We are secluded and scenic: located at 9000' above sea level in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, we are family-owned and operated. He moved to Kremmling by covered wagon in 1923 with his wife, Eva and infant daughter after refusing the commission as a lieutenant at the end of WWI. From there, he built up and ran the Snowshoe Dude Ranch for nearly 20 years. He built the main lodge single-handedly, save a bit of help in hauling lumber. Reportedly, Kasdorf was a bit of a recluse who, among other things, caught live wild mountain sheep for the Denver Zoo. He expanded his original land purchase into a cattle ranch. By 1955, the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association had listed the Snowshoe Ranch as being able to accommodate 25 guests. Kasdorf boasted he had a modern log ranch house and lodge with a beautiful, two-hundred-mile view, at the rate of $75 per week. The Grand County Historical Society speculated that Zane Grey stayed at the Snowshoe Ranch, or at least camped nearby, while he wrote Mysterious Rider. The Kasdorfs said in their advertisements that, “Guests could ride forest-Indian trails that Theodore Roosevelt and Zane Grey knew!”
After the Kasdorfs sold Snowshoe Ranch in 1960, the ranch ownership passed through the hands of several different owners. The Christiansons bought 53 acres and added a few cabins while they continued ranching operations. The Lyons bought Snowshoe in 1973, the Krewsons in 1977, and David Wasserstrom in 1982. David Wasserstrom was an attorney from Philadelphia who made many improvements to the ranch, beginning with changing the name to “Latigo” - a Spanish word referring to a strap of leather which holds the cinch to a saddle. He built three duplex cabins, a large social club, barn, and bunkhouse, and added the pond. He also made the final connection to Red Dirt Road, eliminating the need for County Road 17. It was a much-needed improvement, as the latter required opening several gates and was poorly maintained. Randy and Lisa George with Jim and Kathie Yost bought Latigo in 1987 and ran it together for 29 years before Jim and Kathie chose to retire. The Georges bought them out at the end of 2016, and their growing family intends to continue running the ranch for many years to come. The Georges live on the ranch year-round, operating Latigo as a western dude ranch during the summer and a Nordic ski center in the winter.
