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The first sheep head south

06 Apr
The sheep are ready to leave winter pasture on the Red Desert

The sheep are ready to leave winter pasture on the Red Desert

We have to flag as the sheep enter the highway

We have to flag as the sheep enter the highway

Today, the first band of ewes headed south, under Interstate 80 at Creston Junction, and over the Union Pacific line on Wyoming Highway 789. After a hard winter on the Red Desert, they are going to greening pastures. The other two bands which wintered on the Red Desert will follow in a couple of weeks as they travel to Badwater for shearing and Cottonwood for lambing.

crossing under I80, in the rear view mirror

crossing under I80, in the rear view mirror

sheep heading down from the Union Pacific overpass

sheep heading down from the Union Pacific overpass

The traffic was backed up as it waited for the sheep to pass over the narrow bridge.

The traffic was backed up as it waited for the sheep to pass over the narrow bridge.

heading for the gate

Filomeno heading for the gate

through the gate into Rodewald's pasture

through the gate into Rodewald’s pasture

Most of the Livestock Guardian Dogs rode in the truck--after various escape attempts

Most of the Livestock Guardian Dogs rode in the truck–after various escape attempts

Meghan and Pepe with multiple dogs

Meghan and Pepe with multiple dogs

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2016 in Animals, Dogs, Events, Family, Folks, Horses, Peruvian sheepherders, Sheep

 

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Headed for the Promised Land

30 Nov
Destination: the sagebrush sea

Destination: the sagebrush sea

Every year at this time, we are almost there with the final leg of our 150 mile trek as the sheep trail from their summer country in the Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests to winter pasture in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Each way, spring and fall, we must cross the overpass across the Union Pacific line, and the underpass below Interstate 80–both coast to coast trails of a different sort. We make this part of the trail on WY Highway 789. For several miles, we share the highway with cars, pickup trucks and trailers, motor homes, and semi trucks hauling everything from livestock to oilfield supplies. We flag the road, ‘fore and aft, to warn traffic that the sheep are on the highway. We’ve only had a few near wrecks over the years, due mostly to inattentive or inexperienced drivers, and sometimes bad weather. Mostly we see our neighbors, who wait and wave, fellow travelers, and folks who stop and take photos and ask questions. I always send up a prayer of thanks when sheep, dogs, horses and humans have safely threaded the needle, and are on their way to the Red Desert. Then I pray for a good winter, good feed and a good living for all.

at Rodewald's gate

at Rodewald’s gate

Jean Carlos on the run

Jean Carlos on the run

 

Filo on the railroad bridge

Filo on the railroad bridge

 

headed East

headed East

FedEx

 

passing the Fireworks Stand

passing the Fireworks Stand

sharing the road

sharing the road

Prima Express

Prima Express–dos direciones

 

Under I80

Under I80

Ovcharka livestock guardian dog sees them through the gate

Ovcharka livestock guardian dog sees them through the gate

trailing crew--Rhen, Pepe, McCoy and Pat

trailing crew–Rhen, Pepe, McCoy and Pat

more crew--Pepe, Tiarnan and Pat

more crew–Pepe, Tiarnan and Meghan

Tiarnan and Modesto headed north on adopted wild horse

Tiarnan and Modesto headed north on adopted wild horse

 

 

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2015 in Animals, Dogs, Events, Family, Folks, Horses, Peruvian sheepherders, Sheep

 

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Trailing over the UP line and under I80

30 Nov
Coming through Rodewald's gate

Coming through Rodewald’s gate

It’s that time of year. Pat asked, “Are we going to post ‘Trailing over the UP line and under I80 ‘ pics again?”…because, except for the weather, it looks pretty much the same every year, and I am grateful for that. I have said on this blog before, and I say again, this stretch of our long trail from summer to winter country, and back again, is one of the most dangerous things we do all year. The scariest part is heading up the railroad overpass. Even though we are flagging, fore and aft, sometimes it is hard to convince folks to slow down, especially before they can see the sheep on the road. So when the sheep are safely through the gate north of Interstate 80, I breathe a sigh of relief, and send thanks to the Lord. We trail three bunches, a day apart, so the crossing takes place three consecutive mornings. A difference I see this year, with the sudden drop in oil and gas prices, is the reduction in oil field traffic through the sheep as they thread their way through this needle. Soon we will be settled on our wintering grounds on the Red Desert. Next we will pray for a “just right” winter–not too much snow, not too little–not too much cold, not too much wind, and lots of good grass.

heading for the gate, and the highway

heading for the gate, and the highway

We're headed north. The truck is headed south.

