Continued from yesterday ...
I'll let Stella continue the story in her own words:
"Rowdy was directly behind Preacher John, a cantankerous jack who brayed loud and often, when a rock squirrel skittered onto the trail, saw the mules, became confused and foolishly darted between Rowdy's feet.
"That did it! The little mule climbed right on top of Preacher John's back. The Preacher humped up and let fly with both hind feet, catching Rowdy under the chin with one shod hoof.
"That hurt! Rowdy spun half around, collided with Little Orphan Annie behind him, and in the melee fell off the trail and tumbled end over end a hundred yards down the mountain. The pack came loose, and pots and pans, knives and forks fell like metallic rain among the chollas and rocks."
It was immediately evident to Jeff and Herman that Rowdy was dead, laying at the bottom of the canyon with "his head ... twisted sharply under his shoulder ..." The pair set about that task of salvaging what they could from the wreck and moving the pack train up to the camp.
Each reacted differently to the accident. Jeff seems to have had a soft spot in his heart for the cantankerous mule. "Jess felt bad about loosing the spunky old mule," wrote Stella.
Herman seems to have channeled his grief toward his precious starter, now plastered all over the canyon. Stella continued, "Old Herman was beside himself with grief over loosing his sourdough starter."
Not one to mourn the loss of Rowdy, Herman jumped into action while Jeff tended to the surviving animals. His immediate concern turned to recovering as much of the starter as he could.
No cook, regardless of his reputation, wanted to serve flat biscuits, those devoid of any life. Even rough and tumble cowboys had a hart time devouring biscuits that have more value as a weapon than sustenance.
Next comes my favorite paragraph in Chuck Wagon Cookin'. It's not a favorite because I relish eating contaminated biscuits.
I enjoy the story because it embodies the character of the Old West. Some cooks did what was necessary to get the job done, even when it meant scooping a working sourdough started from the carcass of a dead mule.
Like Jeff, who watched Herman's sourdough started rescue operation, I would've skipped his biscuits the next morning. Jeff knew from experience that Herman's biscuits were suspect.
What Jeff observed next was enough to sure him of eating Herman's biscuits forever. Let's join Stella as she finishes the story:
"Old Herman was still working around Rowdy's body, busy with a pan and a large ladle he'd managed to salvage. Jeff then relates in wonder the scene he witnessed. For old Herman was scraping sourdough that had spilled onto Rowdy's face, covering the little mule's head with a messy shroud.
"Herman managed to get several spoonfuls of the stuff into his pan and climbed back over the cactus and boulders to his horse, with a triumphant smile on his bearded face.
"Next morning, in camp, old Herman served sourdough biscuits to the crew as usual. All except Jeff, who passed."
This is one of many stories in Chuck Wagon Cookin', a book that celebrates the lore from a bye-gone era, often learned in the "College of Dutch Oven Cookery."
Biscuits anyone?
Showing posts with label cows cowboys and horses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cows cowboys and horses. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Dead mule sourdough biscuits
I've always held a special place in my heart for those with whom I share a birthday. Among those is camp cook and celebrated horsewoman Stella Hughes.
Unfortunately, I didn't learn of our association until 15 months after her death. Stella died at 92 in her adapted state of Arizona on December 16, 2008.
"Stella could feed 100 hungry people as easily as she could a small dinner party," wrote writer Suzie Cox in the Eastern Arizona Courier.
"She worked hard right alongside [husband and stockman] Mack [Hughes], many times helping to drive the cattle on long drives down the Nantac Rim to Calva, always packing a camera along to document the day."
I first learned of Stella over 10 years ago when I found a copy of Chuck Wagon Cookin’ in a Placerville used book store. The University of Arizona Press first published the book in 1974.
More than a collection of 112 recipes, many of which come from an era of down-home cooking, are the stories of chuckwagon cooking on the range. Like Ramon F. Adams' Come and Get It: The Story of the Old Cowboy Cook, Chuck Wagon Cookin’ is a must-read for anyone interested in the lore of Old West wagon cooking.
Belated news of Stella’s passing gave me a chance to take a fresh look at her story of the range cook that "rescued" a few drops of sourdough starter from the carcass of a mule named Rowdy. The story "points out most vividly to what great lengths a cook would go in order to perpetrate his precious starter," said Stella.
Sometime in the late-1920s, the JF Ranch, located in the Superstition Mountains east of the Phoenix metropolitan area, moved the roundup kitchen throughout the rugged range via pack train. The train packed the "cook’s kitchen, cowboy’s bedrolls, horse feed, the whole works."
