My Time on the Drift - Day 7-9

Another beautiful morning beneath the Wind Rivers

Since leaving the Mesa, the day 8 and 9 have been shorter and luckily cooler for us. We traveled by the Cora-Y and moved into the driveway, which is an easement the association uses each year. It makes it safer for everyone who travels the Cora highway as thousands of cattle travel north. This part of the journey makes me take a sigh of relief because the cattle are moving well and want to get to summer grass. There are a group of cattle who travel at the front of the herd and we don't have to move them as hard as they drift up on their own. This usually happens once we get to the underpass at the Cora-Y.

The driveway parallels the Cora highway making it safe for all who travel.

According to my Uncles, it was open rage for much of the trail north making each days gather an ordeal depending on the year. If the grass was good, the cattle would be near Warren Bridge on Highway 191 or farther sometimes. While our days are long, we are spoiled compared to their long days. I often think about what the country looked like in the days of open range when there weren't so many houses, roads and the land was wild. The history of early settlements in the west facinate me and I can only imagine the awe those people felt when they saw the Green River valley.

Day 9 was spent moving the drag to the bottom of the Micky Adams dugway and the start of the Marsh Creek area. We have been coordinating with other ranches as we have pushed our cattle north as the cattle get counted on. Having too many cattle bunched at the counting gate can cause a huge issue when keeping pairs (cows and calves) togehter. Ideally, you would like to see them filter through as quietly as possible with their calf at their side. Counting on is mainly for our Association records and for ourselves. An exact count has been submitted in a permit report to the Forest Service.

The reason we do not go off of the gate count soley is sometimes an animals brand can be called incorrectly, making the count incorrect for the individual ranch. For example, one year we bought a few bulls from Miller Land and Livestock and because of the side the gate counter was on, that brand, instead of ours was called because they are on opposite sides (67 left hip - Lazy D right rib and hip). While there may be flaws in the system, it helps everyone keep track of their head count. The last time we did a gate count was coming off the desert and many miles have been traveled in between. If the number is off dirastically, we know there was something missed along the way and we need to back ride.

Only four more days to go, so stick with us and I'll be sure to get some more photos for you all. The mountains have been beautiful in the mornings!