The Gold Medal of Dives

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

John Runkle – former owner of The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post # 1)

In this, my fourth and final post on this series on dive bars, I finish with my Gold Medal. My favorite dive in the US is the “former” Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana – about seventy-five miles from the Canadian border.

The fact that I’ve devoted four different posts on this blog to the Shame, which I visited on a road trip in 2019, attests to this.

I say “former” because the prior owner, John Runkle, sold it at the end of 2022 and it is not the same iconic watering hole that originally opened its doors in 1951. For example, if you check out their current website, it states only:

“We’re currently open for drinks only Friday & Saturday 4:30 pm – Close”

Their “unofficial” Facebook page hasn’t posted since last August.

And this is unfortunate because if one reads author, Joan Melcher’s two books on Montana Watering Holes, you will learn that there are at least three and possibly four incredible stories strictly on how the Shame was originally named:

One involves fighter, Joe Lewis and a second relates the saga of seven dead cows – shot by a guy named Jimmy who left them on the road in front of the bar. Don’t forget the other about a mother-in-law of one of the original owners who would sit in the corner of the bar and admonish him “What a ‘dirty shame’ it was that you bought this bar.” (#2)

This watering hole reeks history

Context…

Having reviewed almost 400 bars and breweries before the pandemic struck, I can honestly say that only a handful have not been enjoyable and positive. (The worst was the Yard House in Portland https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/04/14/the-yard-house-does-it-measure-up/))

I’ve found that the character of some notable bars cannot be differentiated from the personality of their owners – the bar embodies the persona of the proprietor.

Such is the case with former Army Paratrooper, Runkle. (Graduated from the French Commando School, earned his Spanish Jump Wings. The big guy made a total of 53 jumps and ended up as an instructor at Ft. Benning) (#3 – #5)

The following other four bars I’ve reviewed also fit this characterization:

The Goose Hollow Inn – Portland, Oregon – the late Bud Clark

Pinkie Master’s – Savannah, Georgia – the late Pinkie Master *

Smitty’s Green Light – Pueblo Colorado – Greg “Smitty” Smith

Buffalo Bill’s Saloon – Beavercreek, Oregon – Patrick Whitmore

* I never met Pinkie, but there is ample evidence of my assertion

Clockwise – Bud Clark, Smitty, Pinkie Master’s, John Runkle and Patrick Whitmore.

Patrick Whitmore and partner, Barb

Transition to Texas

John and his wife, Dallas, now live in Texas with their three wonderful young children. Dallas, got her undergrad degree at Arizona State University and earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Development from Grand Canyon University.

John met Dallas when she bartended for him in 2013 and they married in 2016. They jointly worked to again integrate the Dirty Shame into the community of 250 people.

Dallas taught elementary school for a year in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho and then transferred to an elementary school in western Washington. (#6)

She now teaches in Texas where John says, “I’m just a full-time house frau…” And make no mistake, John, who is now 62, loves his kids, stating “I’m the oldest and proudest dad in the world with three kids under seven!” (His son is 2 and daughters are 4 and 6.)

His competitive and over-achieving tendencies were evident, however, when he added:

“Pacino and Robert Deniro make me look bad, they are around 80 and just had a child last year. Makes the bar pretty high for me.”

John sold the Dirty Shame nine years after purchasing it in 2013. Given the hours he worked as owner of both the Dirty Shame and the Yaak River Lodge – about two miles down the road from the bar. Add that the rugged Montana winters and John has certainly earned a respite and as he told me when I was in Yaak:

“At 57, I’m no spring chicken and I don’t have much of a bucket list left. I’m usually at the bar until 2:30 AM on Friday nights and then Saturday morning, I’m up cooking breakfast at 5:30. On Monday morning, it’s tough to get going.”

Is he happy with their decision to relocate? As he stated in a recent Facebook post:

“It’s 91 degrees here today in South Texas…Gotta love this February weather in Texas – I have the air conditioner on!” (#7 – #9)

I became aware of the Dirty Shame while having a beer at the Moose Saloon in Couer d’Alene, Idaho in 2016, when Tara, the bartender asked me if I’d ever been to the bar. She had bartended there and after I researched it, I was fascinated with the story.

Tara at the Moose Saloon

A phone call to John Runkle resulted in an invitation to come to Yaak, stay at the Yaak River Lodge and raise a mug at the Dirty Shame.

John had a very successful career in real estate in Orange County. He also had successful stints in mining equipment and banking including time in Queensland, Australia for several years after he bought Yaak River Lodge in 2004 and before ownership of the Dirty Shame.

