We eased away so they could get on with their work, but not before noticing how everyone was smiling, joking, and helping each other with whatever was needed. We passed by the line of leather-tan faces, some needing a shave by now, and some showing a little fatigue – but everyone, just plain nice! One wrangler, L. G. from Billings, stopped to kid with us a bit about taking his picture, else he might have to use the six-gun on his hip. We complied. Then he said, “If you want to see something you’ll never see again, climb up over that rise, and look to the west.” We zipped up our parkas and trudged up past wagons, horses, and dozens of portable watering troughs for about 500 yards. Mr. G. knew exactly what he was saying. I could never properly describe what met our eyes. There were, scattered across that open ranchland, horses, cattle, tents, watering trucks, dozens of circles of wagons (called “pods’), people by the hundreds, and rows of portable toilets. We stood, amazed, and began to appreciate the word, “logistics.”
Some questions came to mind. Things like, “How could each of the participants get his own horses back, his own cattle claimed if they didn’t go to market, his wagon returned to the ranch?” There was over 15 million dollars’ worth of equipment and horses laying out there before us. But more than all this – what is there about this segment of Americana – western Americana, especially, that had inspired so many to spend so much to come so far to be a part of all this?
It was time we headed back to Billings, for by now the aroma of buffalo steaks had gotten our own stomachs to growling. We picked our way down the slope past tons of hay scattered out for both horse and cow. Most of it now being consumed as we carefully passed by. We noticed most of the cattle had individual brands, but also carried the temporary “M over 89” centennial brand, as well. This would turn out to be the longest trek of the drive; 18 miles, and over the most variable terrain, as it had a combination of being partly highway, partly prairie, much of it through the lower elevations of the Bull Mountains with their tight ravines. Were we ever glad we had decided to take in one of the night camps!
As we finished up our lunch of tuna sandwiches, olives and potato chips, we considered it nearly a crumb compared to the projected amounts of food the participants of the drive would require. Such a grocery list as follows: On Wednesday, Yellowstone Kelly’s Catering of Billings planned to serve 1200 pounds of baron of beef and half a ton of baked beans to their section of 1500 people. 300-500 gallons of coffee per day. Monday night (first camp) this group ate 3,000 pounds of beef ribs. That’s equal to four head of cattle on the hoof. Bob Hurd, lead cook of Chuck Wagon Catering out of Red Lodge, Montana even revealed his own recipe for biscuits and gravy. Now, just for once, forget the calories, and copy it down for some nice Sunday morning when you’re glad to be alive – then eat hearty!
Fry up an even mix of both pork sausage and diced ham. Then thicken it with a riux of butter and flour. Add some real cream along with a little milk. The cream smooths out the gravy, which is the secret to his successful breakfast of biscuits and gravy.
Iona Schmidt of Glendive, Montana offered her recipe for Creamery-Can Stew:
Corn sliced off the cob, wieners and polish sausage cut into chunks, sliced cabbage, small unpeeled whole potatoes, sliced carrots and beer. Into the pot with the lot – bring it to a boil and simmer for an hour.
On the cattle drives of a hundred years ago – they should have it so good.
