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Still looking for cows in the snow

leanin' H

Well-known member
Don't ya just love weathermen? :mad: The next time they get a weather report right will be the first time! The "little" storm we had scheduled last night was supposed to be a skiff and be gone. We left home at 8 am with the power out all night and 8 inches of snow on the ground. We got to the ranch and 16 inches of snow! :shock: I'd call that a pretty nice skiff! Enroute to the ranch the long way as the short way is impassable thanks to a skiff of snow.
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We split up once we got out there. Dad and Phil took the truck over east to check the bottom's of the canyons where the cows congregate at the low gates. I took a horse across to check Burn canyon again and break a trail for cows to follow back to the ranch. Visibilty was about 50 yards. Freshly flocked cedar trees lined part of the trail.
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Doc was up to his ears in snow. Doc also has anger management issues with weathermen! :wink:
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We made Burn canyon and found the tracks of 6 head headed west. Good cows! Self portrait of a good horse and abominable snow man.
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So we took their tracks back toward the ranch. They had dropped off to the lower fence of the allotment and then tacked nor-east to arrive exactly at the wing of the corral. Must have a GPS! This is King Soloman ledge poking up out of the fog and snow. Neat indian writing in a cove near the top. Next summer i'll try to remember to show ya.
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I got a whole 6 cows today and technically they got theirselves! Dad and Phil brought in 24 with the truck! :shock: I am a miserable buckaroo! :cry:
I was so distraught i forgot to take pictures of the cows! So i took snow scene pictures instead. The long corral at the ranch.
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The gate into the horse corral.
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Past the stockade fence to the Beehouse. The reason the corrals are in tough shape is twofold. 1st, they are over a hundred years old and pretty sentimental. 2nd, after my grandparents died my aunt now owns the actual ranch home and corrals. We've used them ever since Phil bought the cows and permit from her. But as the family has expanded like all families do, my aunt's family has slowly weaned the rest of us from the place. I completely understand them wanting to do anything they want to with thier property. It's kinda tough but completely fair. They don't want the corrals fixed at all. In the very near future we will need to build new shipping corrals as the writing is on the wall, so to speak. :wink: Anyway, that's why the corrals look like firewood! such is life eh? :(
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Out of focus desert shot as the sun heads toward Hawaii.
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A skiff of snow on the Sheeprock mountains! I gotta go back to the dang day job Mon-Thurs so Dad and Phil will have to find the rest without me. Friday mornin' we point them south for Delta. Sunday night we'll bed em' down for the winter.
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Soapweed

Well-known member
I felt like I was right there with you. My hands got cold just thinking about going without gloves. Nice self-portrait, but you do look like a concerned cowboy in the photo. Hope you find the rest of the livestock.

Thanks for wading through all that snow and breaking trail for the rest of us. :wink:
 

leanin' H

Well-known member
Gloves were in my pocket. Needed my fingers to run the self-timer on the camera. I'm not nearly as tough or dumb as I look! :wink: It was in the good 20's today. 50 degrees different from Tuesday night when my truck gelled up coming home from night shift. A little H2o in the filter sure raises cain at -27F.
 

Justin

Well-known member
that could very well top our photo tour so far :D great story(maybe not for you :wink: ) and awsome pictures. like Soapweed said...it almost felt like we were there with you. hope it takes you at least two more trips to get all the cows, that is as long as you keep taking your camera :p :wink:
i have said before that i wish i was a weatherman....what other job can you be wrong 9 out of 10 times and not get fired?

thanks H
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Good pictorial, as usual, H.

Are your horses barefoot when you ride in all that snow?
If not, how do you keep the snow from packing in their feet?
 

leanin' H

Well-known member
Mine are bare footed but Phil's still have shoes. I didnt have any troubles with snowballs today. But i pack a hoofpick and other do-dads in the saddle bags or my pocket. More pictures to come when we drive them across the desert this weekend just for you Justin! Ya got 4 days to cruise on out and take your own pictures! :wink:
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Faster horses said:
Good pictorial, as usual, H.

Are your horses barefoot when you ride in all that snow?
If not, how do you keep the snow from packing in their feet?

It's a wonder H isn't barefoot. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

He is when he takes his socks off to warm his ears. :wink:
 

Silver

Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
Faster horses said:
Good pictorial, as usual, H.

Are your horses barefoot when you ride in all that snow?
If not, how do you keep the snow from packing in their feet?

It's a wonder H isn't barefoot. :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

He is when he takes his socks off to warm his ears. :wink:

I think if we'd had a shot of him counting the cows through the gate we likely would have seen him barefoot :lol:

Great pics H, I envy your warmth. That looks like just right winter weather, although not necessarily just right cow moving weather.
 

burnt

Well-known member
Once again, fantastic pictures and great story from a miserable buckaroo!! And don't let all those other guys insults get to ya. they're obviously just jealous!! :wink:
 

allen57

Well-known member
Gathering up cattle your way in your weather.....Makes me appreciate a bag of cubes (cake) and a 5-gallon bucket. :p

Your wide open space would be nice too. I've got a 4-lane state highway a quarter of a mile from the house to the south. Way back when it was just a 2-lane it was busy 1-2 hours a day with folks making their way to work or students to school. Now, the quiet time is an hour or two around 3 or 4 in the morning. A few days ago had a pretty good north wind blowing all that noise south. Amazing how quiet and peacfull it was.

Always enjoy everyone's pictures and narration but it does remind me how crowed it is getting around here.
 

burnt

Well-known member
When I see pictures of the wide open spaces in the West it makes me wonder why I try to run even my few cows on our kind land where there is little rough ground to run them on when this dirty weather hits.
 

per

Well-known member
burnt said:
When I see pictures of the wide open spaces in the West it makes me wonder why I try to run even my few cows on our kind land where there is little rough ground to run them on when this dirty weather hits.
Because you like cows and that is home and where your family is. There is no place like home. :)
 

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