The Lodge sits on a beautiful site of 7.5 acres on the Yaak River with llamas and horses about two miles from the Shame. I stayed two nights in the Moose Room ($115 nightly) in 2019 and had John’s home-cooked blue-berry pancakes for breakfast.

That’s when I learned first-hand about Runkle’s work ethic and the hours it took to manage both enterprises.

Acquiring the Dirty Shame – “A Matter of Self-Preservation”

Author, Melcher describes it perfectly in her first book when she talks about her return to the bar:

s-l1600

“….the same wood-planked front porch, the same deer rack used as a door handle, the battered pool table, the loose bathroom door, the grotesque graffiti inside, the loggers, ranchers receptionists, Forest Service people using the bar like a third leg….

The Dirty Shame is the fresh, sharp smell of pine, and the dank odor of dirt-laden, beer-splashed floors, wild nights of revelry and mornings of shared pain.” (Page 88)

In her second book, she lamented the “deterioration” of this historic and iconic bar after a female – a former Wall Street stockbroker and her husband – moved from Maryland and bought the bar in 2006.

They tried to eliminate the “dirty” and “clean it up.”

“What I learn is the that the Dirty Shame died a typically raucous death and has been reborn as a law-abiding establishment, that is really more coffeehouse then bar. Sacrilege!…

Besides a piano and set-up for musicians….she also has book readings and draws many people who aren’t close enough to Yaak to be miffed about what happened to its legendary bar.

The Dirty Shame is dead. Long live the Dirty Shame.” (Pages 54-7,9)

Well, their plans to “civilize” the Shame came to a quick end in 2011 when the former broker’s 82-year-old husband was taken out of the bar in handcuffs and extradited to Maryland after he pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of two female minors according to a story in the Montana newspaper The Ravelli Republic.

The bar went into foreclosure ultimately forcing Runkle to act in 2013:

“It was a matter of self-preservation. I started getting cancellations (at the Lodge) because hunters and bikers wanted to hit the Dirty Shame when they stayed in Yaak.

I was the only one who showed up at the foreclosure sale. I paid cash and was now the owner of another business that I didn’t know anything about how to operate.”

A Community Fixture

John’s creativity and marketing prowess took over and the bar sponsored or participated in the following:

The Sasquatch Festival, the Adult Easter Egg Hunt, the Yaak Attack, Miss Sasquatch Pageant, the Sasquatch Screeching Contest, the Big Foot Run and, of course, the Crawfish Festival each September.

It started with a ceremonial leg shaving and had events including male strippers, female cream wrestlers and mechanical bull riding.

Across the road from the Shame is a nice family-owned bar – the Yaak River Tavern. But it’s ambiance is miles away from its neighbor. John described the difference to me:

“The Yaak River Tavern has an annual Ugly Sweater event. We have a Wet T-shirt Competition!”

The Stories Will Live On….

In my two days in Yaak talking to John and from reading Melcher’s book, I was amazed at the stories and why it gained the moniker, “The World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon.”

It took me four blog posts (see links below) to relate all the stories – most of them from my conversations with John over the two days I was there. You should check them out.

These ranged from John’s efforts after he first bought the bar to plaster up the bullet holes in the walls, to visits from “celebrities” such as the aforementioned Joe Lewis, Howie Long and OJ Simpson detective, Mark Furman among others.

The Kehoe Gang was a notorious gang who committed crimes across the US in the mid-to-late 90’s. Chevie Kehoe was the leader and he and his brother Cheyne, after fleeing across the country, settled in Utah where they were arrested for murder in 1997.

After a trial in which his mother and Cheyne (who had turned himself in) served as star witnesses for the prosecution, he was convicted of murder and several other felonies.

Chevie is now serving three life sentences in Florence Prison in Colorado – known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies”. Also described as the “clean version of hell”. (#14 – #16)

My second afternoon at the Dirty Shame, I noticed two men who were talking to Darilyn, the bartender. One of them stated in a soft-spoken voice:

“Dar, I think I owe you for the meal I had last week and didn’t want to let that slide by before I forget.”

She checked and said that another regular had already paid it.

John introduced me and they were both nice, personable guys. He stated that they do periodic maintenance and electrical work for him at the bar. After they left, John told me that the older guy was Chevie Kehoe’s, brother Noah and the other was Axel his son – the one who wanted to make sure his bill was paid. Noah lives in Yaak and Axel in Spokane.

The Automatic Rifle attack on John and the Bar (#17)

Right before I left on the road trip to Yaak, I got the following e-mail from John:

“Don, you will see an article where a guy went nuts in the Dirty Shame with an AR-15 and you will also see the video of me bear spraying him and his brother trying to fight their way back into the bar and another video embedded in that article showing him running around the parking lot trying to shoot me through the window and then almost shooting his brother in the head.

