Travel and Explore with Win Sterling: Never Summer Ranch Reunion

Never Summer Ranch Reunion

October 12, 1998

Never Summer Ranch

In the summer of 1966, the Charles and Esther Sterling family reunion was held at the then, privately owned, Never Summer Ranch in Colorado. Pat and I returned to this “Ranch” on October 10, 1998, 32 years after the reunion. We had no idea of what to expect and even wondered if our memories were correct about the name and location. To our pleasant surprise, not only were our memories correct about the name, but we also remembered the location. After driving across Trail Ridge Road of the Rocky Mountain National Park, we descended into the Kawuneeche Valley through which flow the headwaters of the Colorado River. The Never Summer Ranch is now a featured stop of tourists passing through the park. For a mere $1.04, a “Never Summer Ranch” brochure can be purchased from park visitor centers. This brochure explains the history of the ranch and the Holzwarth family that owned it. In 1972, John Holzwarth sold this old “Dude Ranch” to the Nature Conservancy. He stipulated that the land was to be preserved as open space for everyone to enjoy. It then became property of the Federal Government who sold it to the National Park Service.

A ½-mile walk west from the parking lot by Hwy. 34 led us to a bridge over a stream, where a sign informed us that we were about to cross the Colorado River. At this point, the landscape began to appear more familiar. An antique hay rake reminded me that this area had been a hay field in 1966. A broken-down, old, log corral stood on the right side of the road. A short distance further, we climbed up through a wooded area and there it was – the same cabins and buildings where our family had stayed 32 years ago. I instantly recognized the Louise cabin that had housed my sons Jimmy (4) and Brian (2), as well as Pat and me. Romance was in the air and Ellen was born almost exactly nine months later. A wood fire in the iron stove kept us warm in cool, mountain, nighttime air. Our whole family was large enough to occupy most of these cabins except maybe for the Mama cabin, which was the historical home of the Holzwarths. But today, Pat and I walked from cabin to cabin, trying to read the faded signs. Signs on the Louise, Rose, Columbine and Twin II cabins were still legible, but it was necessary to refer to the brochure for the names of the Twin I, Mama and Tivoli cabins. Most of these were rustic, but were otherwise comfortable log cabins with indoor plumbing. Outhouses were also provided at no extra charge.

As we walked around the homestead of the old ranch, Pat and I saw fresh elk droppings in the back by the Columbine Cabin. Snow on the roof of the cabin was melting and dripping into small pools under the eves. Then we began to hear the bugling sounds of bull elk. Bark stripped from the base of the aspens indicated that maybe there are too many elk for the available winter forage. Some elk were fairly close, but hidden by the woods. Then another bull would reply from further up the sides of the Never Summer Mountains. As we wandered around the camp, reminiscing about happenings during the reunion, the elk sounds came closer and closer. Finally, we saw four elk in the small stream that flows down from the mountain and provides water to the campground. Later we watched the elk begin to stream out of the woods into the old hay meadow east of the campground. Just for kicks, we began to count – 30 does and young and a couple of spike males. The bugling of the bull elk was coming closer. We continued watching until over 100 elk were counted. A young family with their kids, all on bikes, stopped to watch. Explaining that we had observed over 100 elk, I clarified the Aggie, elk counting method: “Simply count all their legs and divide by four.” We watched a bit longer as younger bulls came too close to the mammoth patriarch bull and were chased away from his very large harem. A little disappointed that there was no bloody fight between the bulls, we returned to the car. I can only imagine how excited our mother (the family naturalist) would have been to see such a sight.

We did not remember seeing any elk during the reunion in ‘66. At one point in time, all the elk were eradicated from the area and it was necessary to reintroduce them. I actually remember very little about the wildlife during our reunion. However, memories of hiking up into the mountains with Sue Cavanaugh (age 4) and her dad and a handful of other family members, are fairly clear. Sue was a hiking dude! She often led us all up and down the trail, never complaining. Pat stayed in the campground to take care of Jimmy and Brian. We had been told of a beaver pond where we could catch brown trout. I caught one small trout before they spooked – so we did not return to the campground empty-handed. However, that one small, brown trout was not big enough to feed one human, much less the whole family.

Pat remembers how the cooking chores were divided so that we could all eat together around the evening campfire in the Heacock tradition. Each family (wife) planned one evening meal and all the women would help prepare it. When her turn came, Pat cooked a pot of beef stew on a gas stove in the cabin and fixed a fruit salad. The area in the center of the campground -- in a low place to minimize the wind -- where the large community campfire roared, still serves the same purpose. Now the fireplace is surrounded by log benches and a couple of antique horse-drawn, snow sleds – large enough to haul hay and other supplies over the deep snows of a Colorado winter. Because this ranch is now part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and considered of considerable historical importance, the Colorado Historical Society has taken on the ranch renovations as a project. The “Mama” cabin has undergone considerable maintenance of the foundation and other structures. Many of the cabins have fairly new steps. The old, aboveground, electrical lines have been removed and placed underground. A great deal of maintenance work will be required to prevent the total decay of these buildings. “Staff members” now use some of these cabins for quarters during their stay in the area.

