Stockman Bank opened its doors over 70 years ago with a vision to help the people, businesses and communities of Montana realize their dreams. Today, we continue to fulfill this promise with products, services and a local banking experience uniquely designed for Montanans and a local banking experience built on relationships, integrity, expertise and results.
35 years ago, Montana celebrated its 100th Birthday. Part of the celebration was the Centennial Cattle Drive. Since many of our readers were just children when it happened, we felt like it was timely to showcase a few different aspects of the event.
A sad discovery was that many of the people who worked so hard on the event are no longer with us. The originators of the drive are gone as are half of the board of directors, including the trail boss. However, we did find a few awesome folks that willingly shared their perspectives of the phenomenon, including three of the surviving directors. They regaled us with tales of mischief and bantering that took place alongside the seriousness of their responsibilities, revealing just what a special group of people it took to put together an event of such magnitude.
When my sister, Carolyn, agreed to let us publish a portion of the journal she kept during the drive as a drover, she also provided us with a box of photo negatives taken by our father. Dad was allowed into the drover’s camp a couple of times during the drive because he was family. He wasn’t a professional photographer, but when he took the time, he loved capturing moments of our western way of life. Stu painstakingly went through hundreds of negatives searching for images that best portrayed the atmosphere of the drive and we have included a few of them as well.
While the cattle drive was receiving worldwide attention, the small, rural community of Reed Point decided to capitalize on the recognition Montana was receiving and came up with their own drive – with sheep! It was such a resounding success, that today, 35 years later, the town is still drawing thousands to the “Running of the Sheep” every Labor Day weekend.
Our conversations with so many folks involved in these two events reminded us that in just three decades time, much has changed in our world and our state. We weren’t even aware of such things as digital cameras, cellphones, laptops, drones and Google. Advancements in technology, travel and communications are far more sophisticated today and our lives seem much more complicated.
What hasn’t changed is the mentality of the folks that love our country, our freedoms and our way of life. They still wave to their neighbors, help their communities, support the local school children and are happy to donate time and money to those in need.
Also included in this issue is a feature on the expanding Rocky Mountain Songwriters Festival celebrating its 16th year. Our gardening column will give you suggestions on what to do with leftover produce in your garden and Jean’s Cuisines shares not only several ideas on campfire meals, but her family’s memories behind the dishes.
As summer spins down and fall sets in, we hope that you enjoy a few more family excursions in appreciation of the freedoms that we enjoy - while we still have them.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
MELANIE FABRIZIUS, GRAPHIC DESIGN
Melanie was raised on a farm on the banks of the Clarks Fork River in Belfry. Her life-long love of art led her to a career as a freelance graphic designer. When she’s not busy working, Melanie enjoys being with family, spending time with her dogs, camping, ATVing, collecting rocks and watching the sunset. Check out her art at www.melaniefab.com and follow her on Instagram @melaniefabart.
AMY GRISAK, WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Great Falls writer, Amy Grisak balances her life between the mountains and the prairie looking for stories that catch her interest. This award-winning author shares what she loves with readers, whether it’s finding gorgeous hikes in Glacier National Park or how to push the gardening envelope in our challenging Montana climate. Look for her book, “Nature Guide to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks,” published by Falcon Guides and follow her at amygrisak.com
JEAN PETERSEN, WRITER
Jean is a cookbook and children’s picture book author, freelance writer and has been a weekly columnist with Western Ag Reporter for over 15 years. She and her husband live near the Beartooth Mountains in Red Lodge with their four children. Most days she can be found outdoors with her animals, on a hike, at her children’s activities, or cozying up writing and reading. You can find her at www.jeanpetersen.com
Carolyn is the fourth generation from a Montana ranching family. Raised on a registered Hereford cattle ranch at Reed Point, MT, cattle and horses are in her blood. But so is writing. Her mother was Editor of the Montana Hereford News, her father often wrote stories just for family entertainment. Carolyn graduated in Communication Arts from EMC and jumped into professional journalism as Interim Editor of the Stillwater Sun in Columbus, then Editor of Western Livestock Journal in Denver. She has been freelance writing since high school for various agricultural publications. Married to John Deeney, the couple ranch near Grass Range and raise Hereford and Red Angus cattle.
Charlie Denison is a freelance writer, newspaper editor and singer/songwriter who has enjoyed living in the Treasure State for the past 15 years. Originally from Indiana, he moved out to the Big Sky State after seeing its majestic beauty when his dad took a job preaching at Soldier's Chapel in the late 2000s. Charlie's been a reporter and editor in several different locations around the state, meeting his wife – a marvelous Montana native – along the way. They currently live in Absarokee, but you're probably most likely to see them at a hot spring.
DIANE WHITLOCK, WRITER
Diane is a freelance copywriter, author, baker, wife, mom, nana, songwriter, and guitar playin’ fool. She lives in Cody, WY with her hubby of forty years, twenty-four laying hens, and a sizable garden. Don’t get her started talking about her old, prized gelding, Roy, who stars in her children’s picture book series just waiting to be published. You can find her at: dianewhitlockagency.com
Larry joined The Billings Gazette in 1977 as a staff photographer. His work has been published in dozens of national and international publications as well as over 20 books. After publication of the balloon images, Mayer received a Congressional Citation and was a guest at the State of the Union in Washington, D.C. An instrumentrated commercial pilot, he has used airplanes as a platform for photography throughout his career. His aviation knowledge was crucial in exposing the truth behind the Chinese spy balloon and forcing the Pentagon to admit the threat to the public.
Originating from a fifth-generation Montana ranch, Kayla has a real connection to the agriculture industry and the cherished western lifestyle. After several years as editor of Western Ag Reporter, she now ranches with her husband, Chace, and owns Ranch Raised Media which compliments the work they do on the land. Whether it be through photography, writing, social media, graphic design, or web design she strives to share the story of this way of life on a dayto-day basis. Follow Ranch Raised Media on Facebook and Instagram or visit www. ranchraisedmedia.com to view her work and check out daily Montana ranch life.
It’s that time of the year again when people lock their car doors and check their Ring cameras for illicit zucchini dumping activity. Though we’re grateful for the abundance of our gardens at the end of summer, sometimes it’s a little much. Fortunately, once
you have saturated your friends’ vegetable holding capacity, there are a number of ways to keep your hard-earned produce from going to waste.
One preferred technique is to freeze everything as it’s harvested to can later for long-term storage.
