January

January 1 - 6, 2001: No Guests

Thursday, January 4, 2001

Happy New Year! Seems I should have time to write more this time of year but...I just can’t seem to get to it. Weather has been just spectacular, days in the 40’s sun factor of 65, nights are around 10.

Lyndsey got back for a short stay on the 1st. She had done a whirlwind tour of the east coast and then got caught in the ice storms in the mid west on her way back. The next morning we were up at daylight and riding by 8:00. Following cattle tracks that I had seen over the previous few weeks while checking horses. We made a huge loop down to Snow Lake, then up a rough elk trail along the side of a canyon, onto Loco mtn. Here we found 3 bulls and a pair. We pushed them a few miles north then I suggested to Lyns that we take a short cut down into T Bar canyon and come out on the Red Cliff trail. She asked if I was crazy and I told he yes but it would save us two hours. She allowed as how she was game so down we headed. It is a steep trail over some really rocky stuff. It went great, the cattle moved along and we were going well till we came to the ice on the north slope. One bull fell and slid about 20 feet down the slope before stopping. I was riding Doc and I was not going to risk it and swung down and walked around the worst of the ice. Lyns was on Ben the wonder mule who goes barefoot. She stayed on and laughed at me as Ben went across the ice without a care. Soon we were in the bottom of the canyon and headed north again. About a mile up I spot a black bull way up on the side of the canyon, how or why he went there I have no Idea. Lyndsey hadn’t seen it when I pointed, she groaned because it was pay back time. I told her she and her little show off mule could just climb themselves up there and get that bull down. Away they went and I was wishing I had a camera as I watched them head up. The canyon rimrock towering above them, aspen on the cliff wall, deep blue sky and a cowgirl and her mule. It was beautiful. They got the bull down but he didn’t want to be with the other bulls, he was a big wussie. He took off up canyon at a run with Doc right behind trying to turn him, finally we did but he was persistent and Doc laid down some awesome moves and finally got him headed back.

The Red Cliff trail is hard to find even if you know where it takes off. It was a job getting the cattle to head up that way but finally we did and made it up and over the top. As we came past Elladean Tank I looked to the south and in the trees about a mile away was a large group of Elk. I pointed them out to Lyns and as we went along we watched them flow out of the trees and head our way. They came and they came and they came closer all the time. Lyndsey exclaimed they were coming right to us and sure enough they were, at a run. They came to within 50 yards, you could hear them panting and see nostrils flaring. There were over 250 of them and a hundred yards away they came to a stop and looked at us. It was incredible. We see amazing things out there every day but this was really impressive. Finally after a minute or so the lead cow Elk turned the herd away and trotted off. One of those days you wish you had a camera. We continued on and soon I spotted more cattle a mile or so off up a ridge. We let the cattle we had keep going on their own and went and got the others. There were three pairs up there and we pushed them out hoping to meet the ones we left. Sure enough just as we came down the others were just getting to the gate into the south trap. We bunched them up and pushed them all the way back to the H.Q. where we penned them. In just over 7 hours we had covered about 25 miles and had three bulls, two heifers, and three pairs. Not bad for a day of stray riding.

Today I hauled those cattle down to the lower range and enjoyed a little summer while I was there. It was about 60 with a sunfactor of at least 75. chatted with Frank and looked at his progress at the corral repair he’s doing at the Ghost Ranch H.Q. Then headed home. No ice problems this trip thankfully.Lyndsey left this morning to visit her mom in Sante Fe; Maggie gets home tonight...YAHOOOOO!I am back to hauling water every day. A few days ago we ran out of propane in Amy’s cabin, a pipe broke and I awoke to no water. I headed out dreading what I would find. It was a huge ice flow from her cabin down the hill and across the drive. 3,000 gallons had drained through the house leaving us high and dry of water in the system. There is an old homestead about 4 miles away that has a great spring fed well. We have a 1980 chevy one ton dually with a gas powered pump and 350 gallon water tank on it, everyone calls it the Death Trap. I love the truck. So every morning I drive over and pump out a load and bring it back to fill horse tanks and any extra I pump into the main storage tank. Then yesterday the water line at the tank feeding the whole ranch broke so I spent the day digging that up and playing plumber. That’s one thing about living here, you learn to do for yourself cause no one else is going to come and do it for you.

