Meet Us

Meet the people of Siwash Lake Ranch—for the past decade we've been collectively referred to by guests as the "Siwash Dream Team".

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 ~ 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 nine 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.
 


Wendy ~ Ranch Chef

Wendy is no stranger to country living and delights in revisiting the lifestyle she so enjoyed on her family ranch in Idaho decades ago. Before joining the Siwash team in 2009, Wendy cooked professionally as head chef aboard private and commercially chartered yachts. Her inherent desire for travel and adventure has taken her to unique places internationally, including the base camp of Mount Everest, the jungles of Central America, through The Panama Canal and scuba diving in oceans all over the world.

For Wendy, being on the ranch is indeed a marvelous adventure, one every bit as thrilling as sailing the high seas. She’s very happy to be on terra firma in the most beautiful setting imaginable, where her exquisite culinary creations continue to delight a discerning ranch clientele.

When out of the kitchen, Wendy can often be spotted rowing the little red boat around the lake or riding her favorite horse, Smoke.


Dennis ~ 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 ~ Journalist, Ranch Photographer, Interpreter and more...

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 honors 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 traveled 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.

Chuck ~ Farrier, Horse Trainer, Cowboy & Ranch Hand

Chuck, like Dennis, is a close neighbour and can be seen any time of year at Siwash. His inquiring mind, pleasant, straight-forward manner and sense of humour are a delight to all. As a working cowboy, his skills in dealing with cattle and horses are invaluable at Siwash.

Originally from New Foundland, he came out west for the wilderness solitude of beautiful BC; he cherishes it daily while riding the range, checking on cows astride one of his promising young colts.

Siwash guests whom demonstrate the necessary skills and stamina may have the pleasure of gathering cattle on all-day rides through the Cariboo bush with Chuck as their guide.

He is a highly skilled farrier and together with Allyson, he manages the Siwash herd naturally—primarily with frequent barefoot trimming tailored for each particular animal (no shoes!)—which helps keep the horses' feet in optimal condition.


Jane ~ Head of Guest Services, Food & Beverage Serving and more...

Great things come in small packages. Jane’s seemingly boundless energy is that of a person half her age. She’s quick and efficient in every task she performs here on the ranch. We regard her as our housekeeper and server extraordinaire. Her dedication is above and beyond the call of duty as she sets the standard for her co-workers.

Jane's talent doesn’t stop with lodge chores as she is a very capable horsewoman and a great cook— standing in for Wendy on Chef's day off. Jane is truly queen of multi-tasking.

She and her husband Kevin were introduced to Siwash as guests several years ago.They quickly developed a desire to immigrate to Canada and to carve out their own piece of paradise here in the Cariboo. The fact that they are willing to leave their comfortable retirement home in England to work here demonstrates their love for the ranch life at Siwash.

Kevin ~ Food & Beverage Server, Siwash Protégé (learning to be a rancher)

What could be better than being paid to live your dream and learn new skills? Through his gentle nature and appreciation for all things four-legged, Kevin has developed a deep level of respect and understanding for each and every horse on the ranch. Most mornings before work he can be spotted with several dogs in tow, escorting the herd in from their all-night walkabout. Later on, he’ll be at the barn tightening cinches...

Although Kevin is at Siwash for love of the lifestyle, he wears hats other than his Stetson. Food and beverage server is his official title when at work and he’s always on stand-by to help his wife Jane with other lodge duties if needed.

He’s also handy around the ranch, having the ability to repair most anything—earning him the unofficial title of Light Maintenance and Repairman. As new residents of Canada, Kevin and Jane will  be a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood.


Tamara ~ Trail Guide & Ranch Hand

Tamara is a newcomer to the ranch team and her arrival on the scene in 2010 proved to be a breath of fresh air here at Siwash. Her thorough and varied background in all things equine includes re-training a former race horse for competition in the Jumper ring, which is no easy task. She is calm and sensible while offering her knowledge and support to riders of all ages and levels of ability.

Tamara possesses an inherent curiosity and spends much of her spare time buried in a book on almost any subject. Her degree in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership from Mount Royal University serves her well in that she is eager to educate our guests on the importance of wilderness protocol. It's our wish that all Siwash guests take home with them an enhanced respect for the wilds of the forest and all of its denizens. Having grown up in the hustle and bustle of Toronto, no one appreciates the freedom, solitude and fresh air of this country life at Siwash more than Tamara.