Grass Beyond the Mountains: Discovering the Last Great Cattle Frontier

True story, detailed vivid writing. Takes you right into the cattle drive.

I can hardly contain my excitement and rein in my enthusiasm to reasonable levels when it comes to wanting to tell everyone about Richmond P. Hobson Jr's book Grass Beyond the Mountains. This reads like a historic novel, but it is all an actual, personal account of Hobson and his partner Panhandle (Top Hand) Phillips' white knuckle adventures - much lived on the edge of death - in the wild-west wilderness of northern British Columbia to fulfill their dream of building one of the largest cattle empires in the world!There has always been a part of what or who I am that has always dreamed of being a cowboy. These roots go back to when I strapped on my cap-pistol six-shooter and played Cowboys and Indians, and reached to Wyoming, at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains where I was privileged to participate in a real-life cattle round up and drive, ending in the branding and castration, which is much dirtier and dustier and dangerous than is depicted on the big screen, believe me! I have slept out under the stars in Utah with our horse picketed near-by. But nothing, nothing buried deep inside me, I do believe, would have ever enabled me to endure the hardships, facing Grizzlies, preparing for attacks from dozens of the notorious black wolves, whose existence is disbelieved by, probably the majority of the population. Wolves as big as a black bear with weights surpassing 225 pounds and which can leap 15 feet in two feet of snow to bring down a bull moose! I have lived in 47 below zero weather in Montana, but not out in the wilderness on horseback riding in pitch blackness all night around a herd of cattle.The real life adventures of these two men, in my estimation, surpass the courageous and daring accomplishments of most human beings! These were men! Real men!Throughout the book you find the continual thread of the reality of man's dependence upon horses for even his own existence in times of peril. You are introduced to the beauty of real relationships of friendship and trust that exist between horses with "individual personality, (and with) good and bad points." You will have your imagination breathless by the description of the millions upon millions of acres of pristine wilderness, which once discovered became the ground for this remarkable human achievement.I hated finding I had reached the last page but knew immediately that I will now order the next book which continues the real-life drama, titled, Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy and then probably, The Rancher Takes a Wife.While Rich Hobson was the real life cowboy, adventurer who lived this life, he writes like a gifted popular author. You feel his frost bit feet, you shiver at the cry of these giant killer wolves circle the camp; you gasp as the waters under the frozen ice suck you and your cattle and horses down into the freezing deep hole where the river meets the lake; you freeze as you stare down a Grizzly; you hold your breath as you and your horse and cattle gamble on walking across the ice crust with 20 feet of snow beneath, ready to trap and suffocate you if the ice crust breaks. You live this story as you read it! Do buy it. Read it to your children. Find the living reality of being a real cowboy back in the 1930's. And never losing hold of your dream! You'll be glad you did.

Just loved this book.

I marveled at the courage and detail the author used in describing the unexplored country.I read the third book written by his wife(RANCHER TAKES A WIFE) when I was in high school and never forgot it .I'm now 70 years old,and this book open my eyes to the unbelievable accomplishment s of strong willed and determined men.

I read this book in the early 60's for the first time in spite of the fact the publishers say it wasn't published until the 70's.In fact I owned all three of Rich hobson"s books as hard covers and signed copies because our friend Harry Brown used to supply Rich,Pan and others out of William's Lake where he owned a mercantile store.Rich signed my books on one of his visits to town in the late 50's and he died in 1966 so the books were in publication by someone earlier than indicated.Harry Marriott of "CaribooCowboy" authorship was also one of my signed editions.I gave them to a new library opening up in Anaheim Lake .I know the territory well that they describe and I have walked hundreds of miles surveying and identifying Geological structures for companies.This is my second reading of the series and it will ,I hope,not be my last

The book outlines all of the hardships that men with visions such as theirs must have been endured. I enjoyed it immensely.

This was a riveting and true account of the trials and tribulations surrounding visionaries of the 1930's cattle business in a land so isolated but full of potential. My husband and I own and operate a successful cattle operation in Wyoming, a land not so different in climate and issues from the area in the book. This book was relevant to us in that almost every incident the characters in the book encountered, over the course of 47 years here, we've encountered as well.If one chooses to read this book, the first of a trilogy, it is my hope you will enjoy it as much as we did and leave with a better understanding of the cattle industry, where your food comes from, and why we love this lifestyle. Times have changed and methods of operation have improved along with technology and modes of transportation, but it was fun to read about the choices made back then.We enjoyed this book and can't wait to pick up the next one...as soon as the ranch work slows a little.

Will suggest this book to my uncle, one of the last true cowboys. TOP HAND on the Matadore Ranch in Wyoming and many others

I am no fan of 'cowboys and indians' films, however I thought I'd give this book a go because the reviews were so good.I'm glad I read it, such a fascinating story, humourous and very well written, and in cowboy language which adds to it's authenticity. I've enjoyed reading it so much I'm going to get the next ones in the series.It's an autobiographical account, set in the early 1930s, of a couple of intrepid cowboys moving into new territory - although it should be said there were already native indians in the wider area who'd obviously been there long before the cowboys arrived...It's not just about the cowboys, but also about their horses, so full of character and heroic as well - it reminded me, just a bit, of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse.There is a gruesome bit about the shooting of a moose early in the book, which nearly put me off continuing, but that was before I realised the book was based on real events.The only negative comment would be that not being familiar with British Columbia (and there is no map of the cowboys new ranch in the papaerback) I am still not exactly sure where they travelled through and where their new settlement was.But even so I definately recommend this book to anyone.

Rich Hobson and Pan Phillips came north into British Columbia’s Cariboo region in the mid-30s and eventually, with grit, determination, and true cowboy spirit built a cattle empire unequaled anywhere in the world.The challenges they faced – and when you read of them you’ll shudder in amazement, left them often times much closer to death than to life. Their story of survival and ultimate success is told in a folksy, cowboy style narrative that illustrates perfectly Hobson’s natural storytelling abilities. (Set him down in cabin or around a campfire and he could spin yarns about the cowboy life seemingly without end!) The country they fought to conquer (OK, “tame” is probably more accurate) covered a vast swath of mountain and meadow in BC’s central interior. (On a map of BC, place a finger sort of center east to west and slightly below center north to south. Find Quesnel, the rail head for the cattle drives, and Williams Lake from which their trek west to places like Riske Creek, Alexis Creek, and beyond began. Take your finger north and slightly west of Alexis Creek to find Nazko (which is also due west of Quesnel)). The ranch covered thousands of acres basically between – but necessarily confined by – those north/south points and stretching west deep into the Cariboo Mountains. It is country that today remains largely unchanged; the home of moose, bears, wolves, a scattering of hardy cattle ranchers, and some of the most beautiful scenery you’re likely to find anywhere.“Grass” is part one of a trilogy that tells the story of a dream and the herculean effort it took to make it come true. (“The Rancher Takes A Wife” and “Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy” continue and complete the series).

You wouldn't expect a cowboy to also be a good writer, but this one is. It's a great bit of Chilcotin history. You should be aware that the racial attitudes are from the 1930's, and there is some colourful language but it tells it as it was. It's also funny and suspenseful. I'd like to read the others by this author.

This is the first of three books Richmond P. Hobson wrote about real life, wild, uncharted territory of Northern British Columbia, Canada. He had a dream of owning a cattle ranch, moving from Wyoming with two cowhands in 1934. The book is full of humorous encounters of challenging conditions. I was enthralled with every chapter, as a teenager living not far from where he settled. Great reading!

It was bought for a friend who does not have the internet!