September 5-11: Fall Ranch Week

Monday, September 6, 2004

Another crew of 11 this week, a few veterans among them. Don from Virginia is here for his third time, he brought along his friend Bill this time. Francis from South Carolina is here, she’s been coming seven or eight years. Mark and Katchen from Texas are here for their fourth or fifth time. First timers are: Attila and Suzie from Seattle, Carl from Colorado and his daughter Marsha from Tennessee , Ian and Jan from Essex , England round out the crew.

Today we didn’t get out until about 11am . But we got a lot of country covered once we got out. We rode Negrito pasture one last time before calling it clean of cattle. Three groups riding in three areas and we came up with about 8 head which were found on Rock Mesa and put through the Silver gate. My crew rode about 20 miles through the Negrito Triangle, for the first time in twelve years I was able to navigate my way around making big loops and knowing where I was the whole time.

We got home about 5:30pm . A great day, hi about 70, blue skies with a few puffy clouds, the beginning of many great fall days.

Tuesday, September 7, 2004

We headed into 7HL to do another sweep there, once again in a couple groups. Nate headed down Ewe canyon with Carl, Francis and Bill. Right away they had work, getting the wild bunch of horses out of the North trap. They then continued east and got a dozen head or so from Nedra and Elladeane tanks ending up at the mouth of T bar Canyon. Lyndsey and I with the rest of the crew went over Feathery hill, and spotted cattle out on Telegraph Mesa. We picked up another dozen there and meet up with Nate and his riders. He then took a couple riders to check the Twin Tanks gate while Lyndsey moved the cattle down T Bar Canyon to the loco gate.

I left early needing to get home for a prearranged phone call with my accountant, seems we don’t work the same hours. I was on Gambler and set out to really make some time home, as I was already a bit late and a long way to go. Not a mile into the ride did Gambler throw a shoe, so once again I was walking. I mounted up where ever the two-track road was sandy but it’s more rocky than it’s not. Needless to say I missed catching him at his office and just barely made it home before the other riders.

We have three of our main line horses out with stone bruises, Vaquero, Chili, and happolitto. We had gone the whole season with none, now we suddenly have three in one week. I guess last week was just a tough one for all.

It was a bit windier today than it has been, but a nice 70-degree day and once again just a few clouds drifting by.

Wednesday, September 8, 2004

The plan today was to ride out to Canyon Creek pasture picking up any cattle that were found along the way. Then to camp in S.S. Basin for the next couple nights and work cattle over into Pine Canyon .

Lyndsey and Nathan led the crew while I worked with Lesha getting gear and food loaded and hauled out to camp.

It’s a long ride out there no matter how you go. They rode the Loco Mtn. trail to the Ridge trail then on down to Snow Lake . About when they were coming down into Snow canyon they hit some bees. Every year after the frost the ground bees get really aggressive. The first horse that goes over wakes them up, the second pisses them off and the third or forth horse really catches hell. Jan was that rider on Cibique. He got warmed and started lunging; she went over his shoulder as he stumbled and ended up under him. He stepped on her several times; her arm and her ribs took the worst of it. Fortunately was nothing broken but she sure ended up sore and bruised. But she’s tough, got back on and finished the day. Creek with Suzie on top got stung several times but he kept her in the saddle despite a pretty serious reaction in the form of swelling and adrenaline excitement. That Creek just can’t be topped for doing all he can to keep his rider safe.

Just east of the Lake they broke into two groups and worked the south side of the pasture up past the Gates Of Hell to Big Loco tank. One thing I really wanted was six ulls that had been hanging around the lake. They found them right away then picked up a few cows here and a few there. By the time they were coming into Canyon Creek pasture they had nine bulls and about thirty cows and calves. It was about this time that a bull went under a tree and popped out the other side surprising and scaring Cimarron with Frances aboard. Cim spooked so hard there was no way she could stay on and no good place to land. Her elbow took a nasty bash on a rock and got a pretty good, deep cut on it. But like Jan she cowgirled up and climbed back in the saddle.

After Lesha and I set up camp I went to put some salt out and pasted the crew along the way. It was a pretty sight, wildflowers, tall grass cattle and riders. They got into camp about 6pm and quickly set up their tents and made themselves at home. We cleaned up Frances cut and decided not to stitch it since it had a deep pocket that needed to drain.

I ate then took the jeep and headed home with the plan that I was to haul my horse and a few extra out to camp.

