The aerial view of the landscape approaching Echo Valley Ranch Resort in the Cariboo Country of British Columbia is part mountain, part desert, part lunar. And the approach is only part of the fun for pilots and their passengers who choose to escape by air to this region of the Canadian wilderness.

Echo Valley Ranch Resort is a 10,000-acre working ranch, purchased in 1990 by Norm and Nan Dove as a weekend retreat from their hectic life in Vancouver. At the time, Norm didn't hold a private pilot's license, and he hadn't enjoyed his only experience in a private plane 20 years earlier. But as they slowly built a small kingdom of log structures to accommodate their growing number of guests, the Doves realized that a private plane would be the most time-efficient and relaxing route to and from their new enterprise.

Now, Norm tools around in an amphibious Beaver Turbine, both for his own pleasure and for that of his guests who arrive by land. Other guests arrive from Vancouver in the ranch's Cessna XPII 'Hawk, with a 195-hp engine that's suitable for mountain flying. In August 1999, Echo Valley's 3700-foot runway was paved with asphalt, welcoming private pilots and their passengers to the mind-numbing relaxation that comes from being 30 miles from the nearest town, telephone or television.

Guests choose their sleeping arrangements from two large honey-colored log "lodges" or two smaller log cabins with fireplaces. A "honeymoon cabin" features an antique four-poster bed that overlooks a bubbling creek and the 12,000-foot-high Cariboo Mountains. Honeymooners can also enjoy a champagne breakfast in bed, as well as a private deck with an outdoor Jacuzzi.

The resort offers a full-service spa and salon, indoor swimming, horseback riding, fly-fishing, gold panning, bird- and wildlife-watching, whitewater rafting and just about anything else you'd like to do. You might ask for roping lessons or spend the night in a tepee—or you may want to help with some of the chores that need to be done to keep the working ranch, well, working.

Wintertime at Echo Valley Ranch is as much fun as the warmer months. Snowshoe hikes, bird-watching, cooking lessons, even being a cowboy for a day provide great respites from city life. Christmas at the ranch is very special, with a gourmet traditional dinner, sleigh rides and dancing. Throughout the winter months, the ranch also arranges skiing at nearby Whistler Resort.

As much as travelers come to Echo Valley for the beauty of the rugged wilderness, they also come for the spa. Nan Dove is a native of Thailand, as are many of the staff at Echo Valley. Although Western- and Swedish-style massages are available, the staff's training in Thai massage is the impetus behind the "East Meets West" spirit of the newly opened Thai Barn, a traditional Oriental pavilion of spa services. The facility includes six massage rooms, two steam rooms, an indoor pool, four hot tubs and a sauna. You can have a hydrotherapy treatment, take a bath in 3,000-year-old Austrian mud or enjoy a simple facial, manicure and pedicure.

Echo Valley Ranch's gourmet cuisine is one of the high points for most guests. The open-air kitchen allows visitors to sit and chat with chef Kim Madsen, who serves a healthy portion of humor with his organically grown vegetables, ranch-raised beef and wild berries. A jar of homemade peanut-butter cookies is always on the counter for those whose appetites can't wait until the dinner bell rings. And yes, it's an actual dinner bell—just like those used in the old Western movies.

For more information, contact: Echo Valley Ranch Resort,
(250) 459-2386, www.evranch.com.

Echo Valley Ranch Resort 51°14N/121° 59W VOR at Williams Lake Runway: 3742x60 feet Field Elevation: 7400 feet