Category: Adventures with family

The road to the old home place was not much more than a beaten path riddled with rocks and potholes that led into the mountains, and we managed to find every one of them. We jiggled back and forth when we forded the creek, the sound of stones crunching under the tires. 

History lived there in the trees and behind rock piles along the trail. We heard it whisper old tales as we passed by. Laughter sang through the boughs of firs and pines as images of children played outside the old schoolhouse that once stood in the woods. If one knew where to look, there might even be faint visions of children pulling on the reins of the horses that stomped their hooves and swatted flies with their tails. Kids hid behind sagebrush while one rode an imaginary horse that looked like a dried-up stump. In the distance was the sound of the shrill whine of a sawmill. Smoke rose from the chimney as a greeting to any that made it that far into the heart of the mountains.  

Though no one had lived at the place at the end of the road for some time, memories still lingered. As we pulled into the yard, we were greeted by Quaking Aspens waving their shimmering leaves in the summer light as if anxiously awaiting our arrival.

An old fence that at one time surrounded and protected the log cabin was all but gone except for a few worn pieces of wooden rails scattered on the ground. A weathered gate cheated time and stood defiantly in its place. Its rusty hinges gripped tightly to the posts that held the gate. Patches of faded green paint clung stubbornly to the brittle slats. A round piece of old machinery chained to the gate hung heavily to keep it closed and to signal the comings and goings of family and friends. Though I could have easily walked right past the gate, I opened it anyway and was not disappointed to hear the clang clang as it slammed behind me. 

I stepped onto the walkway that led to the sagging door of the cabin. As I entered the doorway, a light breeze stirred remembrances along with the dust and dirt that danced across the floor with a breath of the wind. Memories came to life. 

Thoughts and images flashed before me and soon the chill in the air dissipated. I looked around and was amazed at what I saw in my mind’s eyes. The wood cookstove was fired up and the cabin filled with warmth. On the kitchen floor was a washtub filled with hot water where a teenaged girl had just soothed her aching muscles after her trek in the mountains. At the sound of the clank and clang of the gate, weary backpackers trudged down the walkway into the house to be relieved of their burdens and greeted with the aroma of meat and potatoes cooking on the old stove. After dropping their packs and other gear, some plunked down on the long wooden bench and rubbed their aching feet. Some backed up to the crackling fire under the watchful eyes of the old deer mount that surveyed the scene with the shifting eyes of a sentry. At another glance, I saw little girls sipping hot tea out of fancy teacups with their grandmother. The slam of the gate caught my attention again as kids ran in and out of it as they played. 

I think those who went through the gate just liked to hear that resonating tone, for you see, it signified something greater than just a clanging clanking noise. It symbolized hospitality, an ever-encouraging word, family, friends, love, laughter, and tales of life in the mountains. It meant safety, and protection from the rest of the world.

All too soon, it was time to go. The gate clapped one last time as it closed behind us. With one look back at the place in the mountains that had once teemed with life, I knew that on another day, we would make that journey again.

Though the green wooden gate no longer stands in the mountains, it remains a portal to a place of serenity, a place to recharge, and a place to visit in my memories when all else in the world seems wrong. 

The side road between the Big Horn and Pryor Mountains abruptly came to an end. I cautiously stood on the precipice and peered into the Bighorn Canyon below thinking it could swallow me at any moment. 

Massive rugged walls of colorful layers of rock rose 1000 feet from the riverbed. Time and unrelenting forces of wind and water carved the canyon leaving stone sentinels to stand guard along the pea soup green algae water of the Bighorn River that winds through the curvy gorge. 

Not far away in this high dry country between the mountains, I walked along a trail where teepees once stood in the shadow of a rocky cliff. I looked across the valley and could almost envision the camp of teepees, fires burning, little ones playing and helping the women and men as the buffalo harvest was under way. Though the teepees no longer point toward the big sky, the stone rings that once secured them still remain, and so does their story. Wild mustangs, descendants of Spanish horses brought to the area by the Crow Indians, still make their home in the Pryor Range and stand watch over their homeland.

It is said that several hundred years ago, the Crow Chief was instructed in a vision to take his people and “find the mountain range where the sacred tobacco plant grows.” They eventually came to the Bighorn Mountains where the treasured plant continues to live. This area which includes parts of Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, became the historical homelands of the Crow Nation. Through this journey, they became known as the Apsáalooke. 

Through an exhibit, “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors,” currently on display at the Museum of the Rockies, we were able to walk through part of their journey. It was a fascinating trail exploring their beginnings in this historical homeland and traveling with them past works of art, and into modern times ending with contemporary clothing intricately designed. My mother would have been in awe of their artistic creations and seamstress expertise. 

The exhibit began with the story of how the Crow tribe came to the area. As I read their brief account, I was amazed to find that the place upon which I had stood among the teepee rings just days before in view of the Bighorn Mountains was in the land the Apsáalooke called home. My thought was, “It is indeed a small world.”

