Sheep ranching
is a lot of hard work, mixed in with camaraderie and fun. We helped
Roy drive his herd of some 60 goats and sheep to the Summer pastures high
in the Carrizo Mountains just south of his home late this Spring 2002.
We painted the sheep with a big red K to identify them as Kady/Klah stock
while they are grazing on the mountain. We did this in the early
morning before heading uphill.
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Sally Jo is dragging a sheep in Roy's Teec Nos Pos, Arizona corral
over to another Navajo ranch hand to get its butt painted ("branded") with
a big, red "K" prior to our driving the herd up the mountain. We
did this about 7 am. It took 5 of us less than an hour . We did not
paint all of the sheep, however. |
The trail leads up Teec Nos Pos Canyon to the clan
halfway sheep camp cabin and corral on Teec Nos Pos Creek and Canyon.
The day was about 90° and we arrived around 1 pm, a 3-4 hour meander,
with 3 dogs, Sally Jo and I herding with Roy. By the time we reached
camp, we were hot, dusty and tired, as were the livestock. Luckily
for us, a trail leads some 50 feet down into Teec Nos Pos Creek from the
camp to a system of 3 waterfalls where we could freshen up in the most
delightful, pristine, privately-accessed riparian pools imaginable.
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A view up Teec Nos Pos Canyon, looking south to the Carrizo Mountains,
taken from about a mile south of Roy's ranch. |
Not surprisingly, an Ancient Puebloan ruin
exists beside the sheep camp. It consists of at least 1 kiva, room
blocks and a plaza. The life here has always been good due to the
reliable water. The outcropping of rock nearby overlooking Teec Nos
Pos and the San Juan River Valley to the north would have provided a measure
of safety.
We found quite a few Native American artifacts on
the 2-day hike, some of which are shown. The Summer pasture is another
dayís walk uphill from here to Royís cabin. It was 93° the second
day. The trail crosses Teec Nos Pos Creek just above this halfway
camp then heads steeply up. The climb was especially hard on the
sheep. Royís summer camp cabin is located about a mile west of Pastora
Peak, the highest in the Carrizo Mountains. A good spring exists
about 50 yards from the cabin, fresh water, the only "utility" although
towers on Pastora Peak allow cel phones to operate from here. His
summer sheep camp cabin can be seen in other stories on the OUT
THERE link.
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| The Ancient Puebloan kiva ruins close to the
camera with the halfway sheep camp cabin's roof visible in the woods beyond.
A partial stone wall of the kiva can be seen, along with many scattered
rocks from its structure and the room blocks. |
Sally Jo is walking across the plaza area
just below and south of the kiva and room blocks, looking south to the
sheep camp cabin again. The corral is off to the left, out of view.
The creek and the trail crossing it is to the right, out of view - that
is the direction of the trail up the mountain. |
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| A few artifacts we collected along the trail
over these 2 days. They consist of pot shards, culturally worked
stone arrowheads, scrapers and spear point fragments. |
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