MOAB — Colin Fryer had a dream . . . in Technicolor. It quite possibly was directed by John Ford and starred, along with Fryer, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, Richard Boone and Lee Marvin and a full cast of other movie greats.
Briefly, it was about a Utah boy who moved to Montana, got hooked on ranching, dreamed of building a working guest ranch, came back to Utah and did . . . on the very site where some of Hollywood's greatest stars delivered their lines.
Coincidence or inspiration?
This, after all, was not his intention in the beginning. He was looking for land around West Yellowstone, Mont., to build a guest ranch.
"But I came to Utah, not to look for land, but to take a river trip. I drove around while I was here, saw the country and the potential, discovered the old White Ranch was for sale and after a year of negotiations, bought it," he said, leaning back in a cushioned chair in the lobby of his new Red Cliffs Lodge on the banks of the Colorado River.
The lodge, or ranch, just as he dreamed, is a working cattle ranch with some 300 head grazing on the range nearby and guest facilities that include swimming pool and hot tub, tennis courts, horseshoe pits and 70 rooms with kitchenettes, separate eating areas, private patios and DSL Internet connection. Oh, and horses, cows, barns, pastures, corrals and tack house, along with mountain bikes and opportunities to go white-water rafting, hiking, four-wheeling, rock climbing, golfing and touring.
In the lower level of the lodge is the Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage, which is only fitting since many of the great movies made over the past 80 years were shot on the very land where the lodge now sits. George White, the previous owner, saw movies as a way of making money, so he went to Hollywood to "drum up some business."
The classic movie "Rio Grande," with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, was shot almost entirely on the ranch property. Other great films shot on and around the ranch include "The Commancheros," "Rio Conchos," "Ten Who Dared," "City Slickers" and "City Slickers II," and "Cheyenne Autumn."
The town of Moab had, over the years, been storing boxes and boxes of pictures, posters and memorabilia related to the movie industry in Moab.
"But they had no where to display it," said Fryer. "I made a deal with the county. If I could be the custodian of the materials, I would build a museum that would display it and it would be free to the public. There is a lot of material in the museum, but there are many more boxes in storage. Our plans are to rotate some of the exhibits."
The Red Cliffs Lodge is, as noted, above all a working cattle ranch. Fryer said he has plans to offer "City Slickers" opportunities to guests, which would be the chance for "city dudes" to hop on a horse, yell "yahoo" and wave a lariat at moving cattle.
"I wish we could offer it now," he said. "I get a lot of people asking about the chance to herd cattle. It makes sense. We have the horses and the wranglers and the opportunity to herd cattle in some of the most beautiful country in the world. We hope to have such a program in place soon."
Having guests at the ranch is what drives the cattle business.
"We herd tourists so we can stay in the cow business," he explained, looking out over a corral of quarter horses. "Agriculture is a dying business in the West, and to stay in the agricultural business you need another form of income.
"The two make a nice blend for me. I can live the lifestyle of ranching, which I love, and bet my small fortune on the fact that visitors will like to come and spend time on the ranch."
The ranch fits well into the activity patterns of today's vacationers. Recent studies show travelers want to visit new places and they want variety: horseback riding at 9 a.m., swimming at 11 a.m., then lunch followed by a half-day float on the Colorado River and, after dinner, maybe a short hike. The next day could include a four-wheel adventure in Moab's slickrock country, maybe a mountain bike tour to famed Fisher Tower and a chance to saddle-up again for a late-afternoon horseback ride along the trail made famous by John Wayne.
Riding horses, he was quick to point out, is one of the ranch's main attractions. Being an old wrangler himself, he realized any old horse wouldn't do in Moab country. So he raises and trains all his horses and holds firm with his belief that quarter horses make ideal working cowponies and better guest stock.
"I can say without reservation, I have the finest string of guest horses in Utah and probably in all of the Four Corners area. We ride 'em and use 'em in our ranch work and pick out only the best for our guests," he continued.
"When we take people on a ride, it's more than just riding around in a circle. A 'pluggy' old horse simply won't make it. You need something with oomph."
As for the lodge itself, Fryer said he's always liked the look of the grand lodges at Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, so when he fashioned his dream, it took on that look, with lots of wood, rock fireplaces, high ceilings and log pillars.
He then designed the rest of the lodge around the natural backdrop the film industry found so intriguing — the Colorado River and 2,000-foot high red-rock cliffs.
Each of his 70 guest rooms, along with the restaurant, looks out over the river and natural landscape.
Also on the ranch grounds is the Castle Creek winery, which is Utah's only real commercial winery.
One of the reasons he chose Moab to settle down was the fact that there are two national parks nearby — Canyonlands and Arches — and, as he pointed out, "a zillion acres of open country and one of the state's most spectacular parks — Dead Horse Point." All, he explained, exciting and beautiful places for people to go and enjoy.
Now there's a ranch for guests, range for cattle, spectacular country to ride in and a river to enjoy.
All blended together, it comes out as a Technicolor dream come true.
Red Cliffs Lodge is 14 miles east of Moab along highway 128, which parallels the Colorado River. For information call 435-259-2002 or go online at www.redcliffslodge.com.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com