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by Al Golub

Cattle drive near Yosemite National Park

For over a hundred and twenty years, the Erickson family has been driving their cattle from the Merced Falls area to summer grazing near the border of Yosemite National Park.  The drive takes the same route; of course there are three major highways now not to mention a bridge over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River.  The last six years, I have been following the drive.  If you would like to see more of my images of the Erickson Cattle Company drive click here for my Photoshelter gallery.

October 23, 2008.  Near Lake Don Pedro subdivision a cowboy and his dog move cattle along Highway 132 toward Merced Falls Road and a rock corral.

October 26, 2006.  After the herd spent the night at Uglow Ranch on Penon Blanco Road, Chuck Shepard watches cattle carefully to make sure the cows stay together while they move though the Lake Don Pedro subdivision.

May 12, 2008.  Cowboy moves cattle up Cuneo Road after leaving Boneyard Creek corral.

October 23, 2007.  After coming over Dante Pass Road from Kassabaum Meadow cows move down Cuneo Road.

May 09, 2008.  Cowboy moves cattle down Merced Falls Road heading to Uglow’s Ranch on Penon Blanco Road.

May 08, 2008.  Jack Kiernan works quickly to keep cows together on an open part of Merced Falls Road.

May 09, 2008.  Dan Erickson and his dogs keep cattle organized along Merced Falls Road.

May 31, 2007.  Cowboys move cattle down dusty Forest Service road to Lumsden Bridge to cross the Tuolumne River.

June 9, 2005.  Erickson Cattle Company drives cattle on the Highway 120 bridge over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River near Buck Meadows, California.

October 26, 2006.  After the herd spent the night at Uglow Ranch on Penon Blanco Road, cattle come to Granite Springs Road intersection before going through the Don Pedro subdivision.

October 24, 2006.  Les Weidman works cows along Hell’s Hollow Road after herd crossed Highway 120 from Kassabaum Meadow.

October 25, 2007.  Jeff Prosser moves cow back to herd along Penon Blanco Road.

October 25, 2006.  While Barbara Silva holds traffic, cows cross Highway 49 at Penon Blanco Road.

June 15, 2005.  Traveling from Buck Meadows to Packard Canyon, cowboys move cattle over bridge on Highway 120.

May 30, 2007.  Cowboys move cattle on Cuneo Road

October 26, 2006.  Jeff Prosser controls traffic while moving cattle through Lake Don Pedro subdivision.

May 11, 2011.  In springtime, calves want to stay with their mothers on Merced Falls Road.

May 09, 2008.  Cowboy Jim Short takes a break before chuck wagon style lunch is served at the Uglow Ranch.

 

 

by Al Golub

Coyote Howl, Coulterville, California

Living in Greeley Hill, we have to travel six miles downhill to an 1850s gold rush town, Coulterville, California for our Post Office.  Twenty-six years ago town folks were looking for an excuse to have a community party.  They created the Coyote Howl.  The story of the birth of the Howl is a little murky.  The story is that there was some drinking going on in the Magnolia Room of the Jeffery Hotel (not a surprise, the Mag Room is a saloon) and someone joked that with all the coyotes in the area and everybody imitating them there ought to be a contest.  Now, coyotes don’t make just one sound when they howl, so people have different ideas of what they should sound like. If you would like to hear what the contest sounds like, click here for a multi media clip that we recorded in 2007.  The rest of my images are stored on Photoshelter, so give a click if you want to see more.

Kids in groups compete as Pup Packs.  These boys came in second in 2011.

This Piney Creek resident was the adult winner in 2001.

This year, as always, the parade is lots of fun for families.

This adult contestant had won in the past but didn’t make it in 2011.

The calliope is a treat for everybody.  It isn’t my favorite type of music but it seems to fit in with the parade.

Master of ceremonies Silverman gives a young pup a chance to test out his howl for next year.

Everybody has an opinion and some express theirs more colorfully.

This year’s adult winner wore a little hair of the dog while howling.

Capt. Henry Love shoots his 12 gauge at the bad guys.  Historically speaking, Capt. Love was the Marshall who captured Joaquin Murrieta.

During the gunfight, the bad guys always get to die.

In 2005, the Magnolia was hopping.  It will reopen June 15 of this year.

This pup uses his hands to make his howl.

Panama Red shoots his way out of the saloon.

During the gunfight, the Lady Sheriff shot a couple bad guys.

While county music is playing in the park, folks are dancing in front of a booth that seems to fry everything you could think of.  No fried stuff for me.