Flying W Ranch breaks ground on new building seven years after Waldo Canyon Fire

For the first time in seven years, customers came back to Flying W Ranch with the good news that it would be opening soon.

The open field was filled with barrels of hay, and a stage set for The Wranglers ready to step back into their old spots.

The celebration came with old traditions like a brisket and bean meal, and a traditional Native American dance. Through the wind and rain, visitors old and new, enjoyed getting to watch a show again.

General Manager, Aaron Winter said the wet weather was fitting.

“The rain washes away the old and brings in the new,” he explained.

In 2012, the Waldo Canyon Fire destroyed hundreds of homes in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, including the ranch.

Winters remembers it well.

“I remember driving down Centennial Boulevard and seeing the hillside on fire and knowing the ranch was gone,” he explained.

He said thousands of volunteers over the last seven years have donated their time and resources to bring the ranch back and mitigate the land after the fire.

Russ Wolfe, the original owner died earlier this year, and it was his family’s mission to bring it back to the community. His daughters made that come true on Saturday.

Leigh Ann Wolfe said, “we want to be a blessing. We want to keep the old west alive. We want to be a blessing once again.”

They are hoping more traditions, like prayers before a meal and listening to The Wranglers becomes a norm for Colorado Springs again.

The Flying W Ranch for all customers hopes to be open by Memorial Day 2020.