The owners of Montana’s Triple Creek Ranch take us inside their personal home for the holidays.
If wild horses couldn’t drag you away, maybe wild elk will do the trick. At least that was the case for Barbara and Craig Barrett, the owners of Triple Creek Ranch, the luxurious guest lodge situated in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains. When the time came to establish their own private home on the ranch, they discovered a clearing still populated by a resident herd of wild elk—and so not far from there, with views of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, they found the ideal site for their home, Elk Meadow.
With that same cozy log home aesthetic that has garnered Triple Creek Ranch legions of loyal guests, Elk Meadow ushers in the warmth and spirit of the holiday season. C&I asked Barbara and Craig to describe the festivities and traditions that make this time of year so enchanting at their home.
C&I: What is your favorite part of decorating Elk Meadow for the holidays?
Barbara: We love seeing the backdrop of fresh snow through the floor-to-ceiling windows and how that frames all the lively holiday colors. Also, the Great Room accommodates a tremendous tree that is culled from somewhere on the ranch each year and decorated with our collection of ornaments.
C&I: Do you celebrate any holiday or winter traditions at Elk Meadow?
Craig: The highlight of the holiday season is surely our New Year’s Eve party. We welcome all of the guests from Triple Creek Ranch to our home for a grand party to ring in the new year that includes a huge log fire, a champagne toast, and extensive fireworks that reflect off the snow-covered trees.
C&I: During the winter and the Christmas season, what makes Elk Meadow so special to you and your family and friends?
Barbara: Wildlife abounds at Triple Creek and it’s definitely a thrill watching the resident herd of elk in their winter coats shuffle through the snow in the meadow.
Read more about Triple Creek Ranch here.
Photography: Images courtesy Triple Creek Ranch
From our November/December 2020 issue.