Over the river and through the woods, to Cripple Creek Ranch they go.

Sleigh rides at the Trego ranch are so popular, the Eash family instituted its first waiting list for their family business this year.

“In the last years, it’s picked up quite a bit, and we’re appreciative of it,” said Ora Jay Eash.

Ora Jay and his wife Irene have built the business from the ground up, transforming a tragedy into an opportunity.

They moved to Northwest Montana in 1990 from Indiana, where they had been a part of the Amish community before a semi-truck struck their family buggy, killing their two young daughters.

Relocating to Montana gave them a new community, a fresh start, and a chance to launch their business.

In 2000, they purchased their Trego farm, nestled in the woods at the foot of the Whitefish Mountains.

Their operation at the time consisted of nothing but the original homestead house and trees in every direction.

Gradually, they and their family built a barn, a shop and a house — in that order. It was a testament to their love of animals, which they’ve passed down through the generations and used to build a thriving business.

In 2004, the Eashes got an opportunity to buy their first team of horses and a carriage. Making a living alongside the animals was an obvious fit for the Eashes, who boast many rodeo competitors among their children and grandchildren.

They started offering carriage rides for weddings, and, in the wintertime, they took their friends and neighbors on sleigh rides. Eventually, they realized they could bring sleigh rides — what Ora Jay calls “the authentic Montana experience” — to a much wider market.

Because of health issues, Ora Jay took a hiatus around 2010, but when he returned, he ramped up the sleigh ride side of the business.

Since 2015, Cripple Creek Ranch’s sleigh rides have taken off.

THROUGHOUT THE winter, the Eashes offer four rides every afternoon and almost double that number during the peak season around Christmas. They’ve expanded their accommodations from a campfire, to a small cabin in the woods, to a second, even bigger cabin added three years ago. They’ve grown to include multiple teams of different-colored horses and three carriages, the newest just arrived in mid-December.

“It’s growing,” Ora Jay said modestly.

Sleigh rides have become so popular, Ora Jay noticed, because they seem “magical” to the riders.

At Cripple Creek, a ride is a two-hour event, divided between 45 minutes in the sleigh, about an hour in the cabin eating a homemade dinner, and a short ride back to the starting point.

Visitors are carted through the trees, under the shadow of the Whitefish Mountains, through a section of forest completely isolated from any development.

At the end of their initial ride, they crest a hill overlooking a clearing, where the “cozy canvas cabin” sits waiting for them.

“The exclamation of the people when they step inside the cabin is just invigorating,” Ora Jay said.

A flickering campfire and heated cabin greet passengers as they disembark from their sleighs. Inside the cabin, a homemade dinner of ribs, vegetable casserole and salad is ready for them to enjoy. They don’t head back into the cold before they finish a piece of apple pie.

Oftentimes, Ora Jay said, visitors tell him, “it feels like we’re in a movie.”

It’s enjoyable for the business owners, too, who relish the opportunity to support their family doing something they find so peaceful and rewarding.

Ora Jay said, “We love Jesus…we love working with the horses. We’re loving the Montana experience, the great outdoors.”

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.