First Christmas & First Loss

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from A Cowgirl’s Conservation Journey by Heidi Redd with Larisa Bowen, published by The Nature Conservancy. After she graduated college, Redd joined her then-husband Robert Redd in owning the iconic Dugout Ranch in Utah’s canyon country. She would go on to run the ranch by herself for nearly two decades. When the ranch was threatened by development, she worked with The Nature Conservancy on a unique partnership, one that has resulted in land protection as well as research on sustainable grazing. This is the story of her very rough first Christmas on the ranch.

“The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.”— Will Rogers

The year 1967 was full of first-time experiences in my new life as a rancher. I quickly learned that a fair portion of what unfolded at the Dugout was simply out of our control. Too many other forces—from Mother Nature to industry trends to the land itself—were vying for a spot in the driver’s seat. Accepting our humble role was important, and so was adapting to the unexpected.

That first year, this lesson was driven home by a record-breaking winter. The snow began to fall in November, putting us all in the spirit for the coming holidays. Snow was always a reason to celebrate in the desert. December brought even more snow, fueling our festive mood, but by mid-December, the blanket of white began to look and feel ominous.

At the end of that month, major storms stalled over the Four Corners region, leaving 36 inches of snow on the ground in the low country. The National Guard was called in to drop food by helicopter for stranded residents of the Navajo Reservation.

The blizzard was dangerous for people and deadly for livestock. It was about a week after the big storm before the San Juan County maintenance crew was able to open the road out of Indian Creek to the highway.