Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wagon Days’ Big Hitch Parade marks more than just history


Saturday will find the remarkable Lewis Fast Freight Wagons rolling through Ketchum as the capstone of the Wagon Days celebration.

People who see the Big Hitch Parade are always happy they did even if they've seen it many, many times before.

The Labor Day weekend celebration is a tribute to the hard work, courage and optimism that characterized the Wood River Valley from the start. The fact that only nonmotorized entries are allowed makes the parade unusual, and the result is a finely crafted labor of love.

The citizens and employees of the city of Ketchum put a lot of tender loving care into preserving and displaying the huge wagons. It seeks out craftsmen all over the country to restore pieces and parts authentically.

Teamsters spend untold hours with their mules and horses to refine responses to the rein and ensure that teams are calm when faced with cheering crowds.

The parade reminds the throngs of locals and visitors who line Sun Valley Road and Main Street that civilization grew up here when thousands of people risked life and limb to pry lead and silver from the steep mountainsides and deep valleys.

It inspires admiration for the hard-working, horse-powered generations of the past that lived without the luxuries that fossil-fueled cars and trucks deliver today.

It generates wonder at their ingenuity and ability to survive without computers, e-mail, fast food and a full tank of gas.

The parade magnificently displays the power of muscle and bone, and the link between man and beast that built the nation from coast to coast.

The parade is a rare space in which to ponder and honor hard work and courage.

The teams and drivers of the Big Hitch faced danger at every turn when they navigated the narrow, twisting goat path called Trail Creek Road over a 7,896-foot summit to deliver goods and retrieve ore from far-flung mining camps.

This year's grand marshal, former District 25 state Sen. Clint Stennett, has rightly laid claim to some of that courage as he travels a perilous route of his own in battling brain cancer.

He well deserves the honor as grand marshal for his devoted and understanding representation of constituents whose leanings and lifestyles can appear to be contrary, quirky and quixotic to the rest of the state.

When the Big Hitch rolls it emits optimism in the thunderous strike of hooves, the screech of metal brakes and the clatter of iron-wound wheels. The sight is a balm for a battered world and the sound is a cacophonous symphony of hope.

The parade is also just plain fun. See you at the festivities.




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