Crested Butte Land Trust

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anching Round ‘em up R anching is part of our heritage. “It’s part of our history,” says Rudy Rozman, who comes from a family that has been ranching in the Gunnison Valley for more than 100 years. “Back then, there were only two reasons to come here—mining and ranching. That was the way of life.” That way of life paints an image of hay fields, lush, green pastures, cattle grazing at the base of snow dusted mountains… a romantic picture, far away from the crowded feed lots. Rudy Rozman “It provides several indirect contributions to the community,” says Curtis. “These include critical wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities, open space with undeveloped view sheds, cultural heritage, water rights that help keep water in our valley for all users, and stewardship of grazing lands both private and public.” Ranchers drive their cattle up and down the valley following the seasons and the forage growth. Starting in the late spring, cattle are driven to low altitude pastures that grow sufficient grass early in the grazing season. They are then gradually driven to higher altitudes as the season progresses. The herds start moving back down the valley in the fall as winter approaches and are eventually fed harvested hay when winter sets in. There’s the rancher, atop a steed, rounding up herds of healthy cattle from one pasture to another, whether it be by way of Highway 135 or a high mountian valley. In the Gunnison Valley, cattle drives are as much of a tradition as they are a necessary part of ranching. “Ranching in the Gunnison Valley has been one of the oldest and most stable drivers of the local economy and contributes $35-$40 million dollars annually to the valley,” says Curtis Allen, a fourth generation rancher. His family has been ranching here since 1886. Hedda Peterson There’s no exact science when it comes to moving cattle. It’s dependent on weather, forage, and outside factors. “Sometimes we move cattle every few days and in other situations, they may be moved only once every thirty days,” says Curtis. “A day planner is good for meetings, not moving cattle,” says Rudy, who has a few cattle drives under his belt. And, it’s a process that takes experience to learn. “You learn the characteristics of the herd and how to round them up.” Rudy and Curtis, like many ranchers, have seen a great deal of evolution to cattle driving. One of the largest obstacles is increased traffic on the road, making the use of trucks an attractive option. The cattle are gathered into a corral and loaded on to the trucks. They are then hauled to the new location and unloaded. Hedda Peterson “You would think it’s the cowboy around the campfire, while one plays the guitar,” says Rudy, with a laugh. “And not the cowboy at home watching Monday Night Football.” No matter the method used to move cattle, it’s a process that will continue to evolve—as ranchers in the Gunnison Valley provide healthy, sustainable food for our country.
outdoors Maisy & Keely: Living on the wild side L ast spring, Maisy McLoughlin and Keely Olsen teamed up during Sarah Block’s fourth grade class for a special assignment—to create a Haiku that pairs with a unique photograph representing each month of the year here in the Gunnison Valley. While Maisy was born in Massachusetts, she is a Crested Butte girl at heart. “I like that it’s a small town,” says Maisy. “There’s no traffic and no loud car horns.” Keely agrees, “I like that there’s no stop lights and there’s lots of trails.” Keely takes advantage of the many trails, riding her quarter horse, Cheyenne. Keely especially enjoys overnight trips. When the snow starts to fall Keely puts down the reigns and puts on a pair of skis. “I can ride (Cheyenne) in about 6 inches of snow but she freaks out when it gets any higher,” says Keely. In the winter, you can find Keely skiing down Resurrection, her favorite run. She’s a big fan of moguls. “It’s fun to hit little jumps and ski powder,” declares Keely. Hike, climb, feel nature It won’t get more fun than this Nothing could compare Maisy McLoughlin & Keely Olsen When Keely isn’t playing soccer, on her horse, or skiing, she’s likely to be running and prefers the Lower Loop for long distance runs. Her dad, Kurt, built some hurdles out of PVC pipe allowing Keely to take her running to new heights. One of Maisy’s favorite trails is the Woods Walk, because of all the trees and forts. Maisy recently achieved a major feat, hiking to the summit of Teocalli Mountain. “It’s the highest mountain I’ve ever been on,” Maisy boasts. Both girls are big fans of fall. “I really like November because it’s changing from fall to winter and ski season starts!” Keely says, with a smile. “Plus, it’s my birthday month.” Maisy prefers the earlier months of fall, declaring September as the best month Courtesy of the McLoughlins Courtesy of the Olsens because it’s her birthday month. “I like September because of all the colorful leaves and it means we’ll have winter soon,” Maisy says. She enjoys Alpine and Nordic skiing, as well as snowboarding. “I really, really want a snowy winter!” Something tells us Maisy isn’t alone in that request. Crafting the Haiku was a true partnership. “We said OK, you come up with one line, I’ll come up with one line and we’ll put them together,” says Keely. “We’d read them to each other to see what the other one thought.” Maisy adds, “It was really fun to have a partner for the Haiku, someone to talk to and think about things to come up with.” Pick up the Crested Butte Land Trust’s 2013 calendar to see all of the Haikus written by the students of Sarah Block’s fourth grade class as well as stunning photographs taken by local professional and amatuer photographers. Purchase your calendar on our website, www.cblandtrust.org.
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Crested Butte Land Trust

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