Go West Young Man

When we think about the old west the first person that usually comes to mind is the cowboy but there was another rough tough loner that hated towns as much as the puncher did. You might say that the mountain man was the grandfather of the cowboy, generationally speaking that is. In the 1820’s ‘30’s and early ‘40’s the mountain man roamed the west.

Most of them would jump off from around Missouri and start heading west. Once they hit the Rockies it was straight up from there. Some men went there to help map out and open trails to California, Oregon and the west coast. Others came to trap beaver to sell so fancy dudes back east could wear their top hats. Some of them just went because they answered to no man and they just wanted to see what was on the other side.

The mountain man was a rare breed indeed. They had to be every bit as brave as Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and Marco Polo. They had no idea what to expect once they got past the flat lands of Kansas and western Colorado. From the southwestern Rockies of New Mexico and Arizona all the way to Canada’s Kodiak and Yukon country they had to deal with Indians, blizzards, possible starvation, animal attack not to mention just falling off your horse or off a mountain side.

Once they got to the mountains they began to do their work, be it mapping, trapping, or just living the free life. Once every year or so they would have what was called a rendezvous, which is exactly what the word means, a gathering. The men would come in from the mountains to sell their beaver pelts, swap with traders and local Indians and get drunker than Cooder Brown! The rendezvous was also a place to catch up on all the latest news especially the falling price of beaver!

The cowboy has his rodeo to show off his skill and compete against his fellow waddies. The mountain men had their own competitions too. When they came to rendezvous they would have tomahawk competitions, knife throwing contests and rifle and pistol competitions. These were just a few of the events, they would also have different games and races from horseback. Just like the cowboys years later, the mountain men just had to show off who was the best.

The mountain man may never have reached the iconic status that the cowboy did but they have never died out. Even today there are organizations such as the Texas Association of Buckskinners which are dedicated to keeping the mountain man alive. They gather on weekends and dress up in period clothes and stay in teepees, Baker tents, lean-two’s or just sleep under the stars. They still have the traditional competitions with rifle, knife and tomahawk.

Although they are family oriented events they have been know to get a little wild after the sun went down. Once the kids are asleep in the lodges and they pull a cork on a jug; the good times really start to fly.

This is one event that I can talk about with some knowledge. My dad was a “buckskinner” as they are known. We went to many rendezvous when my brothers and I were young. We went all over Texas and even made it to the Southwestern National in Colorado back in 1984. For a kid it was a heck of an experience. It was almost like a time machine. I was getting to live among Indians and mountain men, even if it was just for 48 hours.

These “buckskinners” took pride in making many of their own clothes and equipment. For example my dad made a full set of buckskin clothes that Davy Crockett would have been proud of. He also made his own knives, tomahawks and fire iron sets (racks to cook over campfires). I cant stress enough how influential these times were when I was a boy. Those days sparked my interest in history and the old west.

I want to leave you all with this quote from my friend, mentor and fellow bucksinner Mr. Bill Ramsel.

“This is a song for the mountain man, free trappers for beaver hide. They lived the freest a man can live in the Rocky Mountain skies…………From plains and mountains to trade their furs, and shine at the rendezvous.”- Bill Ramsel “Song for the Mountain Man”
God and Texas,
Jason Watson
　
　

Happy Trails Rick

I recently lost a man I truly admired and respected. Rick Sikes was a local musician here in Coleman and if you want to know the definition of a true "outlaw'' you don't have to look any further than Rick. Back in the 1960's Rick was an up and coming country musician who was cut out of the same honky tonk and western swing cloth as Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell and Bob Wills. Rick even had the opportunity to play with, and open, for some of these guys.

Rick and the Rhythm Rebels were starting to make regional name for themselves when a case of stupid jumped up and bit them. They decided to rob a bank. When they were caught and tried Rick took his punishment like a man and did fifteen years in Leavenworth prison. He continued to make music while locked up and even received permission to put together a recording studio there. It is my understanding that this is still the only recording studio in a federal prison.

After being released he came back to Coleman and raised a family and owned a couple of small businesses. Several years back he was talked into getting back to music. He opened a small music shop and taught guitar. After I moved back to Coleman a few years ago I got to know Rick better and spend some time in his shop. The man was a treasure chest when it came to old "war stories" about the music business. From West Texas roadhouses to Nashville's music row he had pretty much seen it all and lived to tell it.

Rick was kind enough to listen to the songs I had written and not fall out of his chair laughing at me. He gave me good advice, he once told me "Jason, I never got rich or famous playing music and I don't care if anyone else likes my music....because I like it!" I took those words to heart. I may never get anyone to record my songs. I may never get to perform my cowboy poetry but that is ok. I like my music and end the end that is all that really matters.

Rick did have one star pupil though, a young man named Denny Fulbright. Denny is still in high school but he is already starting to make a name for himself. He got the opportunity to play with Aaron Watson this past summer. Denny and his dad D.L. would be the first to tell you what a legendary man Rick Sikes was. Well Rick, we will all miss you down here. Your stories and music will live on through those who knew you. Happy Trails, Vaya Con Dios!

God and Texas,

Jason Watson