The Long Horse Ride Blog: Following the sheep

I needed to organise a rendezvous point with Wendy Anderson, Gene Okhart and Antony Zamora of the NPEA who had kindly agreed to help me through the isolated stretch between Schellbourne and Ruby Valley. They were only available at the weekend and we were well within schedule so decided to take another day off and make use of Hank's phone and internet.

Climbing up the eastern flank of the Schell Creek Range on Wednesday 28th September we met up with a couple of Hank's Peruvian shepherds moving a large flock of sheep uphill to find pasture....

Notice all the dogs - the black and white border collies are used to drive the sheep whereas the large white Pyranean Mountain dogs mingle with the herd - their job is to protect the sheep from predators such as coyote and cougar. Hank told us he had in fact shot a cougar just below the ranch house.
Many sheep ranchers in the American west such as Hank use H-2A 'temporary guest visas' (which apply to foreign agricultural workers with job offers) to employ Peruvians as shepherds. Under this programme ranchers are responsible for flights, board and lodging but have been able to take advantage of the fact that such workers could be paid below the minimum legal wage. Labour laws are now tighter, and Peruvians on this programme can earn considerably more than they can earn in their own country, even in professional jobs.
At the top of Stage Canyon looking out across the Steptoe Valley to the Egan Range which we will cross the following day...

A reminder of why the Pony Express ended.....

...the telegraph line also came this way.
Looking back up Stage Canyon to Schellbourne Pass. Chorpenning sited a stage station on the bench of land straight ahead (where Schellbourne Ranch is now located), and this became Schell Creek Pony Express station, although nothing remains from this period...

After the demise of the Pony Express, the Overland Mail took over the station and a small military post was also established to protect the route. Following the discovery of silver nearby in the 1870s this expanded into the little settlement of Schellbourne, butl the ore had ran out by 1885.
Burton noted about the station "Nothing could more want tidying than this log-hut, which showed the bullet marks of a recent Indian attack". so it seemed Nick Wilson could not escape trouble as this was his home station for a while! Attacks came on June 8th and August 29th 1860, but the details are confused as to whether stock was stolen or anyone killed.
It was from Schell Creek that Wilson carried the mail to Deep Creek one time to find his relief rider had not arrived. He had to ride on to Willow Creek (Callao) where he discovered the rider had been killed by Indians in the desert.

After a few hundred miles of wilderness, we were suddenly transported back into the twenty first century when we crossed Highway 93, with its stream of traffic hurtling along the Steptoe valley between Ely and Wendover. Disappointingly the Schellbourne gas station and restaurant has been abandoned, so no beer and burger, but we found a sheltered spot to park the rig at the back where there was even a bit of cell phone reception!
There is still a parking area for semis (articulated lorries) and a rest stop here, though the warning against rattlesnakes on the rest room door might make one a tad reluctant to use it...