As tomatoes ripen, what isn’t used fresh can be placed in gallonsized Ziplock bags and kept in the freezer until there’s time to cook up a batch of sauce or stewed tomatoes. There is no preparation needed besides rinsing off any soil.
This method also works for fruits to later be made into jams and jellies. It works well with grapes, crabapples, raspberries, chokecherries, and any other fruit used for spreads. Simply pull a bag or two of fruit from the freezer and extract the juice using a steam juicer for a batch of jelly.
Freezing produce to process later is a convenient way to quickly deal with excess. Plus, it’s nice to have the stove roaring and the smell of fruits and vegetables when it’s -20 degrees in the middle of winter.
Freezing fruits and vegetables maintains excellent quality with little effort given plentiful freezer space.
To freeze vegetables, start by washing and chopping them into usable sizes. Blanching is required as it eliminates enzymes which would otherwise degrade the quality of the food. Blanching time varies depending on the vegetable, but in general, it entails dropping the vegetables in boiling water, then moving to an ice bath before bagging or placing in containers. It is typically easiest to cut the vegetables prior to blanching, except with corn – which can be blanched first, then held on top of an angel food cake pan, and sliced down the sides. The corn falls into the pan and is easy to scoop up and bag.
Dehydrating fruits and vegetables is another great option, especially if freezer space is limited.
Similar to freezing, dehydrating some vegetables requires a quick blanch to preserve color and quality – the same times can be applied. Some produce, such as beets, onions, peppers, herbs, mushrooms, horseradish, and garlic do not require blanching.
Fruits do not require blanching either but some, such as apples, peaches, and bananas, benefit from a lemon juice or citric acid rinse, although this is mostly to preserve color.
To dehydrate fruits and vegetables, first slice to preferred sizes, then place on trays and dry at the recommended temperature until they are leathery and dry, but not brittle. Local extension offices have specifics on how long to dry each kind of fruit or vegetable.
Tomato or apple sauces can be turned into fruit leather for future cooking or tasty snacks. Silicon liners or parchament paper can be used to line the dehydrator to make leathers.
Store dried fruits and vegetables in small, usable amounts in sealed bags or mason jars in a cool, dry place.
Here are a handful of blanching
✔ Asparagus: 2-3 minutes (blanch a little longer for larger spears)
✔ Beans: 2 minutes
✔ Broccoli: 3 minutes
✔ Brussels sprouts: 4 minutes
✔ Carrots: 2 minutes
✔ Corn on the cob: 9 minutes
✔ Peas: 2 minutes
✔ Sugar peas: 2 minutes
✔ Zucchini slices: 3 minutes
✔ Peppers: Not needed
✔ Tomatoes: 1 minute, then peel off skins
Canning is the ultimate way to preserve bulk produce in short order. For example, it requires 21 pounds of tomatoes to make nine pints of a thin tomato sauce. Twenty-one pounds of apples will yield seven quarts of applesauce, and a bushel (roughly 50 pounds) of pears results in approximately 16 – 25 quarts of canned pear quarters or halves. Fourteen pounds of cucumbers will make seven quarts of pickles and 21 pounds of beets are needed for seven quarts of pickled beets.
An abundance in the garden is something to be shared, but with preservation techniques it can be kept and enjoyed into the winter as well.
As a family, we’ve always enjoyed cooking around the campfire. Sometimes it’s on a flat rock surface in the fire pit, a hole dug next to the fire lined with briquettes or using our seasoned griddle, with a bucket of water close by just in case.
We also like utilizing the many resources in our mountain backyard, where raspberries line lush trails, deer and elk meander along trails within the forests and using what we harvest from our own bounty-filled garden and pastures.
My husband was an amazing camp cook. He knew exactly how many briquette coals it would take to heat up the Dutch oven, and just when to pull the meal away from the fire to serve. Since his passing in April, these recipes mean even more to me. I can see his hands preparing the biscuits and then cutting them in half and heaping cream sausage gravy over the top. He had a knack at making the best biscuits and gravy. This was one of the first things we thought of camping this year…his Dutch Oven biscuits and gravy.
That recipe and several others come with beautiful memories of treasured family time together. Campfire season is almost over, but each of these recipes can also be made in the kitchen. All of these recipes start with a standard sized Duch oven that’s been seasoned.
May the warmth of the bountiful blessings gathered around your harvest table be abundant and filled with joy.
There’s no better way to prepare a melt in your mouth roast than in a Dutch oven. Tossed with a few garden-fresh carrots, potatoes and onions is a perfect meal plan.
INGREDIENTS
• 2-3 lb roast-beef, elk, bison or deer
• 1 can of lite beer
• 1 packet of Aus Jus gravy mix
• 1 heaping Tablespoon Better than Bouillon-Beef flavor
• 1-1/12 Tablespoons Montreal Seasoning
DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 275 degrees. Coat meat with Au Jus, Montreal Seasoning and lite beer, place in Dutch oven. Slow cook for 8 hours. Check the moisture of the roast after four hours. Scoop any juices and drizzle off the meat. Continue cooking until it pulls apart. Serve with baked potatoes, rolls and garden fresh veggies.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough, 16 oz making 8 biscuits
• Butter-unsalted
DIRECTIONS: Campfire needs be hot enough to heat 32 coal briquettes enough to warm a standard sized Dutch oven. Place the biscuits an even distance apart and apply half a pat of butter on top of each. Cover. On a safe, nonflammable solid surface, such as a flat rock on the fire ring, place 14 heated briquettes as the base on the solid surface. Next lay the Dutch oven containing the biscuits on top of the briquettes. Using tongs, carefully place the remaining briquettes on top of the Dutch oven’s lid. Let the biscuits cook until golden brown.
Serve with chokecherry or huckleberry jam, honey or smothered in creamy sausage gravy.
While I like to cook, I love to bake. Everyone loves this three-ingredient, quick, easy and delicious cobbler. With fresh berries, plopped into the mix, it just can’t be beat.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups fresh berries-raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or huckleberries
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 can of Sprite - optional
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS: The coals of the campfire need to be glowing hot. Use a flat surface next to the fire or prepare 24 briquettes for baking the cobbler. Place freshly picked berries on the bottom of the Dutch Oven and evenly cover with the entire package of cake mix. Next, drizzle the Sprite across the top of the cake mix without stirring it. For added zest, drizzle lemon juice across the top of the dessert and secure the lid on-top.
Place the Dutch Oven on the side of the campfire or place it on top of 8 coals and cover the lid with 14-16 ready briquettes. If the cobbler is cooking by the fire, be sure to rotate it so the cobbler cooks evenly. It will take about 30 minutes to cook. It’s ready when it’s golden brown and the berries are bubbling. Optionally dust the cobbler with powdered sugar using a sifter or tea strainer. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.
