Expeditions Extraordinaire!



Meet Montana from the back of a horse! Let Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions connect you with the real Montana.


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions emphasizes experiential learning about Montana’s natural and cultural history. We partner with local experts – businesses, non profit groups, museums, university professors, and scientists – to develop tours that immerse our guests in a Montana experience. We choose a natural or cultural history theme; select routes that best illustrate that theme and showcase Montana’s splendid landscapes; identify local resources to guide our learning and businesses to service our needs; and weave together a trip that brings our guests and locals together for a journey of mutual discovery. Our expeditions are small – never more than 12 guests – to ensure close, personal attention and the opportunity to forge new relationships with Montanans.


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions offers a range of outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities including wildlife viewing, hiking, boating, swimming, floating, and of course, horseback riding. Our horses provide an entirely extra dimension to our expeditions. They travel with us, we can travel in Wilderness, where motor vehicles aren't allowed! They are always available to enhance our ability to see the country, to travel farther than we could on foot, to provide us with an entirely different perspective, or to simply give us the joy of riding on their backs.


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions focuses on quality and fun! We offer experienced expedition leadership, professional educational programs, comfortable accommodations, fine food, beautiful settings, qualified guides, incredible horseback riding, and outstanding service. We achieve these high standards within a relaxed and casual atmosphere – and we are ever ready for some spontaneous fun!


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions creates Personalized Expeditions that are tailor made to suit the needs and desires of individual groups. Our knowledgeable staff is available to work with you to identify your group’s expedition goals, education and recreation interests, schedule, and budget. We offer expeditions focused on corporate retreats and leadership training, family reunions, horsemanship training, and natural history and cultural learning.


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions is proud to partner with following organizations and business establishments:

Expeditions



Every Dunrovin Ranch Expedition begins with an idea sparked by an experience, a conversation, or a curiosity. Dunrovin is continually on the lookout for interesting places in Montana to explore with horses, fascinating people to guide our way, and special accommodations to house and feed our bodies and spirits.


The lure of Montana’s grand landscapes is as strong for today’s professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and wanderers as it was in days gone by for intrepid adventurers. Montana is home to countless experts, artists, philosophers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and characters that outshine any movie cast. And, there is no shortage of wonderful lodges, ranches, guest cabins, and other facilities to welcome us with comfy quarters and fine food.


Dunrovin Expeditions identifies an educational theme and a special Montana location then goes about assembling the resources to create a first class adventure for our guests. We talk to local people, visit local venues, seek the advice of experts, take our horses and members of our Equestrian Club to try various routes and get their feedback.


To find the best, we stay in the lodges, check out the ranches, and eat the meals at every alternative establishment. We look for the right combination – the routes through the most interesting or scenic areas, the places with charm as well as comfort, the people who are not only knowledgeable, but who are great teachers and full of character. It may take us several years to get everything just right before we market the trip to guests.


We try to reach that delicate balance between too much and too little scheduling. Our guests are treated to lots of optional activities, have plenty of educational opportunities, and yet also have personal time to go their own way and absorb all that the expedition has to offer. Some of the best times are the spontaneous times, and we want to make sure that scheduling does not preclude spontaneity.


We do not hire seasonal employees to serve as expeditions guides. All of our expeditions are led by either Durnovin Ranch owner, SuzAnne Miller, or Ranch Manager, Sue Matthews. This ensures responsive, personal, and high quality service. With the decision makers on board, we are able to deviate from our itinerary to take advantage of golden opportunities or group interests – be they weather changes, wildlife sightings, wild flowers blooming, or an encounter with a special person. We don’t want to miss any opportunity!



Expeditions for 2010 include:


Book By March 1, 2010 and Receive a 10% Discount on Any Expedition


Booming in Montana’s Big Hole Valley
Spring Sights and Sounds of the Sage Grouse
April 25 - 30, 2010

Join author and naturalist Hank Fischer in Montana’s splendid Big Hole Valley under a full moon as you witness one of nature’s most fascinating spring rituals: male sage grouse booming for a mate. Help wildlife biologists — via horseback —conduct their annual sage grouse population estimates. Visit the Big Hole Battle Field, and let a local historian lead you on the trail ride from Montana’s First Territorial Capital, Bannack, to Road Agent Rock.

Click herd to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $1,950/person


Visions of the West
A Photographic Journey
Along the Rocky Mountain Front
May 17 - 21, 2010

Put some horse ears in your photos! Let Professional Photographer, Pam Voth, show you all the tricks you’ll need to capture this incredible landscape through the lens of your camera. Ride the ranges of the beautiful, vast Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, privately owned by the Boone and Crockett Club and managed for cattle and wildlife! Stay at the ranch headquarters and enjoy some of the best cooking you have very tasted!

