As he grills bison prime rib and wild caught Alaskan sockeye salmon for 30 guests, Charlie Immenschuh’s laugh echoes through the trees. Guests sit at
a long family-style table covered with a red-checked cloth and lit by candles.
Children run and play next to Cache Creek’s timber pavilion, while adults
snack on Dutch oven spinach artichoke dip.
Seven miles up Moose Creek Road, in Gallatin Canyon, a wooden sign with
faded black paint marks the turnoff to Cache Creek. Horses graze in a pen,
and tall grass surrounds the road that takes guests by horse drawn buggy up
to the pavilion Charlie built with timber harvested from the property and
milled with a portable band saw. His is the only structure on the 700 acres,
which he leases from private owners.
“Conservation is what we do,” Charlie said. He works with the owners to protect the land,
ensuring guests get
to experience a wild place.
Wearing a cowboy
hat and a cherubic
smile, Charlie greets
guests who are equally
pleased to see him.
Many of Cache Creek’s
clients return for the
outfitter’s hospitality,
guided trips and delicious
cuisine.
The cookouts are the newest addition to the outfit, which has been in business
since May 2003 guiding fishing, trail rides and horse pack trips.
Charlie and his wife Mitch started the business together, and now have two wranglers
and five guides. They began by outfitting Rainbow Ranch guests, but
now run their own full-time operation spring, summer and fall.
Born in Billings and raised in Sheridan, Wyo., Charlie often cracks jokes while
imparting his knowledge of the land. He’s been guiding for over 20 years.
Cache Creek trips are also a great option for younger children and older
adults, Charlie said. Some choose a short horseback ride before dinner.
Kids love the bonfire and s’mores, and adults enjoy watching the sunset over Gallatin Canyon.
The full menu includes plated salad, Dutch oven jalapeno corn bread, Dutch oven drunken red potatoes, balsamic vinegar grilled asparagus or squash medley, corn on cob, sautéed portabella mushroom caps, and Dutch oven pineapple upside down cake.
cachecreekoutfitters.com
-Abbie Digel
