The History of Hells Canyon Muledays

In the Spring of 1981, local ranchers and packers met with representatives of the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce and USDA Forest Service to explore the idea of putting together a new county event. 
As a result, the mule - tough, intelligent, individualistic, often maligned, but the mainstay of the many packers and outfitters working in Wallowa County - was elevated to center stage for the first annual Hells Canyon Mule Days celebration on September 19 - 20, 1981.

Hells Canyon was an appropriate title because that area owes most of its early settlement and development to the mule which predominantly served as a major means of transportation to gain access to this rugged region of the county.

Given the well-known independence of Mule Days’ long-eared star, the entertaining , action-packed event has met its initial goal - both mule skinners and spectators alike can be part of this family oriented mule show, with events and games for all ages

 

 

2023 Mule Days Grand Marshal Cal Henry
written by Janie Tippett, 2005 Mule Days Grand Marshal 

 

Cal Henry, the 2023 Mule Days Grand Marshal has lived a very full life, and is still living it.


At age 19, when Cal was employed as a packer for Boulder Park guiding service, several clients who had purchased a canyon ranch from Dick Blankenship, asked him if he wanted a job. This ranch, located in the rugged area known as Tryon Creek in the lower Imnaha Snake River country, was only accessible by horseback or plane.


John Houck, who was running the ranch for the owners, met Cal on the lower Imnaha River, near the confluence of Cow Creek at the old Litch place, and they made their way horseback, up the Fingerboard Trail, to the remote Double 0 Bar ranch at Tryon Creek. After two weeks, John announced he was going to town, saddled up his horse, rode down the trail and never returned... leaving the responsibility of running the ranch to 19 year old Cal.


“I didn’t know the country...but the ranch horses did” remembers Cal. “Those canyon horses taught me.” he said, and soon young Cal was familiar with the many trails that laced the ranch and surrounding steep country....


Cal and his wife, Mary Ann, spent 6 years there and their son, Jason, and daughter, Tammy were born while they lived at Tryon. Well-known bush pilot, Bud Stangel, from Enterprise, flew in, landed on the canyon side air strip to transport Mary Ann out several days prior to the births of their babies...


The ranch wintered cattle at Tryon and summered on Lord Flat. They ran 150 cow permits on Forest land. Cal remembers that their groceries as well as ranch supplies list was sent out on Dick Rivers’ Snake River mail boat to Lewiston, Idaho, and on the weekly return run up the Snake...left in a pile on the bank...to be packed on mules and horses up the steep trail to Tryon.


The Spring drive to Dug Bar, Christmas Creek and Rawlin Bar on horseback, to drive the cattle down, took 8 days. In those early years, before H.C.N.R.A. (Hells Canyon National Recreation Area) before those Snake River ranches were condemned by the government, Double O Bar consisted of 2,000 privately owned acres... in addition to their Forest grazing permit. When the ranch was taken over by the Government, Cal retained his hunting permits, as he had established his own guide service. This ended a way of life for those remote ranches. So, Cal moved his family on to the next chapter in his life...


To record of what young Cal did from then on would fill several books... During the following years Cal’s guiding and hunting business expanded and grew into one of the Best in the West. To make a living, Cal also worked for many well-known ranches including McClarans and the Wolfe Hereford Ranch in Wallowa.


There isn’t much Cal hasn’t done… he flew to Australia and spent three months as a salesman selling probiotics to large cattle ranches in the area. He also brought the first portable saw mill into Wallowa County...


Cal had the hunting permit for Red’s Horse Ranch for 10 years, as well as Minam Lodge where he guided, and set up camps for elk and deer hunting, also the pack station at Wallowa Lake, and Lapover pack station up the south fork of the Lostine. He worked with former Hells Canyon Mule Days grand marshals, Benny Banks, and Merle Hawkins. He also packed and guided at an outfit in Idaho.


Due to the remote locations of these camps, Cal learned to fly, so he could transport all the supplies.


