leanin' H
Well-known member
The 2nd day we met over to Joe's canyon where Phil camps. Here's his O.K. Corral with "Jack" in it. It works pretty nice as a portable trap or as a horse corral during roundup.
"Jack" belongs to Wayne and he's a nice young stud horse. Wayne is a great hand with horse and dogs. I admire the way he finds their potential and helps them reach it and beyond.
We rode up Joe's to the jonny bull hollow and then crossed over into the bottom of Ott's canyon. Up, Up and away. I got demoted to drag. :wink:
Ott's is a great canyon accessable only on foot or a horseback. Lots of ledges and slide rock but grass enough to fatten a few cows. Plus lots of browse and ya don't have to trim feet.
The quakes were still all colorful. Even a lot of the willows along the creek were showing color. And the sage smelled like heaven.
Dropping into a high spring to water the ponies and make a plan on where to look once we got on top. These small springs are the key to our range. Even on a killer dry year they give their liquid gift that allows a cow or a horse or a buck or a simple minded cowboy a cool drink.
Still riding along kinda lookin' for cows and gawking at the stuff around us. Jumped a little band of bucks but got over the ridge before i could draw my camera. And saw quite a few coveys of chuckars too.
Looking back down toward the desert floor. Keg Mountain is the dark one in the distance. I've been building fence for a ranch over there.
I went up to the trough while my pals went east as we scattered out to cover more country. One cow and two calves watching a few more string in to water. There was still some grass up on the ridges but the half acre around the trough looks pretty tough.
Looking into little valley. Bet the folks in that plane that left the contrail didnt even know i was down there. Kinda glad they fly over and leave me alone down here on terra-firma.
The bottom of little valley and the plane heading east for Denver maybe? Our cows sometimes get over on the east side but they stayed put this year. Gotta look anyway while your up there.
Rattlesnake peak in snow hollow. Gathering off the backside of that peak is an adventure. Lots of slide rock makes a guy stay light in his stirrups.
I drifted along north checking both side of the comb of the mountain. Lots of hidey holes for cows to be tucked away into chasing grass. Looking north toward dutch peak and bennion canyon. Saw lots of cows out on the sheeprock flats, so we gathered what we had and headed over that way.
The rocks in this country are prolific breeders. These little rocks migrated down from their parents called ledges. Now ya see why we gotta shoe our horses? Look at all the grass!!! Look closer, there by the rocks. :wink:
We pushed 17 head of big stuff north across Ott's, past spring canyon and into the head of Joe's canyon. They follow the old wild horse trails across the top and they move real well if ya know where to point em'.
Strung out like a little bunch of cows ought'a be strung out. Going slow is the best way to go fast. Phil left us and headed out on a long trot to get up on the sheeprock flats and start some cows we spotted down green's ridge. We dropped off into Joe's.
And i do mean dropped! It's a steep rocky bugger but do able if ya stick to the trail and have a good horse under ya. I had to swing up in a high saddle and knock of few down off toward the main bunch.
In tall cotton now! A road and almost level as we headed down the canyon. Heading south and losing altitude. Cept for Phil who was still up in the nosebleed country.
It was another beautiful day and the ledges and the fall colors made for a fine backdrop. Phil is up on top of that ridge bring more cows down, while we laze along snapping pictures. Atleast, i was!
We had 32 big stuff as we pushed them through a tunnel of oaks and cottonwood trees.
Chance looks like he's thinking "We are going over that"? But its an optical illusion at the narrows in Joe's canyon. Does look like a heck of a fine road block though.
Told ya there was a way though. :wink: It's just like driving down the highway cept there arent lines and it's a tad bit rougher. :lol:
We got down to the Forest Gate, the fence between governement land and private and held the cows there. I headed back up green's ridge from the bottom to help phil bring his bunch. Then we joined em ' all and pushed them down into this meadow where they will stay prior to vaccinating the calves and weaning. We put 66 in and need to find 96 more. But we know where most of them are and will get them before too long. I am priviledged to ride with these fine friends on these gorgeous mountains following cattle. I'd not rather do anything else each fall. May ya'll find all your own cattle and enjoy what you do as much as i did these two days. Thanks for tagging along. Hope it wasnt too many pictures. Have a fine evening.
