Friday, July 31, 2009

The Things They Carry

"Why do they need all these things?"

Open the door to Dangerous' horse trailer tack room and you will find most anything you need. It's like peering into a woman's purse; you never know what you will find in there. Inside is a tangle of saddles, blankets, coats, hats, boots, spurs, first aid supplies, tools, and horse shoeing equipment that he has accumulated over the past forty years. A broken saddle or headstall usually can be repaired by digging around to find an old piece of leather. If someone forgets their coat, he probably can find you one well insulated with years of dust and horse hair. Pull off the plug connecting the trailer's lights and breaks to the truck, and Dangerous has the tools available to sit in the dirt for hours to rewire the plug. I don't understand why he needs all these things, but he tells me they are all necessary and important.

Door Organizer

Dangerous tries to bring order to the existing chaos with a door organizer, but it appears to me it just collects more junk. I can understand the need for leather strings and a leather punch, but how do you fix a saddle or bridle with a roll of duct tape. As Dangerous explains it, the duct tape is a necessary part of his horse first aid kit. What kind of emergency care can Dottie, Little Guy, and I expect from a guy who uses duct tape? Someone please contact the Humane Society!

First Aid Kit

There are times when first aid supplies are critical. Where we go it's a long trip to the vet, so a tube of banamine or bute is critical for a horse with a "tummy ache" or other serious pain. As mentioned in past blogs, I have watched Dangerous treat some serious wire cuts from his accumulated ointments and bandages. So, I guess that gray box full of antibiotic creams and iodine is important, but can't he clean it up a bit.

Saddles

If you want to spend a few dull hours, get Dangerous and his riding buddies started discussing and debating different styles and brands of saddles. Who besides them is interested in diverse types of saddle trees? If you want to watch my eyes roll back in my head, get them talking about western versus trail saddles. Dangerous now uses light-weight trail saddles because he is too old and infirm to throw a 55 pound western saddle on Dottie or Little Guy. You should hear Fremont Bob scold Dangerous about the "plastic stirrups" on his two Fred Hook saddles. I think Fremont Bob is sometimes embarrassed to be seen riding with us.

Chaps and Bits

It isn't just the horses that have to be well dressed, but the riders too. Dangerous has an assortment of silver inlaid bits that cost a small fortune. He is probably the only guy whose retirement gift after thirty years was a silver Campbell bit from Big Bend Saddlery rather than the traditional gold watch. The silver bit goes in the horse's mouth, but Dottie and Little Guy could care less whether it is silver. It is Dangerous who likes the fancy bit and head stall not them. Listen to Dangerous and Bob talk about the virtues of leather chaps in brush, rain and cold weather, but we all know they are only dressing the part. I can only hope that Dangerous leaves his shotgun chaps lying around unattended one day, and I will show him how much a sheep dog loves split grain cowhide.

Fremont Bob's Spurs

Essential to every outfit is a pair of spurs. I have actually seen them come in handy. Just Thursday morning Dottie was being her usual difficult self and wouldn't cross a narrow, rocky stream of water. With a little encouragement from a pair of Fremont Bob's handmade spurs Dangerous finally got her to step across. If she hadn't given in, Dangerous would have employed his Fremont Bob hand braided quirt. I am sure that the spurs aren't necessary, but they sure dress up a pair of handmade Wilson boots. I suspect you get the drift that these accouterments not only complete the costume, but have special meaning because someone Dangerous knows made them for him. With the exception of Utah Jack, Dangerous and the High Plateau riders don't buy off the rack.

Hats and Guns

The complete look requires a hat and gun. Dangerous had to borrow Fremont Bob's cowboy hat for the picture because he really falls short in this area. He owns two cowboy hats, but prefers to wear a ball cap with an appropriate logo. With his short neck, he really looks silly in a ten gallon hat. It appears to sit directly on his shoulders with his eyes peering out from under the wide brim. However, he does wear the regulation six-gun carried in a handmade holster. My only worry is that he will fall off Dottie in deep water and sink to the bottom weighted down by his .357 Magnum, handmade spurs, handmade chaps, and the rest of his outfit.


Banjo and Guitar

Since Dangerous is completely tone deaf, he avoids traditional cowboy instruments like the banjo and guitar. Fremont Bob and other friends provide the cowboy music after a long ride and good dinner. Dangerous does the cooking, but thank goodness he leaves the music to others.

Well, you probably thought that life on the High Plateau is simple and carefree. I hope I have given you more insight into how complicated things can get with Dangerous and some of his friends. The things they carry give a romantic picture to the scene, but I am sure they could do without most of the stuff that seems to define them. Love to hear from you!

By the way, we will be gone for awhile collecting more material. The end of next week we are going to the Wind Rivers for a week. Hopefully before we leave I will post our invitation to the "Grover Boyz" first annual Labor Day picnic. Stay tuned.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Trail of the Infirm

Wasatch Mountains

Visitors from all over the world come to Utah to see the state's natural attractions. Who could resist visiting romantic sounding places like the "Trail of the Ancients?" Tourists from all over the world hang their heads out RV windows to catch a glimpse of cliff dwellings, red rock deserts, high mountain meadows, and Navajo herders. The most iconic symbol of the American West is a man on horseback. Wherever we ride, tourists snap pictures of Dangerous and his buddies. They stop to ask the horses names frequently mistaking them for working cowboys. With today's digital technology, pictures recording our outdoor adventures instantly stream around the world.

