News from the Trail

We finally received word from Bernice, who is doing well and slowly but surely making her way toward Arizona. She truly is an amazing woman, having made her way from Northwestern Montana to Minneapolis, then rode from Minneapolis to her current location in mid-southern New Mexico. I've written a summary of her most recent letter; for the complete entry, please see our updated "Where's Bernice" web page.

Bernice, Honor (her horse) and Claire (her dog) actually are enjoying the New Mexico winter, as it brings shorter days, cooler riding weather, and a relief from bugs. She does confess that she loves her evening fire, and has to bring the water bottles into the blankets with her to keep them from freezing.

She spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, New Mexico with family and friends, and enjoyed a planned three week "vacation". From there, she started her next 800-mile stretch. First main stop, Madrid, NM. Once there, she spent another (planned) rest week with the Adlers. Last we heard, she was well on her way toward Arizona.

On the Road Again with the RMEF

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation National Convention is coming up February 22nd through the 25th. Outfitters Supply will be exhibiting at this show for the 8th consecutive year. It will be held in Reno as it was last year, but I've been to conventions in Portland, Denver, and Albuquerque as well.

If you have never attended this convention I highly recommend it. I have a difficult time getting away from the booth to take advantage of some of the fun things going on, such as the elk bugling contest where the best callers in the world compete for the world championship. If you are a hunter this is where you need to be to - not only see the latest in equipment but to learn directly from the manufacturer how to use it . There are experts on everything from masking your scent to becoming invisible using the latest in camo. The people who actually invent this gear are in their booths just waiting to talk to the public. It really is a valuable place to hang out for the serious elk hunter.

There's also plenty for the not-so-serious hunter. You'll find everything from artwork and furniture to log cabins and Alaskan halibut fishing trips. I'll be displaying just about everything you'll need to enjoy the backcountry while on horseback. There are auctions, prize drawings and a drawing to win the guided trip of a lifetime.

After hours, as if I need to remind anyone, the Black Jack tables, slots and the delicious buffet at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino beckon from just across the street. Bill Engvall will be performing at the convention as well. Why not really make a trip out of it, and head to Lake Tahoe for some chartered fishing?

I hope to see you there!

I'm guilty!

I admit that I often take for granted how fortunate I am to live in Montana. People from other parts of the country can't fathom the opportunities for trail riding we have.

Within 50 miles of home, I can ride in four different wilderness areas, a national park and literally millions of acres of other federal and state lands.

I don't need a permit or permission. I can routinely view wildlife from grizzly bears to big horn sheep. I can ride into a high mountain lake and fly fish for native cutthroat trout, enjoy the view of countless Rocky Mountain peaks or ride through meadows carpeted with wildflowers.

I'm quite sure I could ride a different trail every weekend for the rest of my life. There is always something new around the next turn, over the next mountain. I can't wait for spring. I think I'll oil my saddle!

By the way, if you get the itch, we have a corral behind the store and you're welcome to use it!

How To Start a Pack Horse or Mule

I'm following up on a question from Steve on an earlier post. In my experience, most good horses and mules take to packing very easily. Let's assume the animal is broke, or at the very least has had a lot of ground work, been sacked out, etc. First, saddle him with a pack saddle and let him get used to the breeching around his rump. Lunge him or run him around in a round pen until he seems comfortable. Then, tie a couple of empty Clorox bottles to the saddle, one on each side, with some string or rope. Put some small rocks in them so they make lots of noise while you trot him around. This will help your pack animal get used to odd sounds emanating from the packs. If your prospective pack animal is on the calm side, this should not take long.

Next, I like to put a set of Ralide-West panniers on with tin cans and rocks in them and go through the same exercise. Then, I like to do a couple of rides up my “training trail.” This trail starts off by crossing a short wooden bridge. I figure I might as well find out immediately where the problems might crop up. Then there is a creek crossing followed by some turns through a boggy area. I prefer the Ralide-West boxes because they are virtually indestructible. The quality of panniers enters into play because there are a couple of places where an inexperienced pack animal will whack a tree with the boxes. Usually, after two times they learn that they have to move out away from a tree to keep from getting that hard pannier jabbed in their ribs.

By the end of that 14-mile round trip, I usually have a pretty good idea if there are any problems that need special attention. It’s hard to make a good pack animal by merely practicing at home. If you have gotten this far without serious trouble, it’s time to just do it.