Click here to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $2,250/person


Big Sky at Night
An Astronomer’s Tour of the Night Sky
June 12 - 13, 2010 or July 12 - 13, 2010 or August 9 - 10, 2010

Follow the trail on your trusty steed up to a forest lookout where University of Montana astronomy professor, Dr. Diane Friend, will enthrall you with a tour of the night sky through a high powered telescope. Spend a cozy night in the lookout; and enjoy a Dutch oven breakfast before heading home. This is truly a unique adventure!

Click here to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $700/person


Music in Montana’s Mile High City
Butte’s Mountains, Minerals, and Music
July 5 - 11, 2010

Let Butte native and Dunrovin Ranch owner, SuzAnne Miller, take you on a tour of her childhood home turf. Ride to her former fire lookout in the Highland Mountains; explore the Anaconda Pintlar Wilderness Area; accompany a local geologist on tour of the Lost Creek Canyon; and spend an memorable day with musicians from across the globe at the 2010 National Folk Festival in the Mile High City. Don't miss this special trip!

Click here to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $2,250/person


Mountain Magic in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
A Week with Legendary Wilderness Outfitter, Smoke Elser
August 22 - 29, 2010

Pack up the mules and head for the high country of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area for an unforgettable week of adventure with the man who literally wrote the book on wilderness packing, Smoke Elser. Gather with Smoke around the fire each night to hear his tales of over 50 years of packing into this incredibly beautiful wild country, and keep you eyes pealed for the many elk, bear, deer, mountain goats, and sheep that frequent these trails.

Click here to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $2,550/person


Leading the Herd
Life Long Learning Through Horsemanship
September 13 - 17, 2010

Refine your horsemanship—and your life—skills with master horseman and leadership trainer, Brandon Carpenter. Learn the joy of truly partnering with a horse through mutual respect and communication. Enjoy the magnificent beauty of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front during the most colorful time of year—autumn! Explore the private Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and venture into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.

Click here to Download Trip Description and Itinerary

Expedition Cost - $2,450/person



Expedition Leaders



Dunrovin Expeditions is the product of an overactive imagination and zest for life that Dunrovin Ranch owner, SuzAnne Miller, shares with Ranch Manager, Sue Matthews. SuzAnne and Sue go back – way back to their graduate schools days at the University of Washington where they pursued graduate degrees in natural resource related fields. Their lives have intertwined over 30 years of working for state and federal natural resource agencies in Alaska and Montana. Wherever and whenever they found themselves together again, something fun was sure to happen! They are surely “still crazy after all these years.”



SuzAnne Miller


SuzAnne, a fourth-generation Montanan, grew up roaming the mountains and fishing the streams of western Montana. Fresh out of high school, SuzAnne became the first woman to “man” a Forest Service fire lookout in Montana by herself.


She met the love of her life, Sterling Miller, at the University of Montana while she was studying forestry and he was studying wildlife biology. After marrying, they joined the Peace Corps for three years in Chile. They returned to the US for graduate school at the University of Washington, then migrated north to Alaska, where they spent more than 20 years in professional posts with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. SuzAnne's experience included countless field trips, where she fine-tuned her outdoor skills under extreme conditions – including going toe-to-toe with a 1,000-pound sea lion in the Gulf of Alaska. The Millers' time in Alaska brought fulfilling careers, fantastic adventures across the entire state, and two wonderful sons: Ted (born in 1987) and Mark (born in 1992). Yet for all the beauty and grandeur of Alaska, Montana retained a strong hold on their hearts – in part because of SuzAnne's love of horses and her desire to return to “horse country.” They bought Dunrovin in 1997 and have since turned the property into a quality Tennessee Walking Horse ranch.


In addition to running Dunrovin Ranch, SuzAnne consults with government and private agencies on the human dimensions of managing natural resources. She recently managed a multiple agency project entitled The Montana Challenge which documents the importance of Montana’s natural resource amenities to the state’s economy. She is vice president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Association of Montana and volunteers with the Montana Natural History Center.



Sue Matthews


Sue was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. A misfit from the beginning, Sue was tall and athletic, and no Scarlet O'Hara! She escaped from the South and spent four years as an undergraduate in upstate New York while earning a teaching degree in mathematics.


After a short time in Washington, D.C. working as a computer analyst, Sue and her husband moved to Seattle, Washington. While working at the University of Washington, Sue discovered the discipline of Wildlife Biology, changed her entire life, and never looked back.