It was a crazy night. The Dirty Shame is truly still the Wild Wild West.”

“Troy Man Charged Following Saturday Night Incident at Yaak’s Dirty Shame Saloon.

Visit by the Yaak River Road Murderers

In 2017, two strangers walked into the Dirty Shame:

“Both the woman and the man seemed pretty nervous and were not friendly. They just shrugged when a regular asked them what they were doing in Yaak.”

On television, the next day was a story about a murder committed at Milepost 48 of the Yaak River Road (The Dirty Shame is at Milepost 29).

A woman and her boy friend allegedly shot and killed the woman’s husband and after dumping his body by the Yaak River, escaped in his car. They were considered fugitives and law enforcement throughout the state was looking for them.

John and his staff thought the description matched the couple and alerted law enforcement. He later told a news reporter:

“They acted really unfriendly. I still remembered what they ordered. She ordered a double shot of Jack Daniels. He ordered a double shot of Sailor Jerry’s and they toasted each other, which I didn’t think was weird until two days later,”

This article about the pair entitled, “Guilty Verdict in Yaak Murder Trial” from the Western News tells the story including the result of the trial and the sordid details.

The Crack Pillow and Hatchet Lady

A disheveled woman – apparently high on something and wearing camo-gear, walked in with the pillow seen in the photo above a hatchet stating, “You never know when you’re going to need firewood.”

Check the link to see her behavior at the bar and in leaving. The “crack pillow,” which she gave John as barter for a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, became a permanent fixture in the bar.

The Theft of the Bar’s Life-size Cardboard Trump (#18 – #19)

Numerous Other Tales Including the Search for the Missing Person (#20)

The links to the aforementioned posts are below:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/10/01/the-dirty-shame-saloon-continued-stories/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/09/11/the-dirty-shame-saloon-in-yaak-part-ii/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/08/13/john-runkle-beerchaser-of-the-quarter-and-the-dirty-shame-saloon-part-1/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/10/16/thebeerchasers-final-thoughts-on-the-dirty-shame-saloon/

In Conclusion…

My visit to the Dirty Shame in Yaak left me feeling better about the possibility of civility in times of polarization.

John and I have distinctly different political beliefs and yet one of the conversations I enjoyed the most was at a table drinking beer with John and his good friend, Todd Berget, who unfortunately passed away of a stroke about a month after my visit at the young age of 54.

Todd was a dedicated teacher and coach for many years, but also a gifted artist and craftsman who formed his own company to produce metal sculptures (Custom Iron Eagles.)

He gifted the Dirty Shame with his collection of metal motorcycles that he started collecting when he was a kid. They are intricate and reflect an artistic talent for capturing detail which is intriguing and the displays add to the spirit of the saloon.

John Runkle is a staunch conservative and Trump supporter. And John told me, “Todd is a liberal whose ideology would be left of Stalin’s!” Yet the three of us had a wonderful and far-ranging conversation, much of it about the rich friendship they had for many years.

Regardless of their political persuasion, John loved his patrons and staff and they reciprocated.

Unfortunately, I did not get to return to the Dirty Shame before its sale. But before I left, I presented John with two bottles of Benedictine Beer from the Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon.

A gift from the Benedictine monks

John Runkle is still a relatively young man although when I e-mailed him to verify his age, he replied, “I remember when I was young, I thought somebody 62 would be in a nursing home with a walker!”

When his three kids are old enough to be in school full time, who knows what endeavors he will pursue in Texas. It might be in hospitality, politics, non-profits or some other business, but you better believe he will not be spending his days sitting on his couch and watching Fox News. (That would – pardon the expression – be “a dirty shame.”)

And perhaps he’ll open a dive bar in Texas. After all, he has a gold medal to defend…….

And the stories and the legacy of the World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon will live on even though the bar will never be the same. (#21 – 24)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (2012_Olympic_Gold_Medal.jpg (1536×2048) (wikimedia.org)) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Author: Carlinmack – 16 September 2012.

#2. (https://yaakrealestate.com/29253-yaak-river-road-yaak-mt.html) Sharin Lamp, Realtor.

#3 – #6. Courtesy of John Runkle.

#7 – #9. John Runkle Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/john.runkle.).

#10 – #13. Courtesy of John Runkle.

#14. Southern Poverty Law Center (Two Members of Notorious Kehoe Family Arrested Again | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org).

#15. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Florence ADMAX.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is a work of a United States Department of Justice employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain (17 U.S.C. § 101 and 105). Federal Bureau of Prisons – 2010.

#16. (Chevie Kehoe – Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia).

