In 2004, after living on Capitol Hill with my husband, we and our best friend made the decision to move to the mountains, departing a metropolis that was about to burst forth with an insane amount of growth. This was when Democrats were in crisis and issued a clarion call to get out of our blue bubble and move to an area where change needed to happen. We heeded that call.
We had already been blessed to enjoy the national forest during the summers, camping in a yurt that we would set up for the season at the LGBTQ+ campground along the famed, scenic Mountain Loop Highway. This sparked our love of the area’s beauty and the magical experience of “glamping.” Parlaying that experience, we wrote a plan to bring that magic to the public.
We wanted to make manifest positive change in the world through hospitality, with the reinvention of the family farm. It was a time when people were starting to talk about agrotourism, sustainability, and green principles — and how better to experience that than staying on a farm, with alpacas setting the pastoral scene?
So we bought a 17-acre parcel of previously logged land. Not only did we have to build a homestead, we also had to build a business, including permitting for a hospitality operation.
Imagine if you would, three Gay men moving to the rural mountains outside of Granite Falls, known for timber and quarries. If there truly was a frontierland, this would be it. Would we be accepted? Would we see success? What challenges would we have out here as Gay men?
I am happy to share that Paca Pride Guest Ranch has become an ecotourism attraction for the many that venture to the hiking trails and scenic beauty of our beloved national forest.
Oh boy, what a journey it has been too! All along the way, we were unabashedly Gay — it never occurred to us that we would need to exercise caution or care in a rural area. Quite the opposite, we would be authentic always, lean in, and represent — even our business name would include a hat-tip to our community.
We’ve got twenty years under our belt now and plenty of stories to share about what this experience has been like. As we reap what we sow, the harvest has been bountiful, with inspiring moments. Sometimes those become repeating patterns that continue to humble us.
A common occurrence is playing host at the ranch to families with their preteens and teenagers. They return again for another visit a season or two later. It’s that second visit when we experience something profound.
After they settle into their yurt or campsite, the mom will come back up to the reception desk, a few tears welling up in her eyes. “Do you remember the last time we stayed?” she asks us. With slight trepidation, I respond, “Yes we do,” having no idea what I’m being set up for — they just arrived and she’s in tears.
“Well, my (son/daughter) was struggling. The last time we stayed, they saw you guys as such role models for who LGBTQ people could be that it gave them the courage to come out to us.” This has become a common experience at the ranch and reminds us that we are doing the right work, in the right place, at the right time.
