COWBOY ELDERS

Lone Ranger and his horse. "Hi-Yo, Silver. Away!"

     We may have been truckless, but we were not without horsepower!  After following orders to deliver our worthless vehicle to the Ford dealer in Albuquerque we were now “Hitchhiking Elders.” Sometimes by the end of the day, we felt like “The Walking Dead” Elders. That might not sound so bad. After all, there are Mormon Elders and Sisters serving missions all over the world who walk and ride bikes to accomplish their tasks. But in the desolate back-country of the Navajo Reservation, where camps were spread several miles apart, and connected only by rut-filled dirt roads, it wasn’t very practical.

      When would we be getting a new set of wheels, you ask? “Hóla, doo shił bééhózin da!” This Navajo saying was like shrugging your shoulders or saying “I don’t know!” It will come when it comes, was always the answer.

The vast Navajo Reservation.

      Not to be deterred in our quest to visit and teach the people we were up early, standing by the side of the road with our thumbs out. I told Elder Stanley he was with a pro hitchhiker. After all I had thumbed rides to California and back to Utah on several occasions before my mission. But the reservation had one big difference. Traffic, or rather the lack there of. Without it there were no rides to be had. If we showed enough patience while walking along with our thumbs out, eventually someone would pull alongside, roll down their window and ask, “Háágóó shą’?” (Where are you going?) There were no addresses on the reservation so we would just tell the driver the surname of the family we planned to visit and pointed in the general direction.  Then we’d gratefully climb into their truck bed, often joining other family members or barking dogs, and we’d be on our way.

      Usually we made it a mile or two before the driver turned off in another direction at which point we’d hop out, thank the family (Ahéheeʼ nitsaago), wish them well, and start walking again, often whistling or humming a tune like “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel, Push Along, Do Your Duty with a Heart Full of Song!” Singing was out of the question. Neither one of us could carry a tune! I was thankful to be with Elder Stanley. His fun-loving ways kept us laughing as we plugged along the dusty roads, hoping for another ride.

Elder Rogers thumbing a ride in the Navajo Reservation outback. 1965.

 

      About a week into our hitchhiking days Don Smouse, the Borrego Pass trader, approached us with a splendid idea. He had just taken two horses in trade and they were corralled just behind our place next to the trading post. Smiles crept across our faces. We thought we knew where this might be leading. Sure enough, he offered us the use of his two horses and would let us use his riding gear. “The Navajos who traded me them horses said they was broke. Just how broke I couldn’t guarantee, but you’re welcome to them,” he said with a grin. Elder Stanley and I had both spent a little time on horses so we were more than excited to give it a try.

      Bright and early the next morning there stood Brother Smouse with the horses all saddled and ready to go. “Judging by size, Elder Rogers, you take the small gray. And Elder Stanley, the large black is yours,” he instructed while handing us the reins. “Be careful with them saddles! They’ve been in the family for a long time,” were his last words before heading back to the trading post.

Don Smouse. 1965.

      To test out our horses we decided to impress the elementary students by  strutting past the Borrego Pass day school at recess, all decked out in our cowboy hats. We soon learned that Elder Stanley’s horse had only one gear, a slow walk. And my little gray had just one speed and that was as fast as it could go. With a slight nudge my horse was off like a shot charging down the dirt road. As I neared the elementary school, the kids could hear my horse approaching at full gallop and ran to the fence to get a good look. They were surprised to see Elder Rogers racing his horse like he was in the Kentucky Derby. I waved to the kids as I sped by pretending all was well. Still wildly galloping I swung the little gray in a wide circle through a nearby field and came racing back past the gaggle of wide-eyed kids crowded along the fence, and soon darted around Elder Stanley who was still plodding along almost where I’d left him.

      As I flew past the trading post my nice brown Stetson hat blew off and landed on the ground next to the gas pumps. Without warning my horse suddenly slammed on the brakes, and the horse and I both came to an abrupt halt at the corral’s gate.  Quickly tying up my horse, I ran back to retrieve my hat, but it wasn’t there. What! Where could it have gone? Looking about I spotted an old timer in a rocking chair on the porch of the trading post. I called to him, “Did you see my cowboy hat laying here on the ground?”  He replied, “Yup.” “Do you know where it went?” “Yup.” “Well, could you please tell me?” “Yup. See that beat up truck driving away?” “Yes.” “While you were tying up the horse, that big boy in the truck picked up you hat, tried it on for size, and is now driving off with it.” “Do you know that hastiin?” “Nope. Never seen the feller before.” When I looked back down the road, there was Elder Stanley sitting tall in the saddle, shrouded in a cloud of dust kicked up by the hat thief’s rusted out pile of junk.
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Rust bucket

      Not to be deterred by our mismatched, stubborn horses we made a plan. I would run ahead until my horse began to tire, then dismount and wait for Elder Stanley on “Old Slowpoke” to catch up. Our first visit was to be the Largo Camp, about a mile jaunt up hill through the pinyon pines, so off we went: running, walking, waiting; running, walking, waiting. Again running ahead I finally reached the Largo Camp. My horse still had plenty of pep with no plans of slowing down, so I kept running her around the Hogan until she finally got the idea that this was a good place to stop. The Largos’ youngsters thought this was great entertainment. Their surprised little faces appeared as they looked out the window on the side of the Hogan. And then they dashed to the window on the other side. They didn’t want to miss a thing. The circus had come to town!