#17. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:DPMS AR-15 less frame.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. 18 May 2009.

#18 – #24. Courtesy of John Runkle.

Jumping in June

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Thebeerchaser

(Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.)

I’m still not fully back in the groove on exploits to new bars and breweries although I still have a few visited in the last few months to write-up, but first wanted to throw out a few miscellaneous topics which may be of interest. These include dogs, the Dirty Shame Saloon and its former owner, John Runkle along with his new venture) and the Benedictine Brewery.

Grand-puppies!

Janet and I during the forty-three years we’ve been married, have never had a pet. That said, our two daughters and their spouses each had wonderful dogs and they became our “Grand-puppies.” We always looked forward to our visits with Sullivan – a wonderful thirteen-year old Havanese and Wesley – a beautiful six-year old Golden Retriever.

First there was “Sully Bear.” He always waited with anticipation at the window for his “parents” to come home and was the ultimate lap dog – he loved to cuddle.

Wesley loved to run and swim especially at the river and the beach. A big dog, but he was always gentile with the babies at his house.

Both dogs were wonderful with our granddaughters and both loved the beach. They also got along very well with each other at family gatherings.

We were grief-stricken on March 10, 2021, when Wesley, after a few cardiac episodes, died of a heart-attack. Exactly one year later, his “brother” Sullivan succumbed to multiple health issues based on his advanced years. The memorial stones below will always provide memories of these wonderful members of our family.

A Resurrection, of Sorts

Followers of Thebeerchaser know that I was captivated in the fall of 2019 with my two and one-half day visit to The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak Montana where I thoroughly enjoyed my interaction with its charismatic owner, John Runkle – one of this blog’s memorable Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter.

The Shame remains my favorite bar visited in the eleven years of Beerchasing as reflected in the multiple blog posts needed to relate the rich history and stories of the fabled watering hole.

Thus, when John announced last year that he was selling the bar, I was downcast, thinking about how the many and robust fables which still lingered within the log walls of the bar would be lost – the second-hand smoke is largely gone….) . Now why should I be maudlin about a dive bar – 514 miles (8 hours and 38 minutes) – from my home in Oregon closing when I’ve visited and reviewed almost 400 incredible bars and breweries in the last eleven years?

Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes???

Perhaps the short description excerpted from Joan Melcher’s first book “Watering Hole – A User’s Guide to Montana Bars” written in 1983 conveys some of that emotion:

“The Dirty Shame is the fresh, sharp smell of pine, and the dank odor of dirt-laden, beer splashed floors, wild nights of revelry and mornings of shared pain.”

It brought to mind the song “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” by my favorite country-western singer, the late George Jones – (Okay maybe a little overdramatic, but remember, I’m Thebeerchaser!)

“Who’s gonna fill their shoes?
Who’s gonna stand that tall?
Who’s gonna give their heart and soul
To get to me and you?
Lord, I wonder who’s gonna fill their shoes?

Yes, I wonder who’s gonna fill their shoes?”

George Jones Asked the Rhetorical Question! *1

Would the out-of-state buyers, who also purchased the Yaak River Tavern across the street, retain the trappings described, in part, in my second blog post on the Shame:

“…a large rifle, cowboy boots, an old wood stove, a pool table and Fox News on the big screen TV over the bar. (The bullet holes in the wall when John bought it, from its hard-core biker days were removed after John bought it.) Two bottles of MD 20-20 wine prominently displayed on a shelf and which John says dates back to 1978.”

And the stories are incredible….even the more recent ones such as that reported in a December 1, 2017 edition of The Missoulian about a Saturday night incident which John described in an e-mail to me when I told him I was coming to Yaak:

It was a crazy night. The Dirty Shame is truly still the Wild Wild West.”

Then there’s the tales related to the Shame involving the Yaak River Road murderers, the “Crack Pillow” or how I was privileged to meet two personable and well-mannered relatives of Chevie Keyhole, the leader of the infamous Keyhoe Gang. (Chevie is now serving three life sentences in Florence Prison – known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” – in Colorado.) There are too many others to relate.

Murderer and White Supremist – now “rehabilitating” at the Alcatraz of the West….*2

The Dirty Shame was a community in itself and a key part of the Yaak locale. What would replace its role in events like the Adult Easter Egg Hunt, the Sasquatch Festival and the Crawfish Festival which involved other attractions such as The Big Foot Run, a mechanical bull, a giant inflatable Sasquatch and the Ceremonial Leg-Shaving to name a few.

(The Dirty Shame has not reopened at this time and who knows what the new owners are doing to the interior of the bar.)