Like all cowboy cooks of the day, JF's cook, a less than clean character only identified as "Herman, an old Dutchman," kept his sourdough starter in a large earthen crock, "tucked carefully in a corner of one pack box" on Rowdy’s back. The lid to Herman’s crock was tied on with a "less than clean towel."
As the primary leavening agent for biscuits, pancakes and bread, the cook guarded his precious keg of sourdough. "The loss of a starter was classified as a major calamity."
Rowdy was one of a number of "'characters,' mostly bad," from among the mules owned by the JF. For months, Rowdy would act the part of a perfect pack mule. Once the mule-skinner relaxed, said Stella, "Rowdy would pull his caper."
On this day, Herman accompanied cowboy Jeff Lauderdale, one of the hired hands of the JF. Jeff told the story to Stella sometime in the intervening years.
Several hours out of the ranch, the pack string approached an "extremely narrow and steep" section of the trail. One slip of the hoof would send the pack animals hurling down to the rocky canyon below, a fall of several hundred feet.
To be continued ...
Unfortunately, I didn't learn of our association until 15 months after her death. Stella died at 92 in her adapted state of Arizona on December 16, 2008.
"Stella could feed 100 hungry people as easily as she could a small dinner party," wrote writer Suzie Cox in the Eastern Arizona Courier.
"She worked hard right alongside [husband and stockman] Mack [Hughes], many times helping to drive the cattle on long drives down the Nantac Rim to Calva, always packing a camera along to document the day."
I first learned of Stella over 10 years ago when I found a copy of Chuck Wagon Cookin’ in a Placerville used book store. The University of Arizona Press first published the book in 1974.
More than a collection of 112 recipes, many of which come from an era of down-home cooking, are the stories of chuckwagon cooking on the range. Like Ramon F. Adams' Come and Get It: The Story of the Old Cowboy Cook, Chuck Wagon Cookin’ is a must-read for anyone interested in the lore of Old West wagon cooking.
Belated news of Stella’s passing gave me a chance to take a fresh look at her story of the range cook that "rescued" a few drops of sourdough starter from the carcass of a mule named Rowdy. The story "points out most vividly to what great lengths a cook would go in order to perpetrate his precious starter," said Stella.
Sometime in the late-1920s, the JF Ranch, located in the Superstition Mountains east of the Phoenix metropolitan area, moved the roundup kitchen throughout the rugged range via pack train. The train packed the "cook’s kitchen, cowboy’s bedrolls, horse feed, the whole works."
Like all cowboy cooks of the day, JF's cook, a less than clean character only identified as "Herman, an old Dutchman," kept his sourdough starter in a large earthen crock, "tucked carefully in a corner of one pack box" on Rowdy’s back. The lid to Herman’s crock was tied on with a "less than clean towel."
As the primary leavening agent for biscuits, pancakes and bread, the cook guarded his precious keg of sourdough. "The loss of a starter was classified as a major calamity."
Rowdy was one of a number of "'characters,' mostly bad," from among the mules owned by the JF. For months, Rowdy would act the part of a perfect pack mule. Once the mule-skinner relaxed, said Stella, "Rowdy would pull his caper."
On this day, Herman accompanied cowboy Jeff Lauderdale, one of the hired hands of the JF. Jeff told the story to Stella sometime in the intervening years.
Several hours out of the ranch, the pack string approached an "extremely narrow and steep" section of the trail. One slip of the hoof would send the pack animals hurling down to the rocky canyon below, a fall of several hundred feet.
To be continued ...
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Broadway horseman 2
This horse and rider are trotting through the Rite Aid parking lot as the sun is setting yesterday. Whiskey, the eight-year-old mustang, was "bred in the wild, born in captivity."
"I've had him since he hit the ground," said the nameless horseman. He captured and tamed the horse's mother.
Horse and rider were pointed toward downtown Placerville to celebrate the New Year.
"I've had him since he hit the ground," said the nameless horseman. He captured and tamed the horse's mother.
Horse and rider were pointed toward downtown Placerville to celebrate the New Year.
Broadway horseman 1
I saw this horse and rider heading into the sun down Broadway in Placerville, California yesterday. I left the house around 3 p.m. on a hunt for photo-worthy subjects. I figured I needed to start the New Year with fresh subjects.
Although my original intent was to shoot airplanes taking off from Placerville's hill-top airport, the horse and rider presented a refreshing target.
Although my original intent was to shoot airplanes taking off from Placerville's hill-top airport, the horse and rider presented a refreshing target.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Ramp En' Up
Here's a piece of history from the Wood Lake area. Blog no. 14 brings you a picture of the Woods Lake chute ...
