The Washington Outdoors Report

A cowboy I treasure traded his spurs for wings recently. Fred Duzan was a longtime wrangler for Icicle Outfitters, offering summertime day trips from Lake Wenatchee State Park, overnight trips into the Central Cascades and winter sleigh or wagon rides near the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris reports, “Duzan was taking a group on a winter ride in a wagon on December 2nd when a wheel became loose. The horses were spooked as the wagon slowed and Duzan attempted to get control of them.

Unfortunately, he was thrown by the horses from the wagon and hit his head on a boulder, dying instantly of blunt force impact.” I met Fred 15 years ago when my then seven-year-old son David and I went on a summertime, two-night family horseback trip into the Entiat Mountains. Everyone on the trip was either a father or mother with a young son or daughter. We rode ten plus miles from the trailhead, and through a shallow stream to a meadow next to a creek full of small trout.

That’s where Fred and his assistant tied up the horses and mules and got to work setting up camp. It was my first time in a backcountry horse camp and I loved it. The location was spectacular and deer wandered through camp on a regular basis. Fred was an excellent cook with a Dutch oven and the dinners and desserts he prepared were mouthwatering. Used to drinking water from a bottle on backcountry hiking forays, I was pleasantly surprised when I took a seat by the campfire and Fred offered me my choice of a soda pop or a beer. It was certainly nice to have mules carrying food, drink and camping gear for us!

Fred was very good at his craft, adeptly handling all aspects of the trip. He was also a quick wit. He loved to tell corny jokes, gently poked fun at my son who seemed to fall into the creek or nearby alpine lakes every chance he could, and even recited cowboy poetry around the campfire for everyone during dinner. Both the kids and adults alike loved Fred and the whole experience Icicle Outfitters offered. On the second day we rode to a couple of alpine lakes where Fred provided fishing rods for the kids to use to catch trout which ended up as dinner at camp. The experience was so delightful we did it again a year later and Fred dazzled us yet again.

Those weren’t the only times I saw Fred. I chatted with him during the winter from time to time between sleigh rides at the fish hatchery. On the rare occasions I saw his truck parked next to the appropriately named Hitching Post Tavern in Cashmere, I’d always make it a point to drop in to see him and listen to his still corny jokes. Fred was a true cowboy, and also a very good man who will be missed but being a Christian, I console myself that he’s riding in some very fine pastures now. My prayers go out to his longtime partner, Patti and to his friends at Icicle Outfitters during this time of loss.

COLUMBIA GORGE PHOTO CONTEST:

In other news, the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge are now accepting entries into their annual photo contest, a popular event which has garnered over 2,000 entries over the last seven years. According to a press release from the group, “Friends will honor winning photos in seven categories— Community & Culture, Scenic Eastern Gorge, Scenic Western Gorge, Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wildlife, and Youth Photographer (age 18 and under)—in addition to the grand prize winner.

The grand prize winner will be chosen from all of the submissions and can come from any category.” The deadline to submit photos for the contest is February 6th. All photos must be owned by the photographer and taken within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Additional details about the contest can be found at http://gorgefriends.org/ photocontest

John Kruse – www. northwesternoutdoors.com and www. americaoutdoorsradio.com