
The room has a double bed with a quilt bed spread. A copy of the Prescott's
mortgage is in this room.Pictures
on the walls are of early area homesteads.