This corral is a reminder that foothill cattlemen drove their herds to summer pastures high in the Sierra Nevada each spring. These corrals were once a common sight in mountain meadows. I remember watching the herbs as a young camper in the 1960s in Sierra and Sequoia national forests.
The cows never really bothered you. You just had to watch for cow pies in the meadows and along stream courses. And it was always a good idea to dip your cup upstream from the beeves.
This corral is a reminder that foothill cattlemen drove their herds to summer pastures high in the Sierra Nevada each spring. These corrals were once a common sight in mountain meadows. I remember watching the herbs as a young camper in the 1960s in Sierra and Sequoia national forests.The cows never really bothered you. You just had to watch for cow pies in the meadows and along stream courses. And it was always a good idea to dip your cup upstream from the beeves.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
You're Being Watched
When I'm in Eldorado National Forest I do what comes naturally -- I drive the forest roads. My family has always questioned the sanity of steering a four-wheel-drive truck over less-than perfect roads.
They express their displeasure in my leisure activity by questioning my driving ability. It's kind of the equivalent of "Are we there yet?" Frequent admonishments -- "Don't get lost" and "Don't get stuck" -- come from the back seat.
My son should know by now that that I aways find my way home. Getting stuck? Let's just say he's helped me extricate the truck from more than one snowbank.
We encountered three small herds as we drove down into the Alder Creek basin from Iron Mountain Road. No. 29 kept her distance as I tried to quietly maneuver through the trees. These docile creatures wore loud cow bells that clanked they made their way through the forest.
I caught this cow standing in the middle of Alder Creek upstream from the crossing at Morrison Ranch. Last spring that water would've been about three feet deep in this area. Remind me not to drink the water next summer.
They express their displeasure in my leisure activity by questioning my driving ability. It's kind of the equivalent of "Are we there yet?" Frequent admonishments -- "Don't get lost" and "Don't get stuck" -- come from the back seat.
My son should know by now that that I aways find my way home. Getting stuck? Let's just say he's helped me extricate the truck from more than one snowbank.
We encountered three small herds as we drove down into the Alder Creek basin from Iron Mountain Road. No. 29 kept her distance as I tried to quietly maneuver through the trees. These docile creatures wore loud cow bells that clanked they made their way through the forest.
I caught this cow standing in the middle of Alder Creek upstream from the crossing at Morrison Ranch. Last spring that water would've been about three feet deep in this area. Remind me not to drink the water next summer.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Morrison in Spring
Saddled between Alder Ridge to the north and Iron Mountain Ridge to the south is a large Sierra meadow called Morrison. Each spring the green pasture and melting snow attracts me to the old ranch.
The place would make an ideal summer mountain resort. Horses, ATVs and 4x4s could easily replace the cattle of years gone by. Except for the occasional truck that passes by the ranch, the guests would enjoy plenty of peace as they savor the yellow pine forest.
Eldorado National Forest road 11N46 passes between the corral and cabins. The ranch sits on a large track of private property -- almost two square miles -- within the national forest. Please don't disturb the owners.
Two or three rustic cabins are situated on the north edge of the meadow. I'm not sure who owns the ranch. But I suspect a family named Morrison were the original settlers.
I suspect the ranch rarely sees cattle these days. Cattle raising practices have changed drastically in the national forest in my lifetime.
The place would make an ideal summer mountain resort. Horses, ATVs and 4x4s could easily replace the cattle of years gone by. Except for the occasional truck that passes by the ranch, the guests would enjoy plenty of peace as they savor the yellow pine forest.
Eldorado National Forest road 11N46 passes between the corral and cabins. The ranch sits on a large track of private property -- almost two square miles -- within the national forest. Please don't disturb the owners.
Two or three rustic cabins are situated on the north edge of the meadow. I'm not sure who owns the ranch. But I suspect a family named Morrison were the original settlers.
I suspect the ranch rarely sees cattle these days. Cattle raising practices have changed drastically in the national forest in my lifetime.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Cattle Drive Ends on a High Note
Reno streets were overrun Thursday by dozens of horses, hundreds of cows and a few wagons.
More than 400 rodeo steers led by cowhands on horseback finished the last leg of their 100-mile, five-day trip from north of Reno near the California state line to the Reno Livestock Events Center. It's home to the 87th annual Reno Rodeo ....
Click here to continue the story in the Reno-Gazette Journal.
More than 400 rodeo steers led by cowhands on horseback finished the last leg of their 100-mile, five-day trip from north of Reno near the California state line to the Reno Livestock Events Center. It's home to the 87th annual Reno Rodeo ....
Click here to continue the story in the Reno-Gazette Journal.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Thanksgiving in June!