What would John, a former Army paratrooper and instructor, successful real estate firm owner and entrepreneur-at-heart do? I couldn’t see him as Mayor of Yaak or another elected office – except possibly Governor of Montana…or talk-show radio host or land developer of environmentally responsible communities. It should be noted that helping raise their three young children will significantly occupy what he self-describes as “the oldest and proudest dad in the World!”

Fortunately, that question has been answered – at least for a time. John didn’t sell the Lodge and now — the Hungry Hunter Saloon – within the confines of that edifice opened just before Memorial Day – it’s already having live music and events! As John told me in a phone conversation this morning, “We’re rocking.”

He has some of the same crew who worked at the Dirty Shame including Darilyn. Of course the “Montana Motif” as John described it, is present with taxidermy, artifacts of the West and even a skunk hanging over the bathroom doors. There’s a long bar which seats twelve people made of yellow poplar from back east – people love it! With its tables, the Hungry Hunter can accommodate about sixty people. (Photos *3-5)

During my time in Yaak, I stayed in the Wolf Room at the Yaak River Lodge, where I had great conversations with John (besides those over beer at the bar) and reveled in the breakfasts featuring unforgettable blueberry pancakes.

The Lodge remains intact other than the bunkhouse which slept twelve. There’s an added benefit to the bar. Those imbibing too heavily at the bar can just walk down the hall and rack out in the Wolf Room or one of the other rooms – all with character – then wake up in the morning to the smell of bacon and take the short walk to the dining room for pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs and bacon with unlimited Folger’s Coffee.

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John also bought two food trucks – one that serves tacos, Philly cheese steaks, etc. (also to go) and a larger one to supplement the kitchen. And their prices are very reasonable!!

John’s wife, Dallas, who is a dedicated teacher and counselor is teaching in Washington and the family has moved east of Yakima. John has been commuting regularly to Yaak and will spend most of the summer there. (Photo *6-7)

Stay tuned for more stories about the Hungry Hunter and see the connection between the picture of John and Don with Benedictine Beer I presented to him in 2019, relates to the next segment of this post.

The Benedictine Brewery – More Accolades!

I’ve mentioned this wonderful Benedictine Monk – owned and operated – brewery many times and was fortunate enough to be involved in the planning before it opened in the fall of 2018. Fr. Martin Grassel, the Procurator (CFO) of the Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary – a former software engineer before seminary, is also the General Manager and Head Brewer of the enterprise – one reason he gets by on very little sleep because his primary dedication is being a Benedictine Monk.

Notwithstanding a number of skeptics, the Brewery and St. Michael Taproom have soared since the erection of the structure in November, 2017 at an old fashioned “barn raising”, where over 125 monks, priests, seminarians and members of the Mount Angel community started in the morning with a concrete slab.

Bolstered by a wonderful buffet lunch, by the end of the day, the frame of the structure was completed. (Be sure to check out the amazing videos in this Beerchaser post “Beam Me Up.”

The Brewery’s motto – “Taste and Believe” – was in full force from the inception. Since that time, the beautiful Taproom has been extended with an expansive patio and Fr. Martin has increased his beer offerings – now about ten on tap including the original Black Habit.

He has developed, not only a local, but a regional following for his excellent beer and people repeatedly clamor for its availability – now only at the Brewery itself or the Abbey Bookstore – a short walk away on the beautiful Abbey Hillside.

Unfortunately, one of the other Monk-owned Breweries – Spencer Brewery – in Massachusetts, which was formed by the Trappist Monks eight years ago, just announced it was closing due to financial reasons. With that closure, there will be only four ongoing monk-owned breweries in the US.

Jeff Alworth, prolific author and one of the nation’s leading beer experts (shown below at the Benedictine structure-raising in 2017) posted a very informative piece on his Beervana Blog entitled, “The Beer Market is Rough – Even for Monks.” It contrasts the business plan of Spencer Brewery with Fr. Martin’s successful strategy. Jeff also did a subsequent post entitled “Benedictine Brewery Thriving – both are good articles.

And furthering the exposure of Fr. Martin and his brewery, internationally recognized micro-craft industry consultant, Sam Holloway, who is also a full professor at the University of Portland, posted an outstanding nine-minute video interview of Fr. Martin on his “Crafting a Strategy” site. (*10-12)

Sam is President of CAS which is:

“.. a learning community which pursues understanding oneself, the industry and business strategy while combining the three wisely to craft a business. We provide a platform for members in communities to engage with others as they learn.”

Sam gave us some meaningful advice during the planning stages in 2016, and has been a good friend of the Brewery since that time. Fr. Martin is a devoted follower of the CAS site and it has enhanced his brewery and business acumen.

Expect to hear more good reports on Fr. Martin and the Benedictine Brewery going forward!

