Van Beek: Home on the Range
When we move away from the urban corridor, we discover the heart of Colorado. It lies in our western tradition. Ranching and farming are often generational careers, with training beginning almost as soon as one can walk.
Certainly, many of us are weekend warriors, in that we head outdoors to tackle Mother Nature’s greatest challenges in the form of adventure sports: hiking, rafting, fishing, camping, rock climbing, horseback riding, hunting, off-roading, mountaineering, gardening and just admiring the panorama of the great outdoors. For others, it’s a way of life.
Living off of the land is an opportunity that is matched by none other. It’s you in partnership with Mother Nature, and sometimes mommy likes to add challenges by throwing in surprises. The unpredictability of working and living in the wilderness requires a unique set of skills and mastering those abilities can sometimes make the difference between life and death.
Therefore, if you live in rural Colorado, a large part of your education will center on an ability to tackle the land, wildlife, weather and the most challenging animal of all, politicians. The latter is an acquired skill that comes with exposure and a heavy degree of skepticism.
When in school, evaluation of skills is often done with paper and pencil; on a ranch, it is acquired in the dirt. When you stumble across a wild animal and you are staring into one another’s eyes, there is an immediate understanding that you can either walk away or one of you will not make it out. Your confidence can make all the difference, and that confidence comes with experience and skill.
