Meet the Family at Siwash Lake Ranch

Allyson ~ Creator of Siwash, Ranch Owner & General Manager, Host & Guide

Siwash Lake Ranch is the product of Allyson's vision— realized through passion, hard work and endless perseverance—built to keep in harmony with the environment and to preserve all that Nature has to offer.

As a young adult, Allyson turned her penchant for hosting elaborate dinner parties into the chef's position on board luxury charter yachts in exotic locales like the Caribbean and Greece. She topped that off with a university degree in Physical Education, followed by ten years’ experience in the health and wellness industry.

But Allyson is the daughter of a dedicated mountaineer and outdoor educator, founder of Outward Bound Canada. She's also a very avid horsewoman. Inevitably her pioneering spirit, quest for adventure, love of horses and desire for a healthy lifestyle drew her away from coastal Vancouver to the wilds of the Cariboo...

 

When she purchased her piece of paradise in 1991, there wasn’t even a road in to the place. Not a problem for Allyson. She camped and rode around the property, getting to know the lay of land and then forged her way to create what is now the spectacular wilderness hideaway at Siwash Lake. The Ranch gates opened for international guests in the mid-90's. Well reputed within the BC tourism industry for her accomplishments, Allyson is a Director of the BC Guest Ranchers’ Association and BC Wilderness Tourism Association, and is Tourism Lead for Greenomics Corporation, which specializes in the business of sustainability.

Roy ~ Co-Owner, Head of Ranching Operations, Host & Guide

Roy is by no means a cliché of a cowboy. He’s as authentic as they come and there’s no end to his talent. He’s comfortable and capable at the barn, training horses, fly-casting for trout, tending the garden, operating heavy equipment and even donning a tuxedo when needed to lend his charm to any promotional event.

Roy comes from real pioneering stock; his great Grandparents were some of the first to settle in the region. He grew up on a remote homestead and was cowboying, gold mining and working in the forest industry until 9 years ago when he joined forces with Allyson and her two children to run Siwash.

It appears that he’s the brawn and she’s the brains of the operation, the rustic and the refined. But in reality, they balance one another perfectly and together make the most dynamic duo. Both are hands-on with the operation, guiding guests daily while sharing their knowledge and passion for horses, the great outdoors, ranching life and each other.

Marshall ~ Ranch Owner's Son, Host & Guide

Marshall is like Daniel Boone reincarnated. At his young age, he knows more about Nature and the wilderness than most of us ever will.

He has an extraordinary talent for spotting and identifying flora and fauna, tracks of animals and where and when to catch a fish or shoot a grouse. If you’re ever lost in the woods, pray that Marshall is nearby.

His favourite summer past time is to go “siwash” or “siwashing”, which literally means to go into the wild. Marshall heads off into the woods taking only the most basic of survival gear along.

Still, as a teenage boy, he loves roaring around on his mountain bike, playing rugby and working out. He  attends boarding school, but the rest of the year he’s an invaluable member of the Siwash team and a constant source of entertainment for us all.

Jessica~ Owner's Daughter, Host & Guide

Jess is a girl of many talents. She can be found leading riders on the trail, caring for the younger set of guests, cutting vegetables alongside Chef Wendy in the kitchen as well as serving dinner with a great big smile after a long day of activity. She absolutely adores horses and is a very accomplished young rider.

She is pictured here with her sorrel quarter horse mare, Lena, while the two of them are competing together at a local rodeo event for barrel racing and other gymkhana fun.

Like her brother, growing up at the ranch has made her wise beyond her years. But she’s still a kid at heart and is keen to share the fun of wilderness life with visiting children. Jess' favourite place to be is at the barn, wrangling horses and guiding guests with her Mom. She is indeed a top hand, worth her weight in gold.

Dennis ~ Good Neighbour, Angling Guide, Wilderness Survival Leader, Mechanic, Ranch Chauffeur & more...

Dennis is multi-talented and one of our closest neighbours (he lives in a lovely little log house in the woods over a half-hour drive away). Quite simply we don't know what we'd do without him. He works for Siwash year-round in whatever capacity is needed. Sometimes this is to deliver the kids safely to the school bus-stop, over forty minutes away on rough backcountry roads, often encountering fallen trees, itinerant loggers and moose on route.

Dennis is as entertaining as he is skilled, and guests really enjoy his story telling while they cast for trout, learn to read a compass or build a campfire. His background as a first aid attendant and his many years as a leader with Scouts Canada bode exceedingly well for guiding at Siwash.

Gaby ~ Our Resident Photographer...

Gaby is an internationally celebrated Nature photographer and a long time friend of Siwash Lake Ranch. Growing up in Cologne, Germany, Gaby acquired her love for photography from her father. Those early lessons grounded her firmly in her art and she still honours her Dad’s loving influence by, on occasion, shooting with her first camera purchased as a result of his encouragement.

Gaby developed a passion for rock climbing and high altitude hiking at an early age. She has travelled on foot and on horseback taking photographs in high alpine regions all over the world, thus becoming entranced by the infinite beauty of virgin mountain terrain.

Gaby's work is displayed all over this website; she shot most of the photographs pictured here. Don’t be surprised to see her clicking away to capture the perfect image of a keepsake moment in Siwash's magical surroundings.

Your dedicated hosts, above, work alongside a carefully chosen team of 12 other top hands to deliver a once in a lifetime vacation to our special guests!