Dave W. Girdner - Photos

f_Cattle_etc_1940-55

Click on an image for a LARGER & higher resolution version (& download if u wish).

10 -- Dave W. Girdner, Jeep & apricot trees At the home ranch (Dave's Dad, Dale called "Geronimo Holdout"). It was a mile up Oak Creek from Cornville AZ,
Purchased about 1949, our '48 Jeep's "box delivery-van body" was homemade and similar in shape to that on the Model A Ford it replaced. The doors were made from the Model A.
Click on image for full-size photo.

11 -- Bull Crossng; 1950.
This story happened some years prior to 1950
After Girdner's herded the cattle from where the Sedona Cultural Center now lies; a bull spooked everytime it approached Hi-way 89A a half mile above Midgley bridge. Dave moved the chuck wagon(Model A Ford then) out of the way(from shown) & was helping on foot. Roe Smith had happened by & trailored his horse up to help. After many tries about midnight we got the bull across --thus "Bull Crossing".

12 -- "Branding at Art's Tank" - 1953.
The "Branding" ordeal was planned to be done near the end of the spring cattle drive.
This was about half way From the top of Schnebly hill to the South end of our Munds pasture.
Branding, castrating, de-horning, ear-marking & vaccinating was usually done near the destination so the poor calves wouldn't need to walk far after the ordeal.

13 -- Branding at the "Tree House" - 1952.
This was called the "Tree House" because salt & minimal supplies were stored on a tub covered "animal proof" platform in an oak tree. This was accessable from the Schnebly Hill road just before it entered Munds Park pasture. We called the very rocky half-mile access road the "boulivard", instead of "boulder-yard" as the Model A Ford "chuck wagon" would bounce it's way to meet the crew with food & supplies. It was unusual to brand here.

14 -- Dave W. at the Girdner Tank, 1951
In 1951 this Girdner Tank was West of Sedona.
The present "Girdner Trailhead" and the Cultural Park (& Visitors Center) are now just West of where this stock tank was. Now a reclamation pond is here & the area is a part of (West) Sedona, Arizona.
Click on image for full-size photo.

15 -- Squal Hole,-1 about 1952.
George, Dale, (Jim Stotts) & Bob(Robert James) Girdner.
Notice that each has a calf on the end of his rope. Girdners built a steep switch-back trail so the cattle could get down to this watering area. .
--Looking up Munds canyon away from Oak Creek. This solid-rock-bottomed area had good water through the summers many years. .

16 -- Squal Hole water spot. -2
South part of Girdner's summer Mund's Geronimo pasture. --Looking towards Oak Creek
Once while camped at top left of this canyon screams echoed from this area when a lion killed a deer. After that we called this "Squal Hole". The trail we built had many switchbacks down into this deep canyon so the cows could water.
Click on image for full-size photo.

17 -- Exiting Upper Munds Trail -1, about 1947.
Dale H. Girdner with cattle coming out of the upper Munds canyon trail crossing on the North side.
This is where, in earlier years, Dale had blasted out a trail amongst big boulders, to provide the only access cattle had to graze from one side of the canyon to the other. This was near the east center of Girdner's Geronimo pasture South of Munds Park, Arizona.
Click on image for full-size photo.

18 -- Upper Munds Trail -2, about 1950.
George & Bob Girdner bringing cattle between boulders across this rough trail crossing near the east center of their Geronimo pasture South of Munds Park, Arizona, late 1940's.
Note that there are three cows, almost hidden, on the trail amongst the huge rocks (dimly marked 1, 2 & 3)!
Click on image for full-size photo.

19 -- Upper Munds Cnyn Trail Xing, -3,
50 Yrs. Later. Compare two photos of the upper Munds Canyon rocky trail crossing taken 50 years apart.
Dale H. Girdner probably was distributing salt as he crossed this rough upper Munds trail canyon in about 1948.
The right part of this photo was taken in June 2003 on a hike by Bob & Dave Girdner, cousin John(Telford) Stone and 1950's Oak Creek school-mate Don Hansen (that's John & Bob in the picture. Note that the rocks on the walls of the canyon are about the same over 50 yrs while the rocks on the bottom have changed a lot. Click on image for full-size photo.