Wednesday's telegram has been posted to the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive website.
Last night of camp means Thanksgiving in June—Roasted turkey, pork loin, dressing, cranberries and fresh made biscuits! (Cattle drive photos by Louis Basso.)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Telegrams from the Trail
This is my 300th post to 'Round the Chuchbox ...
From the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive website:
"Telegrams from the trail are daily updates sent to us from the cattle drive somewhere out in the boonies North of Reno, NV.
"Each day will open with a story for the day, photos and notes from cattle drive participants."
Sunday's telegram
Monday's telegram
Tuesday's telegram
Wednesday's telegram
Thursday's telegram (not published as of June 23)
Quote of the day:
From the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive website:
"Telegrams from the trail are daily updates sent to us from the cattle drive somewhere out in the boonies North of Reno, NV.
"Each day will open with a story for the day, photos and notes from cattle drive participants."
Sunday's telegram
Monday's telegram
Tuesday's telegram
Wednesday's telegram
Thursday's telegram (not published as of June 23)
Quote of the day:
Just finished another great dinner. Tri-tip, chicken, salad, adult beverages, etc. Sat next to a Cowboy who just got a Wiener Dog. He told me I should too. He said, "Get a long little doggie." But seriously folks … my blue team is the best. We placed 3rd in the Cowboy Olympics! Coach Celina is soooo proud. After driving cows all day, we bonded. Now I'm a vegetarian. -- Dayna Larson, Sacramento, Calif.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Menu for the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive
I had intended to post this blog last Sunday, but a sunburn got the better of me ...
Guests from 12 states (and the Netherlands!) will savor great chuckwagon grub next week on the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive. Along the way, city-slickers will enjoy 11 or 12 great meals served from a modern chuckwagon (a catering trailer in real life). During the Drive, the chuckwagon crew will serve over 750 pounds of meat, 100 gallons of strong, cowboy coffee, and 50 dozen eggs.
There's only one rule: "Please do not ride your horses near the kitchen or bar. The West is littered with gravesites of those who have made this mistake."
The Cattle Drive runs June 11 to 15, 2006.
Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive Menu 2006
Breakfasts: Eggs, Hashbrowns, Variety of meats (Ham, Sausage, Bacon), Biscuits & Gravy, Muffins, French Toast, Sourdough Hotcakes, Fresh Fruit.
Lunches: Cold Cut Sandwiches, Fruit & Veggies out on the trail.
Sunday Dinner: Prime Rib, Chicken, Dutch Oven Potatoes, Black Bean Corn Stew, Dutch Oven Rolls, Peach Cobbler.
Monday Dinner: Tri-Tip, Herb Chicken, Heaven in a Pot (Beans), Mixed Veggies, Dutch Oven Rolls and Dutch Oven Chocolate Dessert.
Tuesday Dinner: Cornish Game Hens, Venison Stew, Corn Muffins, Zucchini and Bread Pudding.
Wednesday Dinner: Turkey, Pork Tenderloin, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Dutch Oven Rolls and Pumpkin Pie.
All dinners include fruit, salad & bread.
Guests from 12 states (and the Netherlands!) will savor great chuckwagon grub next week on the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive. Along the way, city-slickers will enjoy 11 or 12 great meals served from a modern chuckwagon (a catering trailer in real life). During the Drive, the chuckwagon crew will serve over 750 pounds of meat, 100 gallons of strong, cowboy coffee, and 50 dozen eggs.
There's only one rule: "Please do not ride your horses near the kitchen or bar. The West is littered with gravesites of those who have made this mistake."
The Cattle Drive runs June 11 to 15, 2006.
Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive Menu 2006
Breakfasts: Eggs, Hashbrowns, Variety of meats (Ham, Sausage, Bacon), Biscuits & Gravy, Muffins, French Toast, Sourdough Hotcakes, Fresh Fruit.
Lunches: Cold Cut Sandwiches, Fruit & Veggies out on the trail.
Sunday Dinner: Prime Rib, Chicken, Dutch Oven Potatoes, Black Bean Corn Stew, Dutch Oven Rolls, Peach Cobbler.
Monday Dinner: Tri-Tip, Herb Chicken, Heaven in a Pot (Beans), Mixed Veggies, Dutch Oven Rolls and Dutch Oven Chocolate Dessert.
Tuesday Dinner: Cornish Game Hens, Venison Stew, Corn Muffins, Zucchini and Bread Pudding.
Wednesday Dinner: Turkey, Pork Tenderloin, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Dutch Oven Rolls and Pumpkin Pie.
