Until last weekend, Vernon and I had a good record of attempting the drive up our mountain in our little side by side. The first trip we made it halfway up what we call “Aunt Mary’s Hill”, the first steep pitch. The next weekend it was to a P’s cattle guard. Two Sundays ago, we made it to B’s corrals, which balances on the edge of the mountain, but snowdrifts in the road turned us back.
Last weekend, we had that wonderful rain, so we were smart enough not to even attempt the drive. (Though someone did and Brandon had to get the tractor and go pull them out <insert eye roll>)
This Sunday… we made it! We managed to make it to our pasture, though I want to give fair warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT IN A STANDARD VEHICLE. THERE ARE STILL SNOWDRIFTS IN THE ROAD. We made it because we were in our side by side and we could creep around the edges of the drifts and not rut things up!
Between having snow as tall as the corral poles this winter and that good rain last weekend… the measuring stick for good moisture is this:

The ruts are full of water as are the buffalo wallows. Chains of pale blue polka dots are scattered across the mountain like faded trade beads…
INSERTING MEMORY:
When Vernon and I were first married, a friend had bought turkeys and ducks for me to raise. (That’s another story). We came up to fix fence for a week and in the camper were us, our dog, Josie Mae, and one little white turkey and one little white duck. “Lucky” duck would contentedly paddle in these buffalo wallows until it was night time. He would have spent the night out there but I was too scared his luck would run out, so Vernon had to catch him. I laughed so hard watching Vernon chase that duckling around and around the buffalo wallows while only wearing his underwear!
BACK TO STORY:
We drove around this pasture. While it is greening up, the heat hasn’t hit up there much and the grass isn’t growing. It was warm enough that day, so I imagine it grew while we were there. We made it over to Bayer Creek… again, snowdrifts blocked the main road, but we made it. The dogs were happy there as we stopped by a drift and they could cool off!
Winter and elk have been hard on the fences up there… and Vernon has already made runs for repair!

Loved the pictures and the story (can’t wait for the turkey and duck story), but the last picture was PRICELESS!!! Perhaps even an all time favorite!
In my minds eye I can see the buffalo spread across that landscape, with their little red babies frolicking in the grass!
Fun story of your early days there!