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

*1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons –https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Jones.jpg) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Secisek at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.

*2 Southern Poverty Law Center: (https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2013/two-members-notorious-kehoe-family-arrested-again)

* 3-5+8 Hungry Hunter Saloon Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/hungryhuntersaloon (religionunplugged.com)

* 6-7 Runkle Facebook Pages (https://www.facebook.com/john.runkle.73) (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100017127797846)

*9 Spencer Brewery Facebook

* 10-12 Crafting a Strategy Website (https://craftingastrategy.com/)

The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak – Part II

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Thebeerchaser

Big Sky Country between Yaak and Eureka

Followers of this blog are aware of our fourteen-day June road trip through Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming – the first six nights I drove solo before picking up Janet at the Billings Airport for the remaining eight days. The two posts which provide an overview of this 3,700 trip can be seen by clicking on this link.

The first two night’s lodging were in the Moose Room of the Yaak River Lodge. Yaak is near the NW border of Montana – 35 miles from the Canadian border – a community which about 250 people call home. In the center of Yaak also sits the “World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon,” owned and managed since 2013 by John Runkle, who also owns the Lodge he bought in 2004.

I might add that even with its proximity, based on the beauty of the surrounding Kootenai National Forest, there’s no compelling reason to go to Canada unless you want to get Moosehead Lager Beer or visit the birthplace of native Canadian, Justin Bieber – a thought that would require a double shot of Canadian Club Whiskey rather than beer. Hall of Fame hockey player, Wayne Gretzky was also born in Canada, although he never dated Selena Gomez. But I digress……

The Yaak River Lodge which sits on 7.5 acres of beautiful property

Wildlife abounds in Yaak – and not necessarily just in the two bars in the “center of town.” Besides a Sasquatch in a field (see photo below), I also saw elk, deer and feathered prey, but fortunately no grizzly bears.

And indeed, hunters are some of John’s main clients at the lodge and at the Dirty Shame Saloon in the fall.

Taken from the window of my car on Yaak River Road

Across the highway from the Shame is the Yaak River Tavern – owned by Gwen and which has a personality quite different from the historic and much written about Dirty Shame. (There used to be a strip of four bars in Yaak including the Golden Nugget and the Hell Roaring Saloon – these two are now gone but not forgotten.)

I spent quite a few hours in the Dirty Shame, interviewing John, talking to regulars and “drinking” in the ambiance of what became the most interesting of the 350 watering holes I’ve visited since starting Thebeerchaser blog in August, 2011. These justify the title: “The World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon.”

Thebeerchaser and John Runkle – owner.

The first Beerchaser post on the bar chronicles John’s background – almost as interesting and varied as his bar and why he was named this blog’s most recent Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. Click on the link above to read the story.)

You will want to read the highlights of The Dirty Shame before John bought it out of foreclosure – the only bidder and paying cash in 2013. In that narrative, I tried to put to rest the concern of author, Joan Melcher, who wrote two wonderful books on “Montana Watering Holes’ and her fear in the second book about the Shame’s future.

I described why she loved the Shame when she first visited in the 1970’s. (I used both of Joan’s books extensively for research and planning on my road trip and you should check them out.)

Joan’s trepidation was that Gloria and Don Belcher – the husband and wife from the East Coast who purchased the bar in 2006 – tried to “civilize” the bar. The book clubs and music they introduced while attempting to turn it into a “bistro“ were totally out of character with the saloon’s roots. (There was even carpet on the floor at one point!)

Joan Melcher’s first book published in 1983.

My narratives will try to reassure this wonderful writer that John has rekindled the spark that made hunters, bikers and adventurers return to the Dirty Shame to drink beer with the regulars. Also to enjoy one of the community events Yaak celebrates and in which the Dirty Shame revels.

(I sent my last blog post to Joan in an e-mail and told her that her sense of loss was no longer valid and tried to convince her that she should return to validate my claim.) She responded, in part:

“I do love the Dirty Shame and I’m glad it’s on the rebound.”

Now the trappings of the Dirty Shame are not unique – they reflect the same character as most good dive bars with a more western flavor – a large rifle, cowboy boots, an old wood stove, a pool table, and Fox News on the big screen TV over the bar. (The bullet holes in the wall when John bought it, have been removed.)

Oh, and there’s the bottle of MD 20-20 wine prominently displayed on a shelf and which John says dates back to 1978. The two bottles of Benedictine Brewery Black Habit Beer that I brought as a “bar-warming” gift will now be displayed next to the “fermented juicy, luscious fruit infused with tasty flavor” contents in the Mogen David bottles, which we learned in college made it the “Original – Ready to Drink” or more aptly labeled, “Wine of the Century.”

