October 10-16, 2004: Fall Gather

Monday, October 11, 2004

Another good crew in this week. Peg is still here for her second week of her visit. Jersey Joe and Bob from New Jersey are here; they are fall regulars since '99. Adrian and Petra from Switzerland are here for a second visit. Our first timers are Jackie and her two grown daughters from Canada, Danny from California and Ashley from Virginia.

It started a cold rain last night giving us about 3/4 of an inch. We were just a few degrees above a good snowfall. The rain continued this morning at times mixed with pellet snow. Needless to stay it delayed saddling till well into the afternoon. When the crew did get mounted up it was too late to do any cattle work so they went with Nate on a shakedown ride through Rocker canyon and up over N Bar Park.

Lyndsey and I went and got a truck that had been left out at Fence tank last week just getting through the mud.

It was a pretty raw day with a hi of 40 and lo of 34.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

We were out in pretty good time riding into 7HL as far as Elladeane tank where we split into a couple groups and started gathering. We got a bunch of about 60 head to the T gates where we sorted them out. Big pairs into the North trap and small pairs, dry cows, bulls and heifers into the South trap. When we had finished that bunch we rode loops again getting in another 50 head and sorted them the same way. We got home satisfied with the day about 6pm. It was a damn fine day compared to yesterday. Mostly sunny but with a bit of a wind. Hi was 50, lo 22 setting up a good bit of frost and ice.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

We headed out to gather the east side of 7HL today. Since we are no longer camping it's a long ride to work, close to ten miles just getting where the cattle were. Nates crew went over Feathery Hill and Telegraph Mesa and started gathering around 7HL tank pushing what they found down to T Bar Valley. The rest of us went past Elladeane tank then went down Red Rock Trail to T Bar Canyon to clear the cattle from there and T Bar Tank. I split off from the crew and checked a couple gates then came out on T Bar Ridge below the Twin Tanks and started pushing cattle down from there. The cattle were spread all over the country from the back end of the valley to the top of the ridge. It was slow work getting everything gathered up. Every rise I came over there was another handful to get started down so the lower riders could pick them up and continue on to the valley with them. About 3pm we had everything in the valley and started to drive them up and over the saddle towards Elladeane. About this time gathering clouds started to throw a cold rain in our faces making the cattle stubborn to push. It was a battle getting them through the saddle but finally we broke over the top and headed down the other side. It was after 5pm when we got to Elladeane and it was here I decided to leave the herd for the night. Knowing the cattle would drift it was still the only thing to do. The calves were getting over heated and with the cold rain my worry was getting them sick right before shipping. We had at least gotten them over the ridge and hoped not to many would venture back up the way we had come.

Hi 45 lo 28

Thursday, October 14, 2004

We went back out to regather what we had yesterday. The cattle where spread all over the place due to the cold rain and wind but few if any went back over the ridge. Riding in several groups we gathered them back up. It was an all day deal getting them bunched and pushed to the T Gates. We sorted about thirty pairs into the north trap but it was hard getting it done. There were just too dang many cattle well over 150 head and not enough time so about 6pm we stopped sorting and pushed everything we had into the south trap. Kinda messed up our grand plan but at least they were in a trap though it was now a mess of everything in there. We will sort through it all when we bring them into the corrals next week.

A blustery day but not too hilly with a high of about 50 after a low of 24.

Friday, October 15, 2004

I trailered out Nate and his crew to the Pink Cattle guards where they started riding the south end of Bearwallow pasture hunting up some strays a neighbor told me where there. They rode all day finding only neighbor cattle and none of mine.

After dropping them off I drove around Loco and Canyon Creek pasture seeing what strays we had left behind over the last few weeks. I came across a friend camped at Harleyville and got there just at the right time to share some Green chili stew and coffee with him. I hadn't seen him in year or more so it was good catching up a bit. I then drove down to Snow Lake where I was to meet Lyndsey and her crew so they could gather and pen the pairs we had put in there last week. The plan worked well as we all got there at the same time. With little trouble they got the cattle penned, then I backed the trailer up and loaded them in for an easy drive to the south trap where I dropped them off. That crew rode a couple hours there for just a little bit of cattle work then a long ride home. But it was just one of those piddly jobs that had to get done. I heard no one complain though as the country they rode through was some of the best around. A good crew that sure put down a lot of miles and got a lot of cattle into the trap.

It was the best weather day of the week, hi of close to 60 after a low of 26.