venturing4th: Fire, wheel and rope

March 9, 2015 blog-

Fire, wheel and ROPE - these three innovations are what establishes us as who we are as a people and defines modern man. So says Ranger Rob Dean at this morning’s Ranger Program at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. The Program was called, “Learnin’ the Ropes”, and promised to discuss the basics of rope and roping.

This is Ranger Rob. Not only does he present programs to the public, but he teaches rope training classes to young rangers.

Since this was an educational program, the first lesson we learned was about river rescue rope.

See the yellow bag behind Ranger Rob’s knees? He is demonstrating how you throw a river rescue rope under-handed.

He also cautioned that you have to practice throwing the river rescue rope and be sure that the rope you throw is long enough to reach the person you are trying to save.

Ranger Rob talked about how important the rope was to the history of the east coast - ropes were used on sailing ships that brought our ancestors to America. They were used in pulleys that helped move goods in the industrial northeast. And, of course, they helped the cowboys settle the west. He also mentioned that domesticating animals depended on the rope. Think horses.

Ranger Rob also discussed the nomenclature of the rope. Here we are talking about the western rope. There is a “tail”, and the tail usually has a knot in it. The other end has a “honda”, a small, tied, loop that the rest of the rope passes through. The “burner” is a leather piece in the middle of the honda that protects the rope from friction as it slips through. The burner also gives the noose (not lasso, that’s incorrect) a little more weight and provides for more control.

Next up were the different kinds of rope. Hand-made ropes from natural material are the best.

This is a rawhide rope. Rawhide is the untreated hide of cattle. To make a rawhide rope you start at the outer edge of the hide and cut around the edge in one continuous piece, about 60’ in length.

This rawhide rope is over 100 years old and periodically Ranger Robs oiles it using animal fat. He will periodically straighten it to reduce “rope memory”. A rawhide rope will be heavy when wet and light when dry.

Ranger Rob said that in the old west, Texas Rangers knew that Mexican bandits were more deadly with a rope than with a gun. The bandits would throw the rope under the neck of their horse and around the neck of a Ranger. Texas Rangers were required to carry a “serviceable” knife at their waist so they could cut the rope if they were roped.

The agave plant, or Century Plant, provides fibers that are used to make a “maguay” rope. We could still feel the prickles in the rope.

Ranger Rob demonstrates how to make a maguay rope from the agave plant.

You strip the fibers from the leaf…

and separate the fibers.

Then you begin to twist the fibers which makes them very strong. Maguey ropes are very strong ropes.

This is a woven, not twisted, cotton rope. It is the favorite of young cowboys because it is inexpensive and can be easily replaced.

This is a rope made from mad-made materials, nylon or polyester. They are twisted by machine and will be either 4 or 3 strands. This is a 4-strand rope. A 3-strand rope will have deeper groves and will “grab” tighter. .

Each strand is twisted around a metal thread which provides additional weight. Having additional weight is important when you are throwing in the wind and when you want to throw a great distance.

Now here is the most interesting fact we learned - there is left handed rope and right handed rope, depending on the angle of the coil. A right-handed person will use a right-handed rope and the coils will angle “from the left knee to the right shoulder.” A left-handed rope is the opposite.

We then learned some roping techniques. This is the proper way to control a roped animal.

And then he showed us some rope tricks - this is the “Mexican wedding ring.”

Today’s hike on the Window Trail was the opposite of yesterday’s hike. We first hiked down into a canyon before we hiked up. (A opposed to yesterday when we hiked up a mountain before hiking down.) We began from the Chisos Basin Trailhead behind the Visitor’s Center.

When we began the temperature was cold and the mountains were shrouded in clouds.

At the top of the trail is a view of the Window. We will be hiking to where these two ranges meet in the middle of the picture.

Beginning the descent into Oak Creek Canyon.

This is at the Window “pour-off” - where the water from the canyon stream would just pour-off over the edge. This is as far as you want to go - 5 feet from this woman the trail just drops-off!

Frederick at the Window. We didn’t go as close to the drop-off as that woman.

On the way back up the canyon we could see some water in the creek that runs through the canyon.

Rhode Island connection!!!

This young man is Drake Santillion. At the Window there were lots of people and he heard us say that we were from Rhode Island when someone asked. He piped up - “Rhode Island, my Dad is from Rhode Island”. He then proceeded to tell us that his Dad is Marjorie Sundlun’s son and that makes him the former Governor, Bruce Sundlun’s step-son. He said, “I guess that makes me the Governor’s step-grandson.”

About a 1/4 mile from the Window pour-off, there was a trail that went up the side canyon. Our hiking guide said that if we hiked up this trail a short way, to an overlook, there would be great views of the desert, Oak Creek Canyon, and Casa Grande.