Chile went out with the older geldings yesterday. Boy, there was never a happier horse! He got out there and ran circles around the 20 acre pasture bucking and farting all the way. I was worried he would do himself harm but he came in sound, sweaty, and feeling good.

I am planning a 55 mile ride along the Continental Divide Trail sometime in April so if anyone is interested let me know. I think we will take four guests along for this one. It will be an adventure, as we have never ridden it before. I hope to do a bit of the trail every year. Also thinking of setting aside a week in early April for an Elk horn hunt. The big bulls shed horns every spring and you can find some amazing pieces. I know a great spot deep in the Wilderness area where we could set up a base camp and ride out from there. It is spectacular country, none like it anywhere. So again let me know if you’re interested in that.

January 7 - 13, 2001: No Guests

Tuesday, January 9, 2001
A lot of folks ask what we do here in the winter knowing the cattle are down below on the lower ranch, the calves are sold, horses are out to pasture, and no guests arriving every week. It’s quiet....but we stay busy. The past month or so I have been doing things up here on my own. Let me tell you it makes me appreciate my great crew. An average day starts with my feet hitting the floor at about 6:00. This house is really cold and has no modern heat. Oh what I would give for a thermostat! So I hurry to the stove and put a fire under the coffee pot so it does it’s thing as I build a fire in the woodstove and in the fireplace. I then huddle next to the fireplace as I enjoy my first cup and watch the Weather Channel. Yes we have television; it’s satellite and we power it with a solar system that just services this house.

Then it’s out to feed. I am now feeding 22 head of horses here at the H.Q. as well as 7 calves that we are using to train some horses. Also there is one bull we call Sam, who is here because he’s a bit run down and our beef steer we call T Bone who will be in the freezer next week. Feeding, haying and watering takes about two and a half hours.

I want to pass along some hints about water tanks in the winter. Get the black rubber ones, they come in all sizes and are so much better than the old steel tanks. In my life I have seriously gone through hundreds of steel tanks, they rust, seams leak, hard to clean and hard to move around and really hard to get the ice out of due to the ridges they have. The black rubber tubs don’t rust, no seams or ridges and due to the color absorb heat and thaw faster.

After chores it’s back inside for a real breakfast, then out to haul a couple loads of water from the spring. This usually takes until lunch. After lunch I kinda switch what I do every afternoon. One day I will work with horses or ride, the next peel rails and fix fences, the next split wood and fix other broken things around here. It’s never ending. Then at about 4:30 I start evening feeding getting done just after dark. Then it’s in the house to return phone calls and do office work till dinner. That’s my day.

Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Lyndsey is back for good and back in her usual work mode. Today we split wood for her house and ours for hours, got over a cord split. We now have a solid cover of snow again and feeding hay at a high rate. So far this year we have fed out over a thousand bales with half the haying season left to go. We are feeding about 2 tons of grain a week. The days are still really nice up here, temp. about 45, sunfactor about 65, nights about 10. Frank reports the temp. at the lower range is in the 50’s with a sunfactor of over 70.

Friday, January 12, 2001
A day of spinning our wheels around here, literally. Frank was to head up here with a load of hay and help us butcher our steer. Lyndsey headed out to get a load of water not too long after breakfast. I was busy in the office. About an hour and a half later I realized she was not back yet so Maggie headed out to find her while I waited by the phone for Frank who was to call from Reserve before he headed up the mountain. Maggie was back with Lyndsey in just a bit and let me know she had the pump truck stuck on ice out at the spring. So we got in the tractor and headed out as Maggie stood by the phone waiting for Frank’s over due call. It was not a big job getting the truck out, just took a lot of time as tractors are not really speed machines. Got back and Frank had called leaving Reserve at about 2:00. There had been talk for days of a huge storm coming in and the sky was getting thick by the minute. Frank pulled in with the hay about 4:00 just as it started to snow so we hurried the unloading and sent Frank back down off the mountain. He was running so late because he had spent three hours stuck in the mud out at the Ghost Ranch when he went to feed early in the morning.

I have lived in Wyoming, spent time in Colorado and went to school in Maine so I have seen a few snowstorms. But never have I seen it snow as hard as it did here this afternoon. Visability was less than 50 yards, almost a white out. I couldn’t imagine being out horseback in a snow like that. It made the November snow seem like a flurry. Of course it was at its hardest right as we were doing chores. Lyndsey got another truck stuck right out here in the barnyard so I fired up the tractor again and pushed her out. It only snowed about three hours but we got over eight inches.