      As my horse finally came to a stop Sister Largo, our Relief Society President, stepped outside, politely covering her mouth in the Navajo tradition, and still laughing at the wild entry. She finally looked up at me and asked, “Where is your companion?” “Oh, you mean, Elder Stanley? He should be along shortly!” I replied. Upon his eventual arrival, Sister Largo and her kids gave Elder Stanley a warm greeting.   

Cowboy Elders. Elder Stanley, and Elder Rogers (without his brown Stetson) at the Largos' camp.1965.

      We hadn’t planned a long visit. We just wanted to test out our new rides. But just before mounting up to leave, Elder Stanley said he had a brilliant idea. He had spent a lot of time on his grandmother’s ranch, and had become somewhat educated in the fine art of horsemanship. Looking at me he announced, “We need to trade bridles! Your horse needs my horse’s hackamore bit. That might help you keep her running under control.” He then immediately began removing the bridle from my horse. “Shouldn’t I put the reins around her neck to hold her?” I started to ask.  “No need. They just stand there,” he replied. I watched in horror as the bridle slipped off and my horse bolted away, running through the trees to who knows where. And to make matters worse, she still had Don Smouse’s prize saddle strapped to her back. Thoughtfully rubbing my chin I turned to Elder Stanley. “So they just stand there, huh?”

      After several hours of scouting the pine-covered canyons with no success, we reluctantly gave up the search and began the long ride down the mountain back to the trading post. With two Elders astride, the stubborn plodder was now slower than ever.  “What are we going to tell Brother Smouse when we get back?” I asked. “What do you mean WE, cowboy?” Elder Stanley quipped. “It was your horse that ran away!”

Don Smouse's corral behind the Elders' quarters at the Borrego Pass Trading Post.

      It was late afternoon when we finally arrived. I watched Elder Stanley’s retreating back as he made a quick get away to the corral to take care of his horse, leaving me to face the music. This was going to be tough! I put on my most humble face and went in search of Brother Don Smouse. When I found him he was just finishing his evening chores. I stood in silence, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “Well, spit it out Elder! I have things to finish before dark,” barked Brother Smouse.  I started to explain what had happened to his horse and saddle. It was worse than telling my Dad I had just rolled his shiny new VW.

      After taking several deep breaths, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. I could tell he was about to explode. Fighting back the urge to express his deep displeasure, Don finally choked out, “ I’ll spread the word and maybe – just maybe - in a day or two someone might bring in the horse.”

        

Bye, bye money!

      Two days went by. No horse, no saddle. A sign appeared on the trading post door, “LOST. A small gray horse with saddle. $25 Reward.” Well, glory be! Would you believe, the horse and saddle showed up that afternoon. Elder Stanley and I dug deep into our meager reserves to come up with the reward money. Now in our minds the big question became, “Would Don ‘The Trader’ ever trust us with his horses again?”

       

SCAVANGERS

    

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

       “Hey! You boys better git down off that church roof before our menfolk gets home. You're liable to git shot!”

      From atop the roof I could see that a small group of women had gathered near the building. They weren’t happy. Not one bit. When I tried to explain that we had received permission from the Church Building Committee to salvage a few usable items for our small meeting hall in Borrego Pass, it fell on deaf ears. They didn’t want to hear about it.  I turned to Elder Stanley who was urgently unbolting the small copper steeple! “You better hurry. The natives are getting restless!” With a grunt, he muttered, “One more rusty bolt and we’ll be out of here.”

Old copper church steeple

      When Elder Stanley and I had approached Don Smouse, proprietor of the Borrego Pass Trading Post, about upgrading the room in which we were holding church services, he alerted us about an old unused chapel in the small town of Blue Water about forty miles away. It hadn’t been used in years and was wasting away. The doors had been left unlocked and it basically had become a place to play for the local children during the winter months. They were using the cultural hall for a roller-skating rink.

Old Blue Water Chapel as it looks today (2016). It has been sold to a family who is using it as a home and daycare center.

      Time had taken its toll on the old structure that had originally been constructed at great sacrifice by early settlers in the area. Ever since a new chapel had been built ten miles away in Grants, some of the “old timers” had held onto the idea that it should have been built in Blue Water. Evidently a burr was still festering under their saddle.

Freeway road sign for Blue Water Village, NM

      Upgrading our Borrego Pass meeting hall was number one on our bucket list of projects. We were on our second eighty-mile round trip to salvage what we could from the old building. The first time around, we had secured four small carved wooden benches, and the lettering that read “THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS” from the side of the building.  This was to be our final trip. We had already loaded two more benches, a podium, and a rolling blackboard, and were presently working on removing the quaint copper steeple. It was the last item we thought we could use. But if we didn’t get out of town soon we just might become the first Elders to be tarred and feathered by their own church members. Not exactly a good PR move!
 

