A Day in the Life of a Ranch Hand

A lot happens in the long day of a REAL cowboy. That's what I do. I take care of the cows...and the horses. It's a hard life. You crawl out of bed before dawn and start work before the sun has time to melt the frost on the grass.


Cows want their breakfast too and that's usually the first order of the day. Today holds something new. We have to move the cows from their current pasture in Field #1 to the Stuart field. The Forest Service plans to burn the old growth growing around the irrigation ditches in Taylor field on the other side of Little Gulch and that would spook the cows. This is a common practice on many farms and ranches both east and west of the Mississippi. We will be moving them to a field adjacent to the steers. Now here's a question for everybody: What's the difference between a cow, a steer and a bull? Look for the answer at the end of the blog.


So, how do you get a herd of 52 cows to move to a different field. You might say, "Jus git on yer horse and whoop and holler and twirl yer rope." Okay, 150 years ago, that might have been the case. In this day and age, we cowboys are a "kinder and gentler" bunch. Here's how we do it. First - Get a truck with some nice, tempting hay in the back and a person to stand there and say "Here cows, here cows." (Okay, I made up that part.) The truck part about tossing out a trail of hay is true. You see, each herd has a "lead" cow. Once you get that lead cow's attention with the hay, the rest just fall in line. Kind of a bovine parade! (with leavin's for the crowd).


Now for the old girls that just don't feel like "gittin' on," we have this handy-dandy device called a cow paddle. You can use it in the obvious way, but that usually isn't necessary. The paddle has bee-bee's inside and just shaking it toward the cows is motivation for them to "git-a goin'."


This is my primary supervisor, Alan. (We'll try to get his face next time.Hay...what do you want...the man was working!) He is in charge of irrigation on the ranch and also drives our team of Belgian horses, Duke and Duchess. The lady in red is Alan's mom, Linda. Alan and his wife moved her to Deer Lodge last fall after his father passed away. She comes to the ranch each day with Alan and works along side him as a ranch volunteer.

One of the things she and I do is toss out the bales of hay for the cows and steers and horses; sometimes from the truck bed and other times from the horse-drawn wagon. Just like the other ranch workers, the horses have a work schedule! Duke and Duchess usually work M-W-F, unless there is a special activity planned.



This is Big Gulch after the cows passed through the gate.
And here they are, enjoying the new pasture.



Not a minute too soon! Here comes the Forest Service to check out the job site. They might not start burning today if the wind continues to blow.


They fill their tanker truck from the Clark Fork River as it flows through the ranch.


Then off again to prep the site.


Meanwhile, back at the ranch...the team has had a full day and are "chomping at the bit" to get back in their pasture.
Today, Alan has decided to teach me how to both put on and take off the harnesses. Putting them on was pretty hard. Those harnesses are heavy! Taking harnesses off is a bit easier, but by the end of the day, I'm also a lot more tired!


Sorry, there are no pictures of me carrying the harnesses into the barn. We'll try to get them another time.
That's it from ranch hand/cowboy Larry.

Oh, almost forgot the quiz? The answers are: a cow is a female bovine. A bull is a male bovine that becomes "papa" to little calves. A steer is a male that just gets to be hamburger and steak....

What a Difference a Day Makes 4/14

The sun shining in the window was a welcome gift on Wednesday morning. Outside, everything was dripping as the snow melted. After breakfast, we took a walk downtown with our "to get" list. The first stop was the local post office where we mailed a very special gift to Larry's sister, Linda. Sorry, couldn't post pictures or what it is because she reads this too! Maybe she will send us a pic when she gets it...and figures out what it is!

Our next stop was at the local sporting goods emporium. (At this point, erase any thoughts of Dick's or Appalachian Outfitters.) We opened the door and were greeted by large, Chocolate Lab and the overwhelming aroma of pipe smoke. The store room is long and narrow, the walls decorated with assorted game "trophies" including several wild turkeys (or parts there-of) mounted onto a turkey-body-shaped piece of varnished wood. The owner, "Squeak" emerged from the back room to greet us. I was going to describe his appearance and the clothes he was wearing. I even asked Larry for input and he couldn't put it into words either. I guess you might say, he was as unusual as the mounted turkeys. Actually, you frequently find unusual folks in this great state. However, he was really nice and very happy to answer Larry's questions about fly fishing and how to get a Montana license.
This rifle was hanging by the door. Larry thinks it is a 30 06. Squeak uses it when he teaches classes on gun safety. Apparently a teenager had the gun out hunting in the winter, got snow in the barrel but didn't clean it out before hanging it on the rack in his truck. So...when he took out the gun again to shoot...BOOM. He is alive and well...and a very, lucky, young man!