Saturday, January 13, 2001
I under estimated the amount of snow; it was just about an even foot. So that means it was coming down at about four inches an hour. The last thing I told Lyndsey last night was to be ready to ride at first light so we could get all the pasture horses in to feed them some hay. She groaned and said they would come in on their own. Right, I told her, they haven’t been in for three months. I told her she gave them too much credit. This morning as the dawn was getting purple I stood at the kitchen window, coffee in hand looking at the weanlings here in the yard. Suddenly all heads on all the horses swung the same direction, ears erect. I went to the porch and looked the same direction and then I too saw it. Horses came flowing over the ridge and down the slope into the Headquarters valley. It was a thrilling sight, snow flying as they ran, they seemed surreal in the pink light of the dawn. They were lined out sweeping through the Ponderosa pines that dot the slope. I counted them as they went by and came up with seventeen, four missing. I quickly pulled on my coat and headed out to get some hay in the truck and take it down to the shipping pens. The horses were piled up at the gate into the pens waiting for some one to come. I spread hay and then opened the gate. My old mustang was the first through, stopping at the first pile and all the other horses went around him, none offering a challenge. He gets the respect he so rightly deserves. He was the first horse on the ranch and will always be first in my heart. We have over 20,000 miles together and a lot of unbelievable stories to tell that we both know are true.

All the horses look great, most are broodmares, a few riding mares and five two year old fillies and of course the mustang. Coats are thick and fluffy, eyes are clear and rumps still nice and round. These horses live outside all year round; they are so tough it amazes me.

Chores took forever with the deep snow, finally got done and headed in. Lyndsey was pretty smug and was quick with her "I told ya." After eating we went out on the snowmobiles looking for the missing mares, two Duns and two Bays. Lyndsey found them about three miles out on a hillside the wind had swept clear of snow. One was lying around soaking up some sun and the others grazing happy as could be. We went on for a couple more hours hoping to cut the trail of any stray cattle but not much had been moving. Saw tracks of a few deer, some elk, and coyote. It was a cold day, temp. only got up to about 20, the wind chill negated the sun factor today. After sledding we spent the rest of the day warming up till we had to go out and start chores again

January 14 - 20, 2001: No Guests

Monday, January 15, 2001
UUUUGGGGHHHH I am really getting too old for winter up here I think. The snow and cold just make the every day things so much harder and the hard things almost impossible. Today was a cold, blustery day, high temp. about 25, thin clouds cutting the suns heat and a stiff 15 mph breeze all day, and this after a night of -6 degrees.

Water is at the critical level here now. We only have about 600 gallons in our 5,000 gallon storage tank. The spring is frozen solid and the line broken. I will fix the line once it starts to flow again but with these sub zero nights that might be a while. We can’t get the pump truck to the spring to haul water, it’s not four wheel drive, so we can’t haul any water in. I headed out with the tractor to plow out the spring road and just half way down the drive way the hub on one of the rear wheels broke, the wheel came off and the tractor crashed down on top of it pinning it to the frozen road. So now I will have to figure a way of jacking that huge tractor off the wheel, loading it in a truck and taking it to get welded. I spent several hours walking along the stream that flows through the H. Q. valley here passing through all the pastures chopping ice with an axe in each one. It’s a lot of work. We have a well, 700 ft deep here at the H.Q. that we use in emergencies. It hasn’t run since summer and of course the generator that runs it has a few problems that I was not planning on having to fix right away.

So Lyndsey went to Albq. to get parts. There is supposed to be a big storm coming in tomorrow so she is trying to do a quick turn around to get back ahead of it. Vaquero came in with a nasty puncture wound to his elbow, spent time hot packing and flushing that, started him on antibiotics. At feeding this evening it was really hurting him. I may have to take him to the vet, not looking forward to trailoring off the mountain. The roads are snow packed and really slick. I do have to get down to the lower ranch and just look things over; the drive has made me procrastinate too long already.

