Desert Destination: Back to the "Equipment" Yard

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

A few weeks ago we visited the equipment yard located on our ranch, and we just barely scratched the surface of all the interesting things that are there. In addition to being a depository of ranch history, the equipment yard has also been an inspiration for my NaNoWriMo novel, which I'm about 70 percent done with and will finish up by November 30. I don't want to give away my plot, but suffice it to say that the cars' stories will be heard.

Above is a 1957 Chevy Belair, Uncle Larry's car. Uncle Larry used it to go to California and back. Once he retired he mostly fished and played bridge when he wasn't irrigating. He died two weeks short of his hundredth birthday and missed the big party.

The interior doesn't look too hot, someone needed some parts and took them. The old speedometer still looks cool, though.

Now we're going to back further in time, to this Austin-Western pull-type grader No. 11, vintage unknown, but we're guessing 1920s or 1930s. This road grader was pulled by horses or a tractor, and the wheels that Desert Boy is having fun spinning controlled the height of the blade.

Here's a view of the grader from a bit further away, so you can see the iron wheels and long arched frame. The operator had no seat--he had to stand.

Next to it is another old Austin-Western pull-type grader, a No. 31. This one is a bit newer, with a hydraulic system to control the blade. But the operator still had to stand.

This is a dump rake used for raking hay into piles. Before the dump rake went out in the field, a sickle bar was used to cut the hay. Then the hay dried, and the dump rake was brought in to gather the hay. When enough hay had gathered in the rake, , the operator pressed a pedal to let the hay fall in a pile. Then the horses (and later tractors) continued on until the entire field was raked into piles.

This John Deere 105 combine is from the 1960s. It was used to cut barley, wheat, and alfalfa seed. Once the crop was in the machine, it separated the straw or chaff from the grain. The grain went into a hopper and then out the chute to the side, called an unloading auger. The straw or chaff fell out the back into a windrow and was later baled, or sometimes the chaff was blown into a wagon that followed the combine.

This John Deere 55 combine is smaller and older than the 105, but otherwise it worked pretty much the same way.

The John Deere 720 tractor from the 1950s looks a little funny because the rear wheel is missing--it was needed for another tractor. See, this really is the equipment yard, full of useful parts! This particular 720 is slightly rare because it has a wide front axle instead of a tricycle. 

The Kenworth logging truck was called affectionately by my husband and his brothers the chartreuse Kenworth. It was used for hauling water and for a long time it had a cement mixer on the back of it. Its front tire was appropriated for more urgent matters.

Desert Boy looks kind of interested in this black VW bug, vintage late 1940s or early 1950s. It was a back up car when other vehicles broke down, but eventually it claimed a spot in the equipment yard.

I love the color of this 1953 GMC truck. The rust has just added more character, along with the missing headlight. Desert Boy looks ready to take off in it.

Ah, I feel so refreshed after a trip to the equipment yard. What treasures will we find next time?

Desert Destination: Wild Horse Roundup

My husband told me that there was a wild horse roundup going on in a nearby mountain range,  so yesterday we took a little drive to see what was going on. What can I say, I'm a sucker for photographic opportunities.

As mentioned in a previous post, "wild horse" is a loosely used term. These horses are descendants of horses that escaped domestication, so technically they are feral horses, but the term wild horses is usually the one used. Wild horses are found throughout the western United States. While researching them, I was surprised by just how many there are. Many are found on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and the BLM has an extensive Wild Horse and Burro Program to manage them.

 
The BLM has designated 270 Herd Management Areas (HMA) in ten western states. Click on the map above to see a larger version. Each HMA has different objectives about type of horse to be managed for and size of the herd. These HMAs support approximately 33,000 wild horses and burros (BLM Fact Sheet). According to the BLM, this is 5,700 more wild horses and burros than can coexist with the other uses on those public lands, including grazing by native species like elk and deer. 

According to the BLM specialist I talked to, the wild horse populations often increase about 25% each year--so in about four years the herd can double in size. About every two to four years, the BLM or a contractor goes out to do a roundup to decrease the herd size. Without these roundups, the wild horses would simply overpopulate an area and there wouldn't be enough feed. The roundups bring wild horses to town so that they can be adopted.

Roundups are rather complicated, expensive operations. A holding corral needs to be set up so that the horses that have been captured have a safe place to stay until trucks come to take them away. A helicopter is often used to do the roundup. It places metal gates in a semi-circle, then adds wings to the semicircle, making a wide chute so that the horses will run down the chute and then be trapped in the semicircle. As the helicopter starts moving the wild horses towards the chute, a couple domestic horses will lead the way, and wild horses will follow them in. The gates are closed, and the wild horses are loaded onto trailers and taken to the holding corral, where they are separated by sex.

These are some of the extra gates that can be used for the corral that the helicopter sets up. The cost for managing the BLM wild horse and burro project in fiscal year 2007 was more than $38 million (BLM fact sheet).