On the way home I was driving along in the dark through the forest, smelling the night air thinking that it doesn’t get any better when suddenly BLAM out goes a rear tire and into a spin I go. Once I got stopped I checked the tire and found an eight-inch spike through the sidewall. I quickly got the jack out and spun off the spare, loosened the lugs on the flat and figured on a five-minute tire change. The very last lug wouldn’t come of. I tried for about 30 minutes until my lug wrench finally broke. Well the tire was ruined by the spike and I wanted to get home as it was getting cold so I drove 9 miles on the flat at about 3 mph. It was a long time getting home.

The weather was perfect, a light breeze, air temp was about 70 with a sunfactor of 80.

Thursday, September 9, 2004

I was up early feeding horses to haul to camp, Maggie was feeding the Stud and the mares then headed up to help me get loaded. As she walked across the pasture two of our dogs Halley and Jack were tearing around playing in the frosty morning. When suddenly I heard a dog screaming and down went Halley as if she’d been shot. Maggie got to her first and hollered up to the corral to get down there. When I got there Halley was laid out and shaking, her hind end was stiff as was her neck and one of her pupils didn’t respond. We got a stiff saddle pad and slid her on it and carried her to the house. My gut feeling was a stroke, or maybe a spinal injury; in either case it didn’t look good. Maggie who had just gotten back from two days in Silver City headed back taking her to the vet.

I had Halley before Maggie and I got together but as soon as they saw each other they went together like peanut butter and jelly. Where ever Maggie goes Halley is there and she went nowhere with out her. All day in the studio she’s there, every trip to the bathroom she is there, every time Maggie goes out the door Halley is there at her side. When Maggie goes to town Halley will wait by the drive way for her to get back. If she is gone overnight, Halley won’t come inside for fear of missing her arrival home. Maggie is the sparkle in Halley’s eye.

I wished she didn’t have to deal with it alone at the vets because I know it won’t be any good news.

But I had to haul the horses and get going with the day so I did. Not getting to camp until about 10:30 everyone was anxious to get riding. We headed out to gather handy cattle out of S.S. Basin so we could trail them over to Pine Canyon . It’s not a long push only about four miles but I really wanted to get the bulk of the cattle out of the Basin. The grass made great seed head this year and I want it to reseed that area around Juniper tank where the cattle love to hang out. Pine Canyon is thick with grass, the spring is flowing and the tank is full. There haven’t been cattle in there for years just because it’s too far to walk on their own. After a few hours of gathering we had about a hundred and fifty head of adults and almost as many calves and started on our way. It’s a beautiful ride up the canyon, the lower end is several hundred yards wide and gets narrower up towards the tank. Wildflowers as high as a big calf, oaks scattered along the way, I loved it. The cattle moved pretty well, but once again we got into bees. Marsha who was on Whiskey got swarmed a couple times but she rode it out and stayed in the saddle. The cows were a pretty good warning system, you’d suddenly see them take off jumping and bucking and understand you’d be smart not to ride near there. We got to the tank about 6pm and let them drift from there; it was a great place for a cow to be. The shadows were getting long as we started the hour or so ride back to camp getting in just at dark.

I hurried down a meal and headed home to find out the news on Halley. The vet agreed it was a stroke and didn’t hold out much hope but Maggie left her there for 24 hours of medication to see if there was any improvement.

Friday, September 10, 2004

I got back out to camp about 9am finding it a busy place as everyone helped break it down.

We were riding about 10am , in two groups. Some folks decided a direct ride back to the H.Q. where a hot shower and clean clothes were waiting. I told them I thought it would be about three hours and they happily headed off with Nathan. I took the rest of the crew on a loop out into Pitchfork to gather up what ever strays we could find there. Lyndsey and Lesha drove the trucks home.

Nathan and his crew found out once again I have no concept of time or miles; they got home after five hours of steady riding. I split my crew up into two groups, some going high as others stayed in the valley. The valley riders found about twenty head while the ridge riders came up empty handed. We all met at Fence tank where we put the cattle through the gate and then headed home getting in not too long after the other riders got in.

This crew really covered some ground, about 125 miles at least. We picked up a lot of strays and got a good jump on getting things together for the fall gather. It’s much easier if we can get them all in one pasture this early then move them along over the weeks towards the H.Q. Much nicer riding for stays now rather than in November.