What distinguishes the Shame are the people – not only John and his crew who run the place, but the regulars who reside in Yaak and those – be they the bikers and hunters, who return year after year and the tourists who have heard about this watering hole.

They come not only for the Sasquatch Festival, the Crawdad Festival and the Adult Easter Egg Hunt, but to mingle with the unconventional, one-of-a-kind characters. These personae, who based on the stories from years past and recently, seem drawn to the Dirty Shame like a moth to the light reflecting off a bottle of Budweiser on a moonlit Yaak evening….

In the Adult Easter Egg Hunt, about sixty women search (often in the snow still on the ground) for the “golden egg” among those scattered around the outside of the saloon. The lucky finder is the recipient of a “$200 Sex Package,” – one on which John commented, “I didn’t know what most of that stuff was…..”

Howie Long – occasional visitor to Yaak

As John emphasized to me, “You never know who you are going to sit next to at the Dirty Shame.” I’m not talking about “celebrities” such as sports broadcaster and athlete, Howie Long (who owns a home near Flathead Lake), or Mark Furman of the OJ Trial fame.

No, I’m talking about some who are clearly bad dudes and misfits, but most who are salt-of-the-earth patriots one wants to write about – so I will. And I’ll also tell you about the events in Yaak that you should plan your next road trip around……

The Kehoe Gang – Chevie and Cheyne Kehoe were two of eight sons raised starting in Arkansas. Chevie, who was named after his dad, Kirby’s, favorite car was born in 1973 – the oldest, and when they moved to Eastern Washington, he was an honor student (but evidently not most likely to succeed) at Colville Jr. High in Deep Lake, Washington. His mom, Gloria, then homeschooled the boys during their high school years, which may have been when Chevie became enamored with white supremacist ideas.

Chevis at his trial

To summarize, he and Cheyne were involved in a number of frauds and property crimes in Arkansas, culminating with the murder of a family which owned a gun store in 1996. They disappeared and ended in Spokane. In 1997, they had a shootout with two Ohio police officers who had stopped their car.

The supermax prison that houses Chevie

Along the way, Chevie married three times and had three children. As was inevitable, the law finally caught up with him in Utah. After a trial in which his mother and Cheyne (who had turned himself in) served as star witnesses for the prosecution, he was convicted of murder and several other felonies.

Chevie is now serving three life sentences in Florence Prison – known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” – in Colorado.

My second afternoon at the Dirty Shame, I noticed two men who were talking to Darilyn, the bartender. One of them stated in a soft-spoken voice, “Dar, I think I owe you for the meal I had last week and didn’t want to let that slide by before I forget.” She checked and said that another regular had already paid it.

John introduced me and they were both nice, personable guys. He stated that they do some maintenance and electrical work for him at the bar. After they left, John told me that the older one was Chevie Kehoe’s, brother Noah and the other was Axel his son – the one who wanted to make sure his bill was paid. Noah lives in Yaak and Axel in Spokane.

The Sasquatch Festival

So let’s talk about a few of the periodic events that attract visitors to Yaak and John has used to enhance business and add to the bar’s cache’. These also are great events which bring the residents of this small but rugged community together.

The Sasquatch Festival was first held three years ago and is now an annual Yaak event held in the early summer months.

John’s friend, Todd Berget, a retired teacher who taught at an alternative school in Libby for thirty-one years, came up with the idea and is now the coordinator of the event which is heartily celebrated at both the Dirty Shame and the Yaak River Tavern.

As stated previously, there is a competition between these two establishments. Although both are great places to get a beer, there is a distinct difference in character.

John summarized this quite well: “During the Sasquatch Festival, they have an Ugly Sweater Contest. The Dirty Shame has a Wet T-shirt Contest!” Nevertheless, the two rivals cooperate during the event which draws about 200 people to Yaak and has robust participation from residents.

This includes the Big Foot Run, where a local athlete dons a Sasquatch costume and about twenty-five contestants try to catch him (or her) and win the prize of free beer. (Three people have accomplished this since the inception.)

During the Festival for which the proceeds go to charities, the Shame is also center of a number of other competitions which John orchestrates.

These include the Miss Sasquatch Pageant and the contest for the hairiest male back – the female version of this competition was discontinued for obvious reasons…….

You also wouldn’t want to miss the beard contest, the Sasquatch screeching contest and related events. Last year they showed the 1987 Academy Award-winning movie (Best Make-up and Hairstyling) Harry and the Hendersons (“The Henderson family adopt a friendly Sasquatch but have a hard time trying to keep the legend of ‘Bigfoot’ a secret.”)

