Raised in Northern California and the son of a vintner, Deke grew up firmly embedded in the region’s burgeoning wine industry. It was there he learned to appreciate those rich landscapes and the bounty they sustained. After visiting Montana several times as a teenager and seeing the natural beauty, he knew that someday he would make his home there. In 2005, he made the move to Missoula where he now resides with his partner in life, Deana.
Licensed in 2010, Deke offers a decade of real estate related transactional work to his buying and selling clients. To complement his love of the land, he is active in local open space conservation, sitting on two municipal commissions over the last five years. Additionally, he is active in local real estate governance and leadership. He is a graduate of CSU Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Befitting a treasure state denizen, Deke avails himself of all that western Montana has to offer. He is an avid fly fisherman, snowboarder, and hunter. He is a world traveler and makes international adventure travel a priority.
Currently, Deke is licensed as a broker in the state of Montana.
Lolo Ranch is situated roughly 20 minutes south from Missoula, Montana’s second largest metropolitan area. Tucked at the base of the famed Bitterroot Mountain Range, the property has extensive water rights utilizing two irrigation pivots supporting a robust livestock operation. Access is exceptional with a paved highway providing close proximity to a full suite of services including commercial and private air transportation from Missoula’s newly renovated airport. Recreation is boundless, with millions of acres of public land directly adjacent to the property and unique access to several alpine lakes and the Lower 48’s largest wilderness complex. The Bitterroot River, flowing through the center of the valley, provides world class trout fishing only minutes from the ranch. There are numerous professionally designed ski runs in the higher elevations making winter skiing or summer mountain biking a private and exclusive experience. One of the largest herds of resident elk in the northern Bitterroot Valley call the ranch home. With its carefully crafted professional ski runs, adjacent access to millions of acres of public ground and proximity to a significant population center, Lolo Ranch has all the raw ingredients for a world-class destination or lifestyle development catering to an emerging class of residents looking for a recreation-centric lifestyle surrounded by spectacular scenery.
Lolo Ranch consists of over 1,981 acres west of Highway 93. The ranch slopes gently up to the west through irrigated fields and open rangelands before reaching the timber approximately one-and-a-half miles west of the highway. There is one primary drainage, McClain Creek, which descends through the center of the ranch flowing west to east and is lined with aspen groves and conifers. McClain Creek provides a substantial amount of the ranch’s irrigation water. There are three other secondary drainages north and south of McClain Creek. The home is located at the transition zone between the range and the timberline. The westernmost mile of the ranch is full of timber with the exception of numerous ski runs that were professionally designed and de-stumped, and smoothed. There are no ski lifts on the property but the fun can be accessed via snowmobile or other snow capable vehicles. There are approximately three miles of public land boundaries on the ranch’s north and west sides. The property can be accessed from numerous points.
Lolo Ranch provides a rich amalgam of productive agricultural ground, world-class recreation and extraordinary development pontential, minutes from one of Montana’s most significant population center
Lolo Ranch is located on the west side of the Bitterroot Valley approximately three-and-a-half miles south of Lolo, Montana. Delta, Alaska, American and United Airlines serve the Missoula International Airport from their hubs in Salt Lake City, Seattle, Dallas Minneapolis and Denver with several arrivals and departures each day. Also, Ravalli County Airport roughly 30 minutes to the south offers a 5,200 foot runway open to general aviation and a quality FBO.
The Bitterroot River runs in a northerly direction throughout the length of the valley. The western edge of the valley is met by the towering, jagged peaks of the Bitterroot Mountain Range while the eastern edge of the valley is graced with the gentler horizon of the Sapphire Mountains. The Bitterroot Valley is one of the more populous valleys in Montana and therefore offers much more in the way of services than many other areas. The valley is dotted with quaint Montana towns, the largest of which is Hamilton located approximately 30 minutes from the ranch. Stevensville was the very first community in Montana and it is located approximately 15 miles from the ranch’s doorstep. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, located in the Bitterroot Mountains, provides the locals a pristine roadless wilderness area that, when taken with two contiguous wilderness areas, accounts for the largest contiguous block of wilderness in the Lower 48 states. Both Montana Snowbowl and Lost Trail Ski Area offer excellent local ski experiences without the crowds found elsewhere.
Missoula, a vibrant, full-service Rocky Mountain town, is home to the University of Montana, two regional hospitals and a commercial airport servicing multiple hubs across the country. Recognized as one of the nation’s best lifestyle towns, newcomers flock here in part to the vast recreational opportunities, spectacular scenery, mild climate and healthy art and entertainment scene. Located only 15 minutes to the north of the ranch, Missoula provides essential amenities and services for those residing in the northern Bitterroot Valley.
