Day 11 on the Drift...Day 3 into the Pastures

As we were about to ride back down to the trailers, I shot this one of Bob, Garlie, Tif and Rhonda on the ridge above the gate that goes into the cabin pasture.
At the Bentonite Pile, as we were loading up, Betty and Brent, Donna and Mart, and Cyd and Pat came by enroute to Fish Lake on the Dubois side.  Was fun to see them!

DAy 10

We picked up the back end of the cattle we pushed yesterday and took them the same place.  It went way slower and harder. We had just made the gather when I took this picture.  It's the only one I took.  Like yesterday, I had my coat on all day.  I expect it'll be more of the same tomorrow.

Pushing the lead end of yesterday's herd to the NW pasture..ie our old cow camp!

Toots thought she was home.  She drug her heels going back to the trailer.

Not enough snow left in those mountains...there should be lots of snow on Gyp Mountain when the cows get to the pastures...

We took Prices and Jill and Gary to our "bear tree" out of Kiya Park.  We assisted Brian DeBolt of Wild Life Services when he snared the head biting bear who had just killed a calf down this hill by crushing it's head.  The tree is still alive, but it was ripped all around by that grizzly bear.  Jelly Bean's neck is sort of in the way to see some of the claw marks that you can tell go over Bob's head.  That bear's right front foot was snared at the bottom of that tree.  It was amazing.

Crossing the Kendall bridge..

Just as the sun was hitting the valley this morning, we had cattle stringing across the bridge.  We made it to the Klondike...our lead cows were probably at Tosi.  It was a fairly easy day.  Charles had a bear meeting up at the Fish Creek guard station.  Albert went, and quite a few Game and Fish guys were headed up there.

Through the Tin Whistle, and Dust!

Dust everywhere.

Even through the quakies..

Cattle stringing through the Tin Whistle..which is the underpass that whistles loudly when the wind blows.  The cattle, of which we probably were pushing around a thousand head, are stinging around the Red Dug way, which is where we left them.  For me for me, it was a much easier day.  We rode roughly five and a half hours.  We meet Prices at the Cutting Grounds, which is the Cora Y at 4:30 a.m.  That will stay the same even though we'll be trailering further up country to start our drive.  We get up before three, and it's hard for me to get up that early.  Bob loves it.

Day 6 Through the Counting Gate

I expect you'll want to enlarge this...it's taken at the counting gate.  Bob Beard is counting this year, and his granddaughter is tallying.  Bob B. is on the pinto horse.  Mikie is up there shoving a few at at time so Bob can read each brand and holler the owner to her to tally.  He put through 1469 today...and we're bringing up the tail end with this bunch.  We were horseback at five a.m. up at the New Fork underpass, and rode seven and a half hours.  I'm flat beat.  So is Snip.

 

Leaving the Cora Y underpass Day 5

Going up the hill out of the underpass..

We gathered cattle in this area and headed them up country along the driveway.  This first picture is the cattle and dust line before the sun came up.

This one is after the sun came up.

Riders on the ridge as Albert is talking to others to make a plan.  Left to right, Paul Jensen, Charles Price, Bob, Albert Sommers and Palmer Klaren, Bob's grandson.

I had high hopes for this photo when I took it.  We trailered up the the New Fork underpass, and did a big gather there, and pushed them through it.  This is from back in those sage brush hills looking toward the mountains in the morning light.  Basically, this photo did do it justice.  We were home about eleven a.m.

Day 4..back riding south of the cutting grounds

Early morning gather near the Steele reservoir..

Somebody's piled rocks above Harry Steele's place..

The last of the stuff heading for the underpass.

Everyone heading for the horse trailers.  Front is Jill and Gary, ex Box R dudes who came to ride the drift with Prices, and Charles and Kent Price.  Bob's up on top with others..Madeleine's crew and Albert's crew. This turned into a short day.  We rode out of the cutting grounds at 5:00 a.m. and were back there at 9:00 a.m.  We back rode and gathered stuff that was scattered...really scattered in those hills south of the cutting grounds.  Bob was on foot digging yearlings out of those steep hills over Harry Steele's place.  Charles and Kent were down in the bottom heading them up the fence when Bob got them out of there.  Kind of a dicey  little place.  I was important up on top, holding Bob's horse.  :)

2nd Day Clearing the Mesa & Down the Hennick Draw

A few we gathered early..

They strung down the Hennick about 7:00 a.m.

The holding herd/mothering up wasn't too tough.  This is the two Phil Selbeys...Old Phil was riding a pony that had sort of gotten out of hand.  That pony had a work out today...Young Phil was trying to make his dad look shorter.  The pony is down in a cow trail!  Note: their dogs are awesome. 

Kathy Whipley (I think..Charm correct me on her name.)  We had the best visit.

Molly Huffman Landers, Tom Colerick, and Coke Landers..

Some Koreans are doing a documentary on food.  They are filming the drift..cattle only mind you...not the least interested in the cowboys..or the heritage.  Jamie Burges flew them over the gather and drive all morning.  On Ann Noble's fb, she posted pictures of them...filming them eating in the dinning room.

This would be me, Michael and Palmer!  Bob, Charles and Kent had ridden back to get the truck and trailer, and try to load a steer that was in the corral at cow camp.  Apparently that didn't go too well, as Charles brought him down horseback.  The rest of the drive went amazingly easily..except for one little horse wreck.  My horse fell, and stepped on my arm getting up.  It isn't broken, but it matches the other on in color.  It's sore this afternoon, but doable..

Day 1 Clearing the Mesa

Bob looking out across the south end..

A few hours later ariving at the Middle Mesa (our old cow camp) well.

Palmer's new saddle that Michael made for him.

Bob and Palmer
We were home, unsaddled at noon straight up.  We left here at ten after four a.m.  I'm about to hit the couch for an hour.