Home on the range
ACCORDING to estimates by the Outdoor Industry Association ( outdoor
industry.org), more than 140
million Americans make outdoor recreation a priority in their
lives, pumping roughly $646
billion into the economy. Facilitating this passion are thousands of established outdoor
and adventure sport operators
across the United States that
offer adventures ranging from
mild to wild. Each year, locals
and tourists experience this
country’s majestic rivers, mountains, beaches, parks and trails,
or head out beyond our borders.
When The Connection
asked to hear from members
who are outdoor entrepreneurs,
we were contacted by mountaineers and expedition leaders
who take clients to far-flung
places across the globe, while
others focus on local adventures, such as kayak and canoe
trips, paddleboarding, hiking
and off-road driving in the wide-open places here in the U.S.
Nearly all of the entrepreneurs we interviewed spoke of
a transformation that takes place
in clients of all ages who spend
time away from the comforts
and confines of city life and venture into natural, wild environments or challenging activities.
For some the payoff is a tremendous sense of accomplishment;
for others it’s a much-needed
change of perspective.
Seeing clients’ lives improved, and in some cases completely transformed, is among
the rewarding professional
perks in this business.
But it’s the perks of the job—
glorious sunsets, the stillness of
a trail at dawn or the excitement
of an approaching storm—that
keep outdoor business owners
in the game. Here’s a look at five
members who responded to our
call.—T. Foster Jones
36 The Costco Connection MAY 2017
COVER S TORY
When work is
The joys of making a living
in the great outdoors
WHETHER YOU’RE A tenderfoot or an old
hand, Hunewill Ranch has something for all
sorts of cowpokes.
“There are people who come who maybe
have never been on a horse before, so we have
real beginners. Yet, there are also people who
own their own horses and ride all the time. If
they want to bring their own horses, they can,”
says Betsy Hunewill Elliott, co-owner and
human resources director for Hunewill Ranch.
Hunewill Ranch (
hunewillranch.com) is a
;,;;;-acre, family-owned and -run dude ranch
located in the Bridgeport Valley, in California.
In ;;;;, Stanley Hunewill’s wife, LeNore,
started taking in guests at the family cattle
ranch to offset the financial devastation of
the Great Depression. Today, the fourth, fifth
and sixth generations of Hunewills continue
the tradition of Western hospitality. With
more than ;;; horses and approximately ;;;
head of cattle, there’s plenty to be done on the
working cattle ranch, which employs up to ;;
employees, including ;; family members.
The ranch is able to accommodate up to
;; guests in the cabins during the peak season,
which runs from the end of May through the
middle of October, with a five-day cattle drive
in November. Beginning, intermediate and
advanced horseback rides are offered twice a
day; possibilities include high-country trail
rides, loping in the meadows, a morning ride
with breakfast on the creek and splash rides
in the summer. Based on their height, weight
OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS
Click here for a video about the activities at
Hunewill Ranch. (See page 9 for details.)
