DECEMBER 2004 FEEDBAG PAGE Were Back on I Don't Know What Them Go
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EEDBA ~=E DECEMBER 2004 Editor: Thelma Elser (549·2820) 2004 OFFICERS items discussed were oil drilling on the East Front which has sinGe 273-f3727 been tabled by the BLM, at least for the present time, trail Pres , Gary Salisbury 273-8967 maintenance and reclassification and the Right to Ride Bill. The Right to Ride legislation has passed the House (H.R 2966). This bill is a Sec , Michael Moore 273-2310 recogndion of the unique place that horses and saddle stock have on Treas., Becky Rohwer 72HI700 our heritage and in recreation on public lands. It should help to BOARD OF IHRECTORS guarantee horsemen the right to ride on all public lands. It is not too Don Borth (1 year) 728-2526 late to write to Senator Baccus and Senator Bums and urge their Smoke Elser (1 year) 549-2820 support of this bill when d hils the noor in the Senate. Paul Ewnson (2 years) 251-2163 John Farvo (2 yearn) 726-6338 On November 9" and 10"' we put up our club display at the USDA Ron Hoff (1 year) 273-8556 Centennial Forum here in Missoula at the Holiday Inn_ At this Forum, our National BCH received an award for our partnership with the John Kaiser (1 year) 543-6000 Forest Service in providing many hours of volunteer labor nationwide_ Ric~ Sherman (2 years) 625-2247 Also, our own Smoke Elser received a similar award for his STATE DIRECTORS partnership with them in training and leadership in "leave no trace" Smoke Elser (2 years) 549-2820 stock use. Bartl Parl<:..- (1 year) 273-&1110 Mike Chandler (alternate) 549-7659 You will note that our constitution is printed in this Feed Bag - there are several changes that we need to vote on at our next general COMMITTEE CHAIRS meeting. This printing of the constitution here meets our requirement Education, Dan Harper 256-15467 to noMy the membership 30 days prior to voting on any changes in Feedbag, Thelma Elser 549-2620 the constitution. Horseman's Counc~ Mike Hartkom We have two large events coming up_ On December 11"', the State lssuee, Paul Evenson 251-2163~''"" Board of Directors will meet at 10 A.M. in Smoke's bam. Lunch will Memi>ersh;p, Becky Rohwer 721-8796 be supplied for a fee of $5.00_ All members are welcome to attend Phone, Judy Ward ~761 and learn what goes on at the state level of our organization. Projects, Keith Guoohausky 543-7957 Publicity, Barbara Parker ~?Hl416 Also on December 11'" at 6:30 Yffl ~Jck Qff G\dr annua! Christmas Party Sodel, CaroOne Bauer 273-{3957 and Pot Luck. This event also takes place in Smoke and Thelma's Sponsorship bam. We will be having our annual auction of your white elephant L<>o Mae LeP"""'"e 251-5729 items, craft or art items, baked goods etc. This is always fun_ We Will enjoy live music provided by a three--pieCe blue grass band called "Country Folk & Cousin Ray". Many of our sta1e board members and wives stay for this evening so come, bring a guest and help make the Due to Bob Ooty's illness, I am still evening a success I acting President. You will be happy to know, however, that Bob is doing On January 21"' our annual pot luck and membership drive will take well, ar'ld is back at work_ Hopefully, place. You will be hearing more about thts at a little later date. we'll soon see h1m back at our meetings! We hope we'll see you at our Christmas Pot Luck and that you will bring a friend and prospective member. We've been busy the past two or three months. We had a good tum h .f.t.;.,., out for our November issues Did you know our club performed well over 100 man hours committee meeting_ Among the of volunteer work this year? PAGE FEEQBAG QE£EMBER 200f GENERAL MEETING term on the state board. Barb Gil felt it necessary to sample a Parker was elected to fill a two bit of the load on the way in. It 7.30 P_M 3rrl Wcdncoofa;· of each ooornh year spot on the state board and was getting dark with a ways to No geru:ral mcctins in January Mike Chandler was elected as the go when Gil started falling off his Mt Fish, Wilillifu & Parks lteadquarter. alternate. As delegates on the horse. Dad would help him back J:<!ll Spurgm Roood state board, Smoke and Mike have on and hand him his pack string a vote on our board. BOARD MEETING lead and =ntinue on until he fell off again_ This went on until well 6olll P_M_ Get involved, volunteer for a after dark. Finally, frustrated and l'rior to g<neOil