Clarkson Magazine

Fanch

The Greening of a Colorado Ranch & Resort

The Fanches transformed a former
dude ranch by developing only about
two percent of the land, leaving
much of the 3,900-acre property
untouched.

Clarkson alumnus Robert Fanch '69 and his wife, Suzanne, have transformed a former dude rance at the foot of the Continental Divide into an environmentally friendly, world-class resort. The Fanches accomplished this by developing only about two percent of the land, leaving much of the 3900-acre property untouched. They also operate the state's largest, privately held geothermal heating system, which heats much of the property, and an innovative wastewater treatment system. Their successful efforts to develop and operate an eco-friendly, luxury resort were recognized recently with an award from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sixty miles west of Denver, the Rockies crest in a vast expanse of alpine wilderness dubbed the "Roof of America." Amidst the 14,000-foot peaks and miles of tundra, dizzying mountain passes descend through stands of bristlecone pine, blue spruce, aspen, and ponderosa pine into the high inter-mountain parks and valleys nestled in the heart of the Rockies. Long gone are the eastern prairies and bustling cities along the front range. This is cattle country Colorado style: high-elevation range land set in a breath-taking mountain paradise.

"Here was a way we could do something positive for the region, by saving a beautiful piece of wilderness from being developed and lost forever."
— Bob Fanch '69

Here in the aptly named Ranch Creek Valley, Bob Fanch '69 and his wife, Suzanne, have transformed the historic Devil's Thumb Ranch into a beautiful resort that combines the best of the Old West with a new environmental awareness of the need to live in harmony with the land and its limited resources.

"The West has a general reputation for rugged resilience, but, in fact, it is quite environmentally fragile," explains Bob. "Scant rain, a short growing season, and high elevation mean that plants grow slowly and soils are easily disrupted and washed away. The mountain air is easily polluted: witness Denver's infamous 'brown cloud.' The water that trickles down from the mountain snow pack into alpine streams is similarly vulnerable to contamination."

For Bob and Suzanne, their roles and responsibilities as stewards of the land and owners of a full-service, year-round luxury resort are intertwined. "We are operating a business and we take that very seriously," says Bob. "But we are not in this to simply maximize returns. It's really more a labor of love. It's not going to pay off in the same manner as if we were just focused on dollar payoff. But I think it will pay off in other ways for us. Life satisfaction for one thing, and being part of a solution instead of part of a problem."

"It's also about the kind of legacy we want to leave our children. So they understand the importance of conservation and that the choices you make today affect tomorrow's generations," adds Suzanne referring to Rachel, 9, and Zachary, 5.

Perfect Opportunity, Perfect Timing

As a child growing up in Gloversville, N.Y., Bob had always been fascinated by the great camps of the Adirondacks first pioneered by William West Durant in the late 19th century. "I was drawn to those old lodges and compounds, the rustic-looking structures made from local timber and stone designed to blend into the wooded surroundings. I always had in the back of my mind the idea that one day I would like to recreate that kind of rustic, pristine living experience."

Bob was already familiar with the Devil's Thumb Ranch as he and Suzanne began researching available land in the late 1990s. In 1937, George and Dan Yager began construction of a lodge and several cabins on land purchased from a dairy owner. Six years later Yagers' Devil Thumb Ranch, named for a unique geological feature of the natural landscape, opened as a dude and vacation ranch. For the next 30 years it continued to operate as a combination working and dude ranch until the Yagers sold it in 1973. The Ranch was then used primarily as a cross-country ski area for day trippers and overnight guests. The operation changed hands, going in and out of bankruptcy, and then in 1994 was purchased by Ranch Holdings Limited.

The pool at Devil's Thumb Ranch.

"The Devil's Thumb Ranch had a reputation as one of the country's premier cross-country ski areas," says Bob. "It was a beautiful piece of property with a rich history and I was definitely interested in it." But in 2001, both Devil's Thumb Ranch and the adjacent Diamond Bar T Ranch were under contract with a Holland-based investment group that planned to subdivide the land to build a residential community and golf course. When the deal fell through, Bob and Suzanne acted quickly. They purchased the 3,500-acre Diamond Bar T Ranch in late 1999, determined to maintain the beauty and integrity of the natural landscape. The Fanches subsequently purchased Devil's Thumb Ranch in early 2001 from Ranch Holdings Limited.

"The time was right for us to do this and the opportunity presented itself," explains Bob. "It was also a way that we could do something positive for the region, by saving a beautiful piece of wilderness from being developed and lost forever."

