Memorial weekend may have passed us by the time the homing-bird gets this to you, but at any rate, I figured you’d like to know there will be a rendezvous up on the Rock Creek that weekend.  For those not knowin’ the place, you go up Blacksmith Fork Canyon to Hardware Ranch—stay on the dirt road leading North—continue to the second drainage.  We’ll be raizin’ hell just off to the left.  Shin’in times!  Lots of trading, shootin, and drinkin—bring your stuff and plan on an over-nighter.  Expect to see the regular guys—Muskrat, Just George, Road Kill, Snake, Gert , Rut Runner and others.

Speaking of names, have I told you about “Dry Dog”?  He’s a real nice compliment to the Willow Creek Free Trappers—works hard when he works, plays hard when he plays.  Always does his part….well, almost always.

Once we were “makin meat” up near the Kurl Ranch in the Bear Lake area.  He was assigned the packing of the mule for an all-day’er away from base camp.  We needed essentials like, meat, potatoes, and beer.  Any form of these three items is acceptable, and accouterments like ketchup, mustard, chip dip, gravy, etc. are welcome.  After all—just having to be out in the wild, cold, snowy mountains looking for game to keep our families alive was  enough yet alone be without a few of the necessities of day-to-day living.

We headed for the top of the mountain, trudging through waste deep, cold, wet snow, finally halting among the thick aspen forest for lunch.

“Hey Steve” (his Christian first name) “What we havin’ for lunch”?

“Hot dogs cooked over the open fire.  We’ll use willows to hold the weenies while they cook”.

“Great, let’s get started”.

Not much better than a crackling open fire and the smell of a cooking hot dog on a stick.  Makes for some good conversation, and beer don’t taste too bad neither.

“Hey Steve, where’s the buns and stuff”?

“In the sack”!

“Got the buns and chips, how about ketchup and mustard”?

“O-a-a-ouch, they’re back at main camp, I set them on the cooler top, sorry guys…guess I forgot to put them in the sack.”

“Boy Tracker, these hot dogs sure are hard to swallow when they are this dry.  I wonder if putting potato chips in the bun would moisten them up”?

“Hey Bears Butt, that isn’t half bad that way—beats the heck out of ‘dry dogs’”!

“’Dry Dog’,–Hey Steve, how do you like that name? ‘Dry Dog’”?

And at the council fire that night the jug was passed, and wherever mountain men shall meet forever more “Dry Dog” he shall be.

Bears Butt

May-Jun1987