20 -- Upper Munds Cnyn Trail, -4, about 1950.
Bob(Robert J.) & George Girdner probably were photographed by their dad, Dale, crossing this rough upper Munds canyon trail in the Geronimo pasture.
This trail was blasted out, by the Girdner's, amongst huge boulders, the only access cattle had to graze on both sides of the canyon.
This rough trail crossing was South of Munds Park, Arizona.
Click on image for full-size photo.

21 -- Upper Munds Canyon Xing -5, 50 Years Later
The top part of this photo was taken in June 2003 on a hike by Bob & Dave Girdner, cousin John(Telford) Stone and 1950's Oak Creek school-mate Don Hansen. Note that the rocks on the side of this extremely rough cattle trail crossing heve changed little while the rocks on the bottom of the canyon floor are quite different. Now (June 2003) horses or cattle cannot cross here.
Click on image for full-size photo.

22 -- Girdner Cattle Drive -1, about 1954.
Bob(Robert James) Girdner(on 'Prince') in "Nov 1960 Arizona Highways" photo by Bob Bradshaw.
This was north-west of downtown Sedona, AZ.
It was east of the Girdner Tank & present "Girdner Trailhead" at the Cultural Park (& Visitors Center) across from the Hi School.
Click on image for full-size photo.

23 -- Girdner Cattle Drive -2, about 1954.
Dale Girdner(on 'Bravo Juan') and son Bob(on 'Prince') in "--- 19-- Arizona Highways" photo by Bob Bradshaw.
This was north-west of downtown Sedona, AZ. [I think it was in the vicinity of Soldier's Wash between the Girdner Tank & "Bull Crossing" (Where the Trail cross's Oak Creek, several miles up from downtown Sedona)dwg.]
Click on image for full-size photo.

