At the end of May, as we try to do each year, our family went west to visit my parents in Idaho. We spent several days with them, enjoying ranch life, mountain-style farming, beautiful scenery and their many horses. The highlight of the trip was the all-day cattle drive up into the mountains, through the Pass Creek notch, over the Summit, and on to Big Creek where the cattle stay for a few months during the summer. I only rode horseback for a short time, because of being preoccupied with my newborn baby, but I did manage to snap as many photos as I could. Going along on the Pass Creek Cattle Drive is a unique experience. Here are some of the best shots….
Morning Ride Out….the riders started out at the crack of dawn to gather the herd from the irrigated fields, push them out into the sage, and start the long drive up into the mountains.
Our oldest two kids on horseback and Cowboy Dad helping them navigate the mountainside.
My dad riding his sweet little mare named Donegal, driving the herd up a hillside towards The Summit.
Nearing the crest of a sagebrush covered hill.
Our next-to-youngest son Jack riding tall in the saddle.
This is at the end of the long drive, after a cookout of hot dogs and roasted marshmallows…our family of six packed into the back seat of Dad’s pickup hauling the horses home. What a day!
