Powder Wash in winter
Castle Rock looking south from Powder Rim
Sweetwater County, Wyoming
photo by Pat O'Toole
Sandrock on Powder Rim
photo by Pat O'Toole
I have written about the several landscapes where our ranching operation conducts its business. Powder Wash is especially dear to my heart because Pat and I lived there for eight winters (see “Another Rural Issue”) when our girls were small. This should be ideal winter country for livestock and for wildlife. It is country that is sheltered by a small east-west mountain range, Powder Rim. Animals like it and are drawn here. Sadly, these days, it has been hit by a triple whammy: drought, wild horses (outside of their Herd Management Area), and now, extensive energy development.
Drill site with halogeton, wild horses
Wasatch, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
photo by Pat O'Toole
We used to winter several thousand sheep here, but now have one bunch, while the others make the long trek north to the Red Desert (where they find even more energy development). Powder Wash lies about 65 west of the home ranch. It is one of the early gas fields, and in fact, that field was discovered by the man who homesteaded the Powder Flat headquarters, Wiff Wilson. We still use his original cabin.
Sheep behind Chivington homestead
photo by Pat O'Toole
Sheep on the trail at Wasatch
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Pedro & Wendy at the Chivington Place
photo by Pat O'Toole
In case you have noticed that all the place names are almost the same, here’s the explanation. The water and soil is high in alkali, giving it a distinctive gunpowder flavor. I haven’t tasted gunpowder, but the water isn’t very flavorful! None the less, I’m sure it was a welcome refreshment to the trekkers on the Cherokee Trail, the early homesteaders, and the even earlier Ute Indian inhabitants of the region.
Robin Boies asked about the red powder coloring the bucks in the last blog entry. It is to make them easy to count. Every day, each herder counts his “markers”—the black sheep, ewes with paint numbers stamped on them, and now, the bucks. Since sheep are herd animals, strays are likely to take a marker with them. If a herder has his count, it is likely he has them all. If a marker is missing, it’s likely that a group has wandered off.