One last thought: don’t try to make a pack animal out of a horse or mule that didn’t make it as a saddle horse. A calm disposition and willingness to work are very important.

Christmas tree hunting in Montana!

I trekked through the woods Sunday, and it hit me - I wasn't chasing that elusive 7 point bull anymore. No, this time I was hunting for the perfect Christmas trees. I went a lot further into the woods than I probably needed to, but this time the hunt ended perfectly, with all three Christmas tree permits filled (not all mine!). The mountains are loaded with snow, and it should be a picture perfect winter, with plenty of water in the spring. We've been lucky the last few years in the Flathead Valley of Montana; many other parts of the state, and the nation, have really been struggling with water shortages.

The horses and mules have their winter coats, and I have my fireplace, ready to settle in for winter. Like most humans, I don't grow a thick enough coat to help much if I do get hurt or lost in the woods. If you are out there trekking around, please be cautious, and follow common-sense rules. Most importantly, make sure someone knows exactly where you are going, how you will get there, and what time you should be home. For a few tips on dealing with hypothermia, please visit my article, "Survival Tips: Preventing Hypothermia"

Hopefully we'll hear from Bernice soon as she heads back out on the trail, heading for Tucson, Arizona. Don't know who Bernice is? Be sure to read up on this amazing Long Rider from Trego, Montana.

Charlie Russell Saddle

While visiting the Charlie Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana about 15 years ago, I ran across a limited edition bronze of Charlie's saddle, done by Bob Scriver of Browning, Montana. I couldn't afford the $150, but I couldn’t pass it up, so I bought it anyway.

Several years later, one of my customers brought in an old loop seat saddle, circa 1887-89, wanting to know what it was worth. Well, the fenders had been cut in half to make a kid’s saddle, the skirts were not original, and the horn cap was torn off, but on the back of the cantle plain as day was the maker’s mark. It read “F.A. Meanea Co. MAKER Cheyenne Wyo Territory”. I told my customer that the saddle wasn't worth much as is, but if he would sell it to me for a $100 that I would rebuild it, and never sell it.

At the time, I didn't realize it, but this was identical to the saddle that Frank Meanea had built for Charlie Russell, the one in my bronze. The saddle sat in our shop for three years before I found a very talented leather tooler who said he could duplicate the original skirts and fenders. I’ve included photos for you to judge for yourself. By the way, the saddle is not for sale.

The Spirit of Giving

How many times are we all approached by this or that organization wanting a donation? A day rarely goes by that I don't get several emails, phone calls, or letters asking for a donation. Most of them are for good causes; however,if you are generous enough to send something, they always seem to double their efforts in persuading you to donate more.

I can't remember how I got started receiving the calander from Ron Mamot of the Saint Stephens Indian Mission. I think a friend had me put on the list by making a small donation. And with that small donation, I've been receiving quarterly newsletters filled with beautiful photography taken mostly on the Arapaho and Shoshone Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. When I see that envelope come in the mail, it makes my day. No hardshell here. I encourage you to think about the Saint Stephens Indian Mission Foundation the next time you open your checkbook. Below is a greeting Ron wrote in the 2007 calandar:

It doesn't take special talent or mystical powers to see God in the world around us. What it does take - and the one thing many of us don't have - is the time to truly enjoy the world of nature. Life's demands of our energy and talents often keep our noses to the grindstone with little time to relax.

Perhaps that is why our loving and caring Creator set up our beautiful world to cycle each year. Nature's cycle - never quite the same from year-to-year - offers us thrilling and wonderful new sights, sounds and smells to renew and enkindle within us a rejuvenated spirit. In addition, the changing seasons also give us a chance to observe a part of nature we may have missed the previous year.

As we work through another year, we pray that your life might be filled with happiness and rewards for your endeavors. We also pray that you have the chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful world in which we live.

Respectfully,
Ron Mamot & Staff

Contacting Saint Stephens Foundation:
Saint Stephens Indian Mission Foundation, Inc.
The Wind River Reservation
P.O. Box 278
St Stephens, Wyoming 82524-9989
307-856-6797
ssimf@wyoming.com

October 8, 2006

We've just received a very short update on Bernice... She arrived in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She's been staying at the Livestock Auction. She has a lot of pictures that will be coming soon so check back frequently.

Kansas is Long Gone...

