The Red Rock Hounds made their first hunting foray into this country in early December, with snow cover varying from a dusting up to 12" in the higher elevations. Horses and hounds were housed at the pack station in Belmont, owned by Nick Prushetti, whose hospitality and expertise ensured the comfort and well-being of our animals. Recognizing that the territory was unfamiliar, rich in game including bobcat and mountain lion, and adjacent to elevations and terrain unlikely to be accessible on horse back, huntsman Lloyd brought 13 couple of reliable, experienced hounds. The combined field and staff numbered 22, the maximum occupancy at the BelmontMonitor Inn, the only food and bed stop in town, where our hosts Judy Camarillo and Ron Berg catered to our every need. Lynn cast hounds to the south and east on the first day, staying to lower elevations and readily traversed country. Much to everyone's surprise, despite the soft snow cover, the day remained blank. After 3 hours of excellent hound work and breath-taking scenery, but no strikes, we retired to the Inn to sit around the bar and enjoy a delicious dinner. On day two we headed north, working the foothills at the base of the mountains. An hour in, Lynn spotted fresh coyote tracks and Carol hit. The pack quickly joined her in full cry and headed directly west into the mountains. We watched as hounds screamed up a rocky cliff face and disappeared to the north west. Lynn made a quick evaluation of the terrain, and taking her best guess, sent whips off in different directions and chose her own strategy to try and follow hounds. For the next 5 1/2 hours we followed hound voices and tracks through some of the most beautiful country on earth. Taking advantage of snow covered ranch roads when available, but spending much of our time climbing into the lower elevations (still above 8,000') of the mountains, encountering sheltered meadows then following ridge lines after the strains of hounds.

Three hours and who knows how many feet of vertical ascent and descent after Carol's strike Lynn's first field had dwindled to four riders: Field Master Judy Vose, MaryAnn and Lisette Healy, and Margaret Smith. Cathy Bodner, accompanied by Billy Brinson was Whipping-In to the east while Mungo John Schafer and Chrysann had been following hounds to the south and west. A growing cacophony of hound voices drew everyone deep into Meadow Canyon. Calling the whips over her radio, Lynn indicated that she believed hounds had bayed their quarry. Just as we all figured out where the action was and arrived in the Canyon, the hound sound changed and moved up a draw to the north. Cathy Bodner followed hounds directly up the draw, slowed by the rugged terrain, while Lynn headed around the canyon head and continued north. Following voices, John and Chrysann found 5 hounds and sent them to Lynn, but came across a highway of blood filled hound tracks heading even further north. It became apparent that we were falling farther and farther behind the front of the pack in the mountainous terrain. Lynn originally cast the hounds at 10 o'clock that morning. Four PM found us walking back toward town, horses dragging, riders beginning to feel the cold, with four couple of exhausted hounds accounted for and eight couple left out. We picked up three couple of hounds coming in later that evening, and finally retired to the bar at 9 PM. Lynn and Chrysann stayed on two more days in Belmont. Being in a hunting community was such a blessing for us as we searched for hounds. The morning after our hunt Judy Camarillo spent 6 hours four-wheeling us up every canyon north of Belmont and we picked up Burrows and Holly a few mile west of Stonehouse. Judy gave us an introduction to tracking in the snow as she patiently deciphered signs of bobcat, deer, and mountain lion from those of our hounds.