"Jack" belongs to Wayne and he's a nice young stud horse. Wayne is a great hand with horse and dogs. I admire the way he finds their potential and helps them reach it and beyond.
We rode up Joe's to the jonny bull hollow and then crossed over into the bottom of Ott's canyon. Up, Up and away.
I got demoted to drag. :wink:
Ott's is a great canyon accessable only on foot or a horseback. Lots of ledges and slide rock but grass enough to fatten a few cows. Plus lots of browse and ya don't have to trim feet.
The quakes were still all colorful. Even a lot of the willows along the creek were showing color. And the sage smelled like heaven.
Dropping into a high spring to water the ponies and make a plan on where to look once we got on top. These small springs are the key to our range. Even on a killer dry year they give their liquid gift that allows a cow or a horse or a buck or a simple minded cowboy a cool drink.
Still riding along kinda lookin' for cows and gawking at the stuff around us. Jumped a little band of bucks but got over the ridge before i could draw my camera. And saw quite a few coveys of chuckars too.
Looking back down toward the desert floor. Keg Mountain is the dark one in the distance. I've been building fence for a ranch over there.
I went up to the trough while my pals went east as we scattered out to cover more country. One cow and two calves watching a few more string in to water. There was still some grass up on the ridges but the half acre around the trough looks pretty tough.
Looking into little valley. Bet the folks in that plane that left the contrail didnt even know i was down there. Kinda glad they fly over and leave me alone down here on terra-firma.
The bottom of little valley and the plane heading east for Denver maybe?
Our cows sometimes get over on the east side but they stayed put this year. Gotta look anyway while your up there.
Rattlesnake peak in snow hollow. Gathering off the backside of that peak is an adventure. Lots of slide rock makes a guy stay light in his stirrups.
I drifted along north checking both side of the comb of the mountain. Lots of hidey holes for cows to be tucked away into chasing grass. Looking north toward dutch peak and bennion canyon. Saw lots of cows out on the sheeprock flats, so we gathered what we had and headed over that way.
The rocks in this country are prolific breeders. These little rocks migrated down from their parents called ledges. Now ya see why we gotta shoe our horses?
Look at all the grass!!! Look closer, there by the rocks. :wink:
We pushed 17 head of big stuff north across Ott's, past spring canyon and into the head of Joe's canyon. They follow the old wild horse trails across the top and they move real well if ya know where to point em'.
Strung out like a little bunch of cows ought'a be strung out. Going slow is the best way to go fast.
Phil left us and headed out on a long trot to get up on the sheeprock flats and start some cows we spotted down green's ridge. We dropped off into Joe's.
And i do mean dropped! It's a steep rocky bugger but do able if ya stick to the trail and have a good horse under ya. I had to swing up in a high saddle and knock of few down off toward the main bunch.
In tall cotton now! A road and almost level as we headed down the canyon. Heading south and losing altitude. Cept for Phil who was still up in the nosebleed country.
It was another beautiful day and the ledges and the fall colors made for a fine backdrop. Phil is up on top of that ridge bring more cows down, while we laze along snapping pictures. Atleast, i was!
We had 32 big stuff as we pushed them through a tunnel of oaks and cottonwood trees.
Chance looks like he's thinking "We are going over that"? But its an optical illusion at the narrows in Joe's canyon. Does look like a heck of a fine road block though.
Told ya there was a way though. :wink: It's just like driving down the highway cept there arent lines and it's a tad bit rougher. :lol:
We got down to the Forest Gate, the fence between governement land and private and held the cows there. I headed back up green's ridge from the bottom to help phil bring his bunch. Then we joined em ' all and pushed them down into this meadow where they will stay prior to vaccinating the calves and weaning. We put 66 in and need to find 96 more. But we know where most of them are and will get them before too long. I am priviledged to ride with these fine friends on these gorgeous mountains following cattle. I'd not rather do anything else each fall. May ya'll find all your own cattle and enjoy what you do as much as i did these two days. Thanks for tagging along. Hope it wasnt too many pictures. Have a fine evening.
You live in neat country. Glad to see we aren't the only ones with rocks. You can come chukar hunting anytime!!! We are seeing tons of birds this year.