Oct. 9, 2006: Fall Gather

10/9/06 Monday

It rained all of Friday night, a long soaker and drizzeled a bit all day Saturday. Sunday was a nice sunny day. My friends Jim and Tiesha came down from Colorado for the weekend to show off their new daughter Kherris. Maggie got home from her show tour late Sunday night.

Four new crew members this week all are veterans. Fred from Ca. here for his 10th,12 th or 20 th time, who knows. Mark and Katchen from Tx. this is their 6 th or 7 th time. Dan from Nevada is here for round two.

It rained most of Sunday night which changed my plans of trailering out to Canyon Creek so we did some odd jobs around here. Nate took the crew out and got the south trap clear of some neighbor cattle and then moved some heifers from the North trap to the South. I figured it would take a couple hours doing each job but tthey just found the cattle as soon as they headed out and by noon were back at the cookhouse warming up after being out in a cold rain. We had a hot lunch at the cookhouse the first one in months and then decided that with the jobs done and the weather closing in the afternoon was a wash.

After unsaddling we drank coffee and listened to the wind rattle the roof and the seasons first pellet snow beat down. It was a cold mess at 30 degrees. A few folks drifted off to a cabin and a book while the rest hung and shot the bull.

10/10/06 Tuesday

The night was cold and we woke to thick frost and fog. Breakfast in the dark and saddleing horses right after. We loaded up the horses in two trailers and headed out to Canyon Creek. The plan is to move as many pairs as we can this week.

The mud on the roads was thick and slick but we made it to the salt in the middle of the pasture and started riding from there. We were in the saddle just after 9am.

We just rode up the basin and sorted as we went making a quick gather. From where we started to Wolf gate is about three hours and when we got there we has just a few dry cows and heifers along with us we had to sort at the gate which went real well. Once thru the gate we had about 30 pairs and a long way to go, it was about 1pm.

I left the herd with the crew and headed back into Canyon Creek pasture to find the horse herd and get some corralled for the morning. They continued pushing the herd all the way to the south trap. They didn’t get done till a bit after 6pm but had a glorious fall day to work in. The temp. was about 45 with no wind and clear skies. They were pretty well worn out when they got home and after a good Maggie Made Meal they were soon headed to a well deserved sleep.

I rode a couple hours until I cut some horse tracks. It was easy to follow them in all the mud and about 4pm I found them about a half mile up Loco Mtn. above Little Loco tank. It was a slow push back to the cabin and corrals getting there about 6:30pm.

In the last light of the day I sorted the mornings mounts and fed everyone. Then after a can of soup I hit my bunk and was asleep in moments.

It wasn’t too bad on the knee riding today.

Hi 45 low 23.

10/11/06 Wednesday

My night was way too short. As was the night for the riders at H.Q.

Their breakfast was at 6:30 and then they loaded saddles and gear and drove out to the cabin.

I was up feeding about the same time then spent an hour or so cleaning around the cabin and listening to coyotes on the ridge behind the cabin. They just kept on and on for almost an hour.

Once the crew got to camp we quick saddled. Everyone riding fresh horses. We were riding by a bit after 8:30am. We worked the west side of the basin and Loco Mtn. Jay,Dan, Mark and I swept the slope of the Mtn. while Nate along with Katchen and Fred drifted the herd and picked up what we pushed down.

The slope is thick with cedar trees and at time you can only see 20 feet and it’s rocky as hell up there and boggy making it a hard trip for the horses.

We ended up with a lot of cattle other than the big pairs we were after so Nates crew had to cut and sort them as they went along. The rest of us met up with him not too far from Wolf Gate. There we spent about 45 min. sorting off cattle we didn’t want to take and also had to get the horse herd out of the way. It sure amazes me how much they get around when they are out grazing. They decide on certain places they like to graze and pass by acres and miles of sweet grass to eat there. I had them in last night and when I sorted I turned these 7 out for another day. So since that time they traveled about 8 miles to get to where they like to eat near Wolf gate.

We didn’t have as many pairs as I had hoped but when I left the crew at the gate they were moving 29 pairs and a bull.