Here are some of the beautiful horses that have been captured. They are part of the Sulphur Herd Management Area, and apparently have quite a bit of Spanish blood in them. This makes them highly desired by some buyers, partly because only three wild herds have this characteristic. This Spanish blood is traced back to horses that the first Spanish explorers brought with them in the 1500s.

The horses in this herd come in a variety of colors, from dun, buckskin, grulla, bay, black, sorrel, palomino, and various roans (blue, strawberry, red).

Other characteristics include ears that curve in like a bird's beak, a dorsal stripe, bi-colored mane and tail, tiger-striped legs, and occasional chest barring (BLM info sheet).

This foal started drinking off any mare that would let her. Many of the mares and foals had paired up after an evening in the holding corral, but a couple still were wandering about.

Here's the hay truck to keep the horses well fed. By yesterday morning they had gathered more than 200 wild horses. The desired herd size is 135-180, so clearly the population is far above what it should be. The BLM specialist estimated that more than 500 might be in the HMA.

The horses will be taken to an adoption facility, where they will be checked out by a veterinarian, given vaccinations, dewormed, and have a blood sample taken. Some of the horses will be chosen to be returned to the herd to maintain the genetic characteristics that are deemed desirable. The others will be prepared for adoption, which will occur about a month after they've been captured.

According to the BLM specialist, only about 50-60% of the young horses will be adopted at the first facility. The ones that are left will be shipped further east, and eventually most of the horses from this herd are adopted. Extra horses from other herds are often not so fortunate.

Thinking about the number of horses in just this one herd management area roundup multiplied by the numerous herd management areas boggles my mind. There are a lot of horses up for adoption every year, and the number won't slow down any time soon. The number of people adopting horses has decreased for a number of reasons: higher fuel and feed costs, urban sprawl, and many horse lovers already have as many horses as they can afford. 

What happens to the left over horses? Some are offered for sale, while others are taken to BLM long-term holding facilities, where our tax dollars go to pay for these horses to graze on public lands until they die, usually 10 to 25 years after they are placed there. So many horses are being taken to these areas that the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program has the majority of its budget going to these holding facilities, which means less money going for the roundups and adoptions. If wild horses aren't rounded up, major ecological damage will result, with water holes trampled, insufficient feed for native animals, and excessive erosion. Nevertheless, the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act puts many limitations on what can be done with wild horses. This is a situation that needs some more attention and creative answers. 

Desert Destination: Lexington Arch

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

This past weekend, I decided to take a trip to Lexington Arch in Great Basin National Park. It's located in a remote canyon and doesn't get many visitors. But it should get more. Most arches are found in sandstone, but this 75-foot tall arch is in limestone, making it a little different. 

It's a twelve mile drive on a gravel road from the highway to get to the parking lot at the start of the hike. We didn't see any other vehicles on the gravel road.

Once we got there, it was time to get out the backpack. Desert Boy was very excited to go on a hike. So was Henry. Although dogs aren't usually allowed on trails in national parks, most of this trail is on Bureau of Land Management land, and so the park has made an exception and allows leashed dogs to also go on the last little bit of trail that is on national park land.

The first sign at the trailhead says the arch is 1.5 miles away, but the next sign and the pamphlet from the visitor center say it's 1.7 miles. One other thing that might be helpful to know is that the hike starts about 7,400 feet (2,270 m) and the arch is about 8,400 feet (2,570 m), so there's a 1,000 foot (300 m) elevation gain. The oxygen can be a little thin if you're coming from a lower elevation.

The trail starts out through a pinyon pine and juniper woodland, and then switchbacks up a sagebrush-covered hillside. It seems like the switchbacks will never end, but finally the trail heads into a Douglas-fir and white fir forest. 

The trail heads out to an overlook where you can get a good view of the arch. A bench is provided so you can take a rest and watch the birds. I watch birds a lot when I want to catch my breath. On this particular day, we heard and saw some raucous Clark's Nutcrackers flying about, looking for seeds to put into their caches for the winter.

One hypothesis of the formation of Lexington Arch is that it used to be part of a cave system, and the rest of the cave collapsed, leaving just this arch. If that's what happened, I sure would have loved to have seen the rest of the cave, because the arch opening is humongous! Nearly all the caves around this area are rather small and involve crawling.

Following the overlook, the trail descends to cross this wash via the bridge. Do you see the snow on the bridge? Yep, it was a little chilly, but that made it easier to hike than on a hot summer day. Water flows in the wash generally only during flash floods or fast snow melt on high snow pack years. Some people think that Lexington Arch should be called Lexington Bridge. A natural bridge is formed by running water eroding away the weaker stone, whereas an arch is formed by the processes of weathering, like freezing, wind, and erosion. Perhaps this creek used to flow through Lexington Arch/Bridge, but later the channel changed and now it goes on the side.

