One of Schnee's earliest customers was a man named Bob Bauer. To put it mildly, Bob was a colorful character. For those who had the privilege to know him, Bob Bauer stories took on a certain mythic quality over the years. It became difficult to separate fact from fiction, and it didn't really matter.
Bob's life long passion was hunting. For many years, Bob hunted big game, waterfowl, and upland birds throughout Western North America. He was a skilled and knowledgeable hunter and an experienced outdoorsman. Bob shared countless adventures with his long time business partner, Chuck Long, and his friend the late Tom Butler, two more great sportsman who cast long shadows in their own right.
In all of his gear, from his rifles, to his knives, to his optics, to his boots and coats, Bob Bauer always insisted on genuine quality. He would rather save up, have the best, and use it for life. And for 75 years, Bob did just that.
We spread Bob's ashes one Fall during an elk hunt in a spectacular Rocky Mountain wilderness area. Two Schnee's employees, Including Bob's son, Bart Bauer, were in elk camp along with ex-Infantry Officer Mike Edwards, Tom Patton, Craig Grossgart, and expert taxidermist Mike Jones.
They packed into the wilderness on mules and set up drop camp on a precipice overlooking a wide, steep canyon. From there, the camp could glass elk in all directions. They spiked out on foot with backpacks for two nights to cross the canyon and hunt the bulls seen on the other side. Across the canyon, on a beautiful ridge surrounded by elk, they found an old fire ring that they attributed to Bob's last hunt on the same ridge. (A few years earlier, Bob had spiked out by himself in that same spot at the age of 71, made a small fire, and shot his last large, mature bull the next morning. The boys read a few select passages from a worn old pocket Bible that was recovered from Mike's great Uncle, Buddy Truitt, who had it with him when he was killed in action as a young soldier in WWII. A few sips from an old flask, a few tears and hugs, and Bart gracefully laid Bob's ashes at the base of a tall evergreen. Needless to say, a whole bunch of Bob Bauer stories were told around the fire that night.
For you wilderness area aficionados, you might recognize the scene (left) from the Gospel Hump wilderness. If you hunt sheep, elk, mule deer, or bear in those parts, you are likely to hear about "Bauer Ridge," now "officially" the name for the prominent land feature where we laid Bob's ashes, a place he had hunted for more than 40 years. For many who have seen the place or hunted there, it is cherished ground.