Who wouldn’t love a caramel apple wrapped into a gooey cinnamon roll bake? Granny Smith apples are great for this recipe, but any kind can be used.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 apples
• 1 can of refrigerator cinnamon rolls
• 1 can apple pie filling
• 3 Tablespoons caramel sauce
DIRECTIONS: The campfire coals need to be glowing hot. Create a flat surface next to the fire. Cut and quarter the cinnamon rolls and place at the base of the Dutch Oven. Next, mix the apple pie filling and apples and layer the filling evenly across the cinnamon rolls. Cover and cook until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown, and the apple pie filling is bubbling. Remove from heat and drizzle with caramel sauce topping. Cool and serve.
Every great song starts with the songwriter, often while pouring out their heart with a guitar in hand. This process is personal, emotional and – at its most honest – cuts to the core of the human experience.
Mike Booth has made it his mission to promote the art of songwriting by sharing the music and stories of songwriters in Red Lodge and beyond. He believes the experience transports audiences into the world of song and creation.
“When you see these songwriters talk about the songs, their meaning and what they were thinking about when they wrote it… this puts the song in a whole different light,” Booth said.
festivals include Leslie Satcher (“Troubadour,” recorded by George Strait), Tony Lane (“I Need You,” recorded by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill), Gretchen Peters (“Independence Day,” recorded by Martina McBride) and Matraca Berg (“You and Tequila,” recorded by Kenny Chesney).
WHEN YOU SEE THESE SONGWRITERS TALK ABOUT THE SONGS, their meaning and what they were thinking about when they wrote it… THIS PUTS THE SONG IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIGHT.
— MIKE BOOTH
At these songwriter festivals, it’s likely you’ll recognize the song and the name of the artists who have performed them, even if you don’t recognize the name of the writer. Hit songwriters who have played at Booth’s
The idea for the songwriter festival was born when Booth – a Montana native with an extensive background in large event management – was tasked with creating a multi-day festival in Red Lodge to attract out-ofstate tourism. Thanks to a songwriter friend that introduced the concept to Booth, showcasing songwriters came to his mind.
The first Red Lodge Songwriter Festival was held in the summer of 2018. Booth wasn’t sure what to expect, but his desire was to put together a festival that the Red Lodge community would support every year. He also hoped it would attract
songwriters from not only Montana, but even as far away as Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas.
Kostas Lazarides, the legendary Greek Montanan who has written hits for such stars as George Strait, Patty Loveless, Dwight Yoakam and the Dixie Chicks, was supportive of Booth’s vision from the get-go.
“I suspected it was a good idea,” Kostas said. “Mike wrapped himself into this [songwriting] world and found the right people to build the concert. He got both locals and folks from Nashville. Mike continues to bring new talent and old talent to entertain the backroads of this country (meaning Montana). He’s doing good.”
Eight years later, Booth said he couldn’t be happier with the festivals. In late June, the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival had its biggest celebration of song yet, with 23 songwriters (six hit songwriters and 17 “rising stars”) doing 40 performances in seven downtown venues.
It’s been quite a leap from the first Red Lodge songwriter festival, which had a total of 10 songwriters (four hit songwriters and six rising stars). Songwriters included festival staples Kalyn Beasley of Cody, Wyoming, Tom Catmull of Missoula, Chad Okrusch of Butte and Sean Devine of Livingston.
Booth doubts more than 100 tickets were sold the first year, but from the beginning, the people involved with the festival – the songwriters, volunteers, spectators and venue managers have been all in.
“Everybody that was there loved it and wanted us to come back and do it again,” Booth said.
The momentum continued giving Booth reason to think bigger and beyond Red Lodge, realizing that songwriter festivals might also fit other tourist-type communities.
And he was right. The songwriter festival expanded – first to Cody, Wyoming, and then to Whitefish. In October, a debut festival will be held in Livingston. All these festivals operate under the umbrella of the Rocky Mountain Songwriter Festivals, a 501 c-3 organization.
The inaugural Livingston Songwriter Festival will feature several artists from the first Red Lodge showcase, including Beasley, Catmull and Okrusch. Similar in size to the first Red Lodge festival, there will be six venues hosting intimate shows. Hit songwriters coming to Livingston include Stephanie Quayle (“Selfish, “Drinking with Dolly”), Stephanie Davis (“The Thunder Rolls,” recorded by Garth Brooks) and Even Stevens (“What Will I Write,” recorded by Eddie Rabbit).
“The Livingston festival is going to give the community a taste of what the songwriter festival is all about, starting with Friday night [Oct. 4] at the Elks Club, which is free to the public,” Booth said. “It will be a fun night with a mixture of hit songwriters and rising stars sharing the stage.”
Seeing this collaboration is one of the highlights for audience members and the songwriters alike.
“That’s when it gets good,” Booth said. “When the artists
harmonize together and back each other up – that’s when the magic gets made. You think they rehearsed it, but they didn’t. It’s all organic, all spontaneous.”
Chemistry can happen on stage and sometimes leads artists to writing together. James Dean Hicks and Abigail Compost have co-written several songs since sharing the stage at one of Booth’s festivals.
Booth said he looks forward to seeing this same kind of camaraderie and connection on display in Livingston.
“I’m excited to bring this kind of entertainment to downtown, where people can walk from venue to venue,” Booth said. “Using multiple venues in the downtown areas is what sets us apart from other festivals. And each venue showcases intimate shows by incredible songwriters. It’s way different than going to a major venue.”
Keeping the entertainment downtown is a key asset of the songwriter’s festival. Promoting unique local establishments and what the town has to offer gives tourists another reason to visit and support the local economy.
“The songwriter festivals not only promote songwriters,” Booth added, “It is the Rocky Mountain Songwriter Festival’s mission to promote our host communities as a tourist destination for music, bringing incremental revenue to local businesses. It’s a positive thing for the community.”
But ultimately the success of a songwriter festival boils down to the quality of songwriters year in and year out. Without that, Booth said, it wouldn’t be worth it, and he’s grateful to host so many phenomenal writers.
There are more rising stars that want to play at the songwriter festival than Booth has spots, which is exactly the kind of problem Booth hoped he’d have when he started creating these festivals.