A few more switchbacks up a steep, rocky section, and then we're under the arch! Desert Boy was glad to get out of the backpack and have a snack. The view is spectacular, looking down the canyon and out into the valley.

The arch seems even bigger when you're under it. 

Here's another view of the arch, this time from below it. Old maps show a trail that follows the gully from the trailhead to the arch. I've taken it before, and much of the old trail is obliterated, making the hike a bushwhack with lots of rose bushes, downed trees, and rock hopping. So although it might be shorter on the map, in real life it really isn't a shortcut.

The hike makes a great half-day destination. No water is available here (unless you get lucky and experience a flash flood), so bring all you need. And sometimes no one comes here for a few days at a time, so it wouldn't hurt to tell someone where you're headed just in case you have vehicle trouble. It's great to be able to go visit something so huge and beautiful and not worry about it being overcrowded!

Desert Destination: Hunting

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

I haven't taken many interesting trips lately, so I was searching my photos for a good place to take you on this desert destination Monday. I do have a lot of new photos of the equipment yard, my most recent destination, but I will save those for later in the month. They're providing a lot of inspiration for my novel I'm writing for NaNoWriMo, entitled "Adventures in the Junkyard." I figure that it's only appropriate that my blog provide my inspiration for my writing.

So today we're going to take a different kind of trip. It's hunting season. Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope are the three big targets around here. The exact dates for hunting vary depending on the type of weapon used and the hunting unit. 

Now even though Desert Boy is dressed in the photo above in his camo pants and ball cap, we didn't really go hunting this year. My husband used to hunt, but works too much now to do it. These days my nephews hunt. I've never hunted, my family was just not into it. But every once in awhile we get to eat some venison steaks or venison stew or my absolute favorite, venison ribs. And then I sure appreciate hunters.

Today we're going on our virtual hunt. You try to figure out what animal we're hunting by the clues below.

Clue 1: the scat.

Clue 2: the footprint.

Clue 3: part of the leg and a hoof.

Clue 4: the animal eating yummy alfalfa.

Okay, you've probably guessed it, our virtual hunt is for a mule deer. Mule deer are considered to be abundant animals today, but interestingly enough, before European settlers came, they were relatively rare. It wasn't easy for the Native Americans to catch a deer, and thus they had to rely on much smaller game, like rabbits. Why are there so many deer today? One of the main reasons is that there is more food available for deer. Deer prefer grazing on shrubs rather than grasses, while livestock prefer grasses and forbs. When European settlers brought their livestock to the area, it they changed the vegetation dynamics. Livestock grazing stimulates shrub growth. It also reduces fine fuels and decreases the fire cycle, thus allowing shrubs an even better chance to grow and flourish. Of course, everything has a cycle, and if you'd like to read more about mule deer population cycles, here's a great pamphlet.

One final photo for our hunt. If you've ever wondered what a skinned deer looks like, now you have your answer. Bon appetit.

Desert Destination: The "Equipment" Yard

Today we're going to take a trip to a place that is in every desert valley, near every desert town: the "equipment" yard. My husband told me to put the quotes around equipment. You see, most people would call this a junk yard. But one person's junk is another person's equipment. Or something like that.

Near the entrance of the "equipment" yard is this sign. Hang on, we'll zoom in.

This sign means keep your hands off the equipment. The ranch uses a lot of old parts from the equipment that's stored out there, and is willing to prosecute anyone stealing or damaging the property out there. 

Ready to go take a look? Grab your hat and let's go for a ride.

First off we see this old Studebaker livestock truck, and next to it a 1953 GMC (the truck that my husband learned to drive--it didn't have brakes even at that point).

The paint job held up well on this old ton-and-a-half Chevrolet, which used to be a spray truck. Henry is having fun looking around too. 

Next we come across this Jeep Wagoneer left by a ranch hand. The interior is a good place to keep junk. Oops, I mean equipment.

Here's a Dodge van with moon hubcaps (on the back). Otherwise known as the loveshack. 

This is an AMC Pacer. The ranch needed some metal so my brother-in-law cut the roof off, but it caught on fire during the process and burned impressively.

Among all the old vehicle carcasses are some useful ranch equipment, like these water troughs, stored upside down to keep the dirt out and the wind from catching them and blowing them away. Desert Boy thought they were a great place to play hide and seek.

This VW bug was abandoned up on forest land and needed a happy place to retire. It sort of looks like it's even smiling. It knows it's in good company.

This mud-test hole rig still works! It's used to drill a small well hole to see if it's feasible to drill a bigger well.

Desert Boy found something to drive--the remains of an old bale wagon.

These old combines have found their final resting place. Until a part is needed and they suddenly provide a very important function to keep the current ranch going. 

A visit to the "equipment" yard is always a good time. My husband likes to reminisce about the vehicles out there. Each one has a story. We've just touched on the surface today, but don't worry, we'll be back again to see what other treasures are hanging out under the desert sun.