Spring is underway at The Hideout, the weather has turned warmer, baby animals are in the fields and the grass is starting to turn green. As we prepare for the start of the guest season (April 4th) we thought we might remind you of the Hideout Referral Program.

Over the years, we have found that many of our guests find us via referrals from friends. With this in mind we thought that we should give credit where it is due and so, The Hideout Referral Program was born. Participation in the Hideout

 Referral Program begins the moment a guest that you refer to The Hideout books a package stay with us. It’s that easy! We know that you love The Hideout! – We have seen that it is your passion and excitement will get others intrigued and this is our way of saying, Thanks!

For every booking friend, you will earn a ‘brand’ on your Hideout Referral Brand Card (located and managed in the Hideout office).

• After 4 ‘brands’ – You Receive 1 Complimentary Bottle of Bubbly on your next trip
• After 7 ‘brands’ – You Receive a private dinner for 2 at Trapper Creek Lodge during one evening of your next trip
• After 10 ‘brands’ – You Receive a Complimentary 6night Cowboy Adventure Package for 1 Adult

*Some Rules and Restrictions apply. For a complete listing of rules and/or to start your Hideout Referral Brand Card, please contact the office (The Hideout Referral Program runs from 4/1/10 through 1/1/15).

Alright, so we are not going to give you wine before you handle a branding iron. However, it has just been announced that we have two very special events happening on the same week!

Guests will get to participate in one of the oldest traditions on the ranch. History reveals that Branding originally started with the Egyptians, a method developed for livestock to indicate ownership. Hollywood made Branding a symbol of the west, after Cowboys began branding cattle to inhibit rustlers. We do not have a huge problem in Wyoming with rustlers, but brands help identify which cattle belong to which ranch, especially when shipping, buying or selling.

Guests will learn some stockmanship techniques at the beginning of the week, and will then put this into practice with the morning roundup, followed by a large cookout lunch. Then the branding and vaccinating will begin in the afternoon.

During our Guest Branding week from April 11-17^th we will be hosting a very special 6 course wine dinner. We will have a winemaker from Central California during this week, who will help our gourmet chefs prepare the best pairings for the wine. Each wine and each course will be described by the winemaker.

There are only a couple of spots left during this week, and it is not too late to book in. Call us today at 1-800-354-8637 or email info@thehideout.com

Well, today is the first Hideout Blog! For those of you who are not familiar, Blog: an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page. So for the Hideouts blog, we figure it is simply a great way to keep in touch with our guests and what is happening on the ranch.

At the same time as the arrival of the first blog, we have the arrival this week of the new Mustang. Ramon Castro (one of The Hideout’s trainers & wranglers) has been excepted to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover this year. He will have 90 days to train the horse (who is totally wild) to work with riders, compete in cattle work and go through a series of obstacle courses before the final show in June.

The name “mustang” derives from Spanish mesteño, meaning “stray livestock animal”. Today the ‘wild mustangs’ or free-roaming horses are protected under United States law, but have disappeared from several states where there were once established populations. Many of our guests will have enjoyed the familiar site, while travelling to The Hideout from Cody, of seeing the McCullough Peaks Mustangs.