The Bitterroot Valley is one of the lowest intermountain valleys in the Rocky Mountains. Elevations at the Lolo Ranch range from approximately 3,200 to 6,000 feet above sea level. This location west of the continental divide results in a stronger “Pacific Northwest influence” than that which is found east of the Divide. Consequently, the climate is mild often referred to as Montana’s “Banana Belt”. High readings of 90 degrees Fahrenheit occur less than 20 days a year. Summers are warm and pleasant and winters are characterized by steady, but not severe temperatures, only dipping below zero infrequently. The area is not generally regarded as a high wind zone.
The following acreage classifications are derived from tax assessor data.
Development Considerations
Because of its close proximity to Missoula, existing infrastructure, topography, easy access and unique recreational amenities, the ranch is ideal for a lifestyle community blending the natural surroundings with a modern approach to neighborhood design. Perfect for a shared ranch concept, where residents could access miles of trails, ski runs and adjacent public ground all in close proximity to Montana’s cultural hub. The ranch is unencumbered by a conservation easement so development potential is extraordinary.
A new owner with development in mind would benefit from the following:
Residence
The ranch has one high-quality log home that was built in 2006 with over 5,000 square feet including five bedrooms, three full baths and three half baths. There is a large open-concept great room with living and kitchen area upstairs and a family room downstairs with a walkout basement. The stone patio in the back of the home has a fireplace and barbecue area. Located at approximately 4,000 feet in elevation, the residence offers expansive views of the Bitterroot Valley and Sapphire Mountains beyond.
Lolo Ranch holds extensive water rights including irrigation and stock water with priority dates as early as 1872. Irrigation and stock rights are sourced from McClain Creek, Carlton Creek, Maple Creek and Squaw Creek with some water sourced from lakes at the wilderness boundary. There is an additional stock water right sourced out of Lolo Creek. There are also domestic and irrigation rights sourced from groundwater wells. Full documentation is available upon request.
Access to recreation both onsite and locally is one of the hallmarks of Lolo Ranch. The property features a 3.3± mile boundary with public land providing a gateway to nearly five million acres of wilderness spanning two states. From the top of the ski runs, recreationalists can venture across Lolo National Forest, deep into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to fish in some of the Bitterroot’s high mountain lakes or soak in the “above the treeline” views. The National Forest/Wilderness complex, out the ranch’s back door offer a lifetime of adventure.
For winter sports enthusiasts, the ranch boasts several miles of professionally designed, private ski runs which could double as mountain bike and hiking trails in the summer and shoulder seasons. The downhill runs are accessible via a robust network of internal roads and have been de-stumped and covered in gravel offering the potential for a world-class mountain biking destination.
Fishing is probably the most ubiquitous recreational attraction to the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot River is a well-respected world class fly-fishing river with one of the best early season skwala stonefly hatches in the region. It has an exceptionally long season with fishable hatches from early March through early November. Rainbow and brown trout up to 27 inches are occasionally landed here as well as cutthroat trout up to about 20 inches or more. Lolo Ranch is conveniently located for easy fishing excursions to the many access points up and down the valley including the Florence put-in only five miles to the south.
The northern Bitterroot Valley's largest resident elk herds converge on the ranch and can be seen in the irrigated fields on both sides of the highway and dryland nearly year-round. Both the Sapphire and Bitterroot herds inhabit the ranch and numbers in excess of 200 can be seen regularly. Additionally, whitetail and mule deer can be found in the bottom ground and upper range, respectively.
The ranch is currently leased out to an area rancher who pastures roughly 150 pairs and 50 yearlings from the end of May through the middle of October. Additionally, the ranch houses approximately 75 animals over winter. There are two pivot irrigation systems covering roughly 155 acres in native grass hay providing feed in the winter as well as aftermath grazing in the fall.
Quality southern Montana farm/grass combination available for the first time in decades. An excellent mix of productive farmland, creek bottom, and native range with 1,806± deeded and 640± BLM leased acres.
This 178± acre ranch is located on the Yellowstone River and is one hour east of Billings. Waterfowl, deer, turkey, and pheasant are abundant.
The 373± acre sporting property is located near Belgrade, Montana. Encompassing the headwaters of Story Creek, productive cropland has been managed for wildlife from pheasants to waterfowl to trophy quality whitetail deer.
The Angler’s Retreat on the Shields represents a rare find with 39± acres and three quarters of a mile of Shields River frontage 15 miles from Livingston. The beautifully renovated farmhouse and outbuildings create a charming, riparian getaway.
A private, turnkey 168± acres near Helmville offering a 4,456± square foot log home, guest cabin, shop, pond and equipment shed. Adjacent to thousands of acres of public ground. One hour to Helena.
