Plan Your Trip with C Lazy U Ranch's
5-SPUR Service™ Team!

You can rely on the C Lazy U Ranch Concierge to help you plan your travel and activities both on and off the ranch. Call anytime: 970.887.3344.

Jump to Summer Packing List
Jump to Prior to Arrival/Keep In Mind
Jump to Recommended Hotels in Denver

Winter Packing List
(November-March)

Winter Activity ScheduleWinter Trail Map
• Snow pants and jackets- you will probably do most of your activities in these, including horseback riding (remember that you do not generate very much heat when riding a horse, so you are only as warm as you start your ride)
• Wool! Wool keeps you warm, even when wet, and does, in fact, wick moisture from your body. We love SmartWool here at the ranch (because it doesn't itch like that old sweater grandma bought for you so many years ago!), but as long as it's wool, you're good. Be thinking especially about wool socks, they'll help keep your toes warm while riding, and wool base layers.
• Multiple layers are your best bet for staying warm- a great wool base layer, with fleece, flannel or down as a secondary layer (use down only if you'll be covering it with a waterproof top layer), and then your ski clothing on top.
• Snow gloves or mittens with a WATERPROOF outer shell. Fleece is only comfortable when it's dry, and when your kiddos are rolling around in the snow, those fleece gloves won't last. If you prefer something thinner to ride in, we recommend Burton's glove liners, which provide some thickness and warmth, without the bulk of a ski or snowboard glove.
• Snow boots (insulated preferred)- you'll be doing just about everything in these too. We say insulated preferred, because we can't stress enough that you won't be generating heat while riding, so insulated boots will be doing a little extra work for you!
• Note- Uggs are very fashionable and most people love that they have the wonderful shearling lining, but their soles are SLICK, provide absolutely no traction, thus making them not at all practical for walking around the ranch… and they aren't water proof!
• Ski goggles- we have our own private ski hill, and also provide complimentary shuttles to the 2 ski areas in the valley, but goggles are also a good idea for our hay meadow and downhill tubing, and for our afternoon sledding.
• Warm hats and scarves and balaclava- while there are disagreements between how much heat we actually lose from our head, one thing is certain- your face, head and chest are most sensitive to temperature change, so covering them up will make you feel more comfortable, if nothing else.
• Make sure that your hat covers your ears!
• Dinners for Adults (Christmas and New Year's only- all other winter dinners are family dinners)- although there is not a dress code, adult dinner attire in the winter has been described as Winter Chic- men usually wear jeans (or slacks) and a nice button down or sweater, and women have been seen in fur (faux or otherwise), jeans or leggings, ranchy/western dressy skirts and tops. The best we can say is: have a little fun with it- western up, and winterize your cocktail attire!
• Dinners for Kids- no dress code here at all- dress them in warm layers as their after-dinner evening activities might be outdoors (night skate and a bonfire, for example), but might be indoors (hide-and-go-seek in the dark, in the Patio House)
• Your preferred sunscreen (we're at about 8,300 ft, and that sun really reflects off the snow)

We Provide the Following:

• Ice skates and hockey skates (plus hockey sticks)
• Snowshoes
• Cross Country skis and boots
• A small selection of insulated boots, which we can provide for horseback riding only, so it would behoove you to bring your own for all day use, and fit, if nothing else.
• Non-insulated slickers for riding (as a windbreaker)

Summer Packing List

Summer Activity Schedule
• Jeans for riding, or traditional riding pants if you'd prefer.
• Pull-on boots with a heel for riding (adults can get away with lace-ups, but we prefer that they wear the pull-on variety if possible). Tennis shoes do not work while horseback riding as they present a safety issue. While we do have a small selection of boot for you to borrow from, we generally sell out our summer weeks, so we can't guarantee boots for every guest. If you'd prefer not to chance it, you can find great inexpensive boots at Sheplers.com (try brands: Old West, Justin and Ropers, and remember, the higher the shaft, the more protection you'll have from rubbing.)
• Helmets- if you have your own and prefer to use them, you sure can; but we do provide and require all 17 and younger children to wear helmets. Adults may also choose from our selection if they'd like, but are not required to wear them.
• Cowboy hats or ball caps are appropriate headwear for the adult horseback rides (hat clips must be worn with ball caps- and can be purchased at our store here, and stampede strings are required for cowboy hats- also sold at the store here), and for kids when they're not on their horses.
• Many guests like to wear chaps or half-chaps while riding since they help you grip the saddle better and offer protection for your legs when riding through brushy terrain.
• A pair of fitted gloves will help you grip the reins. NOTE: neither chaps nor gloves are required.
• Swimsuits for the pool and hot tub, and for the reservoir rides that your kids' counselors might take your kids on.
• Tennis shoes for the kids, as their evening activities often involve running around the ranch (counselor hunt and capture the flag, for example) and for anyone who plans to take advantage of the tennis courts, basketball courts, etc.
• Shorts for those days you don't plan to ride- it gets fairly warm here in the summer!
• Rain jackets which can be stuffed into your saddle bags while riding, or a long slicker that can be tied to the back of your saddle. You never know when we might get some rain (it's usually in the afternoon and short-lived, but you don't want to be caught without one!)
• Dinners for Adults- although there is not a dress code, adult dinner attire has been described as Ranch Cocktail Attire or Western Chic- men usually wear jeans (or slacks) and a nice button down, and women have been seen in ranch/western dressy skirts and tops, or jeans and dressy western tops. The best we can say is have a little fun with it- western up your cocktail attire!
• Dinners for Kids- these are served outside on the Patio House deck, and their after-dinner evening activities are usually outdoors, so light layers are a must when you drop them off in the evenings.
• Evenings- the evenings do tend to cool down, so a heavier coat of some kind might be nice for those evenings spent around the camp fire.
• Your preferred sunscreen and bug spray

We provide the following:

• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Helmets
• Small selection of riding boots
• Reusable water bottles

Prior To Arrival/Keep In Mind:

• Drinking plenty of water is the number one way to help your body adjust to our higher altitude. The low humidity in Colorado keeps the air dry like the desert, so you need about twice as much water here as you would drink at home. The C Lazy U supplies all guests with refillable water bottles to make sure you stay hydrated, but you can help yourself even more by hydrating properly prior to coming to the state.
• We're up at 8,300 ft. so the effects of exercise are more intense here as well. As an example: if you normally run 10 miles a day at home, 6 miles will be the equivalent while you're here.
• There is approximately 25 percent less protection from the sun at this altitude so sunscreen and sunglasses are a must, whether you use ours or bring your own.

If you forget to pack something, don't worry! You can always head over to the Ranch Store to pick up anything you may have missed. We have everything from the perfect boots for horseback riding to toothpaste and can order supplies from town.

For all of our activities like fishing, mountain biking, trap shooting and archery, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and hockey, we have all the gear you will need. If you are not sure whether or not to bring certain items, call the Ranch Concierge at 970.887.3344 to double-check.

Recommended Hotels in Denver

If you need a place to stay before you head up the mountain to your C Lazy U dude ranch vacation, we recommend any of these three hotels.

The Four Seasons Denver

1080 14th Street
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 389-3300
Website: www.fourseasons.com/denver/

Offer: 15% discount Off published rates including welcome amenity on arrival.
Promo Code for online booking: CLAZYU

The Ritz-Carlton

1881 Curtis Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: (303) 312-3800
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com/denver

Hotel Teatro

1100 Fourteenth Street
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 228.1100
Website: www.hotelteatro.com