Modern Day Cowboy

Anyone receiving those pictures gets to see great horses, beautiful scenery, and cowboy gear. I suspect their imaginations conjure up images of Butch and Sundance riding the outlaw trail. While we still ride the same trails today, a close look at the horsemen in those pictures reveals a changing West. The adventure these days isn't dodging Pinkerton Agents or gathering a large herd it's staying in the saddle. Over time, something has happened to the icon of the American West. At age 63, Dangerous is one of the youngest riders on the High Plateau.

Aging Horsemen

Riding the range with an aging, infirm bunch of horsemen is what I call real adventure. You never know who will fall off their horse injured or dead. Take for example our last American Fork Canyon ride. Dangerous was by far the healthiest and youngest of the group, and that isn't saying much. Getting on and off Dottie is a challenge most days, but is especially difficult with a separated shoulder. Before our ride, Dangerous talked with one of our neighbors about where we were going. As I understand the conversation, the neighbor was incredulous about our planned trip. He wanted to know how a guy with a separated shoulder was going to assist the other two riders. Kent and Kent are a bit older than Dangerous and have a few medical problems. The younger Ken, 73, is recovering from brain surgery and has a pacemaker with a defibrillator. Older Kent, 77, has survived a heart attack, stroke, and has a pacemaker. Our neighbor wanted to know who was going for help if someone fell off.

Outdoor Funeral Flowers

So, the next time you see a horseman riding a mountain or desert trail take a close look at the face under the hat. You will probably notice that the horseman is getting along in years. As you talk, get him to tell you about the tall rock he used to get on his horse, and once on, how his arthritic hips hurt. He may also tell you if you find him lying along the trail to drag him into a patch of columbine, and tell his wife where to find him because he isn't giving up riding just yet. I hope these old boys continue to ride because it is difficult to imagine the icon of the West replaced by a mountain-biker or four wheeler. Love to hear from you!

Friday, July 10, 2009

An Old Man's Folly

Stumped

Nostalgia is a unique emotion especially among old men. Take Dangerous for example. Who in their right mind would buy a sheep camp? Everyone else traveling the west is hauling a streamlined, modern travel trailer, but not Dangerous. He is dragging around a sheep camp shaped like a loaf of bread. I bet none of these modern conveyances has a wood burning stove. When we stopped in Francis for gas, the clerk asked Dangerous what he was pulling. She mistook it for a horse trailer at first, but since she hadn't heard of a sheep camp she settled on calling it a gypsy wagon.

A few besides Dangerous still have their roots firmly fixed in the past. As we drove north into Woodland, Trea noticed we had picked up an uninvited passenger. A border collie with strong herding roots joined us while we were gassing up. Dangerous thinks he jumped into the back of the truck because he thought we were headed out to the sheep herd, but I know better. He jumped in back to check me out. Whatever his reasons, Dangerous had to drive him back to Francis where his owner was frantically looking for him.

Home on the Range

What I can't believe is Dangerous got Trea to go camping with us in the sheep camp. Trea won't stay at Grover because there isn't indoor plumbing. She always makes Dangerous rent her a room in Torrey, and she commutes to Grover for meals and social events. Well, take a look at the bathroom facilities that go with sheep camp travel. Has Trea completely lost her mind?

Trea's Bathroom in the Woods

Putting aside the toilet accommodations, bugs, and questionable food, I think I know what got her to join us on this trip. Besides the cool temperatures, the long views were spectacular. A short walk from where we camped, you could see the Uinta Range to the north, and a good part of the Wasatch Mountains to the east and south of us.

Uinta Range

Mount Timpanogos

The short views weren't too bad either. You soon forgot the buzzing mosquitoes when sitting in a meadow of wild flowers. Lupine, larkspur, monkshood, columbine, bluebells, flax, etc. as far as the eye could see. Who needs Red Butte Gardens when you have your own sheep camp that you can park in the middle of the natural world.

Me Surround by Wild Flowers

A sheep camp has other natural advantages over urban living. After visiting these wonderful places you don't have to drive home to bed. When it gets dark, you just climb in back with the natural world right out the sheep camp window. Try doing that after a concert at Red Butte Gardens.

Trea and Max Bed Down for the Night

Well, if you see a white Chevy pickup towing a sheep camp pulled off the road, it is probably us. If we aren't outside taking in the view, bang on the door. Dangerous will break out the BBQ. As you know, dinner is usually at 6:00 PM, even on the road. For those of you stuck at home, I thought you would enjoy seeing what you are missing. The wild flowers are in full bloom this time of year. Love to hear from you!




Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A Piece of Western Americana

"Los Bastardos Viejos"

Have you ever wanted to own a piece of the American West? Buying a small High Plateau horse ranch on the Fremont River isn't practical for most people these days. Even taking that dream vacation to personally visit the High Plateau is out of reach for many during these tough economic times. However, for five bucks, you might win a handmade western saddle, and if you do, Dangerous and Fremont Bob will put it on one of their horses or mules and take you for a ride. If you don't ride, buy a nice saddle stand and put it in your study or office. If anyone asks, you can tell them stories from my blog about riding the High Plateau with me and my friends.

Handmade Saddle

A bunch of real cowboys spent the past two winters building this handsome western saddle which they donated to the Future Farmer's of America (FFA) at Wayne High School. For five dollars, you can buy a raffle ticket with a chance to win the saddle built by "Los Bastardos Viejos." All the proceeds go to the High School to support its FFA programs.

If you are interested, stop by the Chuck Wagon in Torrey, Utah. They can tell you where to see the saddle and probably sell you a ticket. If you are too far away, call the Chuck Wagon and ask for Clark (435-425-3288). Clark can tell you how to buy a raffle ticket. You can also leave me a comment, and I will help you get a ticket. Who knows? You might be the lucky winner and get to ride with Dangerous Doug and Fremont Bob. Better yet, you will get to meet me.