Save The date
4TH ANNUAL CODY
SONGWRITER FESTIVAL SEPT. 5-7, 2024
INAUGURAL LIVINGSTON SONGWRITER FESTIVAL OCT. 4-5, 2024
“We are very blessed that we can continue to find songwriters who have written hits and made a lot of money and want to come out here to Montana or Wyoming,” Booth said. “We are also impressed by the quality of rising star artists. They are basically all professional touring artists. While you may not have heard their songs on the radio, their talent in many cases is equal to the hit songwriters, at least from a talent standpoint. That evolution of rising stars has been amazing.”
9TH ANNUAL RED LODGE SONGWRITER FESTIVAL JUNE 19-21, 2025
Each year the number of songwriters applying increases, and Booth said the level of talent – be it from the hit songwriters, the rising stars or those who send in entries to the festival’s songwriting contest – keeps getting better.
This makes getting into the songwriting festival more competitive. But for those whose songs don’t get a spot as a rising star and don’t make it into the top 10 of the songwriter contest, there is still opportunity. Booth said he doesn’t want to see applicants get discouraged. Instead, he hopes they take advantage of the chances provided to nurture their craft. Each festival weekend includes song critiquing sessions, as well as an open mic night welcome to any and all aspiring artists.
Booth and his Rocky Mountain Songwriter Festival team do as much as possible for up-and-coming musicians by supporting music education. Since 2016, the festivals have raised more than $130,000 for music education benefiting area public schools, Montana State University-Billings and Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyoming.
Commitment to the craft and furthering opportunities for songwriters is what Kostas loves about these songwriter festivals. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019, but still he loves the opportunities to play in stripped-down settings, calling them a special celebration of the art form he cherishes, and he doesn’t that it for granted.
“Songs have stories to tell,” he said. “They are meant to reflect joy, suffering, pain, whatever. It’s good for people to see where these songs come from and how they got created. Mike is bringing the music close to the people and the people close to the source of the music, and that’s a good thing. It’s a congenial thing to do and be a part of. I enjoy seeing friends and hanging out with them. I also enjoy entertaining a bit on the side. That’s what we do when we get on the stage.”
Imagine rolling green foothills with soaring granite backdrops, light mountain breezes waving pine boughs, and the jingling bells of the pack string as mules are turned out to graze for the night under the twinkling stars of twilight. A picturesque day filled with trail riding, fishing, and lots of laughs ends at the campfire with the most satisfying fare for hungry bellies. This is an outfitter’s well curated life and labor of love. Certainly not for the faint of heart, the work is hard and constant, but the reward is greater still.
Captivated by the west, Seth and Alden Ballard have made it the mission of Elk Fork Outfitters to create this experience time and again for their guests. Located near the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the young couple was drawn here from other regions and knew they wanted to stay and share the beauty of northwest Wyoming with others.
Seth is a dedicated carpenter and horseman who traveled west from Ohio right out of high school. While building his home
outside of Cody, Wyoming, Seth clapped eyes on Alden in Jackson Hole where they were employed by the same outfitter. He was a guide, and she was a camp cook. When he completed his home construction, he asked her to be his wife and they recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.
Growing up on a small farm in New Hampshire next to White Mountain National Forest, Alden has an innate joy for being outdoors. An avid photographer, her love for mules, horses and dogs is crystal clear by a single viewing of her photo album. Their herd is their family – each called by name with great affection.
Several years later, in 2018, Elk Fork Outfitters was born when an existing camp within the Shoshone National Forest became available. With permits in hand, working side by side, the couple began the upgrades. Because of their experience, they knew exactly how they wanted to see the adventure unfold for their guests.
Seth’s mantra for the business is “everything we can control, we need to do very well,” and it’s evident. While the wilderness presents plenty of variables, such as weather, or trout hiding out from fisherman, the couple counteracts the unknowns with gourmet meals, comfortable wall tents, well-maintained equipment, and proven horses and mules.
Observing Seth breaking and training his horses and mules is truly an art form and his gift is evident. From the perfect Tom Selleck-esque mustache and the calloused hands, right down to his dusty boots, it’s his heart for the animals and the wisdom he’s gleaned over the years that brings soul to his work. This is reflected in the attitude of the animals as they also love their jobs.
Alden is a horsewoman in her own right as well. But she shines in the camp kitchen. No stranger to food, she makes everything from pizzas to stuffed mushrooms, meatloaf to steak, and cinnamon rolls to pancakes. Alden’s command of a wood-fired cook stove, the Dutch oven, and the open campfire flame
is uncanny, and she generously shares many of her gourmet recipes on their website.
Many camp families aren’t complete without their pets, as is the case for Ballards who are joined each day by three dogs. Amos Moses is a blue heeler, Lizzy is a “noodle” (not all poodle), and Rip is an Australian shepherd. These crucial team players are well-loved and much appreciated and pay their rent by keeping an eye on things. Like bears, for one. They do see them on occasion, but because of all the activity around the camp, the dogs, and the safekeeping of food in locked steel boxes, the bears stay away for the most part. Like Alden says, “this is their home, too.”
Seth and Alden have a deep respect for our public lands and wildlife and serve as careful stewards of the resources. Doing so will help ensure their business endures for years to come. They limit their hunters each season to closely manage the elk population. With great respect, Alden explains that they protect “our elk” and seek to preserve the beauty and integrity of the land for future generations. They enjoy sharing the backcountry with folks from all over the world.
They do so through the option of offering horseback day rides from May to July, or week-long summer pack trips riding, fishing, and relaxing. Basic instruction for beginning riders is provided and well-trained guides always accompany guests. The horses and mules are experienced and able to handle all kinds of terrain.
Along with poking the campfire with a long stick, there are many activities at camp. Sit by the creek. Photograph the landscape. Read or write a book. Take a nap. Converse face-to-face without the distraction of cell service. View the brightest night stars in the west.
Elk Fork Outfitters is also a licensed Wyoming hunting outfitter offering fair-chase, guided hunts for elk, sheep, and moose. Information on licensing, dates, and what to pack can be found on elkforkoutfitters.net. Advanced booking is encouraged as they are full for 2024 and over halfbooked for 2025.
The Ballards agree that repeat visitors, of which there are many, are some of their favorite guests. In fact, one guest didn’t want to take a pack trip at first, but remarked she had the best night’s sleep she had in years and has since returned multiple times thanks to Elk Fork Outfitters' expertise and homespun dedication to their customers.
It’s apparent upon meeting these two young people that their warm, welcoming spirit fosters lasting connections wherever they find themselves. Seth and Alden Ballard are the genuine article putting their heart and soul into their life’s work.