Tuesday, January 16, 2001
Another day on the road. I called a vet friend about Vaquero and he told me he could meet me in Reserve as he was headed through there about noon. So I loaded Vaquero in the trailer, his first ride by himself. I left in a light snow and went out what we call the "back way." It goes over Elk Mtn. to Horse Springs. It's a bit over 50 miles off dirt road before you get to pavement on Hwy. 12. About an hour longer to town but no really steep grades. Got there with no problems but had a huge bank of snow chasing me the whole way which swept in just as I got into town and met the Dr. It's only out here in Reserve new mexico where you can drive down Main St. and see a horse being treated in front of the courthouse. The Dr. opened up his swollen shoulder and went in 6 inches to pull out a bit of trees debris. After he was done and it was well drained Vaquero was feeling much better. I did some errands and then headed up the mountain the usual way. There was heavy snow falling and about half way up I put spurs on all four corners...cowboy slang for putting chains on all four wheels. The snow got deeper and deeper every half mile I went. When I got to my favorite long steep grade there was over two feet in the road. Thank goodness for chains and Ford Powerstrokes. That diesel was churning with all its might as I pushed snow with my bumper and dragged it with the back of my trailer. I was shouting encouragement as the truck groaned its way to the top getting there just as I lost my momentum and cleared the rim at about half a mile per hour. The snow was deep all the way. What usually takes a bit over an hour took almost three. I just really didn't want to get stuck with a lame horse in the trailer. Finally I pulled in the yard and sighed my relief. Not too long after I got in Lyndsey got home coming in the back way saying it was really not too bad till just a few miles from the H.Q.

We are totally out of water here now, not even enough to fill a drinking glass. Tomorrow we will shovel off the well head, put new parts on the generator and hope to get the pump going. All fingers and toes are crossed as we hope we got the right parts and that I can figure out what to do with them.

Wednesday, January 17, 2001
Pretty miserable day around the old ranchero. After an over night low of -11, the morning was grey and snowy. Lyndsey woke to a temp of 22 in her kitchen, these old houses are just no fun to live in during the winter. I got up every three hours to put wood on the fires and still we were in the low 50s in this house. Chores again took forever, breaking ice is getting harder due to the fact the ponds and streams are freezing solid to the bottom. We finally got done and ate, then went out into the snow to do some plumbing. Lyndsey helped as I pieced the water line back together then worked on the generator. Amazingly it all went together as it should and finally started. We had water flowing in the tank at about a gallon a min.!

Deciding to speed up the filling process we dismantled the pump equipment off the 2 wheel drive Chevy and put it all back together again on my truck. This involved taking the tank off, building a wood frame base in my truck to keep it off the ball hitch in the bed of my truck. And taking the pump and generator and jury rigging it into my truck. Finally about four p.m. I headed to the spring. It had snowed about another six inches, and on the spring road there was well over two feet. The truck churned its way through, bogging down a few times but making it. I pumped 400 gallons in the tank and slogged on back to the H.Q. the ton and a half of water helped at times and slowed us at others. When I finally made it back to the ranch I turned the valve on the tank and nothing happened. The valve had frozen in the time it took to get back. Now as it grew dark I had 400 gallons of water I could do nothing with. Finally we rigged some junk hoses and siphoned it out.... sloooooooowly..... into a stock tank and about 250 gallons went out on the ground. It was that or have the tank freeze and split. Now the pump on the well is running all night, Lyndsey and I are taking turns getting up every three hours to refuel it. It's my turn at 1:00 A.M. Hard to get out the door as the temp. is about -13 right now and a stiff wind

January 21 - 27, 2001: No Guests

Tuesday, January 23, 2001
Things have settled down a bit, the water crisis is over. We ran the pump for four days, 24 hours a day and now have a full tank, 3,000 gallons. Damn it's a good feeling. It's been snowing every morning till about 10:00, adding a couple new inches every time then sunny in the afternoon. Friday I drove down to the lower ranch and stayed over night. It sure was nice and warm. Pulled in the drive and Frank was working on a truck in a T-shirt. Tanya had arrived the day before, she and her horse getting here safely after a long trip from Wisconsin. They hit a bit of weather in Texas but missed most of a big storm. I went and checked the horses at the Ghost Ranch then headed back up top on Saturday to be met with a high Temp. of 17 for the day. Frank took the Dodge and flat bed trailer and went to Clovis New Mex. and picked up 10 round bales of wheat and oat hay mix. Really nice hay, each bale runs about 1200 pounds. It's about a seven hour drive over, he stayed the night and got back late the next night. I met him in Horse Springs and hooked the trailer to my Ford because there was no way the Dodge was going to pull that load through the snow up the mountain. With the trailer and hay it was over 17,000 pounds. The Power Stroke in that truck really got a work out. Monday was spent putting out bales in all the different pastures. There sure were some happy horses. Yesterday evening at chores I saw all the horses looking into the trees on the valley slope and soon here came three pair of cattle. From where I have no idea and how they got in the horse pasture I haven't a clue. I guess they smelled the feed some ways off and came on in. I hauled four 2 year old colts down to the lower H.Q. Now that Tanya is back it's time to start training. I am staying over here tonight so tomorrow we can go out to the Ghost Ranch and try to find the other eight young horses we are going to start. I love this time of year and getting the young guys working. Just beautiful weather down here. I left up top in a blinding snow and two hours later I pulled in here to 60 degrees. Tanya and I sat out on the porch this evening and watched the sun go down. As I enjoyed a spring evening in January I vowed I would not spend another winter up top, I'm tired of being Daniel Boone. As the crow flies the two headquarters are only 14 miles apart, though it takes over two hours on a good day to drive there. But it is such a difference 4,000 feet in elevation make. The Filiree (a type of grass) is green and I heard that Crocuses were already breaking ground.

