This story was originally printed in the February 2000 issue. For more on working with cow dogs, see this month's print feature, "Going to the Dogs."

For seven weeks each summer, Elk Creek Ranch plays host to several dozen teenagers and descendents of the ranch's founding family, the Ridgway's. But there's always been talk about finding ways to do more with the ranch land, located less than an hour outside Cody, Wyoming.

There's something for everyone in the family at Three Bars Guest & Cattle Ranch in scenic British Columbia, where you can ride mountain trails to your heart's content.

For 50 years, Elk Creek Ranch has introduced teenagers, most of them from "back East," to the Western lifestyle. Along the way, the family-run operation has created its share of horsemen and -women.