One of Todd and his students’ creations that cause a double-take while driving……

Todd is responsible for one factor that enhances the festival – and the area all year round for that matter. Before he retired, he started a fundraiser for his school by having his kids make plywood Sasquatch replicas – about six feet high.

These show up in fields, not only in Yaak, but in the surrounding Montana countryside. Before I knew this, I took this picture – after I did an abrupt double take driving by a field on the way to the Shame.

I sat down and had a beer with John and Todd and loved the stories they related and seeing their rich friendship – an interesting fact and one which made the conversation robust because of their divergent political philosophies – John Runkle is a staunch conservative and Trump supporter. According to John, “Todd is a liberal whose ideology would be left of Stalin’s!”

Two good friends with divergent political leanings in a typical civil conversation

Todd Berget is an artist and talented craftsman as evidenced by the metal sculptures which are displayed at the Dirty Shame and one can see coming into Libby, Montana where a metal eagle with a forty-foot wing span greets drivers on the highway. He produces these in his Libby business formed in 1997 – Custom Iron Eagles.

He also has gifted the Dirty Shame with his collection of metal motorcycles that he started collecting when he was a kid. They are intricate and reflect an artistic talent for capturing detail which is intriguing and the displays add to the spirit of the saloon.

In fact one of the great stories involves Todd’s friend, Jay Graham who is also a teacher and was the high school wrestling coach in Libby for eighteen years. Two young women came into the bar and needed money to get to Portland, suggesting that they strip for cash. John responded that the Dirty Shame was not a strip club, but the enthusiastic guys there urged them to go ahead.

Todd and Jay happened to be present and Jay had his head lowered and turned away. Todd asked him what was wrong and Jay responded quietly, “I taught Halley in third grade. I just can’t look!”

I mentioned that John is a Trump supporter and his own timeline and that of the Dirty Shame on Facebook are filled with pictures of John and friends and bar visitors with a life-size cutout of Trump (life-size except for the size of the hands….). John’s wife, Dallas, bought it for him as a present two years ago.

John inevitably is in his thumbs up pose and there is often a handwritten poster with some right-leaning phrase displayed. The one below is an example and since this is a family blog (of sorts…..) I won’t include the others although very entertaining.

John and I have distinctly different political philosophies, but he is a guy with whom one can have constructive and civil conversations about ideology and one’s view of government – a practice which is becoming far to infrequent in today’s society.

During the Crawdad Festival on Labor Day, 2018, a stranger who had consumed a number of beers, walked to the back of the bar where Trump was displayed, picked him up and dashed for the exit.

A biker who observed tried to stop him and the “thief” did a face plant by the bar’s entrance. He recovered, rode away with Trump and notwithstanding the wanted poster, has never been seen since (although there was one sighting in Greenland…)

The new Trump – also bought on-line in case you’re interested – is not as sizeable, but still is displayed as can be seen by this picture with John.

The replacement President….

The Bar Crew

I mentioned in a previous post that John met his wife, Dallas, who lived nearby and was working on graduate studies in Applied Behavior and started working as a bartender. They just welcomed their second daughter in mid-August.

Darilyn Street, is a very impressive woman who helps John manage the Dirty Shame. Besides handling a major portion of the bar duties, she is also a great cook – both at the bar and at the Lodge where I had her wonderful cheese omelet for breakfast.

John and Darilyn

She and her family – all very nice people live in nearby Libby and come to Yaak for the summer. Her husband, (Robert and son Robert Jr.) work on the machinery and also do maintenance work around both operations and Vicki, the daughter, who just turned 18, started bartending – that’s minimum age for the job in Montana.

In the picture below, you can also see Sandie – the blonde on the right. She joined the crew in May this year under somewhat unusual circumstances (except for the Dirty Shame….).

A disheveled Sandie showed up at the bar one week night – distraught and in somewhat ragged condition. She told Darilyn that her boyfriend got drunk and they had a fight.

Sandie then exclaimed, “I’m not going back there.” They put her up at the Lodge and she started doing some odd jobs for her room and board.

Then about two or three days later, they see a “Missing Persons” poster with none other than Sandie’s name and picture clearly shown. John called the Sheriff and let him know that the missing person had been found. When I rolled into the Lodge on a Friday evening in June, Sandie checked me in and told me, “They found me and now I’m here for good!” She’s now one of his crew.

And so ends the second post on the World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon. Stay tuned for the final Beerchaser installment and then the details on the other forty-eight bars and breweries we visited on our June road trip.

The Dirty Shame Saloon

29453 Yaak River Road, Troy Montana

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Chevie Kehoe

The Gold Medal of Dives

Jumping in June

The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak – Part II