Walking home from our errands, we took a new street and saw this really cool, extremely old RV. Larry thinks it's got to be from the 1950's. Since they use little or no salt on roads out here, there are old vehicles EVERYWHERE and many with bodies in mint condition. They don't have historic plates either because people still drive them.


This picture is especially for our little neighbor, Lainey, who keeps asking when Larry and Mary are coming home. Here's a special "howdy" from Larry, the fishing cowboy!


Wow, the day turned into a real beauty, so we got our bikes and headed south on Greenhouse Road. One thing we have found to be nice is that absolutely everyone seems to have one or more dogs and 99% are in fenced yards. The city of Deer lodge has very strict dog regulations. We have seen dog doors in houses and garages and fenced yards or kennels, but no dogs tied out on chains. Dogs can run free on their owner's property, not anywhere else. Outside of town, most dogs have been confined or may bark but don't leave their property. Our ride into the country brought one exception.


We were riding along enjoying the sunshine and scenery. Off to our left in the distance, we saw a couple men doing some digging with a backhoe. About the same time, we heard the obvious call of a coon dog echoing from somewhere far down the hill.


As we moved on, the sound kept getting louder and louder. We really weren't too concerned because the dog could not possibly catch us from so great a distance.


Just as we neared the crossroad and end of the field, there he was! Even more astounding...he has only three legs!!


Once he saw us and we talked to him, he decided we were harmless, but would not cooperate for a picture. I guess I was being insensitive to his disability since very time he was in position for me to see his left side, he turned away.


Finally, he just plopped down in the cool, newly-plowed earth. I think his sprint up the hill pooped him out.


We rode on down the hill and stopped to decide which road to take. We heard vehicles coming and turned to see a large, house trailer approaching the intersection we had just vacated. As the trailer turned the corner to head up the hill away from us, the dog was back on his three feet and going after it, howling all the way. Even though the vehicles were moving much faster than he, the dog was persistent. At that moment, we both realized how he lost that leg! The last we saw of him was that "hitch-e-ty" gait and wagging tail as he disappeared over the crest of the hill.

Not What We Expected

This was definitely not what we expected to see this morning. I kept reminding myself that they really need the snow fall to keep a safe water level for the dry summer. Butte is just 40 miles away and they had a great deal more than here with additional accumulations tonight. Larry and I walked about a mile to the grocery store and back and were soaked from the wet snow. Today's temps hovered around 35 degrees...about 18 degrees below normal for here right now.

The good news is that this crazy, low pressure system is supposed to move into Canada by tomorrow and our forecast is calling for partly cloudy and mid 50's.
In the above pic, the spot (RV under snow) on the left is our home while we are here. All of the other RV's to the right are long-term as well. One belongs to John who works as a guard at the prison and also pays for his site by working 20 hours each week here at the campground for Cass, the owner. The trailer next to us is temporary home to a guy working a construction job in the area. We have had various rigs come and go on a nightly basis in the spots to our left. It's kind of nice to know that at least we will only experience that on one side of our "yard."

Sunday Collection

I thought you might like to see my official uniform. I hate how bulky it looks in this picture! The problem is that the shirt is a #14, men's with about a 14" tail that I have to stuff and try to neatly arrange before zipping up and filling my pockets with keys, etc. Adding to the girth is my purse, threaded onto my belt, and a pedometer clipped on the opposite side. I am thankful that (at least for now) this is all I have to stuff and attach since going to the restroom has become a major event!
I was hoping I would get a "Smokey-T-B" hat, but only the commissioned rangers appear to have those here. At CVNP, non-com, seasonal also enjoy the shade. Going to need to remember sunscreen on my ears after all. The uniform also includes a really nice, heavy, fleece jacket and a separate wind shell that can be worn over the jacket or alone.
It's easier for Larry to get dressed in the morning with only a required, historic shirt, his own jeans, jacket, etc.. Pics of that to come.

SUNDAY COLLECTION -
Saturday, I was in charge of the Visitor Center and had a nice talk with a couple from Butte who are regular visitors and bird-watchers at the ranch. They told me about a Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda. We saw it from I-90 on our way to Deer Lodge. Mike, retired from the Forest Service, said about 30 miles of trails wind around through the area and can be hiked or biked. Larry and I started our Sunday with a trip to look it over. The weather was not the greatest and we decided to come back with our bikes on a better day. The pictures below are not ours, they are "borrowed." I will include pictures and information about this part of the Superfund clean-up when we go back to the area. In the meantime, enjoy another person's pictures!







