Today was a fine day! The weather was almost balmy in the high 20s and we were a horseback!
Started at 8 this mornin. We left them at Black's corral last night and had to make Cleo's corral today. It's only 9 miles but the cows are thirsty and tired. We turned em' out and started south. The Veiw back at the trailer with Desert Mountain behind.
The scenery part of the ride was mostly yesterday as today is true western desert with salt brush and a little sage and not much else. Phil was tickled to be a straddle of a saddle and not pushin a throttle!
The cattle strung out pretty well considering the forced march they have been on.
My Dad and the roadkilled rabbit headgear! He was the gate getter and thermos packer today. We were on the road all day so he just cruised along with us. At almost 70 he can do as he pleases!
Chance and his colt were a welcome help today.
The veiw from a horse is way better than from a wheeler! Got to see backs instead of butts all day!
The aiming point today was Intermountain Power Project which ya can see up ahead. They built it out in the middle of nowhere to appease the enviro's but still close enough to ship in the coal that fires the generation plant. It would be IMPOSSIBLE to build it in today's political climate. The 500 high paying jobs and countless indirect employment is a Godsend for the area.
The view west with the Swazy range as a backdrop. Killed my first Muledeer there when I was 16.
Looking back at the starting point this mornin'.
A Angus bull from Yardley Cattle Co. in Beaver, Utah. I like his length and rear quarter. His calves are good doing meat makers!
Here's a shot of just the desert. It is dang desolate and yet beautiful and peaceful. Antelope and rabbits are at home here. It can be miserable in July. It takes lots of acres to feed a cow in winter. As a side note; The little black nub right in the center-foreground is an old volcano crater. The black bench is where the lava flowed out and cooled. There are hot springs out there. And vents where the air is hot and others where ice forms inside. The Topaz Internment Camp during WW2 was located near there. That's where Japanese/Americans were held during the war. Kind of a sad piece of American history.
Still heading south. I can't tell if were getting closer to the smokestack though. :???:
If ya look close you'll see the truck/trailer at the corral ahead. Cows wanted to get there and rest! We used to water them at a windmill and stocktank about halfway between the two corrals. But idiot vandals ruined it. Then the cowman who owned it put in a submersible pump and pump house built out'a plate steel. We had access and would pump a tank full for thirsty cattle. Now a fellow owns the permit and well who lives way up north and we no longer have access to it. So The cows will have to wait till tomorrow by lickin' snow today> Tomorow a.m. we'll trail past some spreader dams full of runoff. We will chop lots of holes and let em' tank up.
They are tucked in tonight with a good supper.
Some are just happy to lay down and rest. 33 miles so far with 12 or so to go tomorow. One reason we wait so late to go home is the need for snow. The cows will get to lay around all they want after tomorrow, the good old sisters!
We made the corral at 12:30 so we cut out the replacement heifers and gave them a trailer ride home. Only kept 9 this year.
And since the day was young we cut out the five bulls present and they rode home in style too! The other two bulls are still on the mountain and we'll hope to pick them up Tuesday.
The really snowy mountain is where we started from Saturday. The closer mountain was the beginning today. Hope ya enjoyed the tour! See ya Tommorow evenin'.
The scenery part of the ride was mostly yesterday as today is true western desert with salt brush and a little sage and not much else. Phil was tickled to be a straddle of a saddle and not pushin a throttle!
The cattle strung out pretty well considering the forced march they have been on.
My Dad and the roadkilled rabbit headgear! He was the gate getter and thermos packer today. We were on the road all day so he just cruised along with us. At almost 70 he can do as he pleases!
Chance and his colt were a welcome help today.
The veiw from a horse is way better than from a wheeler! Got to see backs instead of butts all day!
The aiming point today was Intermountain Power Project which ya can see up ahead. They built it out in the middle of nowhere to appease the enviro's but still close enough to ship in the coal that fires the generation plant. It would be IMPOSSIBLE to build it in today's political climate. The 500 high paying jobs and countless indirect employment is a Godsend for the area.
The view west with the Swazy range as a backdrop. Killed my first Muledeer there when I was 16.
Looking back at the starting point this mornin'.
A Angus bull from Yardley Cattle Co. in Beaver, Utah. I like his length and rear quarter. His calves are good doing meat makers!
Here's a shot of just the desert. It is dang desolate and yet beautiful and peaceful. Antelope and rabbits are at home here. It can be miserable in July. It takes lots of acres to feed a cow in winter. As a side note; The little black nub right in the center-foreground is an old volcano crater. The black bench is where the lava flowed out and cooled. There are hot springs out there. And vents where the air is hot and others where ice forms inside. The Topaz Internment Camp during WW2 was located near there. That's where Japanese/Americans were held during the war. Kind of a sad piece of American history.
Still heading south. I can't tell if were getting closer to the smokestack though. :???:
If ya look close you'll see the truck/trailer at the corral ahead. Cows wanted to get there and rest! We used to water them at a windmill and stocktank about halfway between the two corrals. But idiot vandals ruined it. Then the cowman who owned it put in a submersible pump and pump house built out'a plate steel. We had access and would pump a tank full for thirsty cattle. Now a fellow owns the permit and well who lives way up north and we no longer have access to it. So The cows will have to wait till tomorrow by lickin' snow today> Tomorow a.m. we'll trail past some spreader dams full of runoff. We will chop lots of holes and let em' tank up.
They are tucked in tonight with a good supper.
Some are just happy to lay down and rest. 33 miles so far with 12 or so to go tomorow. One reason we wait so late to go home is the need for snow. The cows will get to lay around all they want after tomorrow, the good old sisters!
We made the corral at 12:30 so we cut out the replacement heifers and gave them a trailer ride home. Only kept 9 this year.
And since the day was young we cut out the five bulls present and they rode home in style too! The other two bulls are still on the mountain and we'll hope to pick them up Tuesday.
The really snowy mountain is where we started from Saturday. The closer mountain was the beginning today. Hope ya enjoyed the tour! See ya Tommorow evenin'.