Hunewill Ranch: A Place Where the Heart Comes Home
Hunewill Guest Ranch in Bridgeport Valley in Mono County, California
In This Valley, a poem by Diane McGehee
In this valley, the veil is thin as if one could step right through it into eternity.
If you listen, you can hear spirit whisper in the mist that hovers over the morning meadow.
As the golden fingers of the dawn reach across the mountain’s edge, sending delicate rays of light dancing across the crags.
In this valley, the veil is thin.
If you listen, you can hear the Divine One call to you in the stillness through a symphony of sound.
Coyotes yipping in a distant field, calves bellowing in response to their mothers moaning, horse hooves thundering gently across the plain. Hawks circling as swallows chirp and circle to protect their young.
In this valley, the veil is thin.
If you listen, its beauty will shatter your soul, leaving you undone and breathless at the expanse of mountains laced with glistening patches of white snow and deep shades of green, pink, and gray.
At the brilliance of desert flowers that decorate the valley’s pastures, of waving green under a boundless sky of azure blue.
In this valley, the veil is thin.
If you listen, you can remember who you are and from which you came.
You can remember the divinity within yourself, and in all of creation.
In this valley, the veil is thin.
If you listen, you can remember home.
Finding Hunewill Ranch in a Time of Change
For Diane McGehee, Hunewill Ranch is more than just a place she goes every year on vacation; it’s a homecoming.
Diane first came to the ranch during a hard chapter in life. A single mother with four boys, searching for something that could reconnect her and her children to joy and to the natural world.
“I’d grown up riding horses,” she recalls. “The idea of introducing that to my kids felt right. I didn’t know much about Hunewill, but I booked a trip for the week of my birthday as a gift to myself. We’ve come back every year since.”
The moment she stepped onto the land, she recognized it as what the Celtic tradition calls a thin place, a spot where the divine feels close enough to touch. “The beauty here… the mountains, the horses, the cattle, the birds. It’s like remembering who you are.”
Horses at Hunewill Ranch
Lessons from the Land
For Diane, Hunewill Ranch represents connection. Not only does she get the chance to connect with herself and the natural world, but it’s also a chance for her to share that with her family. She teaches her children and now her grandchildren to relate to animals with compassion and respect.
“To ride well, you need to exercise power relationally,” she explains. “Not by dominating, but by inviting partnership. That’s a life lesson as much as it is a riding skill, and it is so needed today. Where else can kids learn these lessons?”
Hunewill Ranch horses are well-trained and safe for children, and the wranglers work hard to help each rider grow confident. Diane shares the story of her grandson Collin, who was nervous about loping. On his first day, he decided to stick to walking, but when his horse followed the others into a lope, he surprised himself with a grin and said, “Let’s lope!”
Diane and her grandson on the all-day trail ride.
A Place for Families to Have Fun
One of Hunewill Runch’s most treasured gifts is the freedom it offers children. “It’s a safe place to let kids run, explore, and just be,” Diane says. “They disconnect from technology and connect with each other.”
The ranch’s natural rhythm fosters quick friendships between families, and days are filled with both simple pleasures and grand adventures like riding in the open fields, splashing in the creek, stargazing at night.
Gratitude for Hunewill Ranch
Diane sees Hunewill Ranch as a model for how to live in harmony with the land. “It’s the Hunewill family’s home and their business, and they choose to share it. That’s an incredible gift.”
Her visits here consistently rekindle her creativity as well. She often puts her gratitude and experiences here at the ranch into words through poetry, hoping to give something back to the family who has created such a welcoming place.
When asked to describe what it feels like to be here at Hunewill Ranch, Diane reflects, “Serene. Beautiful. My favorite place in the world.” Although she’s been to many beautiful places in the world, she is certain that there’s nothing quite like Hunewill Ranch. “It’s the freedom of riding in the open field. The horseback riding is excellent. It really is a beautiful place to be. And it's a great place for families!”
