Last month I wrote about my upcoming trip to Montana. I was the camp cook on an elk hunt. Turned out we went to the Madison Mountains vs. the Absorka's.
The wolves have so decimated the "northern herd" of elk in the Yellowstone ecosystem that the outfitter will no longer take hunters to that spot in the Absorka range. Think about it ... a hunter calls you to book a trip (about $4,000/person) and the outfitter says no. Authenticity is part of being a cowboy. This would be like a car dealer saying, "I will not sell you that car you want because it will not deliver to you what you expect it will", which I suspect would never happen.
Cowboys have a predisposition for doing things simply because it is the right thing to do. One of the many reasons I am so inspired by the "cowboy way".
I worked 19 hours a day for 9 straight days. I am not kidding. This was absolutely the most difficult thing I'd ever done physically in my life. I cooked 27 meals in a row. Up at 3a.m. and breakfast ready by 4:45a.m. My food was good (if not better ... in my humble opinion) but the pressure was more about the timing and having everything ready at the same time. Dinners included steak, a honey baked ham, a pork roast, a stew (made over 10 hours) Texas style chili among others. We were eating 8,000 calories per day.
Each day I'd take the horses to water three times. This chore took a lot of time as the walk to/from the horses was not just a few steps.
The first day we arrived in camp at dark. Now remember ... I had never done this before, so I was figuring out "my kitchen" as if a pilot with all the instruments broken in the cockpit's system of read-outs. Not only did I have to see what cooking apparatus I had, what food was in "the pantry" (actually, "bear boxes") but also what food we had packed into camp with us.
I had to find the water (creek about 200 yards from my kitchen) in the dark. I'd "fetch" water 5-6 times per day. There were 3 locations for chopping wood. I think I had an axe in my hands 6 or 7 hours per day.
It started to snow when we arrived. Twenty three hours later we had 45+ inches of snow ... maybe 4 feet!! I was frantically moving from tent to tent getting snow off the flies, which was the "roof" keeping the tents dry. There were 7 tents in total ... kitchen ... dining room ...guest tents ... staff tents ... etc. I could not keep up. Late in the afternoon the ridge pole of the dining tent snapped ... thank god I had no fire going at that time in the tent!! We got it repaired and dinner was only one hour late. Unfortunately, I got to wash dishes after every meal ... so that was a late night.
There is no choice but to deal with everything that comes at you... and in real time. This was as close to survival as I've experienced.
Two days before we headed back down the mountains my hands hurt so badly that to touch anything was extreme pain. The nerve endings in my fingers still hurt three weeks after I've returned home. Every finger was cracked open (no matter how much lotion you had put on). The work went on. The men who I worked with, those true frontiersmen, would simply super glue the cracks together in between each trip. You see, within 36 hours of our return they were headed back up into "the hills".
My psyche has never felt better. My body is still recovering. Oh yea ... I made $360 in tips, too.
Have a great holiday season.
W2
Blue - 12/23/2009 5:46:29 PM DST (GMT-4)
Great Story....took me back to growing up with a horse farming grandfather in the mountains of Utah. Daylight to dark, hard as hell but never better days nor company. Thanks for taking us with you!
ggreenblum - 12/23/2009 7:07:00 PM DST (GMT-4)
Watts, loved reading your story. You'll have to come south to see the cowboy way down here in South Texas. Makes you want to saddle up! Take care and good holidays. gg
Panama Bill - 12/25/2009 11:53:16 AM DST (GMT-4)
Watts,,,Wonderful story but to cold,,You need to consider the Gaucho life here in Rep de Panama Watts, Wonderful weather every day, Clean air & Water, If you ever want to Be a Cowboy again,,,Come look me up in Panama, bill wjm6350@hotmail.com
Toyman Todd - 12/25/2009 7:42:42 PM DST (GMT-4)
Terrific essay, Watts – a great Christmas read. I think your efforts certainly refute the idea that there is no true altruism. No matter what personal spiritual gain you may have achieved, those hunters fared much better! I bet the Texas chili was absolutely amazing – I am quite jealous. I have no hardship stories or challenges that compare – maybe someday. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
NJLee3 - 12/26/2009 3:04:32 PM DST (GMT-4)
Hey Watts, Merry Christmas! Great story. So did y'all get any elk?
sowatts - 12/30/2009 12:29:59 PM DST (GMT-4)
thank you all for the kind words. it's mow 6 weeks out of the hills and my right hand still hurts but the thrill just keeps on chugg'n. i hope everyone keeps thinking about what inspires them and works their plan, daily, on making it a part of on-going!!
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