Cal says at one time he owned 80 head of pack mules and saddle horses, he set up camps all over the Wallowas… It was the heyday of the packing and guiding business...a job not for the faint of heart...This job required skills seen today by very few, and in the winter those animals had to be fed and cared for even though it was the off season... During these times he worked for Bud Stangle at his shop in Enterprise as well as other jobs to make a living…


Cal has many stories to tell... like the time he was working for a pack station in East Eagle Creek in Baker County and they watched the filming of the movie, PAINT YOUR WAGON... he remembers a humorous incident when the actors had to deal with an infestation of lice. And another story about packing the film crew up the East Fork of the Lostine for the Walt Disney Movie THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. How Cal’s crew fed 70 members of that film crew over an open fire, and packing in the animal actors, dogs and cats. He has stories of being bucked off in a wild place, breaking his foot and climbing back on his horse to ride for help... and many many more.


At age 77, Cal just keeps going... runs a few cows... lives with his wife, Lucy, in Jospeh, and is presently manager of the Wallowa Valley Improvement District, comprised of 5,000 acres under irrigation.


Cal has an old battered suitcase full of magazine articles featuring his many years of packing into Wallowa County wilderness areas… well known publications such as Western Horsemen, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream. Files of yellowed clippings of articles about his hunting camp adventures, newspapers, like the Oregonian, the Baker City Herald, and many more... Cal lived in an era rooted in rich Wallowa County history. Most of the old timers are gone now and sadly most of their stories will never be told.


“I’ve lived a very, full life” says Cal...and that is an understatement. However, Cal, who still arises early to tend to his chores... has a twinkle in his eyes, as he remembers those not so long-ago times, and tells his stories…


We are so proud of you Cal... and honored that you are the 2023 Hells Canyon Mule Days Grand Marshal.


 

 

 

Hells Canyon Muledays Grand Marshals

 

1981 – WADE HALL & ETHEL THOMAS
1982 – MIKE & JOYCE McFETRIDGE
1983 – GLEN HAWKINS & GRACE BARTLETT
1984 – LEE MANES & LYNN MITCHELL
1985 – JESS EARL & CLARA HEARING
1986 – LAWRENCE & ILENE POTTER
1987 – CARMEN MAXWELL & A. L. DUCKETT
1988 – JOE McCLARAN & MARY MARKS
1989 – OAKLEY JOHNSON & HAZEL BARTON/FLEET

1990 – JOE ONAIDIA & GUS MALAXA
1991 – EMORY CRAWFORD
1992 – MAX & MARCEL WALKER . 
1993 – JIM & JEAN BROOKS
1994 – JIM & LOIS BLANKENSHIP
1995 – GENE & MILDRED MARR
1996 – SAM & LAURA LOFTUS
1997 – DICK & BETTY HAMMOND
1998 – PEARL INGLE
1999 – DELBERT (DEB) WART

2000 – FRED TALBOTT
2000 – Noel & Genie Wright • Honorary
2001 – MANFORD & VERA ISLEY
2002 – MEREL HAWKINS
2003 – ARNOLD SCHAEFFER

2004 – BENNIE BANKS
2005 – DOUG & JANIE TIPPETT
2005 – Bonnie Shields • Honorary 
2006 – BOB CASEY
2006 – Gerald Perren • Honorary
2007 – BLANCHE MAXWELL                                                                                                                     
2007 – Gene & Bonnie Westberg • Honorary
2008 – JUANA MALAXA & MARIE ONAINDIA
2008 – Mike Brennan • Honorary
2009 – CARMEN KOHLHEPP
2009 – R. A. “Ace” Barton • Honorary

2010 – BIDEN & BETTY TIPPETT
2010 – Ben Tippett • Honorary
2011 – LEO TIPTON “Tip” PROCTOR
2011 – George Hixson • Honorary
2012 – GRANT & BARBARA WARNOCK
2012 – Duke & Rhee Lathrop • Honorary
2013 – LARRY & JUANITA WATERS  
2014 – DICK WALKER
2014 – Art Galbraith • Honorary (3-28-1937 • 7-11-2014)
2015 – DENNIS & PEGGY BRENNAN
2016 – MARVIN LOVELL
2017 – ROBERT “BOB” BALES 
2018 – ORAN MCCRAE  
2019 – JULIE KOOCH

2022 – WARREN MATTHEWS

2023 – CAL HENRY