All dinners include fruit, salad & bread.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive: Western Dreams Fulfilled
RENO, Nev.--April 15, 2006--Remember when you were a kid and you would look out your front window, daydreaming of being the CEO of a major mega-conglomerate corporation? Of course not! Like most kids you dreamed of being a cowgirl or cowboy, riding your pony through the sagebrush, herding your cattle to town. But reality happens and somehow this dream alluded you.
Dreams come true every June at the annual Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive, presented by Signature Landscapes. A group of 49 adults from all over the United States gather north of Reno and drive cattle across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada through Reno into the rodeo grounds.
"It’s an amazing experience," says Trevor Riches of Oregon. Riches, a transplanted Welshman, always dreamed of being a cowboy. Two years ago he was voted by the other guests as the honorary trail boss for a day. "It was fantastic. To be voted by your peers this honor, was incredible." He added, "No matter how much I ride during the year, this is just fabulous. No phone, no electronics, no responsibility more than putting my pants and boots on every day. By the end of the week, I’m relaxed and invigorated!" And he doesn’t miss a year coming on the Drive.
For the past 16 years, "wanna-be" cowboys and cowgirls from around the world have gathered in Reno for this annual event. They’ll feast on gourmet chuck wagon cuisine, consuming over 750 pounds of meat and 100 gallons of cowboy coffee. They’ll sleep out under the stars and ride a sturdy mountain horse over 100 miles during the event, traversing 2,300 acres of Northern Nevada.
The drive is produced by a volunteer committee, spearheaded by Marie Gaspari-Crawford —The first woman trail boss in the event’s history. She is supported by 35 volunteer cowboys, cowgirls, wagon masters and a top chuck wagon crew. "It’s an amazing sight to see, this herd of 300 steers, 75 horses and riders, and 1800’s covered wagons driving through the sagebrush," says Gaspari-Crawford. These volunteers spend their own vacation time to educate the guests about the Western heritage.
Guests pay $1,600.00 for the five day experience which includes their horse, tack, all meals, and an end of the trail banquet and ground transportation. All proceeds generated by the drive go to charities supported by the Reno Rodeo’s charitable arm, the Reno Rodeo Foundation.
The Cattle Drive runs the week before the Rodeo, June 11, through 15, 2006.
The Reno Rodeo which runs June 16 through 25, is one of the top three PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn.) rodeos in the United States. It is an all-volunteer association, with its members dedicated to presenting the "Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West." Visit the Cattle Drive and Reno Rodeo online at www.renorodeo.com.
Dreams come true every June at the annual Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive, presented by Signature Landscapes. A group of 49 adults from all over the United States gather north of Reno and drive cattle across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada through Reno into the rodeo grounds.
"It’s an amazing experience," says Trevor Riches of Oregon. Riches, a transplanted Welshman, always dreamed of being a cowboy. Two years ago he was voted by the other guests as the honorary trail boss for a day. "It was fantastic. To be voted by your peers this honor, was incredible." He added, "No matter how much I ride during the year, this is just fabulous. No phone, no electronics, no responsibility more than putting my pants and boots on every day. By the end of the week, I’m relaxed and invigorated!" And he doesn’t miss a year coming on the Drive.
For the past 16 years, "wanna-be" cowboys and cowgirls from around the world have gathered in Reno for this annual event. They’ll feast on gourmet chuck wagon cuisine, consuming over 750 pounds of meat and 100 gallons of cowboy coffee. They’ll sleep out under the stars and ride a sturdy mountain horse over 100 miles during the event, traversing 2,300 acres of Northern Nevada.
The drive is produced by a volunteer committee, spearheaded by Marie Gaspari-Crawford —The first woman trail boss in the event’s history. She is supported by 35 volunteer cowboys, cowgirls, wagon masters and a top chuck wagon crew. "It’s an amazing sight to see, this herd of 300 steers, 75 horses and riders, and 1800’s covered wagons driving through the sagebrush," says Gaspari-Crawford. These volunteers spend their own vacation time to educate the guests about the Western heritage.
Guests pay $1,600.00 for the five day experience which includes their horse, tack, all meals, and an end of the trail banquet and ground transportation. All proceeds generated by the drive go to charities supported by the Reno Rodeo’s charitable arm, the Reno Rodeo Foundation.
The Cattle Drive runs the week before the Rodeo, June 11, through 15, 2006.
The Reno Rodeo which runs June 16 through 25, is one of the top three PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn.) rodeos in the United States. It is an all-volunteer association, with its members dedicated to presenting the "Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West." Visit the Cattle Drive and Reno Rodeo online at www.renorodeo.com.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
