Boulder Stories
July 17, 18 &19, 2008
Anasazi State Park
Boulder, Utah
"School Days "
If you have a story of growing up in Boulder or family stories of living in Boulder (past or present), please send them to us and we'll post them here. E-mail: Boulderheritagefestival@yahoo.com phone: 435-335-7422 |
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| I would experience one more great cattle drive the summer I was thirteen, after my first winter away to school. Father told me he wanted me to drive a herd of cattle from Boulder to his summer range above Salt Gulch. He suggested I call Barbara in Salt Gulch and ask her to join me on a horse when I went past her place. She could trail the slower cattle while I went ahead to guide them to the right gate. I hesitated until he promised me that I could ride Sorley, his best cow horse. He said that Sorley knew what to do. All I had to do was stay on him while he did it. My father's last warning proved prophetic. How could he have sensed that I wouldn't stay on him? Father promised to help me give the herd a good start. He stayed with me, all right, until we crossed Home Bench. He pulled his horse up and announced he had to go to another pressing job. I was already considerably worried about a bull and five dry cows he had included among slow cows and calves. They were continually running ahead. I asked Father what I should do to keep them under control. He said, rather impatiently, I needed to strike out ahead of the herd, when there was danger of them turning up a wash, instead of making a turn on a road. Big Holler, a canyon coming up, had just such a wash at the bottom where the road turned. He refused my request to stay and help me through Big Holler at least. Just as I feared the wild bunch started running fast down the narrow steep road into Big Holler. I suppose Father would have crowded Sorley through the slow herd, hell bent for leather, but I wasn't willing to take such risks. I trailed them until they all got to the bottom before I checked for tracks to see if the wild bunch had made the turn on the road. My worst fears were realized when I saw fresh cow tracks going up the wash. I knew I better travel fast to catch up with them. Sorley did have a good idea what to do and took me swiftly in pursuit. I caught up with them fairly soon. I dashed around and turned them back toward the road. Suddenly a pesky lead cow darted up the sheer side of the canyon wall. I was frankly afraid to follow her up the steep incline for fear of tumbling down on my horse. Thinking fast, I decided to jump off, tie Sorley to a bush, and pursue her on foot. I got up far enough on foot that I turned her back down. I rushed back and climbed on Sorley again, who was probably beginning to look askance at me with his wise equine eyes. To my dismay, as soon as I stopped chasisng her, the lead cow turned up the steep incline again followed by the others. I didn't think I was capable of doing anything but chasing them on foot. I dismounted, tied Sorely very swiftly and probably not well to another bush. I started after the cattle, only to see Sorley pull away from the bush out of the corner of my eye. I remembered too late that he was prone to bolt when his reins were loose. Sure enough, my great cow horse, spooked by his inexperienced rider, was bolting for home. I stumbled after him five miles back to Boulder, calling for him to stop. He, being a horse, refused to pay me any heed. By the great grace of God, Father had not yet left home. He cursed a mighty oath when I appeared. He saddled his own mount again, caught Sorley, and we rode off post haste toward Big Holler. "We won't know any more than a pig where all those cattle have gone!" he raved. I have always thought cowboy guardian angels were watching out for me that day. When we got to Big Holler we found all the cattle besides the wild bunch lying quietly in the shade at the bottom, taking a rest. As I drove them the rest of the way out of Big Holler, Father said he would try to round up the troublemakers. I noticed he spurred his horse almost straight up the incline I feared to tackle on horseback. He joined me surprisingly soon with the bull and four dry cows. He said the pesky lead cow was probably half way to the mountain by now and would be trespassed. We drove the herd only slightly further when Father pulled his horse up. "What are you doing?" I shouted. "You surely aren't going to leave me alone with this wild bunch again." "All you have to do is get around them when there's a wash, and for God's sakes, stay on the horse." Father turned and rode purposefully off toward home. I could tell he did not mean to be persuaded to change his plans no matter what I said. The wild bunch soon took off up a wash, and I had to ride faster than I ever had, chasing cattle, to catch up with them and turn them back. I didn't think I could ride like that, but I had no other choice. I was nervous all the rest of the way, watching intently for the treacherous beasts to make a move to escape me. They only slowed down when they finally tired, and Barbara joined me after we passed her place. With her trailing the slow cows and calves, now very tired, I could relax my constant vigilance a little. Driving the cattle the rest of the way was easy, but I was still extremely relieved to see the right gate next to a cattle guard up the mountain a ways we were to drive them through. Our arduous task done we turned around and headed back down the mountain. To my surprise Sorley began to dance. I had never seen Sorley dance except on the 4th of July during the rodeo. He obviously thought this was a happy enough occasion to merit a celebration. I felt like the queen of cowgirls as I rode down the mountain on Sorley, the undisputed king of cow horses, prancing all the way. At Barbara's I called Mother who rewarded us by coming to get Sorley and me in the pickup truck. History by Gerry King Hitt |