Sheep Delivery Road Trip

I was excited to plan a sheep delivery trip and think that we could make it a Road Trip. Many have read the blog posts about our annual Road Trips. We camp along the way, visit National Parks, and stop at all the road side markers about historical events and natural wonders. Last year we visited Rocky Mountain National Park and ended the trip at Schacht Spindle Company’s 50th anniversary dealer weekend. I just looked back to find the posts about that one. I wrote the first in September not long after we got home, but got distracted by breeding season, Lambtown, and then a severe injury in October, and I did’t complete the stories until March, 2020.

It turns out that it doesn’t make much sense to combine sheep and the kind of road trip we like—back roads, through National Parks, hiking when we feel like it—especially when there are active wildfires and horrible air quality (and besides there is a pandemic going on). So the sheep part of the trip was successful—but I can’t really call it a Road Trip. I don’t have great photos of beautiful scenery, but there are photos of the experience.

We were on our way at about 7:20 Wednesday morning, only 20 minutes after our planned departure. By this time we were used to seeing an orange sun in a gray sky.

This is not how the Sierras are supposed to look. It didn’t get any better. The majestic views we are used to just weren’t there.

We chose the route that was supposed to be the most direct to get to northeast Oregon—I-80 to Nevada, turn north at Winnemucca.

Driving across Nevada.

Air quality in Oregon wasn’t any better than Nevada and California. I assume that anyone who is reading this is aware of the devastating fires that have been burning all along the west coast.

My attempt at acting like this was a normal road trip. The map showed that there was the Vale Project Grazing Interpretive Site and Overlook. It amounted to this sign and a worn out shade where there probably used to be a picnic table. If there was an overlook I didn’t see it and there wouldn’t have been much to look over anyway.

This route took us into a sliver of Idaho. I had seen this sign last summer on the way to visit our smokejumper son in McCall. I don’t think there are any long-lost relatives here, but it’s sort of an unusual name. It would be interesting to pursue someday.

It was interesting to see hops growing in Oregon.

We knew that it would be well after dark when we arrived if we continued the drive all the way to our destination, and I really couldn’t face another three hours in the truck anyway. I always follow our route in those big map books and I found Farewell Bend State Park on the Snake River. We got there around dusk and were able to stretch our legs a bit after selecting a campsite. All we really needed was a place to park because we weren’t setting up a tent or cooking (cold homemade pizza for dinner). At home we decided that we wouldn’t both fit well in the trailer so Dan had fixed up a platform so that I could have a sleeping area in the trailer above the sheep and he would sleep in the bed of the truck.

This is the view from my sleeping bag. There were some unanticipated problems. There was kind of a tight fit with four sheep on the right and three on the left. The ewes on the right weren’t much problem once I figured out how to secure one of the loose gates so it didn’t clank against the wall every time one of them moved. The rams were another story. They didn’t fight but every time one of them moved his head a horn would clank on the wall or a gate. That gate that is separating two of them from another was NOT closed when the night started. With their movement the catch was released and it shut sometime during the night. There was continual clanking of horns against walls. There was pawing as they either were looking for food or trying to bed down. And they are actually pretty noisy when they are chewing. The clanking was the worst though. Needless to say I slept only on and off that night. I had planned to read and could have done to kill the time, but the light of the iPad drew all the bugs in the area. Does this sound like complaining? I know that there were a lot worse things going on in the world (and in all the fire zones) but I’m just telling the story they way it felt. I did like my special platform, but having sheep with horns below was the problem.

This is the view of our “camp” the next morning.

On the road again. heading to the Wallowa area. The last time I was in this part of Oregon I was on a camping trip with friends in college. I have always remembered that it was gorgeous country.

We got to our destination about 10:00. This is the ewe flock (and a goat) at Ruby Peak Farm.

I had brought three ram lambs with me so that Kate could choose which she liked best. It’s hard to choose a lamb from just looking at photos and they change quickly as they mature. I felt a lot better offering a choice. This is the lucky ram who got to stay in Oregon.

This is Ruby Peak Tamarisk, a yearling ram, who made the trip back to California with us.

Driving along the Wallowa River.

There were miles of hay fields with big barns. The smoke still hung over the landscape.

I am reminded of those postcards that say “Hawaii (or anywhere) at night” and they are black. This is driving right next to the Columbia River. You can barely see the other side of the river right across the middle of the photo.

We turned south at Portland and met up with another sheep buyer in Albany in the late afternoon. We transferred the ewes from our trailer to hers and then got on the road again. The original plan had been to be gone three full days, returning late on Friday. By this time we knew that conditions didn’t lend themselves to the leisurely trip I had thought about. There was smoke, less than perfect sleeping conditions, and covid concerns. We both decided that we really just wanted to be home. So we drove. Well, Dan drove. I slept a lot in the truck. We both slept for awhile at a rest stop near Redding, but for the most part just drove. We pulled into our driveway about 5:30 a.m. on Friday.

I’ve made a big deal about the smoke throughout this post. That was most obvious to us and was a major factor in decisions while we were on the road, but of course the most important aspect is that the smoke was there only because of the horrendous fires that were (are) burning. With two sons and a DIL on the fire lines and friends who were directly affected here in California I don’t forget that the fires are the real story.

I also hope that we’ll be able to take a real Road Trip next year and maybe focus on that beautiful part of Oregon in the northeast corner and make it to some National Parks along the way.

We slept a few hours and then unloaded sheep at home. I didn’t dare put Tamarisk with the other rams right away because they would fight. I found a wether to be his buddy and put him in a stall for a few days. This is Jade welcoming him to the flock. Tamarisk and the other rams will be turned out with ewes October 1. That will be another story