As a highly successful entrepreneur and savvy innovator in the telecommunications industry, Bob knows a thing or two about timing. In 1985 he launched the Denver-based Fanch Communications Inc., a cable television multiple system operator (MSO) with 20,000 subscribers. The company emerged as a Top 20 MSO serving 525,000 subscribers in the region. In 1999, he sold the cable company to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

During that time Bob also formed FiberNet, LLC in West Virginia, which was quickly recognized as a statewide leader and competitive telecommunications service provider. In 1998, Bob founded Conversent Communications, a highly successful facilities-based communications provider serving more than 38,000 business customers in the Northeast. Earlier this year, FiberNet and Conversent merged. Bob now serves as executive chairman of the newly combined entity Conversent Communications Inc.

Expansion and Renovation the Fanch Way

From the start the Fanches planned to operate their business through money generated by the sale of ski tickets, meals and lodging for overnight guests and larger groups who could make use of the spacious meeting and activity rooms. "There are plenty of golf courses and condos out there," says Bob. "We wanted to do the opposite. Offer a respite from the chaos and noisiness of life so people can be in a peaceful, natural environment.

"Preservation of the ranch and the land was one of our goals from the beginning and our development plans reflected this," Bob continues. "We were clear that our expansion would leave much of the total 3,900 acres in its natural state." In fact, the Fanches' development has affected only 80 acres.

The interior of one of 16 log cabins
for overnight guests and travelers.

One of the first major projects was the erection of a 26,000-square-foot Activity Center in 2003. The Center is comprised of three distinct but adjoining buildings. The centerpiece of the compound is the Broad Axe Barn, a beautifully restored 140-year-old, hand-hewn barn disassembled from its original site in Indiana and rebuilt on the Devil's Thumb property. The heavy-timbered structure offers 3,000-square feet of space on the ground floor and another 3,000 upstairs. The large upstairs "barn" banquet room is often used for wedding receptions, with a smaller meeting room and Internet café. The first floor space houses Zach's Mercantile, where guests and visitors can purchase sundries and clothing and rent skis and snowshoes in the winter and fly fishing equipment and mountain bikes in the summer. Next door is the Ranch Creek Spa, which includes steam room, sauna and Rachel's pool and spa, an indoor/outdoor entry pool.

Another impressive feature is John L.'s Wine Cellar & Uncorking Room, which Bob named for both his brother and father. "The barrel-shaped uncorking room and the private wine cellar/dining room are built from cherry wood harvested from Adirondack land still owned by my family," says Bob. "Steve Crook, a fellow Clarkson alumnus and a Zeta Nu fraternity brother, was the builder."

Food served at the well-known Ranch House Restaurant includes organic beef and chicken raised by local farmers as well as distinctly mountain dishes like antelope satay.

The exterior of one of 16 log cabins
for overnight guests and travelers.

"We try to use as much local and organic ingredients as possible," says Suzanne. "Our choice of materials and our practices — whether in the kitchen or the spa — are deliberate and part of our commitment to seek green solutions first. We made a conscious decision not to include significant water treatments at the spa because of the ongoing water shortage problems affecting this part of the country. Our spa products were selected based on how they would affect the rivers and streams where used water is eventually discharged. We are also looking into doing our own organic farming on site and perhaps building a greenhouse to grow organic vegetables."

Water Sources, Energy Choices

One of the innovative environmental technologies employed at the Devil's Thumb Ranch is found in the geothermal heating system of the Activity Center and 16 one- to four-bedroom log cabins Fanch had built in 2003 and 2004 on a ridge some 3/4 of a mile from the main ranch complex.

Geothermal energy uses heat from either water or the earth to produce energy. Energy consumption is lessened by harnessing the inherent heat of the earth (55 degrees) and reducing the energy required to raise the temperature to 70 degrees.

"Geothermal energy is a well-supported, proven resource used worldwide," explains Clarkson Professor of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering Eric Thacher. "It ranges from the use of geothermal (or 'ground coupled') heat pumps by homeowners to power production."

"It's also about the kind of legacy we want to leave our children. So they understand the importance of conservation and that the choices you make today affect tomorrow's generations." - Suzanne Fanch

It also represents, according to Thacher, a nearly limitless source of energy. "To date only a small fraction of the potential geothermal resource has been tapped. Geothermal technologies are also beneficial because they release little or no air emissions, unlike conventional energy technologies."