Two years prior to the 1989 celebration of Montana’s Centennial preparations were being made across the state, but by far the most ambitious event planned was the Centennial Cattle Drive.
Hoping to commemorate a drive that would rival drives of the 1800s and honor the resilience of the people that first brought cattle to our state, the idea of trailing thousands of head of cattle across the plains of Montana was met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. The logistics were daunting, from where to get the cattle, to where to hold the drive, how to water and feed the livestock and the people, to who would be involved and how much it would cost.
Thousands of spectators lined the trails and followed the herds trying to catch a glimpse of the cattle and wagons. News networks across the globe broadcast daily from the event. Those involved knew they were participating in a momentous pinnacle in Montana’s history.
ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1989, 2800 head of catTle, 3300 horses, 200 wagons & 3000 people
GATHERED TO BEGIN WHAT WOULD BECOME AN APEX IN MONTANA’S HISTORY AND THE BIGGEST BIRTHDAY PARTY HELD TO CELEBRATE A STATE.
By the time the idea came to fruition, on September 4, 1989, over 2800 head of cattle, 3300 horses, 200 wagons and more than 3000 people gathered to begin what would become an apex in Montana’s history and the biggest birthday party held to celebrate a state.
For a week the cattle, the cowboys and the wagons trekked across Montana’s landscape. Beginning in Roundup and ending in Billings, they journeyed across sagebrush plains, through pine covered draws, and across the dusty prairie, covering about ten miles per day.
It is said the zealous idea was first conceived by artists Stan Lynde and Barry McWilliams and businessman Jim Wempner, while visiting over the hood of a pickup in Roscoe, Montana. It turned out to be a far larger undertaking than any of them could have imagined and as they incurred debt and made very little headway, something had to change. Their trumped-up enthusiasm was taken down a few notches and made more realistic when a formal board was named that placed energized, determined and capable people together.
“It was a monumental endeavor that was only pulled off with the Good Lord’s help,” Kim Kuzara said of the Centennial Cattle Drive and Wagon Train.
Heavily in debt and constantly battling negative publicity was a difficult position for the new board to start but once they were put in place a new direction was taken, financial support started pouring in, and with a lot of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights,
how much square footage was needed for each of the camps and how long it would take in actual hours from the beginning of the drive to the end. It also included how much hay and water it would take to feed the livestock and what needed to take place at each campsite before the arrival of the wagons and after they left.
Mike’s role was overseeing the media, ensuring they were close enough to do their stories but far enough away to keep from disrupting the process.
“They were all quality people,” Mike remembered. “They all wanted to share our enthusiasm with the folks back home and the cattle drive was representing who we were as a state.”
Almost 1500 volunteers stepped in to make it happen; offering physical help, monetary aid and filling other needs as they occurred.
Dick Walker was a county commissioner and a rancher in Musselshell County. He understood the business side of the drive, knew the owners of the ranches that the drive would cross and helped gather the team of directors. He was the president of the board and worked diligently for the better part of two years to ensure that the drive would be accomplished.
Behind the scenes of the cattle drive was nothing short of miraculous. Hours were spent talking to landowners about crossing their property and calculating the feed and water needs of thousands of cattle and horses in an area of Montana noted for its lack of both. Negotiations were made with the state on highway rights-of-way, the FAA
on airspace, and the city of Billings on allowing the parade of cattle, horses and wagons through town. A medical team needed to be in place and liability insurance to cover the entire show. Range scientists were brought in to study the environmental impact before and after the drive.
“Whenever we got one problem solved, it seemed like another one popped up,” Dick said.
Two routes were established from Roundup to Billings, one for the actual cattle drive and the other for the wagon train. It was imperative that the animals and the people were all well cared for and though it was a reenactment of a drive hundreds of years ago, modern amenities were required and appreciated. Out of the center of camp, but as near as possible were portable outhouses, showers, tents, satellite phones, water and food, and of course, beer, lots of it.
Shortly before the drive, Budweiser and Motorola, both stepped up with substantial donations. Drawing on favors and personal connections, the board was able to bring an enthusiastic and willing Budweiser on board. They cut checks amounting to $500,000 and provided huge tents for the wagon train to use every
night for entertainment. Selling beer over the six nights helped them recoup their investment.
Motorola offered over 100 handheld radios and eight base stations so that communication between leaders scattered throughout the drive would be quick and efficient. Their donation of stateof-the-art equipment, valued at over $100,000 kept much of what might have gone wrong from going wrong.
“I don’t know what we would have done without that,” Kim continued. “That saved our tails from day one.”
While the world watched the daytime activities and the progress of the drive, it was the nighttime that kept crews busy. After the evening activities were over and everyone was bedded down, the logistics teams took over. The Budweiser tent was moved, the 200 water troughs set up every day and filled with water were moved to the next camp and hay was brought in to feed the livestock. Just as the work teams were leaving for the next campsite, the cooks began their day, hitting the deck by 3:00 am to start breakfast for wagon train participants.
“We never shut down,” Kim said. “I didn’t sleep for the entire week!”
On the kickoff day of the drive, over 15,000 people packed Roundup to cheer it on its way. On the morning of the last day, over 70,000 lined Main Street in Billings and millions around the world watched on television. The two-hour parade was celebrated by spectators that began arriving before dawn to welcome the cattle drive and wagon train.
It took thousands of volunteers and close to a million dollars to complete the drive. If not for the work of the people that got behind the idea, it would have failed long before it even started.
“It came off beyond our wildest imagination,” Dick said. “It was the experience of a lifetime and probably the greatest event that Montana has ever seen. About the only complaint we heard when it was over was that most of the folks didn’t want it to end.”
★ Participants in the wagon train came from all over the country and even the world
★ US 87 from Roundup to Billings was shut down for hours on the first day of the drive
★ $140,000 was spent on a traffic study, highway signs and the labor to place them and remove them
★ 200,000 gallons of water was hauled in daily for the livestock, brought in using Vacuum trucks
★ The concert on the last night of the event brought in 20,000 people and the traffic was backed up for ten miles from the concert site to Billings
★ The sale of the herd took place at PAYS and BLS and brought in enough money to pay off all the debt and contribute to Montana Community Foundation
★ Ranches crossed included: Adolph Ranch, Shelhammer Ranch and Charter Ranch
★ The city of Billings initially thought they would use a snowplow to plow away the aftereffects of the 6000 animals parading down Main Street. They then thought better of it. (“wouldn’t that have been a shitshow?” quipped one of the directors)
★ NutraLix supplied 200 troughs for the water; the vac trucks filled them at night and emptied them the next morning to move to the next camp
★ Water was taken from nearby ponds, the Musselshell and the Yellowstone River
★ A fencing crew was in place at every ranch to cut the wire fences before the herds of cattle, horses and wagons moved through and replaced immediately
★ A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital followed the wagon train with state-of-the-art equipment
★ Budweiser brought 2 event tents for the nightly entertainment and sold 80,000 cans of beer
★ Live music and dancing occurred every night for the wagon train and included Hoyt Axton
★ The hay brought in was certified weed free to keep from contaminating the ranches land
The Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive was globally watched by millions as the caravan of several hundred wagons full of families, friends and thousands of horses and riders trekked across the Montana prairie on their six-day journey. Media from around the world amassed to try and find the best story to chase.