In one of the local tourist ads, Larry saw something about a bar in Elliston, MT that serves giant burgers and hotdogs.
http://www.lawdogs-saloon.com
Since it was past lunch time, we decided to take a trip to Elliston and check it out.
Elliston is located on US 12 about half way between I-90 at Garrison and Helena, MT.
Population - around 250.

Elliston Montana

Elliston began as a trade town for gold and quartz. Later a mill for a lime quarry was built to support the town's economy. The first post office was established in 1884 with S. N. Nicholson as postmaster.
Elliston is located in southwestern Montana, 25 miles west of Helena on U.S. Highway 12, near the Continental Divide.

In town we found the post office, a Sinclair station and the Last Chance Saloon AND Motel! The former is under new ownership and renamed the "Law Dog Saloon." I guess the sign will change when Bill gets around to it.


Inside, we met the owner, Bill, who is a pretty interesting fellow. I'm not sure if he is retired from the "Law Dog" law enforcement group or the "Law Dogs" motorcycle group. In any case, he was very friendly and we enjoyed talking to him.

As per food, he suggested we try this menu item:
The “Lawdog”

1 pound, all beef hotdog smothered in homemade award winning chili and fries topped off with cheese and onions ….........…………..$10.00

We decided to share....

It was delicious! Bill has the dogs custom-produced locally. He also gets his beef the same way.
He guaranteed we would not have heartburn from his food, and we didn't.


One of the big events in Elliston is the annual hunt for Bigfoot in late March. This tradition was in place for many years before Bill's arrival. In its beginnings, it mostly involved guys, beer and knee-high (or deeper) snow. Not much has changed except the addition of female participants. I think winter at 5,800 ' can encourage activities such as this. It's a survival thing.
Participants get a "kit" that includes a picture of Bigfoot, a bag, a whistle and a flashlight. The volunteer, Bigfoot (in costume) is taken to a location in the forest via snowmobile where he will stay during the hunt. Snowmobiles then criss-cross the area with multiple trails to both confuse the hunters and pack down the snow for them. If a hunter is the first to shine his light on Bigfoot, he/she blows the whistle and wins $150.00. There are other prize items hidden throughout the area for the hunters to find as well.
Here is some info that decorates the walls of the saloon.


Bill filled up our tummies and also filled our heads with a bunch of information regarding places we need to go and things we need to see while here. It's been great to get these tidbits of info from the locals who know about cool stuff that's outside the tourist-loop.

Following our hotdog banquet, we continued on US 12 to Helena. The trip includes a climb up and over MacDonald Pass topping off at 6,320'.
We had already heard about the Bark Beetle problems on the local news, but it was sad to see the impact from the top of the pass. Here is a portion of an article from the New York Times:

Bark Beetles Kill Millions of Acres of Trees in West

By JIM ROBBINS

HELENA, Mont. — " On the side of a mountain on the outskirts of Montana’s capital city, loggers are racing against a beetle grub the size of a grain of rice.

From New Mexico to British Columbia, the region’s signature pine forests are succumbing to a huge infestation of mountain pine beetles that are turning a blanket of green forest into a blanket of rust red. Montana has lost a million acres of trees to the beetles, and in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming the situation is worse. "

In these shots, anything rust-colored is already dead. Very sad. There are only a couple pesticides that they can use that won't contaminate water, kill fish and wildlife, etc., making containment costly and time-consuming. It also makes for added conflict between the logging industry and local environmental agencies. I've been told that the recent, mild winters add to the problem because colder, extended temps will kill the beetle larvae.

These "standing dead" are prime fuel for wildfires and Montana has just experienced its second winter of record, low snowfall.
Sorry to end this issue on such a sad note.

We say goodbye today from the top of MacDonald Pass as the camera slowly slides from its car, rooftop "quadripod" to certain death.

