WIND!!!!!

[Puzzled]

The Portland news last night said there was 70+ mph winds in the Columbia Gorge. They had some film of the weather girl standing in it. Sure looked like it was blowing.

So what direction do your storms move in from ? NW, W ?
Usually here they come from the south or southwest. But we do get some that have a bit of an
easterly flow and they are noticeably cooler.

 

[Faster horses]

So what direction do your storms move in from ? NW, W ?
Usually here they come from the south or southwest. But we do get some that have a bit of an
easterly flow and they are noticeably cooler.

We get ours from the NW. If it comes from the NE, it is BAD. Very cold comes with it.
Everyone builds their windbreaks to protect from the NW wind, if it comes from the NE, there
isn't much man-made shelter to break the wind. If it blows from the SE, you can bet it
will be followed by a storm.

 

[Puzzled]

I had wondered if yours came down out of Canada. Most shelters here are set up to protect from a southerly flow.
Need dense stands of trees and brush that can provide protection from more than one direction..

 

[webfoot]

I had wondered if yours came down out of Canada. Most shelters here are set up to protect from a southerly flow.
Need dense stands of trees and brush that can provide protection from more than one direction..

What are these "shelters" you speak of? And "dense stand of trees"? You seem to be speaking a foreign language.

 

[Puzzled]

Oh sorry about the west coast terminology. Natural wind breaks provided by Mother Nature.
They consist primarily of mixed stands of conifers 15- 40 yrs. With various species of brush(salmonberry,
huckleberry, grease wood, sword ferns, poison oak etc.) as an understory or along the perimeter. Can be quite a mess
actually, but pretty good shelter.

 

[Faster horses]

Oh sorry about the west coast terminology. Natural wind breaks provided by Mother Nature.
They consist primarily of mixed stands of conifers 15- 40 yrs. With various species of brush(salmonberry,
huckleberry, grease wood, sword ferns, poison oak etc.) as an understory or along the perimeter. Can be quite a mess
actually, but pretty good shelter.

You can't beat trees and brush to break the wind. The best there is.

 

[webfoot]

Oh sorry about the west coast terminology. Natural wind breaks provided by Mother Nature.
They consist primarily of mixed stands of conifers 15- 40 yrs. With various species of brush(salmonberry,
huckleberry, grease wood, sword ferns, poison oak etc.) as an understory or along the perimeter. Can be quite a mess
actually, but pretty good shelter.

So a few scattered Cottonwoods along the river don't count? How about steep draws and the lee ward side of tall hills?

 

[Puzzled]

Of course your Cottonwoods count, same as my willow patches. Just as steep draws and the lee ward side of
ridges do. But a few consecutive days of freezing rain and 30-40 mile an hour winds my critters are burning a lot of calories
and the denser the cover the better. And it surprises me sometimes how a southerly wind can travel east/west canyons.

 

[jodywy]

Not ponderosa... pine needle abortion. Along the creeks bank we got box elders, cotton woods. Got big dikes build back in the 30s-40s. we feed behind. Calving we move pairs to 2 pastures with draws with rim rock that run every direction, junipers that go almost to the ground and ponderosa (calves been born).

 

[Faster horses]

Of course your Cottonwoods count, same as my willow patches. Just as steep draws and the lee ward side of
ridges do. But a few consecutive days of freezing rain and 30-40 mile an hour winds my critters are burning a lot of calories
and the denser the cover the better. And it surprises me sometimes how a southerly wind can travel east/west canyons.

The old cowboys and ranchers used to talk about how different pastures lay, and how much more protection there
is if the wind doesn't just blow down the draws, but blow across, even if 'across' isn't the right terminology.
Maybe 'perpendicular' would be the right word. A lot of country in WY and MT doesn't have brushy draws or
timber. I've heard them say, 'that pasture lays right for calving.' Or not.
It's all interesting.

Like letting cattle 'settle' when you put them in a corral. So many people go right in and go to work, when actually they
would be better off just waiting a bit so the cows can go around and find out for themselves where the gates are, etc.
It truly does make a difference and it's amazing the people that won't let cows settle.

 

[Puzzled]

I used to think if I moved inland I could get away from the wind. But it sounds like some of you get some noticeable
wind. If there is good protected areas available the cows will find it.

Sale barns can be the worst sometimes for not letting cattle take their time and find there way.

 

[Faster horses]

I used to think if I moved inland I could get away from the wind. But it sounds like some of you get some noticeable
wind. If there is good protected areas available the cows will find.

Sale barns can be the worst sometimes for not letting cattle take their time and find there way.

Oh yeah! Whipping and yelling. Some of the best sale barns for handling cattle, use horses.

 

[webfoot]

Oh yeah! Whipping and yelling. Some of the best sale barns for handling cattle, use horses.

The trouble is they have to hire people for part time help. Maybe just one day a week on sale day. Tough to find real good help that way. And things are moving quickly so the cows have to move. And you are right horses do make things move better