We cannot remember who all was in attendance at the reunion. We believe that the families of Bruce, Dorothy, Fanny, and maybe Scott and Ruth stayed overnight with us in Spur, Texas (east of Lubbock) where we were living at the time. Spur was a good overnight stop-off because it was on the way for folks coming from more eastern areas of the USA. Bruce had a large Ford van -- big enough for his family and our parents. It was an exciting time. We had folks sleeping in every room, on every bed, and spread out on the floor in sleeping bags. We talked excitedly about the route we would take and things we would do in the mountains of Colorado. It took a while for everyone to go to sleep so we could rest in preparation for the trip the next day.

One painful and vivid memory is that of my sister, Fanny, who explained her marital problems to some the adults gathered beside the beaver pond. They eventually lead to her divorce from Gene Leggett. It was a very sad time and we were all shocked. We also remember hiking in the mountains and finding wild strawberries. Pat collected a few and carried them back to the campground for Mama. Memories of driving the Trail Ridge Road through the National Park are also fairly vivid. It was our first introduction to alpine tundra and concepts such as a “tree line.” Snow could still be found there even though it was midsummer. We thought that the snow drifts must be glaciers.

Steven Leggett remembers:

“I'm afraid I don't have many memories of '66. My Aggie calculator reveals that I was only 5.

I do remember that I had a hard time adjusting to my poor depth perception in Colorado. I had to be continually reminded not to walk off the mountain. Through the eyes of a five year old, I remember a big highlight being some kind of wheel barrow. Seems like an awful long way to travel for this kind of entertainment. However, the naturalist must have kicked in too because I remember thinking how awesome the forest was and how cool the cabins were. I couldn't believe that pine cones were everywhere and were free for the taking. I must have helped pick up several grocery bags full before I
realized how plentiful they were.

I guess this was the first trip of many that our family was only a foursome. I really have to give Mom a lot of credit for standing up to the task.”

Scott Sterling remembers:

Joan, Terri and I had just completed 7 months of education in Hartford Conn. As I remember it Peggy had reservations in Colorado at the time that my classes had terminated. Joan, Terri and I headed for Colorado in our 1964 Valiant with all of our possessions. I remember that the Valiant could not navigate the mountains. Fourteen wheelers kept coming on my bumper and honking all the way up the mountain on my tail. There was no place for me to go except to stick to the highway.

We stayed with Peggy while we were there. I decided to go fishing for trout and I asked the Lady where we were staying where I could fish. She told me about some small lakes within walking distance so I set out to do some fishing. On the way I ran across an Elk doe that had attempted to jump a fence. Her front leg had gone between the top two wires of the barb wire fence and she had flipped over, entrapping her in the fence. When I came upon her she was dead. I proceeded on toward the fishing area when a doe elk jumped up about ten feet in front of me and nearly scared me to death. I ended up with about four trout which I had caught with worms and grasshoppers which I had caught in the area. They were the first trout I had ever caught or seen.

I remember taking a hike with Bruce by the canal which the Chinese had dug in the previous century. I also remember the singing by the fire at night with the girls leading the way. I also remember the divison of labor involved with the evening meal. The gals did the cooking and the men showed their appreciation with a huge appetite.

I have a picture of Mom and Dad by the wood heater in their cabin. It is still one of my favorite pictures of them.

John Sterling remembers:

“I did not attend the reunion at Never Summer Ranch. If I had been told the name of the place, maybe I would have come, even though I was supporting myself with the occasional poker games we had in college. Did I ever tell you about my escapades while I was roughnecking summers and at nights during the regular semesters? I have a few stories which might be of interest, even to an old Marine. A really cool French Padre who taught me French was sure I was on drugs until he found out I was working the morning tour (pronounced tower) on the McAllen Ranch (morning tour is the shift from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. I'd race home, shower, then go to morning classes.) We became pretty good buddies after that because he had done the same to get through his university.

I really wish I had gone.”

Jimmy Sterling remembers:

“I remember waking from a nap in a cabin and running out the front door in a panic looking for my parents. One of my aunts (you know, those interchangeable adults who are somehow related to my parents) told me that my parents were sitting next to a pond down some trail. So I took off on this journey, and after a long trek (~50 yards?) through wolf/bear-infested forest,
I finally found them.

We have a photo of me and Lee with a rope! You know, a rope is just about the coolest thing that 2 kids can have.”

Karen Donsbach remembers tasting a bitter berry from a bush. She told the other kids that it was food. Then someone explained that the berries were poisonous. Karen did not sleep well that night -- wondering how much longer she had to live.

Interestingly, my father was 66 years old at the time of this reunion. Since I was only 30 years old, he seemed like a very old man. Now, I am 62 and realize that he was not so old after all.

Family members in attendance:

Charles Sterling
Esther Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Beebe Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling
Amy Sterling
Joyce Sterling
Lee Sterling
Dorothy Cavanaugh
Gene Cavanaugh
Charles Cavanaugh
Karen Cavanaugh
Sue Cavanaugh
Rebecca Cavanaugh
Peggy Miller
Sonny Miller
Diana Miller
Sterling Miller
Fanny (Leggett) Ross
John Leggett
Steven Leggett
Mark Leggett
Winfield Sterling
Pat Sterling
Jimmy Sterling
Brian Sterling
Scott Sterling
Joan Sterling
Terri Sterling
Ruth Sterling

Winfield