Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 29 Rick "Hawk" Hurst is the real deal. As a member of two of the most exacting and challeng- ing organizations in the world, Hawk had to prove his mettle. Both the American Mountain Men Association and Long Riders' Guild do not seek members. ey value quality over quantity. e Mountain Men Association prizes dedica- tion to preserving the traditions and wilderness skills embodied by America's bold and self suf- ficient western adventurers from the early 1800s; while the Long Rider's Guild represents men and women who have com- pleted a single journey of 1,000 miles or more on horseback. Few pass the entrance require- ments for either organization. Hawk more than demon- strated his worthiness in 2010 by using authentic mountain man equipment to ride his equine partners, Cazadore and Snake, from the Mexican border in Texas to the Canadian border in Montana. For much of the trip, Hawk rode alone. Like so many happenings at Dunrovin, a horse is responsible for bringing Hawk to us. No, he didn't ride in on his equine partner, Cazadore; rather he was sell- ing a horse on Craigslist. His posting contained a link to a video of the horse being used by a French actress in a German television production re-enacting a ride from Mexico to Canada by a mountain man. Well, who wouldn't follow that link? A quick click brought Hawk into our purview. Not only did I purchase the horse, but I became intrigued and then smitten with the charming "moun- tain man" and his equally tall and lovely wife. Hawk and Julie had just arrived in Montana and were in the process of constructing a new home L OOKING AS THOUGH HE WALKED OFF OF THE PAGES OF A HISTORICAL NOVEL, Hawk cuts a striking fig- ure. Tall, erect, and strong, his rugged face, calloused hands, and hand-sewn leather attire tell of another age, another era when men lived alone in the mountains for years on end. But it's his boyish grin that invites you in. Clearly this is a man at ease with himself and with his environment. is is man you want to know, to hear his story. DANIELLE LELLEK DANIELLE LELLEK Rick "Hawk" Hurst and Cazadore leading a group on the Nez Perce National Historic Trail Parched corn F I N D Y OU R A D V E N T U R E • SP I R I T A N D I N S P I R A T I O N • DUNROVIN RANCH By SUZANNE MILLER

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