At Red Horse Mountain Ranch, one of the biggest reasons why this place is so amazing is the wonderful staff. Whether it is the returning staff or the lucky employees that get a chance to spend a summer here, it is always an atmosphere that speaks family. For the guests who have been here for one season or several, the staff has proven to be one of the main reasons they return. Brenda Kalkauski, one of our head housekeepers and servers, has been here for 17 years. For the first time this summer, her one-year-old granddaughter had the chance to visit and get to see her at home here! A long time northern Idaho resident, she understands and appreciates why people love and value this place.

Over the years, Red Horse Mountain Ranch has grown and seen changes, and when I asked Brenda what she loved most about this, she said “For me, I get to meet a lot more people and guests and get involved with what everyone is doing, and I keep relationships with the seasonal employees.” Brenda loves working at the ranch much for the same reason guests love coming here! She is always up for a good conversation and you can usually find her keeping busy around the lodge with housekeeping, serving, or helping out in the kitchen. Here are a few other fun questions about her job:

What is your favorite part about being a housekeeper? “Laundry and serving, because I get to meet the guests and talk to them at meals. I also like washing dishes and hanging out and talking to the kitchen staff.”

What is your favorite thing about working at the ranch? “I go to work at 5 a.m., so for the guests who are on a different time zone a few hours ahead, a lot of the time we are the only people in the lodge besides the kitchen staff. It is nice to see those guests every morning and get to know them.”

Favorite food at the ranch? “I love shrimp! Steve’s food was the best.”

How is it seeing the returning guests each year? “It is nice to see returning faces, I always talk to Judy and Shawn. Red Horse Mountain is open and more of a family. I like to visit with and get to know the returning staff too.”

Other favorites about Red Horse Mountain? “I got my dog Molly, a cocker-poodle mix, from Jody (our office manager who also breeds dogs). Molly is over a year old now. I have been working for Cory for going on 7 years and I really enjoy it.”

Oh and can’t forget, Brenda’s favorite color is purple! A big thanks to Brenda for giving many dedicated and enjoyable years at Red Horse Mountain Dude Ranch. More to come on our amazing staff members!