It starts with the kids chasing bunnies, moves on to the semi-organized Happy Hours, and slides into assigned seating at meals. Who “woulda thunk” that 65 strangers could come together for a week of unplugged horse frolicking, fly fishing and plain relaxing, and leave as such tight friends?

It’s a formula that has sustained the passage of time at the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana. Edging the western boundary of Yellowstone Park, NQC Ranch is surrounded by National Forests containing a million acres of primitive wilderness. Pretty. And picturesque, but no more so than many mountain lodges. Accommodations are clean and simple, nothing fancy. So what makes NQC Ranch so special that some families have returned for 20 years straight? Could it be that subliminal social engineering?

Here’s what we discovered:

After a somewhat grueling, somewhat illuminating, and somewhat educational ride through Yellowstone Park, we arrived at NQC Ranch in the late afternoon. Sparse cabins create a bit of a compound feel. With all this open space, why the box-like design? Kids of all ages raced after wild rabbits – lots of them. A rabbit frenzy ensued, but before long, the kids were mixing it up, meeting one another via the chase sessions: the “save the bunny” group versus the “catch and terrorize” group. In the end the bunnies served their purpose, kids meeting kids.

Adults were a little slower out of the gate. Assigned meal seating (was this first grade?) helped as did nightly adult happy hour (just like my parents enjoyed in the ‘60s). At first bell, like Pavlov’s dogs, the kids would ricochet up the hill for the children’s meal and the adults would at first slink, then as the week progressed, saunter, over to the Happy Hour cabin for some crackers and cheese (again, just like Mom & Dad), and a BYOB beverage.

Kim Kelsey, who took over the ranch for his dad, explained the goal, “My dad didn’t want people meeting anew to be about what they were at home. He wanted them to mingle & meet in the lounge… to talk about their day on the ranch. The cabins are designed small – there’s nowhere to throw a private party. It’s a bit of social engineering.”

Indeed, our cabin, Ellsworth, one of the smallest, had two beds, a bathroom, and tiny table. Nowhere to hide out and read; the porch became the place to hang. But with the cabin so centrally located, it also became a social hub. In the beginning of the week we’d wave at the other families, midweek we’d meet at central picnic tables, but by week’s end, it wasn’t unusual for someone to stop, take a seat in the extra Adirondack chair, chat for a while, then move on to the next porch. It’s what I envision neighbors doing, stopping and chatting, before FaceBook took over that empty chair.

The Kelsey’s have lots of experience with this type of social engineering. Howard Kelsey, Kim’s father, bought the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch in 1946 and after much repair work, got it restarted as a successful dude ranch. He introduced Appaloosa horses to the ranch, creating a unique draw for guests. He passed on the ranch to Kim & Kelly Kelsey in 1985. With the addition of a few buildings, the ranch pretty much remains the same as it did in the early 1900’s.

The beauty of the ranch is mesmerizing. Sitting five miles off the highway, the ranch is nestled in a meadow along the Taylor Fork River, looking out at Lincoln Peak, Dead Horse Mountain and the Taylor Peaks beyond. The ranch offers daily riding, fly fishing and other planned activities. All meals are “ranch style”; home cooked, and served family style. Meat and potatoes are big on the menu, but special dietary requests are encouraged.

Ranch Review:
We found the Kelsey’s commitment to providing a unique guest ranch experience to be dedicated and enthusiastic. It didn’t take but ten minutes before my 11 year old found her new best friend, Libba. The girls bonded over shared meals, trail rides, bunny rescues, and evening card games. All the kids (and there were lots) gravitated to the ranch “Trophy Room” after meals for games, sing-a-longs, and good old fashioned fun – unplugged.

Daily trail rides were the focus for the group. We found quite a variation in skill level, with some wranglers being cautious, others letting us lope to our hearts content. An overnight pack trip is available for adults and older children – with reports back that it is quite the adventure. The Rough Rider program (6-9 year olds) is under the tutelage of a “Kiddie Wranger”, taking this group out on their own trail rides. A babysitter is available for kids under six, hanging out at the playground or at the barn with a short ride around the pasture. There’s a pool at the ranch (more like a swimming hole), but it is spring fed with the accompanying debris, so the kids tended towards the playground for afternoon activities.

Other plus’s include a private airstrip (a plus for medical emergencies and medical conditions); close proximity to Yellowstone Park and Big Sky; and abundant fly-fishing and hiking for non-riders.

Guests come from all over the country, even Europe. It’s a mixed bag of expectations. Some grumbled about the “assigned seating”, others about the food. But nobody argued about the mountain experience: bonding with their families, discovering the real Montana, and the new friends that they discovered. It appears that the Kelsey’s social engineering is a success, week after week, year after year. It’s a winning formula for families who want to get unplugged, reconnect as a family, and explore the wilderness of Montana. Just take a look at the Coin Board Honor Roll in the dining room; it’s their Hall of Fame of return guests.