Ute Trail in Lake City Newspaper

This article about the construction at Ute Trail appeared in the Lake City Silver World newspaper this fall.

New Construction At Ute Trail Ranch
by Amy Jo O’Dubhaigh

Sky Ranch at Ute Trail, located north of Lake City on highway 149, is undergoing a transformation. A seven part land-use improvement plan is underway and is scheduled to be completed by June 1, 2010.
Having originally purchased the Ute Trail Ranch in 1973, the Seay family re-purchased the one thousand four hundred acre ranch in 1993 and are currently leasing sixty acres to the fifty four year old Christian Ministry, Sky Ranch.
Sky Ranch at Ute Trail is one of three Sky Ranch locations. Headquarters for the organization is located in Van, Texas and there is another camp in Cave Springs, Oklahoma.
The camp at Ute Trail encompasses three different ministries; a family camp with ten cabins, youth leadership ministries with twelve lean-to cabins, and a wilderness ministry program in the back country surrounding the ranch.
“This current project came about because Sky Ranch expressed the desire to increase the capacity of their camp,” said George Seay, who is overseeing the implementation of the new land-use improvement plan. “The camp has been a real success and in order for it to grow, it needs more room.”
“This is the second phase of improvements,” Seay said. “The first phase took place in 2005 and included the construction of twelve cabins and three staff cabins designed by Gunnison architect Joe Bob Merritt.”
Phase two of Sky Ranch’s land-use improvement plan began in 2008 with approval for the work by the Gunnison County planning commission. “We are off to a really good start,” Seay said.
The first and biggest component of the improvement plan is the construction of five new cabins to increase the capacity of the family camp at Sky Ranch. The family camp cabins are the buildings located closest to the highway.
“The first of the five cabins is nearly completed, and the other four are currently in the framing stage,” Seay said.
Construction of a new meeting room is scheduled to begin November 23. The room will provide space for meetings, programs, and shows at the camp.
A water treatment plant to treat and purify all of the camp’s waste water is the third element in the land-use improvement plan. This will be an entirely new system and will replace a septic/leach field system on which the camp was previously dependent.
“We are excited to implement this new water treatment system,” Seay said. “It will really benefit the ranch and will also be much better for the environment.”
Along with the water treatment plant, a fire protection system, including three fire hydrants, will be installed.
The sixth part of the land-use improvement plan is increasing the dining capacity of the camp lodge by adding a 30ftx50ft outdoor eating area. It is expected this space will be necessary to accommodate the increase in the number of guests. Improvements to the existing kitchen are also planned.
In anticipation of a larger number of visitors to Sky Ranch at Ute Trail with the completion of the new lodging facilities, modifications to the entrance road into the camp are being made.
“We are enlarging and improving the road into camp from highway 149,” Seay said. “Work has already begun on this part of the project with asphalt being laid down at the entrance.”
The final component of the land-use improvement plan is aesthetic. Upon the completion of the new construction, additions, and improvements grass, trees, and flowers will be planted throughout the camp. This landscaping will complete phase two of the camp’s transformation.
Matt Ventura and his brother Luke of M.Ventura Design Builders from Gunnison, are the builders in charge of the project.
Also involved are architect Leigh Dillenback from Alpine Dwelling in Crested Butte; Spallone Construction who did the infrastructure earth work; contractor Frank Mangum from Lake City; Larry Reschke of Dilmont consultants; Montrose Engineering; engineer, Jerry Greene from Gunnison; and Williams Engineering also located in Gunnison..
“We have focused on keeping the work local,” Seay said. “We have purchased almost all of our materials from Blue Spruce and have been really pleased with them and with everyone working on the project. We are excited to see everything completed next June."