In “Remote and Rugged Beauty,” New England author Nancy Anisfield travels to Castle Valley Outdoors for a women’s-only hunt. The hard-packed direct and stubbly vegetation surrounding them caught their canine friends off guard. No juicy grass? No soft mud or– more familiar stuff– crunchy December snow for their dogs to dig their paws into?

“For us, it was hard to tell what part of this trip would most merit the term “vacation”—the 50-degree temperatures or the wide-open sky? The spectacular castle-rock formations jutting from the high desert plateau were even more distracting. We were eager to join the other guests at the lodge for a true Western hunt.

It’s easy to understand why Glendon Johnson, the founder and owner of Castle Valley Outdoors, chose this spot. A self-described executive cowboy, Johnson grew up on the back of a horse in southern Utah. His vision of a premier wingshooting lodge included providing the chance to experience the West in its true remote and rugged beauty.”– Nancy Anisfield

The full feature “Remote and Rugged Beauty” is published in the December-January 2016 issue.

Photo by: Terry Allen