Sue met SuzAnne and Sterling Miller in the 1970s while in graduate school which turned into the “jumping off” spot for Alaska adventures and careers. For 20 years Sue worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska as a wildlife biologist. During that time, and on her “vacations”, Sue began working with Lindblad Expeditions as a naturalist on their staff and as Expedition Leader for trips in Alaska, Baja California, and twice to Antarctica.


Her love for teaching and working with people led to her assignment to conducting award-winning public information programs to solve wildlife issues for the Fish & Wildlife Service. Sue topped off her Alaska career by becoming the first female national wildlife refuge manager in Alaska, at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, in Tok Junction, Alaska. The adventures and knowledge gained from encountering wildlife in wild country was awe inspiring and humbling.


A southern belle in a place that consistently reaches -70 degrees (F) in the winter, Sue finally moved to Montana in 1996 to the interagency Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center. After 10 years training federal wilderness administrators across the country and in Africa, Sue retired.


Sue settled into her homestead, The Lazy Susan, just west of Missoula in fairly wild country but close to the symphony, theater, and other cultural attractions of a university town.


As SuzAnne and Sterling expanded Dunrovin Ranch to include equestrian expeditions, Sue signed on as Director of Expeditions and Ranch Manager for Dunrovin Ranch. Her experience with Lindblad Expeditions and her long time friendship with the Miller family provide the knowledge and instinct to design and lead unique, awe inspiring, and meaningful explorations into the natural world for Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions.


The Horses



Nothing compares to sailing through the mountains and forests aboard a sure- footed, smooth-gaited horse in peak athletic condition!



Dunrovin’s Tennessee Walking Horses are:

  • Superb athletes
  • Veteran trail mounts
  • Trained by professionals between guest visits to condition body and mind and ensure responsiveness
  • More than able to meet any challenge presented by the most experienced of riders
  • Yet gentle and well trained enough to accommodate beginners.

Dunrovin stresses hands-on horsemanship. You will be paired with the same horse for your entire expedition, so you’ll get to know each other and become a team. You don’t need riding experience. You do need to be fairly athletic and have a sense of adventure. If you are already a skilled rider, we can present you with some new challenges.




Here are some of Dunrovin's horses . . .

Mickey really does remind you of that famous mouse by the name “Mickey.” Our Mickey is the “class clown” with lots of energy and a chipper disposition. Mickey and Francine Betat, Vallée d'Ossau, France, relax after a day’s ride. Monty (Montana’s Strolling Joe Genius) is the golden retriever of the horse world – ever ready to please, always looking for an adventure, would curl up in your lap if he weren’t so big – and handsome to boot! Here is Monty showing off his comfortable Fred Hook saddle.
Power lives up to his name. He is Dunrovin’s lead horse both on the trail and in the pastures. He and SuzAnne have covered thousands of miles together, including endurance races. Power never objects to SuzAnne hanging things off his saddle – like this deer skull she wanted for the garden! Annie is unable to carry a rider because of a knee injury, but she carries wonderful foals! She is a terrific mom, tolerant of human intrusions like imprinting, but vigilant with all four-legged creatures. She is the typecast dominant mare. Here she guards a foal, only hours old in this picture.
Lady Lonza is simply a stunningly beautiful horse. She was born on SuzAnne’s dad’s birthday and named in his honor – his middle name was Lonzo. With a Champaign colored coat and a big, strong body Lady Lonza draws all eyes to her. She is the queen and demands respect and obedience from all the boys who share her pasture. She takes no prisoners! She is expecting a foal in April, 2008. It could be any color. We are all waiting anxiously! Flash is the “ladies man” of Dunrovin – a smooth operator and a total flirt who has captured the hearts of a number of local riders who compete to fill his dance card. He’ll win your heart with his quick feet, good manners, and loving eyes.

Whiskey is a great name for a western horse, this guy belongs more in a gentlemen’s club than a western saloon. Perhaps Dubonet might have been a better name to capture his beautiful red coat and his kind, refined, and gentlemanly manners. While having lots of energy and desire to go, Whiskey has a soft, calm nature that puts his rider immediately at ease.