Thursday, January 25, 2001
Yesterday was just great weather down below. I walked out in the morning and just got a thrill at how balmy it was. Folks in the cold weather country know the feeling I mean. You get it after a long, cold, grey winter and then that first spring day takes you by surprise. You can smell the moist earth and feel a warm breeze and the sun on your face and it lifts your heart and spirits. 

We went out to the Ghost ranch and just as needed all the young horses were there. We loaded up five and brought them back to the lower H.Q. I hadn't seen them in a few months, damn we have some nice horses. We are working Dakota, Cowboy, Frio, Cool Eye, King, and Smoke. After getting them unloaded and Tanya lined out on what I wanted done to them I went and looked at a ranch for sale. I am thinking of going farther in debt so I can have some more winter country and increase my herd size a bit next year. Then as much as I didn't want to I left the warm low country and drove back up the mountain, plowing through deep snow and sliding on slick roads. 

Today I put out more round bales of hay, 20 horses ate 1100 pounds in three days. But it was still cheaper..about .75 cents per day per horse.. and I think it is a lot healthier for them than just getting a pile set in front of them twice a day. This way they can put fuel in the furnace all night long on these sub zero nights. Frank came up with a trailer load of firewood we unloaded just before lunch, after eating we headed out to the 7HL line camp and picked up some portable panels. The roads were a mess, the sun was strong yesterday and today so the dirt two track roads were deep mud by mid afternoon. We are in mud season now I guess. Folks in New England tell tales of mud season, well we have it just as bad here. Around here folks come and go "on the freeze" meaning you best be out by 9:00 in the morning if you want to get out at all and can't get back home till after dark when the mud has frozen and stiffened up. After tying the panels on the side of the trailer we then went to the shipping pens and put a heck of a load of cattle on Frank's trailer. One bull, three cows, and seven 400+ pound calves. I was planning to take a few horses down but decided to stick around here and split some wood. Then it was chore time, then the day was done. 

Friday, January 26, 2001
Cold day up here, high of only about 20 with thin clouds keeping the sun factor non existent. Nights have warmed up a bit, now up into the single digits above zero. Last night was 7 degrees. After chores and a few odd job things around here I loaded up three horses in my trailer and Lyndsey put a load of tack in her truck and we headed down to the lower ranch.

It's amazing how much tack I have collected in ten years. When I came into this country I had a horse, a halter, saddle, headstall and a couple old worn out pads. Now the tack room must hold 60 saddles, over a hundred headstalls and who knows how many halters. There are two stacks of pads and blankets six feet tall. Often when I buy a horse the people throw in the tack and I used to go to a lot of auctions. All the tack of course is in constant need of care, so that's Tanya's job on cold days and in the evenings. She cleans and inspects everything, tagging what needs to go to the saddle maker for real repairs. He loves seeing us pull in. We take it to a fellow in Silver City dropping it off in the winter when he is slow and needs the work. Usually it's a lot of tie strings that get broken but with the amount of miles we put on there are at least four or five saddles that need new lining every year. Most of our equipment and horses work over 2500 miles a year.

The roads aren't getting any better but we made it down slowly with no problems. I didn't stay more than 30 min. just went over with Frank what I wanted fixed, built and cleaned up around the H.Q. Got a progress report from Tanya on all her students, everyone is doing well. It was nice pulling up and seeing all 11 young horses standing quietly, all saddled and being perfect horses. She rode Cool Eye and said he was the most awesome moving horse she had ridden in a long time. He's awesome looking too, a big dark sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail, four white socks, wide blaze and blue eyes. He just has a presence about him. Then it was back up the mountain again and into the snow. It had been cloudy down there but warm, close to 60.