But that was only one aspect of this historic event. The other was the actual cattle drive where over 100 drovers trailed several thousand head of cattle over sixty miles, contemporaneous with the wagon train.
Two parallel routes were established, covering roughly the same number of miles every day. While the wagon train enjoyed a party atmosphere every night; the drovers camp, reminiscent of those 100 years ago, was prioritized by tending to the welfare of the animals. After a long day of trailing the cattle, a few of the drovers visited the wagon train camp for the nightly festivities, but the two entities remained separated during the day.
Along with one drover designated by each Montana County, a handpicked crew was chosen from ranches across the state. There was no acclimation needed by the drovers or their horses –they were all accustomed to the work. It was the chance of a lifetime, and each person took it seriously.
We had a job to do, AND WE INTENDED TO DO EVERYTHING WE WERE CAPABLE OF DOING TO make sure that job was done and done well.
— TURK STOVALL
“We had a job to do, and we intended to do everything we were capable of doing to make sure that job was done and done well,” Turk Stovall said.
Turk’s father, Jay Stovall was the trail boss. Alongside Turk and his father was his mother, Juanita, and his older brothers Tyler, Manny and Manny’s wife, Lee. Turk was the youngest drover at age 13 and looking back, he’s amazed at what they accomplished so many years ago. It is with bittersweetness that Turk reflects on the drive. He’s lost his parents and both brothers since then.
“When I think about it now, I’m very proud of how it all came
GETTING ORDERS FOR THE DAY
together,” he said. “I was young enough I didn’t have a true appreciation for it, but I don’t think it could be done today.”
Turk told of his father riding the 60-mile route multiple times during the weeks before the drive, planning the safest and easiest route for the cattle.
“Over and over, he rode from ranch to ranch, visiting with the owners, finding the best places to cross their property, what fences needed to be cut, how to keep our herd separate from their livestock, where they would bed down for the night,” he recalled. “There were so many things that needed to take place before the drive even started.”
A few days before the drive commenced, the cattle started arriving at a location outside of Roundup. They were branded with the ‘M89,’ the official brand of the cattle drive, and began acclimating together. Jay also observed the cowboys through this process.
“He had an incredible knack for understanding cattle and people both,” Turk said. “He took his job as trail boss seriously and he expected his cowboys to as well. The drive wasn’t a time for showboating – ‘it isn’t about you,’ Dad said.”
Over 100 cowboys broke trail early that first morning and as the cattle headed south toward Billings, an apparent lead steer rose out of the herd. That ‘lead steer,’ actually a longhorn cow, was dubbed Victoria and her head is mounted, in tribute, above the fireplace at the Stovall Ranch southeast of Billings today.
“That will happen with cattle, the same way it does with people,” Turk explained. “A leader will emerge.”
At the end of each day, the cattle settled and were content to bed down for the night. The drovers took turns ensuring that there were no issues. Along with the cattle, the drovers’ horses were also turned out and regathered in the morning by a group of horse wranglers.
Wrangling the horses into a rope corral, each horse was then roped and led to their rightful owner. Every morning, within an hour’s time, over 150 horses were caught and saddled. Some mornings the coldbacked horses needed to be bucked out before work began, but it wasn’t long before everyone was mounted up and another day on the trail began.
Jay’s expectations were high, but they had to be with 2,800 cattle and the world watching their every move. Authenticity was prioritized and Jay expected his crew
to dress appropriately for the times in long sleeves, cowboy hats, and chaps and represent Montana well.
The infamous photo taken on the Charter Ranch of the Drovers saddled up and lined out could have been taken a century ago. In fact, it was taken with an authentic camera of the era.
At the end of the drive, the herd was split and sold between Public Auction Yards and the Billings Livestock Commission with the earnings used for paying off the drive’s debt. The remainder of the funds were donated to the Montana Community Foundation – a newly formed philanthropic organization which still exists today which helps both private and non-profits build stronger communities across the state.
Despite droughts and blizzards, depression and disease, grasshoppers and unfavorable markets, Montana had survived 100 years since joining the Union. The strength, vision and endurance of those that helped shape this state is the true character of Montana.
That same character showed up vividly in the men and women who moved the Great Montana Cattle Drive from an idea to a celebration and tribute that will forever be considered a “once in a lifetime” event. Through that celebration, millions of hearts were touched and the world got a glimpse of Montana’s great heritage.
september
The predawn sky cast a pink hue on the pine-covered hills. In the distance, a low rumble shook the still, cold air. Outlined atop a hill, a slicker-clad rider appeared. A whirring sound, a loud crack and tiny mist droplets exploded from the end of a bull whip.
The rumbling grew louder, and columns of steam blanketed a herd of 250 saddle horses as they were driven off the hill and toward a rope corral surrounded by cowboys. The horses veered left, and another loud crack turned them back on track until they headed for the small entrance to the corral. The cowboys spread out and guided the horses in, then pulled the rope taut to block their exit. Dim lights from chuckwagon lanterns cast eerie shadows on the nervous horses.
The day I had been preparing for since June had finally arrived.
For two full years, dedicated Montanans persevered to fulfill their dream of producing the largest cattle drive in the past century to celebrate the centennial anniversary of statehood. By September 3, 1989, nearly 3,000 cattle, 250 horses, and 125 drovers gathered east of Roundup to organize what many skeptics called an unachievable event.
I was honored to be chosen by Trail Boss Jay Stovall, of Pryor, to serve as a drover. Each of the Montana counties chose one drover and Stovall chose another 40.
The herd we were trailing 60-plus miles to Billings consisted mostly of donated, leased or consigned cattle from Montana families and were all branded with the M over 89. The bulk of the herd was Corriente and Longhorn, with about a quarter being Hereford and other mixed breeds. When the 3,000 head were strung out on the trail, it looked like the old Texas trail drives of years gone by.