Click on an image for a LARGER & higher resolution version (& download if u wish).
10 -- Dave W. Girdner, Jeep & apricot trees At the home ranch (Dave's Dad, Dale called "Geronimo Holdout"). It was a mile up Oak Creek from Cornville AZ, Purchased about 1949, our '48 Jeep's "box delivery-van body" was homemade and similar in shape to that on the Model A Ford it replaced. The doors were made from the Model A. Click on image for full-size photo.
	11 -- Bull Crossng; 1950. This story happened some years prior to 1950 After Girdner's herded the cattle from where the Sedona Cultural Center now lies; a bull spooked everytime it approached Hi-way 89A a half mile above Midgley bridge. Dave moved the chuck wagon(Model A Ford then) out of the way(from shown) & was helping on foot. Roe Smith had happened by & trailored his horse up to help. After many tries about midnight we got the bull across --thus "Bull Crossing".
12 -- "Branding at Art's Tank" - 1953. The "Branding" ordeal was planned to be done near the end of the spring cattle drive. This was about half way From the top of Schnebly hill to the South end of our Munds pasture. Branding, castrating, de-horning, ear-marking & vaccinating was usually done near the destination so the poor calves wouldn't need to walk far after the ordeal.
	13 -- Branding at the "Tree House" - 1952. This was called the "Tree House" because salt & minimal supplies were stored on a tub covered "animal proof" platform in an oak tree. This was accessable from the Schnebly Hill road just before it entered Munds Park pasture. We called the very rocky half-mile access road the "boulivard", instead of "boulder-yard" as the Model A Ford "chuck wagon" would bounce it's way to meet the crew with food & supplies. It was unusual to brand here.
14 -- Dave W. at the Girdner Tank, 1951 In 1951 this Girdner Tank was West of Sedona. The present "Girdner Trailhead" and the Cultural Park (& Visitors Center) are now just West of where this stock tank was. Now a reclamation pond is here & the area is a part of (West) Sedona, Arizona. Click on image for full-size photo.
	15 -- Squal Hole,-1 about 1952. George, Dale, (Jim Stotts) & Bob(Robert James) Girdner. Notice that each has a calf on the end of his rope. Girdners built a steep switch-back trail so the cattle could get down to this watering area. . --Looking up Munds canyon away from Oak Creek. This solid-rock-bottomed area had good water through the summers many years. .
16 -- Squal Hole water spot. -2 South part of Girdner's summer Mund's Geronimo pasture. --Looking towards Oak Creek Once while camped at top left of this canyon screams echoed from this area when a lion killed a deer. After that we called this "Squal Hole". The trail we built had many switchbacks down into this deep canyon so the cows could water. Click on image for full-size photo.
	17 -- Exiting Upper Munds Trail -1, about 1947. Dale H. Girdner with cattle coming out of the upper Munds canyon trail crossing on the North side. This is where, in earlier years, Dale had blasted out a trail amongst big boulders, to provide the only access cattle had to graze from one side of the canyon to the other. This was near the east center of Girdner's Geronimo pasture South of Munds Park, Arizona. Click on image for full-size photo.
18 -- Upper Munds Trail -2, about 1950. George & Bob Girdner bringing cattle between boulders across this rough trail crossing near the east center of their Geronimo pasture South of Munds Park, Arizona, late 1940's. Note that there are three cows, almost hidden, on the trail amongst the huge rocks (dimly marked 1, 2 & 3)! Click on image for full-size photo.
	19 -- Upper Munds Cnyn Trail Xing, -3, 50 Yrs. Later. Compare two photos of the upper Munds Canyon rocky trail crossing taken 50 years apart. Dale H. Girdner probably was distributing salt as he crossed this rough upper Munds trail canyon in about 1948. The right part of this photo was taken in June 2003 on a hike by Bob & Dave Girdner, cousin John(Telford) Stone and 1950's Oak Creek school-mate Don Hansen (that's John & Bob in the picture. Note that the rocks on the walls of the canyon are about the same over 50 yrs while the rocks on the bottom have changed a lot. Click on image for full-size photo.
20 -- Upper Munds Cnyn Trail, -4, about 1950. Bob(Robert J.) & George Girdner probably were photographed by their dad, Dale, crossing this rough upper Munds canyon trail in the Geronimo pasture. This trail was blasted out, by the Girdner's, amongst huge boulders, the only access cattle had to graze on both sides of the canyon. This rough trail crossing was South of Munds Park, Arizona. Click on image for full-size photo.
	21 -- Upper Munds Canyon Xing -5, 50 Years Later The top part of this photo was taken in June 2003 on a hike by Bob & Dave Girdner, cousin John(Telford) Stone and 1950's Oak Creek school-mate Don Hansen. Note that the rocks on the side of this extremely rough cattle trail crossing heve changed little while the rocks on the bottom of the canyon floor are quite different. Now (June 2003) horses or cattle cannot cross here. Click on image for full-size photo.
	22 -- Girdner Cattle Drive -1, about 1954. Bob(Robert James) Girdner(on 'Prince') in "Nov 1960 Arizona Highways" photo by Bob Bradshaw. This was north-west of downtown Sedona, AZ. It was east of the Girdner Tank & present "Girdner Trailhead" at the Cultural Park (& Visitors Center) across from the Hi School. Click on image for full-size photo.
23 -- Girdner Cattle Drive -2, about 1954. Dale Girdner(on 'Bravo Juan') and son Bob(on 'Prince') in "--- 19-- Arizona Highways" photo by Bob Bradshaw. This was north-west of downtown Sedona, AZ. [I think it was in the vicinity of Soldier's Wash between the Girdner Tank & "Bull Crossing" (Where the Trail cross's Oak Creek, several miles up from downtown Sedona)dwg.] Click on image for full-size photo.