Gatehouse Academy Ranch

by Adam G
It’s your first day at Gatehouse and before you can get up to Main Property you get to experience the Hassayampa River Ranch. The ranch is where I found my Higher Power. Religion was never a part of my life, but because in AA we are able to find a power greater than ourselves, not having come to Gatehouse with a religion didn’t matter. I can pray to this power and ask him for advice.

At the ranch each resident does two hours of work ethic in the morning. During work ethic, a few residents are given the opportunity to meet Jim Stocker. While working along side him one can experience a hard days work taking care of horses, grooming horses, feeding horses and of course learning to ride horses. Jim Stocker will take you on a first hand experience of how to take care of a ranch. The Head horse honcho, Scott Ames, of the ranch will teach one everything you need to know about horse care. My favorite part of the ranch was riding on a tractor with Jim Stocker to feed cows. You leave work ethic everyday with a sense of accomplishment; I always looked forward to the next day of work with Stocker.
The food at the ranch is an awesome medley of delicious entrees cooked primarily by the residents themselves. It’s an awesome experience to learn how to cook your own food. Each resident is put on a cooking crew, with several other members of the community, for a week at a time to prepare food for the entire ranch.

Overall the Ranch was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much about myself and how my life was unmanageable. You, too, can embrace this program one day at a time!

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