On the first morning, Stovall had a thoughtful look on his face.
“You know, when you think about it, this may be the largest gathering of riders since Gettysburg,” he said, in reference to the drovers and the estimated 3,000 riders in the wagon train camp across the river. Tom Bonko, head horse wrangler from Garryowen and a Crow Indian inserted, “Don’t forget about Custer’s Last Stand.”
Laughter echoed through the morning and died down as Stovall raised his hand and began instruction for the best way to herd the cattle.
In another camp, just across the river from our staging camp, the wagon train portion of the drive consisted of
some 2,500 riders, 3,000 horses and over 300 wagons. Throughout the week, the “social camp” partied with headliner bands, beverages, and dancing. Our drovers often visited in the evenings after the cattle were settled and the horses turned out, but we remained separate during the daytime moves from camp to camp.
Morning came early and breakfast was served to the drovers by 4:30 a.m. Prepped from six chuckwagons with the best cooks in the northwest, it was a breakfast to rival any restaurant meal. The clatter of tin pans, lull of conversation, and clank of harnesses being laid out bred excitement among the cowboys. We didn’t linger, but quickly consumed it to get on our way.
Each morning Stovall would gather us and give orders for the day. He had a soft voice that somehow penetrated the predawn and he would patiently tell us where we could anticipate trouble with the cattle. His predictions were spot-on. Mud holes, narrow trails where spectators were observing too closely, steep spots that would string out the herd, places we needed to stop and let the cattle rest, timing our speed to keep from interfering with the wagon train, even the spots that he knew the herd would pick up speed and need to be split and held up.
Most days, we split the herd in thirds. Sam Redding, of Hardin, would rough count the cattle out and we kept them in three herds of around 800 head. “Segundo” Bill Brown, of Sand Springs, would take one herd with his drovers while Stovall and Redding split off with the remaining two. Motorola two-way radios kept Stovall in constant contact with his segundos, the wagon train, and the office staff and he was adept at adjusting plans to ensure everything ran smoothly.
Each day, any sore-footed or over-conditioned cattle were sorted out and left to be hauled to Billings. My husband, John Deeney, was solely responsible for coordinating the hauls and it turned out to be a bigger job than anticipated. Most nights, we did not return to camp before 10:00 p.m., sometimes closer to midnight.
One morning, I rode to the front to observe the entire herd. The sight was exhilarating. Stretched out for several miles, the cattle snaked across the dry, dusty flats. Behind the herd, a dust cloud followed for another mile. The highway was lined with enthusiastic spectators. A group of school children sang “Happy Birthday Montana.” My eyes overflowed as I reflected on my heritage and the life all four generations of my family and four generations of my husband’s family had devoted to livestock agriculture in this great state.
The cattle drive, through hardheaded determination, had survived the bitter criticisms for over a year. It was spectacular and we were touching the hearts of millions from not only the nation, but around the world.
The great state of Montana and its people had survived, despite drought, poor prices, diseases, grasshoppers, and depression for over 100 years. The feeling was euphoric.
The final night was designated “family night” when friends and family could come into camp to visit. The traffic began, two long lines, at about 3:30 and did not cease until over 20,000 people had entered the social camp site at the big tent. An estimated 5,000 people were turned back due to the lack of parking space in the huge open pasture.
That night, our cavy, turned in on a huge pasture, was spooked by the traffic, crowds, and rain. When they were wrangled in the morning, we were shy about 20 horses that had escaped and joined the social camp band. This was the first and only incident and didn’t hinder us because it was also “picture day” when nearly a dozen photographers came into camp and had us pose for several hours.
Shortly after noon, we headed the cattle southwest. This was the most beautiful day of the drive. The sky was luminant blue,
broken by coveys of cumulus clouds. A long, narrow timbered draw strung the cattle out and from atop a butte, the entire herd could be viewed.
Behind, a slight dust cloud promised the cavy and chuck wagons were enroute, back about a half mile. The well-broke teams faced a strenuous task pulling over the hill, requiring stops about every 100 yards. One of the wagons was slightly overloaded and required a couple outriders to hook on and help pull it over the hill. The Padlock Ranch had contributed the most spectacular of all the chuckwagons.
IN THE THIRTY-FIVE YEARS SINCE THE CATTLE DRIVE, MANY OF THE GREAT CATTLEMEN AND HORSEMEN HAVE BEEN CALLED TO
This camp was the first one since we started the drive that had modern amenities and it created a sorrow in knowing we were about to end our journey from one hundred years ago.
The last day, the one the cynical critics said would be disastrous to attempt, was the trek down the busiest main street in Montana. We were on a rigid schedule. By 6:30 a.m. the cattle were gathered and started out the gate onto the highway.
“Cowboy Paradise,"
BUT THEIR INCREDIBLE TALENT AND TEACHINGS WILL LIVE ON FOREVER.
But the most incredible view was the cavy. Stanley Walter, George Reed, and Joe Fox knew how to handle horses and had fun doing it. Reed was an artist with his bull whip and the horses responded to the crack like they were being driven with a line. When the cavy topped the hill above the Black Horse Patrol, the huge crowd, as well as the drovers who owned the horses, could be heard praising the quality and the beauty of these working ranch horses.
Stovall told us to keep the cattle tight so they were easier to handle in town, preventing any damage to gardens, yards, or worse: spectators. Just two miles from camp, people had already gathered, some parking and camping out the night before or arriving as early as 2 a.m. The narrow bridges and observers made the cattle reluctant, and they really strung out – when we reached town, right on schedule, the herd stretched across three miles.
The cattle were trail broke by then. They handled easily and none attempted to escape. Drovers spread out along the sides and
kept them moving. The crowds cheered, applauded and sang. Many were toasting the herd with champagne and bringing hot donuts to the drovers.
Easily, the cattle were split at a main intersection and one half of the herd was sent to each of the two auction yards. There was electricity in the air. The spectators were enthusiastic and thrilled to see the drive beat the odds and end successfully. There were no deaths, no serious injuries, and the drive made it to the destinated end.
In the thirty-five years since the cattle drive, many of the great cattlemen and horsemen have been called to “Cowboy Paradise," but their incredible talent and teachings will live on forever. And in those passing years, partaking in such an event was a great honor for which I remain forever grateful.
Many great ideas start out as ‘what if’ conversations in “watering holes.” With the help of a little imbibing of a cool beverage or two, the creative juices start to flow and from that a plan – sometimes even a good one -emerges.