We got the material for a new round pen down there which I hope we can get done in the next week.
I have four 2 year old fillies now up here at the house. They are wild as the wind, never been touched, so I hope to get a handle on them in the next few weeks and then send them down to Tanya after they are halter broke. Messing with some yearling colts also, they are home raised so they are all good kids. They all stand tied, pick feet, saddle and load in a trailer. We will be riding them in the late summer. Right now I am instilling leg and rein cues in them just by the way I touch them as I work with them on a lead. It helps a lot to do it now before you start riding them. They are all sharp as tacks and have picked it up perfectly in just a few short lessons.

This morning there is a gusty wind blowing to 35- 40 mph, not too cold about 20 but cloudy, the weather channel is calling for heavy snow along the Mongollon Rim country...ugggghhhhhh.

Sunday, January 28, 2001
The snow started yesterday about noon and quit about chore time, another 10 inches. The weather kept me inside doing office stuff, Lyndsey spent the day painting the inside of her house, Maggie as usual was slaving in her studio. Down below they got a dusting of snow then the sun was out to melt it fast. Tanya worked her horses a short session due to wind and drizzel, Frank worked on corral repairs till the chill ran him inside. Today was spent putting out hay, busting ice after an over night low of 4 above. Split wood for a while then took a snowmobile run to hunt for tracks. Went down into Rocker Canyon about 2 miles behind the house. I had to turn around as the snow was to deep for the snowmobile that started bogging down. There was at least 3 feet in there. At evening chores I found that Fancy, one of the 2 y.o. fillies had been kicked in the eye. It’s got a big gash above it and it badly swollen. Unfortunately she is not touchable much less halter broke so there is little I can do for her. Just hope she does not lose her sight. She’s a real pretty little sorrel filly with a perfect blaze and wonderful mover. I bought her and two others from a local rancher. For those of you who have been here, they are all half sisters to Chancey, that great cow mare we have. Actually Fancy is her full sister, the other two are half sisters. The stud they are by just makes real cowy kids.

Tomorrow I will head down to the lower ranch probably for the week. We are going to hunt up some unbranded pairs that are still at large as well 25 heifers I bought from John that we will gather and move to Alma corrals. There we will run them through the squeeze chute and brand and tag them. This is the start of the time of year I see little of my wife. Now till June I will be down below while she takes care of things up here. Last spring we saw each other about 6 days out of 60. Well I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. I also plan on getting out and riding some of the other ranch I am looking to buy. It is the WS ranch, any of you who have read

“Recollections Of A Western Ranchman” know the ranch. It lies right next to the rest of the lower range but is mostly in the BLUE PRIMITIVE AREA of Arizona. It is a very famous ranch and has a lot of history about it. It was the end of the “Outlaw trail” that ran all the way up to Hole In The Wall in Wyoming.

January 28 - 31, 2001: No Guests

Tuesday, January 30, 2001
Yesterday was a putz day. It was really windy all weekend but blew even harder Sunday night and then all day Monday. The wind gusted to well over 50 mph, clearing the open country of snow and dumping it in the trees. It was a white out at times with a bright sun overhead making it a strange, bright, sparking light. Needless to say spent most of the time hiding from the weather, in the barn, in the shop, just putzing doing little stuff.

Today I was up at 4:30 and on the road at 5:00 headed to the lower ranch to meet John and Alan. The first three or four miles of the road were not bad, five or six inches with a few one to two foot drifts. Then I hit Negrito Creek Canyon and good God was there snow. All that had blown off the top the past three days was heaped up in the road for the next twenty miles. I chained up all four wheels and plowed ahead. Top speed was 6 to 7 mph with the engine cranking. The snow as at least 20 inches everywhere with hundred yard long 3 foot drifts. At an area called Sheep Basin, which is always the deepest in snow, the Ford finally could go now more so I had to get out and start breaking a trail for it with a shovel. I’d do 50 yards at a time and then walk back to the truck and drive it ahead then shovel some more. It was still pitch dark, the temp was about 10, but let me tell ya I stayed plenty warm. I only had to do about a quarter mile but that was more than enough. I finally got to Reserve three hours later, it’s normally just over an hour. But it was all worth it due to the sunrise I got to see. As I was coming off the mountain rim the view west into Arizona stretches out for a hundred miles down the Mongollon Rim. The mountains as far as you could see where aglow in a deep purple then fading into a soft golden shine. It was breathtaking. I had to stop and watch awhile, I don’t take this country for granted.