meeting committee (We are going to angry, my dad threatened to Special Board Meetings scheduled need a new editor for this leave him in the trail. He kept his every three months - 1'" one nGWSiet1et1 - along with other word. He drug Gil off the trail, tied 6:30P.M. JanuarylS"',.2004 committee chairs. Gil's stnng onto the back of his and headed on into camp. ML Fish, Wildlife & Pork-,; J leodquarters ISStiF.S MEETING THE END OF AN OUTFIT Around daylight Gil staggered Call Jloh ""''"'"" 251-2163 ~ into camp soaking wet from R"K Sherman Scllc<lulcd ... n=lcd crossing the South Fork on foot need to preface this story with He grabbed an ax and went to the fact that it's littered through wake up my dad Fortunately he the eyes and memory of a then heard him coming but the fight twelve-year-old boy. I didn't know put a dark cloud over !he what was going on between my partnership_ That evening Ole, father and his partner in the the cook, sampled the load a bit outfit, but it became pretty clear heavily himself and fell down the after that last trip. bank to the river, knocking out his front teeth. They rode out the The two families had been next day to take Ole into the struggling to keep the outfit afloat doctor and to get the guests. For the next twelve morrths the for several years when my father following slate of officers will be finally booked the trip that would We had to lease some running our organi~tion. Please take us out of the hole and up to packhorses to cover the size of give them your support and the next level of success. this tnp. One horse in particular volunteer to help the ch.1b on one of was not a good fit We called him the numerous standing A local insurance branch office in the Roan. About halfway in, he committees. Great Falls was inviting the main chose to blow near the front of a office big wigs from Chicago out !eng !ine. ! watc.'1ed from some President, Gary Salisbury. Rick for a trip irrto the Bob for a week distance back as one horse after Shen-nan gives up his second year of fishing and floating_ They hired another blew in a chain reaction on the board to become the Vice the Diamond R to show them a that travel-ed back toward me I President Becky Rowller and good time. It was time to decided to bail and threw a leg Mike Moore bath retain their demonstrate what we could do over as my horse blew. I positions as treasurer and and generate some big city remember the cinch, the seat, the secretary. clientele_ cinch, and the seat until my boot came off and I went sailing down Your board will be composed of It took several trips in to set up the steep side hill. I no sooner Bob Doty (as past president), Paul and stock the camp at Black quit rolling than my dad was Evanson and John Favro both with Bear. At that time, the trail there, S<XlOping me up and 1 year remaining on their terms, started at the Spotted Bear checking for injuries. I never have newly elected to the board are RangB!' StatiM, so it was a figured out how he got there so John Kaiser, Don Barth, Lola Mae twenty-mile ride in. There were fast since he was in the lead. LeProwsa, all for two years and plans to set up for quite a party, Nancy Stoverud for 1 year. Smoke so two of the packhorses carried I didn't get hurt too bad and we Elser has 1 year remaining of his nothing but booze_ My father and continued on once all the loads DECEMBER 2004 FEEDBAG PAGE were back on I don't know what them go. I wanted to go back for It was beautiful inside the Gorge the guests were do1ng during all my dad, but t was in a fight with The walls were sheer white and that, but it must have been a hell my horse because he wanted to tall and the water was glass of a show. join ltle stampede_ Just ltlen Dad smooth and green black. tt looked came loping over the hill. Lord serene and calm and safe, like you The rest of the trip in and the first what a relief for both of us. would want to continue down its couple of days went fairly length just to see it all. At that time smoothly I was oblivious to the The story for Carl, the wrangler no one had ever survived a trip bad blood between Gil and my ahead of us, was the same as for through the Gorge_ We climbed dad, but I could feel the tension me_ We got back to camp to a the walls to get out without understand'ng what was corral full of bru1sed, bloody happening_ horses and eight miles of broken As I have mentioned the "guests" pack equ1pment behind us.