The Black Cat Guest Ranch is a very quiet place (at least during low season), hidden in some Canadian Rockies’ heart, glimpsing at us through the window. If, like me, you both want to explore a piece of Alberta and keep your solitary and curious soul, the Black Cat is then the perfect haven to pur nearby the fire place by fall or cheerfully play in twilight kiosk by summer time.
30 minutes driving from Jasper National Park entrance, it makes it ideal to both discover the park and get away from the touristy crowd in Jasper town. And if you really don’t like the mob, Mount Solomon – literally two steps away – offers beautiful and meditative hikes.
The place is huge and hides many spots to either meet strangers or fly to the moon in your mind: fields and mountains nearby, the homestead’s yard, the big living room where two hungry tables await for you, the talkative corner at the piano, couches around the fireplace, the saloon’s bar or even the stales washrooms. All this in a warm and country atmosphere where elks’ heads and bearskins’ rugs flirt with wooden walls.
Amber and Perry, owners of the place, add to the landscape and make any stay a nice memory. Amber wrote a science fiction trilogy which has been published, a lot of unknown and unpublished pieces and she even has a blog – that I only discovered by writing this post – where she published some short stories and talks about her adventurous writing life; in the meanwhile, Perry, volunteer firefighter, save people from flames or cats from trees. Simple and cheerful, they are the kind of quiet and surprising hosts you are happy to meet and would like to listen to for hours so many stories they have to tell. There is nothing they wouldn’t know, I swear! What is the difference between elks, moose, deer, caribous and reindeer! I am starting to get lost with all those antlers guys! Who is this Canadian explorer who, like Lewis and Clark, conquered West Canada, whose everybody including me has forgotten the name? When did métis, those kids with a settler dad and an indigenous mum, get buried in forgotten memories? Etc. Etc. Etc.
As for the practical description, it is easy: comfortable rooms (one queen bed OR one queen + one simple OR two queen beds) with private bathroom, breakfast included and beautifully made by super Wanda. Little kitchen if you need to store some food or warm some meals in the microwave. Ideal for couples and groups.
Plus, during low seasons, Amber and Perry host group events, offering three meals a day (still cooked by delicious Wanda!). During my stay, we welcame an authors retreat and a management workshop. Therefore, if you want to organize any kind event in Canada, it might be your place.
As for me, faithful workawayer, I was helping with dishes and housekeeping. I therefore recommend the place for working behind the scene, convinced that any traveler would enjoy staying and/or working there. I really spent a lovely time at Amber’s and Perry’s guest ranch, and I was heart broken to have to leave so quickly, but I was expected somewhere else… Thus, I truly hope my travelling steps will bring me back in between playful Black Cat’s paws.
The extra touch:
* Homemade treats all day long for the guests
* Friendly and neighbour horses, already in their winter pastures when I got there, but right in the window by summer time
More informations about the Black Cat Guest Ranch:
Fleeting Wor(l)ds 
I worked for Amber and Petty and her parents over 40 years ago, and still have so many fond memories of them and the ranch! Thank you for your post. Made me want to go back
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I am glad this kind of post can make people travel in time. Amber and Perry are such generous and beautiful people, I am very happy my path cross theirs. Best of luck to you Wilma!
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