Finally got to Alma and met the guys and we made a plan to ride Sunflower Mesa country looking for big pairs, unbranded pairs, and heifers. I had to go out to the Ghost Ranch where Ben the mule is living now so we all split up planning on meeting out there somewhere. I caught up Ben and saddled him up and headed out. He really didn’t want to work the first hour. The footing was terrible on the lower slopes, energy sucking deep mud and lots and lots of rocks. He was slow and ploddy as we headed up the slopes and I was getting kinda frustrated with him. Then we ran into cattle and bingo I was riding a different mule. We were on the steep south-facing slope of Vigil Canyon and he was all over the place up and down getting the cattle pushed up onto level ground. There we cut off three pairs and four heifers. We pushed them back down a mile or so till they were settled in line and let them drift and went to check a tank. There I met up with John and Alan and we went up a couple more miles and then spilt again heading around and back towards the Ghost Ranch. I took the steep side of the canyon in the rocks and trees and brush. It was an area John had warned me away from for years and I realized why. I would not have led another animal where I rode that mule. He is absolutely the most incredible ride I have ever had. Where he can go and go with confidence is amazing. I never once caught my breath at a bad step or stumble, there wasn’t one. And pardon my french but we were in the shit! And we found cattle.

We came out at the end of the canyon with 7 pairs and 9 heifers. I held them up at the spring corrals. Alan showed up a half hour later having not seen a cow. We pushed the cattle out and up on the mesa where we met John who had brought down the first bunch I had started earlier in the day. We moved them down to the Ghost ranch. It was nice to have the three amigos riding together again. We penned and sorted the cattle, cutting the calves off and trucking them down to the Alma corral to be weaned. We will hold all the heifers there in the ranch trap pasture till we get enough to push to Alma and re-brand with my brand. Any of you coming out in the next few weeks have that to look forward to. Tomorrow we are going to ride my least favorite area.... Carcass Basin.

Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Woke to a temp. of 20 down here, everyone was whining and moaning. It is unusually cold for the lower country but it still felt pretty good to me. The day ended up getting to about 50 with lots of sun. I headed out and got Ben about 9:30 after a morning of making phone calls. I went up into Vigil Canyon where I had seen five of our horses at a distance yesterday. I had thought one looked lame. I found them right where I had seen them and a really nice three-year-old line back dun named Cimmarron was really footsore. I turn out most of my horses unshod, but some you can’t do that with. Cimmarron is one, he wore down his hooves faster than they grew and is just really tender. I tried leading him back with Ben but after a mile or so I gave that up as Ben is such a fast walker and Cimmarron was going so slow they had me stretched out like a scarecrow. I got off Ben and tied the reins up and led Cimmarron on foot the two miles home. Ben was funny, he walked with us awhile then got bored with our pace and went on ahead. He stopped every few min. to wait for us and would let out a big mule bray telling us to hurry up. It was after noon by the time we got to the corrals. I closed Cimm up and gave him some hay then loaded Ben in the trailer. We went a few miles over to Ridge Well Corrals and rode around looking for pairs and heifers. After an hour we had one heifer and two pairs. The pairs were a real pain, the cows didn’t like each other and keep wanting to go two different directions. The heifer had no idea who to follow. Ben really had to work his butt off. Going after one, then the other, then back to get the other one, then back to the other one. Over and over, we both got pretty pissed off. Finally got them to a gate and into the next pasture. I didn’t see John or Alan all day but did see their tracks at the gate. I stopped at his house and talked to John this evening on my way home. I was hoping they had gone into Carcass Basin today, turns out they didn’t because they were hoping my mule and I had gone in there. So I guess that’s where Ben and I will go in the morning.

Sent Tanya to look at a horse for sale this afternoon, told her it was her deal and make it if she thought the horse was worth the asking price. She left nervous but really liked the horse and made an offer for me. We will find out tomorrow if they will take her offer. Frank and I have been giving her a hard time all evening joking that she probably bought a three legged, one eyed, 46 year old horse. I am sure it will be a fine one, she was full of praise for it.