That was how “Bachelor Daze” began in Reed Point, Montana, in 1980. Several colorful, yet bored, “regulars” were gathered at the Waterhole Saloon and started brainstorming visions of community entertainment, as Diane Hahn, who owned the Waterhole Saloon with her husband Chris, recalled.
“We don’t do anything on Labor Day,” she remembered them saying. “There’s plenty of bachelors around here, let’s have an auction and sell them!”
Bachelor Daze kicked off and enjoyed a full decade of success. The first celebration included a small parade, an afternoon of contests including log sawing and egg tossing, and a Jayceehosted pig roast. Bidders at the bachelor auction purchased a dance at the street dance that night their bachelors. A gentleman
in his 90s fetched the top bid of $20 and $90 was raised, which was donated to the school.
Bachelor Daze became an annual Labor Day event, bringing area farmers, ranchers and neighbors together. It was a time of gathering and socializing, a break from work and a chance to let loose, all while raising money for community projects.
Then came 1989 – Montana’s Centennial celebration.
For months, the talk around the state was all about the Cattle Drive. The six-day event, beginning in Roundup and ending in Billings, was scheduled to culminate on Labor Day – great for the centennial, but it didn’t rest well in Reed Point.
“We knew we’d be done that day,” Diane said, realizing that most people would choose the cattle drive over the celebration at Reed Point. “But then we came up with the idea to have our own drive – only it would be sheep.”
The community latched on to the idea with vengeance and with only two months until Labor Day, they became a sanctioned sheep drive event and swung into action. Soon support and attention began pouring in from around the area for the Reed Point Sheep Drive.
“We didn’t know what we were in for,” Linda Hedstrom reflected. Linda and her late husband, Chet, were involved with the Labor Day event from the beginning. “We thought maybe a few thousand and hoped for 5,000 – almost 14,000 showed up!”
Local business owner, Russ Schlievert unofficially became the spokesman for the event. His list of self-proclaimed qualifications for the role included once owning a bum lamb and having a sheepskin coat and several wool sweaters in his closet. The truth was, though, he was a great promoter. The theme of the day, of course, was sheep, mixed in with a lot of humor.
The media picked up on it and dozens of articles were written with sheep puns and parodies of the much- publicized cattle drive. Thanks to the incredibly popular cattle drive, press from around the world had already flocked to Montana and soon caught wind of Reed Point’s story. NBC positioned a camera on top of the Waterhole Saloon to bring live coverage to their viewers. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, along with local television and newspapers, clambered to capture the event.
When the day arrived, pastures outside of town became car lots and overflow traffic lined both sides of the frontage road and interstate. Extra law enforcement was called in from Billings to keep traffic flowing. The six blocks on Main Street were packed ten deep with spectators on both sides of the street. Food vendors sold out in record time, souvenir booths emptied, and several
thousand sheep paraded through the center of the rural Montana town.
With a budget of less than $1,500, six weeks of planning, and fewer than 100 volunteers, the community pulled off what became dubbed, “The #1 Centennial Event in the State.” It was declared by Montana Wool Growers as the largest gathering of Montana “sheep people” ever.
When the dust finally settled, the First Annual Reed Point Sheep Drive raised over $10,000 which was used to not only kickstart a fundraiser for an addition to the local library, but to complete it too.
The excitement only grew from there. The Reed Point Community Club (RPCC) grasped the momentum with even bigger plans for the following year and by Labor Day 1990, the town was ready. More events were planned to include sheep dog trials, spinning competitions, shearing demonstrations and a crowd favorite, the log-sawing contest. The ambitious plans funded a new community fire truck.
What began as a parody to the Cattle Drive of 89 has since become a Montana Labor Day tradition as a long-standing tradition of honoring the community heritage and sheep industry, while providing food, drink, and entertainment.
Jerry Friend has been involved every year since Bachelor Daze began and is also a member of the RPCC. He says over $250,000 has been raised through the efforts of the Sheep Drive and is the biggest annual fundraising event for the community. The money garnered has changed the dynamics of the town – funding community improvements and helping local youth. In addition to
WITH A budget of less than $1,500, 6 weeks of planning, & fewer than 100 volunteers, THE COMMUNITY PULLED OFF WHAT BECAME DUBBED, “The #1 Centennial Event in the State."
the library and fire truck, funds have been used for building improvements and equipment and training upgrades for the firehall, EMTs, and the school.
“We’ve impacted a lot of people,” Jerry said. “There are things this community has that we wouldn’t have without the money raised by the Drive. We’re now working on renovating the Depot.”
Many that attend have been coming for years to enjoy the full day of events and traditional hightlights, which include the running of the sheep, a parade, an auction of donated items from area businesses and the crowd favorite - the log sawing contest.
Late in the afternoon, in front of the Waterhole Saloon, spectators gather to see how fast a team of two can saw through a thick log using a 100-year-old, two-man crosscut saw that’s been in every contest since 1980. The crowd chants “pull, pull,” while the teams set their rhythm in an effort to beat the record time of less than 30 seconds.
The day wraps up with an auction of donated goods and a street dance bringing an end to a very full day.
The success of the 35-year-old Sheep Drive hasn’t come without hurdles. It’s become a challenge to find ranchers willing to subject their sheep to the stress of the Drive and make the time and effort to do it.
The first year, a flock of 2,000 sheep ran down Main Street after being trailed from a local ranch. Over the years, multiple sheep ranchers in the area have taken turns herding their sheep to town. Some years over 2,000 and some as low as 150 sheep make the trip.
“The number of sheep has declined,” Sig Smith, also involved for decades, said. “Bands are getting smaller, so it’s hard to find the numbers like we used to.”
There’s also been a struggle to attract new volunteers.
“That hasn’t changed,” Audrey Ott, RPCC chairperson, said. “This year, we’re down to six people and we’re still doing the Drive. It’s a lot of work.”
They persevere every year, overcoming obstacles to bring the popular and widely known event to the thousands of spectators that continue to flock to the small town every Sunday before Labor Day, swelling it to ten times its daily size. Vendors, food trucks and artists, some coming from hundreds of miles away return to take part in the show.
“It’s been an amazing run,” Jerry said. “We thought if we kept it going for five years, that would be amazing and now here we are planning the 35th year of the sheep drive and our 36th Running of the Sheep!”
SPENDING A LITTLE TIME WITH THE FRASER SIBLINGS
TAKING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WYOMING
BAKING DAY WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTER
CELEBRATING THE 4TH WITH OUR GRANDSONS
THANK YOU STU FOR SORTING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS FOR THIS ISSUE
