YUBA PASS — 31 years ago last fall, Loyalton hosted the first Timberfest, a celebration of all things logging, and a desperate attempt to keep that town’s sawmill alive. Incorporated into that festivity were logging contests, a parade of logging trucks, and a rib cook-off. Things didn’t work out well for the logging industry. Although “Red” Emerson ended up owning all of Southern Pacific’s land and most if not all the mills in the northern State, he found no profit in the Loyalton mill competing with his mill in Quincy. In ugly fits and starts, Red closed the Loyalton mill. The rib cook-off, however, had a more productive history. The rib cooks, having had a wonderful time at Timberfest decided the tradition should carry on. It was agreed that chili should be concocted at Yuba Pass in the dead of winter. We were relatively young: potable drugs may have been involved. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It became too much of a nuisance to set the dates and notify all comers, so on Andy White’s suggestion, the chili cook-off was permanently scheduled for the first Saturday of March. And so it continues, 30 years later. There are no rules. Bribing the judges is considered as fair. We offer the following hints: bring everything you need; heat, tasting cups, pots, pans, utensils. Judges, generally drafted from alternating sides of the county are not particularly honest. They tend not to stay bought. The huddled masses, yearning to be fed, are welcome to join the festivities. Judging usually happens about noonish sharpish. In next week’s edition we will dive more thoroughly into the history of the Great Yuba Pass Chili Cook-off.