The traditional log cabin structures, each with distinctive Adirondack, fly-fishing, Nordic, cowboy, or Native American decors are heated by an elegantly designed closed-loop geothermal heat pump system. Glycol-filled pipes are embedded in the cabin floors, providing efficient radiant heat from below. They are also used to heat water for normal household uses.

As the glycol gives up its heat, it is piped to the bottom of a two-acre pond nearby. There the glycol is reheated by the pond water and returns to the cabins, where heat pumps boost the temperature of the glycol to some 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cycle repeats itself. The miracle of this geothermal heat pump is that even in winter, the modestly higher temperature of the pond water can supply most of the heat energy needed for the cabins' creature comforts.

As with the cabins, the heating system of the Activity Center, including the saunas and pool, is supplied by a geo-thermal system pumping heat from another two-acre pond Fanch had excavated on the Ranch for this purpose. These systems have resulted in a 70 percent reduction in energy consumption and the related cost savings.

Clarkson President Tony Collins and
Bob Fanch at Devil's Thumb Ranch.
"Karen and I had the good fortune
to spend a memorable weekend at
Devil's Thumb as Bob and Suzanne's
guests," said President Collins. "You
feel very close to nature among the
unspoiled land and the grand views."

Last year, the Devil's Thumb Ranch received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of its successful environmentally friendly development and restoration efforts. In particular, the award cited the use of geothermal energy, the reclaiming of the 150-year-old barn, and the development of an eco-friendly wastewater treatment system. (The process involves running wastewater through a sand filtration system, which removes a high percentage of the effluent substances, thereby reducing the need for chemicals.)

The Fanches just broke ground on a 53-room lodge that will be heated by water pumped from 150 200-foot deep wells. "We are also beginning to investigate renewable sources for generating electricity, including micro-hydro power, solar power, and wind power," Bob explains. He has also been in contact with Ken Visser, Clarkson associate professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. Visser is heading up a multidisciplinary effort to explore ways to increase the energy production and efficiency of small, homeowner-sized wind turbines through innovative multibladed rotor designs. A goal of the research is to help make wind energy a viable option for business operators like the Fanches.

Connections to Clarkson

Working with experts at Clarkson's Center for the Environment is only one way Bob has stayed connected to Clarkson. He has maintained close ties with his fraternity Zeta Nu. "Some of my closest friends today are my fraternity brothers from those days. Many of the best memories I have from my days at Clarkson are associated with Zeta Nu. My involvement with the house and the friendships I made helped form the person I am today."

Bob remains connected to Zeta Nu as an active alumni brother and generous benefactor.

"Over the years I've enjoyed meeting the successive generations of brothers and getting to know many of them." Next year Bob hopes to return to his old fraternity house to help celebrate Zeta Nu's 50th anniversary at Clarkson.

Bob and Suzanne's daughter,
Rachel, age 9, enjoys the outdoors
with their dog, Stoner.

Bob's enthusiasm for his alma mater can also be traced to the "top-notch education I received at Clarkson." Because of this, Bob decided to offer a new generation of students the opportunity to receive the same high-caliber education. In 2001 Bob established a program that would enable 27 promising students to enroll at Clarkson in the School of Business by meeting their financial needs with a personal scholarship for each over a four-year timeframe. Twenty-two Fanch Scholars will graduate next spring as part of the Class of 2006.

"Bob's generous example was really the beginning of our successful ‘Share Clarkson' Direct Scholarship program," explains Pete Beekman, director of Development. "It has always been Clarkson's mission to provide an opportunity to promising students who might otherwise be unable to receive a quality education. Share Clarkson program offers our alumni, parents, friends and our corporate and foundation partners an opportunity to support a talented student with an annual scholarship award. While providing much-needed financial resources, it also builds relationships among generations and strengthens the wider Clarkson community. Thanks to Bob, we now have over 80 Share Clarkson Direct Scholarships providing close to $1 million in annual scholarship grants."

In the 36 years since Bob graduated from Clarkson he has amassed an impressive list of professional accomplishments. But it is the decisions he has made outside of the office that have brought him the most personal satisfaction. "Suzanne and I have always taken the long view when making choices about our life instead of focusing on short-term payoffs. We are strong believers in investing in the future. That's what we are doing up at the Ranch. It is also why we invest in the next generation of leaders and decision makers."

To learn more about accommodations and services visit The Devil's Thumb Ranch Web site at www.devilsthumbranch.com.