Finding Their Stride
The Partnership of Arcady Ridge Ranch and Said Creek Outfitters & Outfitting Adventures
Dubois, Wyoming
Written by Melanie Limpus
Photography contributed by Missy Sprouse and Traci McClintic
Traci McClintic was sheltering from a storm in the Dubois Branch Library when she first saw the handsome cowboy and his signature smile. Her immediate thought was that, like herself, he must be a reader. Turns out, the only reason Joe W. Hargrave entered the library that day was for research to find the latest harvest numbers posted online by the Wyoming Game and Fish.
Still, when their eyes met, there was an attraction and later that day when Traci trekked back out into the storm, it was Joe who pulled over in his truck to offer her a ride.
A kinship began between the girl from West Virginia with a degree in English Literature and the taxidermist, hunting guide from Iowa, and that relationship has lasted the better part of two decades, with ten years of marriage, two children and now their partnership in two businesses.
Traci first moved to Wyoming in 2004 to work as the Trip Foods Coordinator for Teton Valley Ranch Camp, outside of Dubois. Having just graduated from college in North Carolina, Traci moved out west hoping to do a little soul-searching and find some direction.
“Joe and I are totally separate in our skills. I can barely read a compass, much less a map, but Joe can close his eyes and take you to the top of the mountain and know exactly where he is.”
Joe grew up in Iowa where his family raised quarter horses. Every summer, they hauled their horses west to go on pack trips in South Dakota and Wyoming. Joe felt at home in the mountains and when he graduated from guide school in Dillon, Montana, his passion for outfitting brought him to Dubois, where he bought a local taxidermy business and worked as a guide for a local outfitter.
The two might never have met had they not ended up in Dubois at the same time. On one of their first dates, Joe took Traci snowmobiling up Horse Creek Road with some friends. Their date was going great until Traci accidentally tipped her snowmobile and landed inside an elk carcass. Pinned inside the elk’s crib cage by her snow machine, Traci was helplessly stuck for a few minutes before Joe came to her rescue. She was shaken, but still up for the adventure. The day went on to be an unforgettable one. Just like the rest of their romance.
After working multiple jobs just to keep the bills paid, Traci took a leap of faith and opened a restaurant in town. Her only cooking experience came from what she picked up from her grandmother and working odd jobs, but she was forced to step in as a cook on a busy, understaffed night.
“I stumbled upon the opportunity to open Sundance Café,” Traci said. “When I started cooking there, something just clicked. People in town were incredible, and those working with me were great, which is the only way I was able to make it a success.
Her love for cooking only grew from there. She sold the restaurant and was later awarded The Karen Clark Memorial Scholarship to attend Le Cordon Bleu, a world-renowned culinary school.
“That was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass by,” Traci smiled. “Even though we were newly married, I had to do it.”
A month after tying the knot, she traveled to Canada, New Zealand, and finally, England to earn her Grande Diplome in Patisserie & Cuisine. Joe joined during her stint in New Zealand for their two week honeymoon before Traci set off for London to complete her studies.
Meanwhile, Joe landed a job working as the foreman at Snake River Ranch in Jackson in addition to starting his own Outfitting business, Jackson Wyoming Hunts. Traci took the Food Service Director job at C-V Ranch, where she managed the kitchen, wrote grants, and worked with the staff to create a vocation education program that would allow students to develop skills that could one day lead to gainful employment and better paying jobs.
It wasn’t long after when on a cold winter excursion to fill their buffalo tag, Traci found out that she was pregnant with their son, William. They affectionately nicknamed him “Buff” in remembrance of the treasured hunt.
In 2020, their daughter Aena was born during the peak of Covid and the couple decided it was time to move back “home” to Dubois. Later that year, an opportunity presented itself to Traci and Joe and they were fortunate enough to merge their dreams, becoming the owner-operators of two businesses: Arcady Ridge Ranch and Said Creek Outfitters & Outfitting Adventures. With Joe’s background in guiding and Traci’s experience catering, it seemed the perfect partnership.
Perched at 8,000 feet in elevation, the couple welcome visitors as they maneuver the narrow road weaving up the side of Warm Springs Mountain, the view unobstructed except by the pine trees.
Along with their guiding team and two child helpers, Buff and Aena, they have created a rustic paradise, where guests can relax and soak in the panoramic views from the wrap-around porch, or enjoy a lunch break high above Warm Springs Canyon.
Guests have options for entertainment year-round from pack trips, trail rides, and hiking in the summer to backcountry skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter. Besides cooking for ranch guests, Traci also caters for local businesses, events, and weddings at Arcady Ridge Ranch. Together with Joe, the combined expertise and dedication has given the couple a reputation for providing top-notch services at both Arcady Ridge Ranch and Said Creek Outfitters & Outfitting Adventures.
“Joe and I are totally separate in our skills,” Traci said. “I can barely read a compass, much less a map, but Joe can close his eyes and take you to the top of the mountain and know exactly where he is.”
Involvement with the Dubois Outfitters Association has provided Traci and Joe close friends and relationships with the other local outfitters.
“Dubois Outfitters are all unique and are passionate about what they do. It’s a lot easier to have a 9 to 5 job,” Traci laughed. “We wouldn’t do it without the sense of community that we have.”
Recently the Dubois Outfitters Association’s Annual Pig Roast was held, with the focus on wildlife habitat and conservation. The association is also contributing funds to help build an overpass for the mule deer migration corridor East of Dubois, in partnership with the Wyldlife Fund.
Raising their two children, staying involved in their community, and running their businesses fills most of the hours of Traci and Joe’s days. Though the road to where they are today was winding, sometimes very steep, and often filled with hurdles, the couple is living out their dream.
Traci grinned, “When it seems you’ve failed, it’s those people that say, ‘Hey, this is life, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and keep going,’ that makes it not seem too hard when times are difficult.”