Several miles away from the site of the teepee rings, a baby boy was born into the Crow tribe at the-cliffs-that-have-no-name in 1848. His name was Chiilaphuchissaaleesh, or “Buffalo Bull Facing The Wind.” When he was just a boy he made his way with others to the Crazy Mountains, known to the Crow tribe as Awaxawapiia. The mountains were a sacred place to them. For four days, the young boy fasted and prayed for a vision that would strengthen and guide not only himself, but also the Crow people. He was granted his desire. Later, as the boy grew to a man, he was called Plenty Coups and he became Chief of the Crow tribe.

The Crazy Mountains are still considered a sacred place for the Crow nation as well as those who have lived in the heart and shadows of the mountains. It has been a place of refuge for some, a place to relax and reflect and enjoy beauty beyond description. Many still go there for guidance and to seek a vision.  One writer put it this way: 

“The Crazy Mountains overlook so much more than a landscape. They are keepers of the stories of the past, and they could provide keys for the future. Those who live in the shadow of the Crazies know of their beauty, and others, those who’ve experienced or heard stories of their power, can feel their presence from afar.”

And so it is in a sacred land…

We pulled into the driveway and parked the dusty four-wheelers. I pried my fingers loose from the handlebars and sat for a few minutes before throwing one leg over the seat and slowly sliding off. It had been a 10 ½ hour day trailing cattle to summer pastures. Two more days of trailing and that part of the herd was settled for a while. When we reached the end of the last drive, though I had offered little, I wore a look of satisfaction while completely and contentedly exhausted. I think I even walked a bit bowlegged just like the time I helped drive cattle over the mountains on horseback with my cousin, her crew, and my sister. 

Somewhere along the ride back home the last day on the trail, a thought came to mind, and with the thought was a sense of renewed wonder and respect for my ancestors. Many years ago, they went on a long goat drive. The end of May 1895, the Brannin family left Sapillo Creek, New Mexico and began the long trek by wagons and horseback to Marysville, Montana. Just going that distance of about 1400 miles (by today’s road) was quite a task for the Brannin family and others who traveled with them, but they also trailed a herd of 900 angora goats, 360 horses, and 90 burros. They treasured joys of the journey as they tucked away memories of their time together and made lifelong friends. They also faced many challenges and disappointments along the way, but what others considered obstacles merely spurred them on. 

Can you imagine seeing that exodus come your way and passing by? Four covered wagons drawn by horse teams and a mule drawn spring wagon driven by one of the girls followed behind the Brannin “boys” driving the goats, horses, and burros that scattered across the landscape. Any of those alone would have been fascinating to see, but all together must have made quite a picture. I can almost hear the sounds of hooves and the bleats, neighs, and brays of the animals. I can almost see dust rolling behind the company as they pass through deserts and prairies and hear echoes from canyon walls as they descend into valleys and climb steep mountain passes.

Over one year after their departure, the Brannin clan arrived at their Montana destination, but even that wasn’t the end. Years later, wide-eyed children sat in silent awe as family gathered around the table or sat in front of the stone fireplace in the Brannin Ranch lodge and listened to firsthand stories of the historic drive north. The legacy continues to be passed on to later generations as family history is repeated in oral tales and written memories of those long gone.

As I walked away from the four-wheeled steed, a light breeze tugged at my memories, and the stories I’ve heard so many times seemed a bit more real. My step became a bit lighter. I shook the dust from my hat. It had been a good day!

I opened the gate and made my way past the bawling cows and calves that wandered restlessly around the barnyard kicking up dust. They complained about being driven from their pasture. After they settled down a bit the calves were separated from the cows. A couple of guys persuaded, guided, and pushed each calf through an opening between the gates that led to the hydraulic calf table. In less than a minute the calf was lifted on the table, branded, tagged, banded if required, and vaccinated. The cows bellowed and hollered as they waited for their calves to be returned. Within a short period of time, they were reunited and soon in the pasture grazing once again.

That is much different than it was in days of long ago when my dad watched his uncles on branding day. That was a time when family and friends gathered for the branding and the festivities that followed. 

Ropers, wranglers, and those wielding branding irons made their way to the corral along with the spectators who hung on the fence or peered through the log rails. Then, the excitement really began. One of the ropers threw their lasso around a calf’s neck and another cowboy wrestled it to the ground and tied its legs together. A couple of guys held the calf down while the hot iron was applied and burned its identifying mark on the rump. Smoke from the iron mingled with dust that hung heavy over the corral as the smell of burning hair and flesh was blown away in the breeze. When all was done, everyone headed to the lodge. Recounted tales of the day mingled with good natured laughter and the aroma of food coming from the kitchen. It has been a good day.

Times and methods change but branding day is still a vital part of the cowboy culture. What once required many people now takes only a few.  Branding irons heated by fire are now replaced with electric irons, but brands are applied the same way to burn marks of ownership that cannot be removed.  

On branding day, I didn’t peer through the fence rails and see ropers and wranglers in action, but I still got to be a spectator. Somehow, amid the noise and the smoke, I imagined how it might have been in the days of my father’s youth. I think I caught a glimpse of him standing in the middle of the corral, Uncle Dick on the horse, Uncle Sid and Uncle Barney holding down a calf, and a youngster bending over to watch Uncle Ed wield the hot iron to apply the brand. Yes, it was a good day!