They again had a long day of it but a really nice one. It was almost as perfect as yesterday but a bit of a chilly breeze. They got home to a hot meal just a bit after 6pm. They made good time, when I left them they were and hour behind the time we had been at the same spot yesterday and got home about the same time. They must be getting better.

I gathered up the horses who were still hanging around the gate and pushed them back to the cabin. The first couple miles was hard as they didn’t want to leave. The next couple miles were nice as we lined out down the old road through the trees. Then when they hit the basin it was a hard run the rest of the way to the cabin. We cut cross country and it was just a blast. Gambler wasn’t in the mood to be left behind today and he was loving it. I was unsaddled at 4:30pm, got in the truck and drove back to the H.Q. so the folks would have a vehicle to get back out in the morning, Somehow we have like six trucks out here now. We also need water so I drove the water truck back out after a quick meal of left over that my oh so wonderful wife heated up while I fueled the truck and changed a tire. I was home 27 minutes and then back on the road to the cabin. I met up with the riders at the top of the drive as I was leaving and they sure looked tired. It’s a tough long push but sure makes sense doing it this way. It would be about 40 trips with trucks to get them all home and lots of money in gas and who knows how many tires. It’s better putting the wear on the horses rather than the trucks. The horses are used every third day so it’s not too bad on them.

I got to camp and had to feed in the dark. I hate doing that alone, just a bit dangerous. It’s now 9pm and I’m headed to bed.

Hi 50 a bit of wind after a low of 25.

10/12/06 Thursday

We decided to do a bit of branding today for a break from the long rides and so when March rolls around we won’t end up with a bunch of calves big enough to be sold but no brand. We gathered about a dozen pairs over the course of the morning, some pretty small calves and some pretty damn big ones. A couple were 450 pounders. While we were gathering we drifted a lot of cattle off the east side and got them down into the basin where hopefully some will hang out till the morning.

We had the cattle sorted and ready to brand by mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day working them. Everyone had been through our branding routine so it went slick and smooth.

We were done about 5pm. There were a lot of trucks out here so Everyone drove something back except Jay who had camp duty for the night. We got home just after dark and Maggie had a big pasta supper hot and ready.

Another really nice weather day, hi was about 50, a little bit more than a breeze after a low of 24 at C.C. and 31 at the H.Q.

10/13/06 Friday

We were up early and had just a quick breakfast of oatmeal, cereal and coffee as I rushed everyone out the door. We drove out to camp and got there a bit before 7am. When we pulled in we found the horses just starting to eat, coffee warm on the stove, Jays breakfast uncooked and jay in the outhouse.

Oh well so much for a fast start.

We hung around and drank his coffee while he and the horses ate finally getting riding about 8;30am.

Our plan was to gather heifers and dry cows thinking it would be eay pickings and would come up with a big bunch, But the cattle were spread far and wide. By the time we got to the Wolf gate we only had about 30 head. We went along with what we had not having time to hunt for more.

I left the drovers at the usual place and gambler and I headed south making a big loop over the mountain and down to the wilderness boundary. I was checking where all our cattle were and found them in little bunches of six to eight all over the place. With this amount of grass and all the water they can pretty much live easy where ever they are.

Just as gambler and I were coming down towards the cabin, about a mile out I saw a cow buried up under a big ponderosa along the rim rock. We rode up there and found her calf lying under the tree in the brush. It was a calf we had castrated yesterday and he wasn’t feeling well. Mom had a big ol bag on her showing he hadn’t nursed since branding. I had to dismount to get him on his feet and he stiffly followed mom down the slope to the flat along the road. The calf obviously didn’t want to travel so I just let them be hoping I’d see him nurse. He just flopped down next to her. We hung around for a half hour or so but there was nothing we could do. To push him to the corrals would put too much stress on him so I left them hoping for the best.

O got to the cabin, rubbed Gambler down and turned him out ofr the weekend and hurried home to grill some steaks. I got in about 5pm just after the riders. Their push had gone well and the herd traveled faster having no calves in the bunch.

It was a good week, We got cattle moved and cattle branded getting things lined out to ship in ten days. Big thanks to all helpers. Dan was head camp man all week, always having his hands in the dish water, Mark made sure there was always a fire and Fred and Katchen made sure we were always entertained with tales.