Ranch Scenery

Ranch Scenery

This ancient cedar is still clinging to a large sandstone rock out-cropping, even though its living years have long since passed.  This photo was taken in the Snow Creek roughs on the northern part of HLCC ranch.

 

Below:  June, 2003 

The beautiful clouds of early summer.

The country is finally turning green and the wildflowers starting to bloom on this spring-like day.   

Pairs are being moved up what is known as "13 Creek" to a new pasture.     

These Cottonwoods along Locate Creek are reaching the peak of their fall color.    

These commercial pairs have been gathered to the corrals at "cow camp" on the northern part of HLCC ranch so that their calves can be weaned.  

Below:  After gathering all morning and into the afternoon, these riders are heading back to the horse trailers to eat a late lunch, but not before stopping by a windmill on the way back, to water their horses.  The Powder River breaks, and even the Yellowstone River breaks are visible on the distant horizon from this part of the ranch.   

The 14,000 acre fire that occurred on the ranch nearly nine years ago has left much of the thick-timbered areas looking like this scene.  The fallen timber makes getting around difficult and has made fence repairing a constant duty, as the remains of the burned pines fall on the fences and leave holes that cattle are sure to find.  This photo was taken in Snow Creek pasture on the HLCC ranch.   

These pairs are stopping at a dam to water and "mother up" before continuing on the trail to a new pasture. 

Much of the time, a camera is unable to capture the vast expanse that encompasses a person on the wide-open plains.  This truly is the "Big Sky" country.  Hopefully the next few photos will be able to impart some of this aspect of the HLCC ranch.    

 

Fall gathering has commenced on the HLCC ranch.  This scene shows some cows being gathered out of the hills and into the Locate Creek valley, which stretches toward the Powder River, some 8 miles to the west of here.  The headquarters unit, with its white bulidings can be seen in the distance in the upper-center portion of the photo.    

 

These horses are trying to escape the heat and the nose flies on this hot May day by standing in Locate Creek, which maintains a live flow year around.    

A view of the HLCC ranch headquarters from Highway 12, which runs from Miles City east to Baker.     

All of the cattle work on the HLCC ranch is done horseback.  These riders are stopping while the pairs mother-up and rest along the trail.     

This scene is very typical of much of the terrain on the HLCC ranch--  gumbo badlands with grease-wood, sagebrush, and yucca interspersed.  In a green year, the badlands have a definate beauty of thier own.       

A foot of snow fell on May 13, 2005.  Though it was a cold and wet suprise for that late in the spring, it was welcomed as it spelled the beginning of the end of the drought that had persisted for a few years.  This calf is huddled on a pile of hay.  

This rider is pausing for a moment while riding through some of the pairs during calving season.  The HLCC ranch headquarters can be seen just to the right of the rider. 

 

All Photos in Photo Gallery Courtesy of David Graham