Day 1

Sorry, no pictures to share today. I have to find out what the policy is. I know that visitors can't take pictures in certain areas.
The day was busy and started with everyone on site meeting at the maintenance barn to learn procedure for proper inventory of a vehicle's condition before driving it anywhere. While there, we met the Superintendent of the Site and various other administrative and maintenance persons. It was interesting that the chief mechanic is named Bob. He's got to be at least eighty so I guess that our friend, Bob D, has the right idea? (I know seeing the shop area would bring back memories of his dad's place on Sherman Church.)
After the meeting, everyone went their separate ways. Larry had a truck tour of the property and found where all the irrigation canals run and the equipment he will be using. (That's all the information I was able to get out of him!) I walked with my supervisor, Julie, to "FRED," the building that will be my home base. There is a long name for this building pertaining to the fact that it houses artifacts not on display in temp/humidity controlled rooms. FRED has nothing to do with the long name, but the building is red and thus the easier name. Julie shared her vision of what I might be doing as part of the interpretive division and it all sounded good. She put me to work coming up with a hands-on project for "Junior Ranger Day." Through the day, I also went with Ranger Lyndell as she led a tour through the ranch house. She is a very interesting person. Born and raised in the area, she actually grew up hanging around the ranch (before it was sold to NPS) and knew the last owner and his wife very well. She has a diverse collection of skills, mostly self-taught, including blacksmithing and is the blacksmith for the ranch. She also knows how to tell a good story! I am sure you will be hearing more about her. Her assignment before coming back here in 1972 was at Alcatraz.
I did not want to make the weather the highlight of the day, although it became that for everyone in Deer Lodge. This morning there was milky sun with breezy conditions that turned to gale force winds around 1 PM. That was about the time the house tour ended and Lyndell and I were walking the 1/4 mile back to FRED. Soon after we got there, the snow started. The wind was blowing so hard that the snow was going sideways and visibility was down to maybe 1/4-1/2 mile. This continued for about two hours. The snow finally stopped around 4 PM and the sun came out. The wind is still giving us its two-cents and we are anticipating a cold night.

Better Weather - Ride #2

Just a couple shots from nowhere near the top of this ridge. We had climbed about 800' at this point. Between not really being in top riding form yet and the altitude, I was pretty pooped out. Of course, Larry (Energizer Bunny) was going strong. We walked on about 100 yards to what we thought was the crest and found that it was just a bend in the road that kept on going up as far as we could see. About that time, the wind picked up so we started back down. The 7.5 miles back down was certainly faster, but I was about frozen solid by the time we got back to town.

First official day at the ranch tomorrow. The forecast is calling for rain followed by a cold front dropping in from the northwest bringing a high wind warning by afternoon. Maybe we will see if cows really do fly! Everyone here says this is not the normal weather for this time of year. It's usually much warmer and not as windy.

Our first Bike Ride

The sun was shining and the wind calm this morning. As soon as the temps climbed out of the 20's, we set out to explore a road we checked out in the car on Saturday. It's actually about a twenty-five mile loop that starts from the end of Main Street in town, winds through the valley dotted with ranches until the pavement ends. What follows is a dirt road maintained by the Forest Service and used mostly by big, log trucks piled high with lodge pole pine. If you follow that road, eventually the chip and seal returns and the road ascends sharply to the top of a ridge where it again winds around through high, ranch pasture until it descends back to the valley floor and town. On our driving tour, we went one way on Saturday and the opposite way Sunday. We opted not to take the dirt road on the first outing since Larry had just washed 2,000 miles of road dirt from the little, red "towed." Sunday afternoon was sunny and beautiful and we drove in the opposite direction. Once again the pavement disappeared, but the road was wide, in mostly good condition and well-traveled. (But the car did get dirty again) At the point of descent, we started down and saw only lots of snow ahead so the car quickly went into reverse until we found a place to turn around! Getting stranded in the middle of nowhere did not seem like a fun activity.
Back to this morning. We rode about a mile and I realized that although this road appeared to be flat, we were steadily climbing. Coming from an Ohio altitude of 1,500' to 4,500' was something our lungs noticed when we ran on Saturday. Now we were climbing another 400 feet in just five miles. We stopped to take a few pictures and catch our breath. We also enjoyed what we think was a golden eagle looking for breakfast, soaring around and around over the fields. We had intended to ride as far as the FS road and turn around to get in twenty miles, but when we stopped for pictures, we noticed a change in the weather and decided heading back to town might be the smart thing to do. Both of us are looking forward to more stable weather when we can explore several other routes. Most of the traffic outside of town is on I-90. The roads are really wide and the drivers (few and far between) give us a wide berth and wave! Imagine that....


Things got really cloudy,windy and cold for about an hour and then the wind died down and out came the sun again!
We walked to the laundromat (boring and expensive) and then decided to go for a run to enjoy the weather before a snowstorm comes in tonight.

This shot doesn't clearly show how the clouds were coming in since sky and snow-covered mountains seem to meld into one gray mass. There are some big mountains in this shot...somewhere.