Carved old wooden church pew

      “Got it!” Elder Stanley yelled. Like rats jumping from a burning building we scurried off the roof, ready to load up the steeple and hit the road. On the ground the steeple was much bigger than it had looked on the roof. It would never fit on the back of the truck. We didn’t have time to readjust the load before the “menfolk” would be arriving home. They could be here any minute. After a quick assessment we agreed to leave the steeple in the tall grass behind the building and retrieve it later.

      As we slowly began our drive out of town, we smiled and waved goodbye to the cluster of scowling women who were still standing near the dilapidated building and made our getaway. Elder Stanley and I looked at each other. We both had the same thought, “Why do we feel so guilty?" After all, we weren't criminals. We had received permission from the Church Building Committee!

Road from Thoreau to Borrego Pass, NM

      Racing along the roads back to Borrego Pass, we began reminiscing about a week spent together in Whiterock some months earlier. On one particular day we started out with a quick stop at the Lake Valley Boarding School before heading off to investigate a little used dirt road just south of the Chapter House. We traveled east across the desolate landscape in the direction of Chaco Canyon for what seemed like hours. Along the way we stopped more than once thinking maybe we should turn back, but it was obvious that someone had been using this road so they must live out here somewhere.

Desolate Navajo Reservation scenery near Lake Valley NM

      A short time later, after skirting sand dunes and dodging some very large boulders in the road, we found ourselves entering a small canyon. The steep sandstone walls narrowed as we carefully negotiated the rough road, curious to discover what lay ahead. To our surprise the canyon opened up revealing a picturesque valley protected on all sides by red cliffs. At the center of this tranquil scene was a Navajo camp laid out so perfectly it could have been featured on the cover of an Arizona Highways magazine.

Narrow canyon surrounded by red sandstone cliffs

      Below us near the crowded sheep pens, a group of fifteen to twenty men, women and children were busy shearing sheep and bagging the thick wool. No fancy tools for them! They were using handheld shears similar to large scissors. The friendly group invited us to join them. In no time we were busy trying our luck at shearing while a few youngsters held down the squirming animal. It turned out to be much harder than it looked. If we weren’t careful we would nick the sheep’s flesh in our attempt to cut away the wool.

Crowded sheep pen on the Navajo Reservation

Navajo women hand-shearing sheep in the traditional way.

      Our visit had provided a needed diversion from the family’s morning of hard work. They got a kick out of watching city slickers attempting to shear sheep and chuckled each time we spoke Navajo. Eventually we asked the family if we could teach them about Jesus Christ. They readily agreed, left the sheep, and gathered in a large wooden Hogan at the center of the camp.

Simple interior of a traditional Navajo hogan

      There wasn’t much inside: a handful of wooden chairs and a black wood-burning stove. It must have been the family’s gathering place for special ceremonial occasions. They made sure we had the two best chairs and seated themselves around the Hogan, some on chairs, and others on sheepskin rugs on the floor. They were ready to listen. Elder Stanley and I began delivering our memorized flip-chart presentation in Navajo. We took turns explaining Christ’s atonement, crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection.

Playful baby goat.

      Just as I was nearing the crucifixion portion of the text a baby goat pranced through the sunlit doorway, looked playfully around the room, then bounced over towards me and snuggled up against my leg. I thought to myself, “What a cute little fellow! He must like me.” Before the thought could even clear my mind the goat’s small body tensed and with a grimace it began peeing on my boot. I glanced down at the goat, then over at Elder Stanley, who was shielding his face with his hand and fighting back laughter. I looked around, expecting chuckles and giggles from the family. But there weren’t any, not even a smile. They were so focused on the presentation that they hadn’t even noticed the small goat and its blessed deed.

      When we finished the lesson, the adults expressed their gratitude to us for traveling so far to visit them. We were treated to a cup of cool water. It tasted great! This family must have had a fresh water spring or a deep well nearby. We thanked them for their hospitality and the sheep shearing lessons. One of the teenage boys teased us saying, now that we were experts we could come back and help out any time!

Navajo children with sheep and goats.

      Looking back at the blissful scene in the truck’s rear-view mirror, I couldn’t help thinking, “What a great family! We need to stay in touch.” It was unfortunate they lived a half a day’s drive from the Chapter House. We left their camp with deep respect for their traditional way of life and family unity.

Borrego Pass, NM, LDS Chapel. 1965.

      Time passed quickly as we continued our drive back from Blue Water, chatting about good experiences and fond memories. In no time at all we found ourselves back in Burrego Pass with our truckload of much needed treasures. To our delight we found that the local members had finished giving the meeting hall a new coat of whitewash. Painted celestial white and with our new additions, the place was on its way to a heavenly makeover!