Owyhee Uplands

     Up in the hills and mountains of Owyhee County, spring's arrival is much more recent. That said, the plants that grow in the meadows and on the slopes are very quick to react. As the snows recede up the mountainsides the lands turn green with plants that make the most of the moisture left behind.

     At about 4,460 feet in elevation the meadows are in full swing. The plants here, mostly grasses, grow fast and thick. They will make excellent pastures as well as growing high quality hay for the long winter months.

     This part of the county is best suited for stock based agriculture. As with most of Owyhee County, the stock of choice here, is cattle. For now, some of the cattle are in the meadows. But as the plants reach suitable maturity further and further up the mountains, the cattle will follow.

     At about 5,580 feet the snow has just recently melted. The plants and grasses are already up and growing. Not much further up the mountain (South Mountain, to be precise) it's still winter. But it won't be long until the snow melts there as well.

     As the snow does melt, every dry gully and draw has a creek in it. Many of the narrow meadows that line the slopes become miniature flood plains. The water is always welcome, but the little streams also carry in new soil from above. Slowly but surely this new soil enriches and expands the little meadows.

     At roughly the same elevation but further down the trail, we come to the last ranch on this particular road. The snows are close here, so the cows graze in the pastures until the hillsides can support them. From the point where this picture was taken, it's only about 200 feet to the point where the road is covered in snow. The line between winter and spring can be a dramatic one, this high up.
     Life can be hard, up here. For the animals as well as the people, pushing this far up the mountains can be testing at times. But the benefits of being up here are proven year after year as these lands continue to raise healthy and hardy cattle and people. (Not necessarily in any order.) All people are fortunate that the ranching families choose to live a harder life in exchange for a bit more freedom. By taking the lands that we cannot use and transferring the resources there into usable (delicious) beef they give us all a wealth of food. That's real wealth, the kind that enriches us all.