We’ve received another letter today from Bernice Ende on her 5,000-mile journey around the western United States with her 8-year-old Thoroughbred, Honor, and her dog, Claire.

We are now a five day ride from Las Vegas! Oh let's see, where to begin? We’ve been put up in Mosquero, a tiny town on HWY 39 made up of ranchers and handsome cowboys. We came into town two days ago very tired, cold, and in need of rest and food. The weather has been so cold that it made my water bottles freeze along with the tarp covering. Claire and I had a blanket of white frost over us, yet I managed to stay warm by wearing all of my clothes all of the time, pulling my warm and faithful Claire close to me, and crawling in for the night. It gets very weary after a few nights, but it’s all in the life of a long rider. I do not complain.

When we came into Mosquero, the folks were friendly and many had heard of us coming. I asked if I could be put up for a few days. Actually many had heard of our coming, as the stop in Beuyeros a few days earlier had sent word. Sheriff Flowers, being a cowboy himself, had stopped 12 miles or so out of town to make sure we had a safe journey into his town, where we were greeted minutes after arriving. We found a corral and shed where we now "live" or call home. I have not slept in a house since leaving Minnesota. We are sleeping in a shed owned by Joe Black, where we’ve been having hot coffee and breakfast brought to us each morning. Honor had new shoes put on her this morning by Jimmy Garcia, another handsome cowboy and national roping champion, who was kind enough to take time out during his busy day as rancher and wildlife management officer. Mosquero is one of those everyone-knows-everyone towns with friendly smiles and generous amounts of hospitality. Again, good fortune has landed us in such a place to rest our weary feet.

I have become seasoned to the weather and I feel it has brought my horse, Claire, and me closer together as a traveling trio. My horse, Honor lies next to us and will eat around the campsite area before stretching to the end of her picket line. We stay together better because of it.

We leave Saturday morning for our final five day stretch into Las Vegas. I have been told it will be warmer as we descend off the plateau. We’ll have to climb back up into Las VegasMontana and this is not really that cold, not so cold that it freezes my breath." I will be put up at the fairgrounds or rodeo grounds in Las Vegas then wait for my sister to arrive and head up to her house for thanksgiving dinner. I am already dreaming of the hot turkey and pumpkin pie, I can already taste it. I tell many who offer us food or invite us in for meals that none of us Claire, Honor, nor I can be trusted around food any longer. It just always looks and tastes so good after a day’s ride. where it may be even colder. I tell people, "I am from Montana and this is not really that cold, not so cold that it freezes my breath." I will be put up at the fairgrounds or rodeo grounds in Las Vegas then wait for my sister to arrive and head up to her house for thanksgiving dinner. I am already dreaming of the hot turkey and pumpkin pie, I can already taste it. I tell many who offer us food or invite us in for meals that none of us Claire, Honor, nor I can be trusted around food any longer. It just always looks and tastes so good after a day’s ride.

I apologize for there are no photos this time. I have three rolls to develop when we get into town, then I will send many. Well, that’s the word from the trail. Many thanks for sending the emails. I wish I could send a video or somehow share in more detail this remarkable way of traveling. I don’t know how many times I have said that people would never believe this. Each and everyday is so uncertain. I never know where I will sleep, where I will get food, or what the road ahead is like, yet each night I lie down and all of our needs have been met somehow, and we are safe, warm, and dry. I am always grateful to those who stop by with curiosity. I always appreciate the generosity that comes our way as it would be quite impossible to ride long rides without the help of others.

Best wishes to all of you at Outfitters Supply in Columbia Falls, Montana. Many thanks for the support.

-Bernice

How to Set a Rivet

Choose the setter with a hole diameter slightly larger than the rivet being set.

Push the rivet through the hole, then turn the material over.

Place the burr on the rivet, then use the rivet setting tool's straight hole to drive the burr down tight against the material.

Cut the rivet off close to the burr with nippers (hoof nippers work fine for this). Do not cut off flush with the burr, but leave about 1/16 of an inch above the burr. The hole on the side of the rivet setter can be used to dislodge any waste that is wedged in the tool.

Place the concave recess of the setter on the burr. Hold perpendicular and strike the tool forcefully, turning to the left, then right as you strike. This spreads the end of the rivet over the burr, simultaneously rounding its end.

A few extra blows from the soft faced mallet can be used to flatten the rivet end a bit if desired.

More images...