It was Valentine’s Day, but not everyone had the special day for lovers off.

Vince and Shelly Van Weelden tried several times to escape Pella, Iowa, home of the famous May Tulip Time Festival — if you’re into that sort of thing. The couple were not. Instead, they dreamed about living together in the mountains.

They tried several times to move to the Rockies, but they always were forced to return to Iowa where they raised two children and now have grandchildren.

“Over our lifetime, we’ve been trying to move out of Iowa and find another place to exist. We tried Colorado; I really love the way that the mountains make me feel. I love being nestled in them and seeing them. But we were doing seasonal jobs, so we would be back in Iowa in the wintertime. Then Vince called Rimrock [Dude Ranch],” Shelly said.

After their children were grown and they became empty-nesters, they were offered an opportunity to work in Wyoming as ranch hands. They may have thought they were taking another risk moving to Cody for seasonal work, but what they found was they were adopted into a family when they took jobs with Gary and Dede Fales.

Vince is the Ranch Renaissance man, capable of doing anything needed from caring for the company’s 47 horses including being a farrier, carpentry, plumbing, mechanical issues with the lodge or equipment, packing and making visitors feel welcome with his infectious smile and honest laugh. Shelly works the front desk, the kitchen, does housekeeping and bookkeeping and in the Trail Shop.

“It’s like one big family,” Shelly said while working the desk at the Fales’ Rimrock Dude Ranch. “We work hard, but we love it.”

“They’re pretty valuable to us,” said company co-owner Dede Fales. “We’re very fond of both of them.”

After 12 years at the ranch, the couple says they’re happier than ever; Shelly swears they are more in love than even when they met in high school about 40 years ago. Years ago she wasn’t keen on the institution of marriage and was pretty vocal about her opinion. By the time she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Vince, he was too afraid to ask for fear of being turned down.

Shelly did what she had to do; she went to a knee and proposed, Vince said, remembering the day like it was yesterday.

“It’s always been her,” Vince said.

Thirty-four years later the couple had almost forgot it was Valentine’s Day last Saturday. Shelly worked the whole day at her part-time job at Red Barn and Vince led a snowmobile tour into Yellowstone. After a long day for both of them, they met up after work and headed to the Trail Shop to wash, sanitize and store all the gear for the next day. The company provides everything necessary to be comfortable on snowmobile trips, including a helmet, boots and snow suits.

By the time they got home they just wanted to relax. Valentine’s Day had passed without a mention of the Hallmark occasion. It didn’t matter to Shelly. Vince is a romantic at heart and often brings her flowers “just because,” she said.

Over-snow in Yellowstone

It was a small group Saturday riding into the park with Vince. He loves to meet new people and show them what makes Yellowstone special.

“He has the gift of gab,” Shelly said.

Vince is a natural at guiding and fills in whenever one of the full-time guides needs a day off. After the company had its best January in its history, with tours every day, guides needed a break and Vince offered his services, looking forward to time in America’s first national park.

He had a small group of three sleds: The outfitters are one of the few tour groups willing to guide a single couple if they sign up for a day with no other visitors. They are known for personalizing the trips, even willing to do overnight trips if a group wants to stay in Old Faithful Lodge or in one of the gateway towns open for over-snow discovery for a day or two.

Customers have responded to the family friendly service by returning, often bringing friends and family with them to enjoy the park in winter. Taking a snowmobile through the park is an experience few ever forget.

“You’re so exposed to the elements, to the animals, to everything. And our guests’ words are just, ‘wow, I’ve never done anything like that before,’” Fales said. “We have a lot of repeat guests, and when our guests go home, they tell their family and friends and then want to come back with them.”

The outfitters have been guiding over-snow adventures for almost 35 years and are the only snowmobile rental company working the East Gate. There might be more customers coming through the North, West and South entrances on sleds, but Fales said coming in the East Entrance is the best way to see the park.

“Without a doubt, we have the most spectacular way to get in the park. Most of the other entrances are going through the trees in low areas. We have that beautiful pass to go up and over. We’re so lucky,” she said.

Another bonus of entering through the East Gate, according to Fales, is low traffic. It can feel like you’re the only group in the park at times, Fales said, and low traffic numbers help keep the groomed, snow-covered trails smooth and easy to cross. Iconic trips to Canyon, Old Faithful and beyond are amazing year round, but on a sled the trips are simply “unforgettable,” she said.

Those who do not wish to hire a guide but still want to rent a snowmobile can do so, but need to acquire a special permit from the National Park Service to go into the park without a guide. This can be acquired at recreation.gov under the Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program.

Renters are responsible for their own entry fee to the park, gas at the end of the trip, all meals, and whatever the permit requires you to have. For those being guided, a nice tip for the guide is customary.

Rooting for snow

While ski lodges have been closing this year due to the lack of snow, there is a good base in the park. There is nearly 4 feet of snow on Sylvan Pass and just under 3 feet at Fishing Bridge.

“You know, you have good snow years and bad snow years. But we seem to be able to operate and hold it together even in the bad snow years,” Fales said.

This year there are a couple spots near Yellowstone Lake, which didn’t freeze until January this year, where snow wasn’t sticking to the road very well, but there was more than enough of the white, fluffy stuff to make it to the higher elevations and deeper snow. Now Fales is rooting for a couple more storms to tide them over through mid-March, when over-snow travel ends and the park sends out snow plows to prepare for opening day on the first Friday in May; this year on May Day.

Vince wants the snow to last for another chance to get into the park by sled.

“It might sound corny, but my soul soars when I’m outdoors, you know, doing what I love to do,” he said.

But most important is his Valentine, despite the fact the couple doesn’t buy into the earmarked day for love. For Vince, every day is Valentine’s Day.

“She means the world to me,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to know what life would be like yet without my wife, that’s for sure.”

Shelly also adores her job in the mountains with her adopted family. Living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with the love of her life simply makes it that much better. Being away from him on Valentine’s Day wasn’t a big deal.

“We show each other our love every day of the year. We don’t necessarily have to pull that single day out, right?,” Shelly said.

Yet, she looks forward to the next chance she has to head to the park in a snowsuit and a lunch packed with love.

“Being in Yellowstone in the winter is one of my favorite times to be in the park. It’s so beautiful and quiet,” Shelly said. “The way that the thermals react to snow and the air, I don’t know, it just brings on a calm and a love for the environment. For me, I like going there in the summer as well, don’t get me wrong, but my favorite time of year in the park is winter.”

The best part of those trips for Shelly is being on a snowmobile with her husband as the guide, holding onto him as they share a sled and being reminded how much she is still in love with her high school sweetheart.

“I just love watching him interact with our guests and being in nature,” she said. “I love that a lot.”

For more information: garyfalesoutfitting.com