Bio: Dude Kid, 1953-60; Wrangler, 1961-62. Descriptor: Memories of the dude ranch, the ranch run over by marmots and the start of ranch rehabilitation.
Bernie’s Story: Reading Nancy’s recollection of March 24th, I was reminded of the time I brought my wife Lucie out west for her first time. We drove in over Togwotee Pass as did Nancy, albeit in broad sunshine. Suddenly there was the whole range spread out across the horizon, still heavy with snow. We parked at the same pullout. A Maine girl who had never been off the East Coast, this was her first look at real mountains, and she was so overcome it brought tears to her eyes. Alas, White Grass was long gone, and the restoration project not yet conceived, but we wandered around the place–elsewhere this would be called trespassing–and I gathered up a few charred nails as mementos from where BQ had been. The marmots had complete control of the main cabin. How rapidly things change, and then change again. The last time I stopped by the ranch, two summers ago, a bulldozer and backhoe were at work laying pipe. I laughed, remembering the galvanized 1″ pipe that used to snake its way through the grass to the cabins.