About Us

For the past two decades, the Taharaa Mountain Lodge has offered visitors to the Estes Valley a relaxed, secluded getaway amidst the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. The original lodge was built in 1997 by Ken and Diane Harlan, with construction on the adjoining Great Hall being completed in 2006. The Tracy Family owned and managed the lodge from June of 2013 until June of 2019.

In 2019, the Taharaa was purchased by Sandra Huerta and Thad Eggen. Owners of the Twin Owls Steakhouse, Estes Park’s premiere fine dining and event destination, Sandra and Thad are excited to bring their decades of expertise to the Lodge, and so proud to have found such a spectacular new home for the Steakhouse. Whether you’re joining us for a weekend getaway, the wedding event of the season, or stopping in for a romantic dinner, the entire staff of the Taharaa Mountain Lodge are dedicated to making sure that your time with us leaves you relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready for whatever comes next.

Thank you all so much for your years of support and patronage, and we hope you’ll join us as often as you can in making all the years to come even more memorable!

The Taharaa & Twin Owls Family

Meet the Owners

With nearly forty years between them spent amidst the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, owners Sandra Huerta and Thad Eggen have made a lifelong home for themselves in the Estes Valley. Together with their son Mateo, they take every opportunity to enjoy all the adventures that this spectacular corner of the world has to offer.

Sandra Huerta

Sandra Huerta is a Colorado native who has lived in Estes Park since 1999, she has been with Twin Owls from the very beginning. Starting out as a hostess before shifting her focus and talents toward developing the Steakhouse into the quintessential Colorado wedding and event venue. With more than fifteen years spent booking and coordinating events for the Steakhouse, Sandra has worked tirelessly to transform Twin Owls into one of Estes’ most desirable locale for events of every kind. Since taking over ownership of the Steakhouse, Sandra has also made the Twin Owls a centerpiece of the community. Working with the Estes Park Wedding Association, the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation and with multiple local charities, she has helped to ensure that the Estes Valley continues to be a wonderful place both to work and to live. 

Thad Eggen

Born in Kansas, Thad Eggen made his way to the Rocky Mountains just as quickly as he could. Living and working in Estes Park since 1997, he is now one of the Valley’s premiere restaurateurs.

Thad took over as General Manager of the Twin Owls Steakhouse in 2009, and has spent the last decade building the Steakhouse into one of Estes Park’s most well-regarded fine dining destinations. A jack of all trades and a master of each, Thad can just as easily be found behind the bar making drinks as he can be on the floor delivering food or helping the kitchen through a busy summer night. He also plays an active role in the community, working with the Estes Park Cycling Coalition, the local Boy Scout troop, and other local businesses, all with an eye toward making Estes Park the best of all Colorado’s mountain towns.

Meet the Staff

Rich Sickler
Executive Chef

Chef Richard Sickler’s passion for food started at a very young age in his grandmother’s kitchen, where she would sit him on the counter next to her so that he could watch her cook (and so she could sneak him a taste of everything she was making.) At the age of fifteen, Rich started his own culinary career in Wilmington, Delaware, and after high school, he attended the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, Rich spent a decade developing and refining his craft, working in French and American fine dining in the Philadelphia area.  

In 2012, a love of the mountains and the outdoors, he moved to Colorado. He is an avid snowboarder and mountain biker, and spends most of his free time in the mountains.

After nearly 25 years in the industry, Rich feels he has finally found the kitchen he has been searching for at the Twin Owls Steakhouse. With a menu that combines old favorites and new classics, and one that is a perfect match for the casual elegance of our new home at the Taharaa, Rich looks forward to many years in the Estes valley, and to continuing the Twin Owls’ reputation for being the finest dining experience in the Rockies. 