We’re headed north. The truck is headed south.

My flag, in the rear

My flag, through the windshield,  bringing up the rear

Creston Junction, just ahead

Creston Junction, just ahead

 

Under Interstate 80

Under Interstate 80

Dances with Border collies

Dances with Border collies

 

As one motorist observed, "a Wyoming traffic jam!"

As one motorist observed, “a Wyoming traffic jam!”

 

not West, but true north

not West, but true north

Oscar, Eutemio and Eduardo--a successful crossing!

Oscar, Eutemio and Eduardo–a successful crossing!

 

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2014 in Events

 

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On the trail to the Forest

14 Jul

We have spent the last couple of weeks trailing the sheep onto their summer grazing permits on the Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests. All the ewes and lambs are on, and the yearlings are on their way from spring pasture.

Along the Savery Stock Driveway

Along the Savery Stock Driveway

 

 
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Posted by on July 14, 2014 in Animals, Events, Nature and Wildlife, Sheep

 

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Trailing to the Forest

05 Jul

Ewes and lambs trailing up Routt County Road 129, heading for the Routt Forest

Ewes and lambs on Routt County Road 129,heading for the Routt National Forest,

photo by Pepe Cruz

 

 

 

 

phot

 
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Posted by on July 5, 2014 in Animals, Events, Sheep

 

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North to the Red Desert

09 Dec
Sheep ready to cross onto the highway

Sheep ready to cross onto the highway

Once again, the sheep have crossed the UP line overpass and the I80 underpass at Creston Junction, Wyoming on their trek north to spend the winter months on the Red Desert on Cyclone Rim and Chain Lakes. We crossed three bunches one after the other. The first two bunches were one day apart. Fog and snow meant that bunch three had to hold up a day. Our neighbors, the Rodewalds, told us to hold up an extra day on their pasture. They had planned to ship calves that day, but had to cancel the trucks due to road and weather conditions. The next day dawned bright and clear, if bitter cold (-23 degrees) and we made the passage without incident. It is always nerve-wracking, due to heavy oil field traffic. We flag front and rear, and sometimes run into over-eager truck drivers. Luckily, this year, the truckers helped us and we crossed without any problems. On the same day, we got our first load of corn in. Corn is necessary to sustain the ewes through the cold cold weather, and to flush them since we plan to put the bucks in in a week or so. It is important that they are increasing their nutritional level just ahead of the breeding season, in order to increase the conception of twins.

Under I80

Under I80

Border collies at work

Border collies at work

Pepe, Salomon, Modesto, Christian, shadow

Pepe, Salomon, Modesto, Christian, shadow

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2013 in Animals, Events, Folks, Peruvian sheepherders, Sheep

 

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Winter trailing

04 Dec
Trailing sheep on the Red Desert

Trailing sheep on the Red Desert

 
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Posted by on December 4, 2013 in Animals, Folks, Nature and Wildlife, Peruvian sheepherders, Sheep

 

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The blackface sheep move to summer quarters

31 May
The blackface sheep move to summer quarters

We have a farm flock of purebred Hampshire sheep.  We lamb them out early (March) at Powder Flat, and raise our replacement bucks for the commercial herd from these ewes.  They also produce replacement ewe lambs and some future lamb chops.

In late spring, usually mid-May, we truck them to the Bull Pasture, near the Home Ranch.  They hang out there for a couple of weeks, then trail about 15 miles up to the Johnson Ranch, a private inholding in the Routt National Forest.  There they spend the summer, growing and fending off bears and coyotes.

A few days ago ( and a couple of weeks earlier than usual), Meghan, Siobhan and granddaughter-of-the-heart Bahnay trailed them on up to their summer pasture.  They (sheep, horses, dogs and ladies) really did walk all the way, but I caught them on their mid-day break.

Meghan, Siobhan and Bahnay hard at work

Hampshire lambs taking a break

Guard dog, likewise

Fox in Three Forks Ranch meadow

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2012 in Animals, Family, Nature and Wildlife, Sheep

 

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