6,180 miles of cow tracks, blizzards, and joy

 The inevitable fact of the matter is that at some point, there would be a blog about the cattle drive.  About the long days of watching the backsides of steadily ambling bovines.  About waking up at 4:30 a.m. just to get started early enough so you didn't have to finish in the pitch black.  About the days being deliciously warm for late fall, or sometimes bitterly, miserably cold and snowy; about the moments of excitement when a cow breaks back and heads for hell-for-leather to somewhere she definitely isn't supposed to be; about the bittersweet satisfaction of getting the herd through the last gate in Smith Valley.

 Day One:  Leaving the ranch!

 Rush hour in Bridgeport...

As many of you know, the annual cattle drive is a tradition for our family.  This year marks the 103rd year that we have been driving our cattle out of Bridgeport for the winter.  Historically, it wasn't just our cattle that were taken out of the valley and down to better winter ground.  Ranchers from all over the Bridgeport valley would join their cattle up and drive them to Smith Valley, then on to Mason Valley, and where ever else they needed to go.  While I can't be sure of the exact numbers, it seems like there would be a LOT of cattle because Bridgeport has such rich feed.

In this day and age, you seldom see a drive like ours.  It's much more convenient for cattle to be trucked to their destination--they don't wear out their feet, they don't drop too much weight (always better to have a fat cow going in to winter...or really, anytime!  We like fat cows!), and it takes a fraction of the time.  Add all that to the fact that there is more traffic on roads that are better maintained, houses are popping up along what used to be open country, and cowboys seem to be a dying breed and you can see how it's been easy for something like this to easily slip into a distant memory.

Yet we continue on--not stubbornly, I assure you.  We continue because we love the tradition.  I don't know that I can ever recall any member of my family saying, "You know, since it's going to snow on the drive this year, let's just truck them to Smith."  It would never even cross our minds--we have always done it rain, snow, sleet, hail, wind, or sunshine...and that's just the way it is.  And we will likely continue even though we may have to find a different route, or stop at a different ranch for the night, or take a few less or a few more cows.

The cows know when the hay wagon arrives...

It's a family event, too.  We have a small number of guests that come to help and many have been returning year after year.  These people (as well as our summer guests) become part of the family.  I (Leslie) was born on the day after the cattle drive and for as long as I can remember since then, my birthday has fallen some time during the drive.  When my brother and cousins and I were in school, we would always at the very least get to ride on one day of the cattle drive, often times two or three days, and as we got older, we would skip school altogether and go on the drive (best way to play hooky is to have a job to do!).

My cousin, Aspen, at 3 1/2 years, rode for a day on the drive (this was taken 5 years ago).  She's one tough cookie!

Until next time, dream of green meadows, fat cattle, shiny horses, and blue skies!