Cole Tucker
Sous Chef

Cole’s love for cooking started at eight years old when his mother gifted him a bright pink easy bake oven for Christmas. He was immediately enamored. Whether it was helping his mom with dinner or making mini pastries, he would always find himself in the kitchen.
While he was born and raised in Utah, Cole’s culinary career has taken him all over the country and introduced him to some remarkable people. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in 2016, he spent time in Las Vegas cooking with Michelin star chefs in some of the most iconic kitchens. He has even cooked for Martha Stuart! In 2020 he moved to Estes Park and joined the Twin Owls family. He has never looked back.
Cole loves how Twin Owls gives him the space to be creative in the kitchen. While he loves the art of cooking, making people happy through his creations is what drives Cole to continue to learn and evolve. He truly thrives in the organized chaos that is the kitchen.
Cole is a lover of adventure sports. In his free time you can find him at the skate park or on the slopes. Most importantly, he loves spending time with his twin daughters.Rockies. 

Tobi Manspeaker 
Lodge Manager

Tobi is a native Coloradan with family roots in the Estes Valley dating back to 1960. After years of traveling around the country working in tech services, she chose to make Estes Park her full-time home in 2011. This move led her into the hospitality industry, where she spent over a decade in vacation rentals, developing a passion for creating memorable guest experiences. In May 2024, Tobi was thrilled to join the Taharaa and Twin Owls family, where she immediately felt welcomed. This sense of belonging inspires her to treat every guest like family—because once you’ve stayed with us, you are family.

Outside of work, Tobi is a devoted aunt, grand-aunt, and dog lover, sharing her home with her “queen chug,” Ruby, and her one-eyed pug, Norman. Her perfect day includes cozying up with her dogs while streaming crime documentaries.

 

Beth Headley
Event Manager

Originally from the Midwest, Beth has spent the last 25+ years travelling the globe in pursuit of academic, personal, and professional goals. She has more than 15 years of event management/production experience and 10 years of involvement in the Estes Park wedding industry, having made Colorado her home in 2014. With a focus on bringing a couple’s wedding-day vision to life, Beth strives to take care of every detail, ensuring a memorable stress-free day. An avid outdoorswoman, Beth loves hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, and camping. She is also a certified fitness instructor with a daily yoga practice, most often joined on the mat by her 15-year-old cat, Benny. 
 

Kathy Bell
Event Sales Manager

Kathy Bell is a seasoned special events professional with over 30 years of experience in creating unforgettable experiences. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she honed her expertise in the event industry, playing a pivotal role as a part-owner of a successful catering company. Her keen eye for detail, passion for service, and ability to orchestrate seamless events earned her a reputation as a trusted partner for weddings, corporate gatherings, and large-scale celebrations. In 2020, she and her husband Ron made the bold move to Colorado, where she started a new chapter with Taharaa Mountain Lodge while embracing the beauty and adventure of the Rocky Mountains. A nature lover at heart, she spends her free time hiking the trails, exploring the great outdoors, and enjoying the company of her dog Dolly. When she’s not on the trails or in the midst of event planning, you’ll find her with her nose in a book, discovering new worlds through literature. With a wealth of experience and a deep passion for both her work and her personal pursuits, Kathy brings a unique blend of creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm to everything she does.

 

Kaity Seitz
Dining Manager

Kaity joined the Taharaa and Twin Owls team in 2022  after she made the 33 hour drive (with her dog and two bunnies) to Estes Park to visit her parents for “just the summer”.
She was born and raised in Ohio, but spent the last few years bouncing around the coasts of Florida and Georgia. She has held many jobs in her life, ranging from cutting meat at a butcher shop to bottle feeding baby squirrels as a wildlife rehabber. Her favorite job being a wildlife and habitat management research technician on Sanibel Island.
Kaity loves the variety that this business brings. You will see her working nearly every position in a given week. 
In her free time, Kaity is typically either wrangling her pets or getting into a new creative endeavor. If the roads are clear, she is almost always heading into Rocky Mountain National Park to get inspired. You can even find some of her photography featuring local wildlife in the lodge.