Canadians in BC

[Jinglebob]

I am re-reading the books by Richard Hobson and wondering if any of you who read and post here are familiar with the country he talkes about in the books. If so, how has it changed?
Are there still wide open areas or have people filled in and homesteaded or are running ranches there?
Where exactly does it lie?

Very interesting books and I am assuming that they are true or at least one mans observations of what happened up there in the 40's and 50's.

Anyone who could answer these questions would have my sincere gratitude.

[SASH]

Maybe I'm not remembering properly but there was a series a few years back called 'Nothing too Good for a Cowboy'. I think it was based on those books. It was pretty good from what I remember. That blonde doctor off of 'Scrubs' played Hobson's wife. Nice scenery. CattleAnnie is from somewhere up in that area.

[TimH]

SASH, Is that up in the Fort St. John/Wonowon(1-0-1) area?? If it is, that is some BEAUTIFUL country!! I've drove,flown and worked in that area and it is a GEM!! :

[Tom S]

In the books their base town was Vanderhoof, BC which is west of Prince George. I'd like to go to that area sometime. The descriptions in the books were awesome.

[Jinglebob]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like quite the country and they sure went thru' hell when winter came! Can you imagine driving cattle and camping out when it's 60 below? Guess I'm a fair weather cowboy as I stay off from horses when it gets below -20 to -25 below tho' I have fed with a team quite a few days when it was colder than that and the wind was siftin' along! Thanks again and I hope someone from that area gives some input.

[CattleAnnie]

Hi JB,
Haven't had the chance to travel to that part of BC yet, but found a few links that will give you an idea about the Cariboo region of BC. We ranch farther north, in the Peace River region, and tend to travel east to Alberta rather than south to the Interior of BC.

http://www.cariboord.bc.ca/

http://www.cowboy-museum.com/ranching.htm

http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/upperfraserbasin/cariboo/contents.html

http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/ccc.asp?regionID=8

http://www.art-bc.com/browse_guide/list_byRegion.php?regionCode=CCC



If you enjoyed Rich Hobson's book, here's another one on ranching in that area that you might enjoy.

http://www.heritagehouse.ca/touchwood/summaries%20TW/ranch.htm

Take care.

[Jinglebob]

Thank you so much! I've really got to get up there and see this country some time. My folks took a trip to Canada, years ago and really enjoyed themselves and told of the beautiful country. I'll have to start saving my pennies. I'll have to get a copy of the book as it looks like a good read. Thanks again for you effort!

[CattleAnnie]

You're welcome. If you end up going there, hope you'll get a chance to venture north as well.

We'll put the coffee on.

Take care.

[Broke Cowboy]

Wife and I worked that country for about 10 years. It is still wild and open. But slowly progress is whittling that away.

The country is riddled with sloughs that are cut for hay. Trees are thick and big in many areas and the creeks in most places can be used straight up for drinking water - unless they are dammed by beaver - then boil it or get the "fever". Good fishing can be had in lots of little creeks. Lots of moose and the snow gets real deep. Cold can be bad, but seldom as bad as the area CattleAnnie lives in. She lives far to the east of that country and a bit to the north. She's in Dawson Creek country.

It is not unusual to ride for miles and literally miles without seeing another human being, just moose and bears. The benches have grass that can stand a dry summer. Watch out for soft ground.

I have visited many many abandoned trappers cabins and line shacks. It is not unusual to find abandoned set ups that have no roads in or out. Found an axe that was left in a tree one time. Nothing around for miles. The handle was pretty much gone and just the double bit was left. Wonder what the story was behind that? It is still in the tree - I left it where it was. Seemed better to do that for some reason. Few fences and the range fences are often three and four row log rail barriers that run for miles.

I have managed to find the odd bit of colour when I used a frying pan to try my hand at finding gold - never enough to do more than start the heart racing. I was born to be short on cash.

I used to winter far to the south in 100 Mile House. A once upon a time sleepy place that is now a major stop on the old Cariboo Highway. Wife went to school there. Her family still keeps a small place on Mahood Lake - a real deep lake - long and thin - nestled at the bottom of some pretty big hills and mountains.

I sometimes miss the wild country, but with kids it was tough shipping them away for a week at school and then fetching them home for the weekend.

Memory time tonight.

Like the time my brother-in-law and I were moose hunting what we called the moose pasture. Big, tough hills all around and good grass in the bottom. Found it by accident while we were scouting for cattle. THere was an unfinished log house in the middle of this natural pasture. At least 20 miles from any road and futher from any town. The roof was a real good one and the walls were in decent shape. No windows or doors. We parked the horses out back with hobbles and camped on the floor. He woke me up in the morning when he shot a fair bull moose out the living room window. It had a spotted rear, kinda' like an Appaloosa. It was eating in the front yard about 30 yards from the house. We packed it out.

I am not sure I could find the place again, but I know he could, because he still hunts there. To this day he has never met anyone in there.

Like the robber jays coming down and stealing the bread out of your plate while you were holding it and your morning cup of coffee. Like the big grey owls hooting late at night. Real wolves with their deep howl - sounding off in the distance.

Finding a wolf kill and following the flight and fight in the snow. You can read those tracks like a book once someone shows you how.

Like killing my first bear while it was rummaging through the gut pile of a mulie while we were pulling it up in the tree for safe over night storage. I do not know who was more surprized, him or me. But I do know who was faster that afternoon.

Like leaving my wife in a lean-to for a couple of days on the banks of a big creek, miles form anywhere in mid December while I rode out for supplies. She didn't want to come with me. Figured she had her dog, her gun and a pile of wood - so she was content to stay behind. I still remember her sitting inside the lean-to, just back of the fire, in a pair of jeans and a light sweater, the flames rolling up around her coffee pot and that big mean SOB of an old dog curled up on her sleeping bag as I rode away in deep snow and a storm coming. You would be surprized how warm a lean-to can be if it is set up right. The storm held me up for an extra day. When I got back that darned dog tried to eat me until I made her mind. Then wife got mad at me for making the dog mind. Having been away for a while it was a bit of fun making up for the argument over that darned dog of hers!

Yup, quite the area.

BC

[Faster horses]

BC, what wonderful stories. I have to print that out for my husband.

His favorite book of all time was 'Grass Beyond the Mountains." His is shot, so I found a new one and got it for him for Christmas. The cover of the new one is pretty modern, tho. I kinda liked the other cover better~

Anytime you feel a hankerin' to share more stories like these~
PLEASE DO!!

[Broke Cowboy]

JB

You want to get into some decent ranch country you might want to get to the west of Williams Lake as well. You'd like the Horse Fly area as well - east of Bills's Puddle - beware, the area is aptly named

By the way there is a darned good rodeo in Willies Lake every July 1 weekend.

That is the time to visit the country.

Small town - pretty big show. You will not regret it.

BC

[Tom S]

Thanks for such interesting posts Broke Cowboy. Enjoyed them!