 Charger’s registered name is Bud’s Whitewashed Charger. His whitewashed markings defy description – some call him a blue roan, while others call him a paint. Whatever his color, he is a fantastic mountain horse with lots of go and lots of experience – including field trials with hunting dogs.
Cool Dude is exactly that – one cool dude for youngsters just getting their first taste of horses. He has received the loving attention of many of child and taught them the joy of horsemanship. Dude and our donkey are the only non Tennessee Walking Horse equines on the ranch. Dude demonstrates his endless patience with young riders. Smokey Smoke will definitely get in your eyes when they land on our BIG boy, Smokey. What a handsome, kind, and gentle giant! He came to Dunrovin via a friend who shared many happy trails with SuzAnne and Power. Smokey loves an adventure; he eagerly carries his rider down the trail, through the forests, up the mountains, and across the rivers.
Martine’s Latin name betrays the fact that he is not a Tennessee Walking Horse but a Peruvian Paso. Martine is Dunrovin Ranch’s rescue horse. Early in his live, Martine developed ring bone which made him unsuitable for long, strenuous rides. He was on his way to the stockyard sales when he was rescued and eventually found his way to Dunrovin. Dandy found not only a new home, but a new name at Dunrovin. SuzAnne’s father always used the term dandy to describe just about everything he liked – dandy weather, dandy friends, dandy place. SuzAnne knew her dad would have liked this horse, so she named him Dandy. He got just about everything you could want in a horse: a terrific, smooth gait and a friendly disposition. Truly a dandy horse!
 
 
Senor Kona is a Sicilian (miniature) donkey with a big honk and an even bigger ego. He’s well known in Lolo for accompanying SuzAnne to the post office and appearing in holiday costume at the Lolo School. Senor Kona recently distinguished himself by winning first place in the commercial division in the 2007 University of Montana Homecoming parade. He lead a group of less than distinguished Dunrovin Dudettes in a less then precise drill team of "Pooper Scoopers." Jewel is indeed the Jewel of Dunrovin. She came to us from the Western Montana Humane Society. Jewel is every ready to fetch a stick from the river, sweep the trails of grouse so the horses don’t spook, or play with visitors – both human and canine. She’s simply irresistible!

What to Bring



CLICK HERE to download a check list of what to bring when you come on a Dunrovin Ranch Expedition.



Some more information about what to bring and expect on a Dunrovin Ranch Expedition:


Physical Conditioning: All our trips are possible for any reasonably fit person. However, we do recommend some pre-conditioning in the form of walking and horseback riding. Horseback riding uses different muscles, so if you can prepare with a little riding before you come, it will be more comfortable for you.


Proper Clothing: Mountain early mornings and evenings can be chilly any time of year. Please bring warm, comfortable clothing, including a hooded, windproof and waterproof (not just water resistent) jacket, well brokenin- footwear, a wool hat and wool mittens or gloves, long pants and ample dry clothing. Layers work best in our climate and in all seasons. The temperature can vary significantly in any single day. For horseback riding, please bring riding boots with a distinct heel, riding pants (as opposed to jeans) and smooth soles.


Photographic Equipment: For all Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions, bring camera(s), film or digital cards and landscape and telescopic lenses if you desire. For Dunrovin Ranch Photographic workshops, bring camera(s), tripod, lenses (wide angle for landscape and anything long if we are lucky with wildlife). Bring all your digital card(s); if you shoot film, bring 2 to 4 rolls per day. Bring a sturdy backpack or camera bag for your camera equipment, camera batteries and charger, and spare batteries. Remember to charge your batteries before you come!!


Binoculars: Each person should have their own pair of binoculars. Sharing binoculars is not a good idea, as wildlife sitings occur quickly, and unpredictably. We recommend a small sized, 7 power binocular with a neck strap, that can fit into a saddle bag and be readily accessible. A separate harness which keeps the binoculars close to your chest is also recommended.


Personal Items: Our expedition locations are usually remote and do not have gift shops. Bring all your personal toiletries, eyeglasses, sunglasses, insect, sun and lip protection lotions and prescription medicine with enough for the entire trip.


Smoking: Expedition members are asked to refrain from smoking in or near vehicles, in lodging, on the trails, near any horses or horse structures (like barns, stalls, trailers, etc), and other times when we are in close proximity to each other.


Personalized Expeditions



Meet Montana from the back of a horse!

Let Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions connect you with the real Montana.

  • Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions emphasizes experiential learning about Montana’s natural and cultural history. We partner with local experts – businesses, nonprofit groups, museums, university professors, and scientists – to develop tours that immerse our guests in a Montana experience. We choose a natural or cultural history theme; select routes that best illustrate that theme and showcase Montana’s splendid landscapes; identify local resources to guide our learning and businesses to service our needs; and weave together a trip that brings our guests and locals together for a journey of mutual discovery. Our expeditions are small – never more than 8 guests – to ensure close, personal attention and the opportunity to forge new relationships with Montanans.

  • Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions offers a range of outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities including wildlife viewing, hiking, boating, swimming, floating, and of course, horseback riding. Our horses provide an entirely extra dimension to our expeditions. They travel with us, we can travel in Wilderness, where motor vehicles aren't allowed! They are always available to enhance our ability to see the country, to travel farther than we could on foot, to provide us with an entirely different perspective, or to simply give us the joy of riding with them.

  • Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions focuses on quality and fun! We offer experienced expedition leadership, professional educational programs, comfortable accommodations, fine food, beautiful settings, qualified guides, incredible horseback riding, and outstanding service. We achieve these high standards within a relaxed and casual atmosphere – and we are ever ready for some spontaneous fun!

  • Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions offers Personalized Expeditions that are tailor made to suit the needs and desires of individual groups. Our knowledgeable staff is available to work with you to identify your group’s expedition goals, education and recreation interests, schedule, and budget. We offer expeditions focused on corporate retreats and leadership training, family reunions, horsemanship training, and natural history and cultural learning.

Personal Expeditions Daily Costs

 

Dunrovin Guide with Horse/Day....................................................................... $250

 

Dunrovin Staff without Horse/Day..................................................................... $150

 

Each Horse Used in Expedition/Day.................................................................... $150

 

Truck and Trailer/Day...................................................................................... $150

 

Gas, Food, Lodging/Day........................................................................ At Cost + 10%

 

Expert’s Professional Fees/Day.............................................................. At Cost + 10%


Dunrovin Ranch Expeditions is proud to partner with following organizations and business establishments:

Contact Us



CLICK HERE to download a form for reserving a trip.



To contact us for more information please fill out the following form:


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>>April 25 - 30, 2010
Booming in Montana’s Big Hole Valley
Spring Sights and Sounds of the Sage Grouse:

Join author and naturalist Hank Fischer in Montana’s splendid Big Hole Valley under a full moon as you witness one of nature’s most fascinating spring rituals: male sage grouse booming for a mate. Help wildlife biologists — via horseback — conduct their annual sage grouse population estimates. Visit the Big Hole Battle Field, and let a local historian lead you on the trail ride from Montana’s First Territorial Capital, Bannack, to Road Agent Rock.


>>May 17 - 21, 2010
 Visions of the West
A Photographic Journey
Along the Rocky Mountain Front

Put some horse ears in your photos! Let Professional Photographer, Pam Voth, show you all the tricks you’ll need to capture this incredible landscape through the lens of your camera. Ride the ranges of the beautiful, vast Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, privately owned by the Boone and Crockett Club and managed for cattle and wildlife! Stay at the ranch headquarters and enjoy some of the best cooking you have very tasted!


>> June 12 - 13, 2010
        July 12 - 13, 2010
     August 9 - 10, 2010
Big Sky at Night
An Astronomer’s Tour of the Night Sky

Follow the trail on your trusty steed up to a forest lookout where University of Montana astronomy professor, Dr. Diane Friend, will enthrall you with a tour of the night sky through a high powered telescope. Spend a cozy night in the lookout; and enjoy a Dutch oven breakfast before heading home. This is truly a unique adventure!

 

>>July 5 - 11, 2010
 Music in Montana’s Mile High City
Butte’s Mountains, Minerals, and Music

Let Butte native and Dunrovin Ranch owner, SuzAnne Miller, take you on a tour of her childhood home turf. Ride to her former fire lookout in the Highland Mountains; explore the Anaconda Pintlar Wilderness Area; accompany a local geologist on tour of the Lost Creek Canyon; and spend an memorable day with musicians from across the globe at the 2010 National Folk Festival in the Mile High City. Don't miss this special trip!


>>August 22 - 29, 2010
 Mountain Magic in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
A Week with Legendary Wilderness Outfitter, Smoke Elser

Pack up the mules and head for the high country of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area for an unforgettable week of adventure with the man who literally wrote the book on wilderness packing, Smoke Elser. Gather with Smoke around the fire each night to hear his tales of over 50 years of packing into this incredibly beautiful wild country, and keep you eyes pealed for the many elk, bear, deer, mountain goats, and sheep that frequent these trails.


>>Septembes 13 - 17, 2010
 Leading the Herd
Life Long Learning Through Horsemanship

Refine your horsemanship—and your life—skills with master horseman and leadership trainer, Brandon Carpenter. Learn the joy of truly partnering with a horse through mutual respect and communication. Enjoy the magnificent beauty of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front during the most colorful time of year—autumn! Explore the private Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and venture into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.




Learn more about Dunrovin's Expeditions


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