Spur of the Moment Trip To Joshua Tree National Park and Bighorn Sheep

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

It was very spur of the moment that I decided to go an overnight trip to the desert.  We had pretty much just gotten back from China.  But, I got some sudden inspiration to go to Roy's to get some subject matter on the novella/short story I am writing that takes place at Roy's in Amboy.  As I am so infrequently inspired, I forced myself to take advantage of the moment.

Before entering Joshua Tree NP, I decided to browse one of the few gift shops outside the park in Joshua Tree Village near the intersection of CA-62 and Park Blvd.  I was looking for something screaming "bighorn" sheep.  All I could find was a measly ceramic coaster for $8.

This coaster, though hand made in Arizona, cost substantially less than the jade bighorn sheep we brought back from China.

I headed down Park Blvd to the Park's West Entrance.  I pulled out my wallet to prepare to pay the admission fee, but the ranger told me that because it was Veteran's Day, park admission was free today.

Then, not 50 yards in the park and from the park entrance, I saw a ranger with binoculars to his eyes looking out into the field.  And then, like a treat from above, in a clearing to the west, was a large herd of bighorns; our favorite animal.  I think that this was the first time I ever saw any bighorns at Joshua Tree.

I counted about 25 in the herd.  The official Joshua Tree website says that there are only about 250 bighorn sheep in the 1200+ sq. miles that the park covers.  So, this herd was nearly 10 percent the entire park population seen at one time.  What a great sight!.

Bighorn Herd, Seen Nov. 11, 2014

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Pavin' the Way - To the Sky Deck at the West Rim - Grand Canyon!

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

I recently read somewhere that the final portion of Diamond Bar Road between Dolan Springs and the West Rim of the Grand Canyon has finally been paved.  I don't remember where I read it, but an article was published on line by the LA Times and may have been picked up by the OC Register Sunday travel pages (Sunday is my only newspaper day).

We once tried to go to the Skywalk, but never actually made it there.  The unpaved Diamond Bar Road was just too rough to drive.

Views from Diamond Bar Road

                                                            Views of Dolan Springs

 

Though the drive is probably much more reasonable due to the new paving, it is unlikely we would ever try going back.  The reasons being that the West Rim and the Skydeck have bad reputations. The facts that:

1. it is quite expensive to actually go out on the Skywalk; AND
2. you cannot take your own camera or camera phone onto the Skywalk; AND
3. therefore requiring you to buy expensive photo packages if you want a remembrance is just too much for many people to swallow. 

Yes, the tribe needs the money.  Yes, other native American sites charge fees.  Monument Valley, UT charge admission fees ($20/vehicle of 4) and commercial photography fees ($50).  Sky City/Acoma Pueblo, NM, charge for camera permits ($13) whether personal or commercial.  Skywalk prices far exceed these other native American sites.

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However, if you are in the area, I suggest you taking the Willow Beach cutoff, just south of Hoover Dam on US93.  Just before the road breaks to the right and the parking lots and boat launches, a non-descript turn-off to the left is visible.  Take that turn, fight the rough road, and drive slowly along the wash.  If you are lucky you will get to see bighorn sheep herds roaming around or a lonely burro hiding from the sun.

Good luck!                                    

One Ewe...One?

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

May 2, 2014: So, I drove about 560 miles last weekend, including three separate trips down Zzyzx Road towards the Desert Studies Center, where allegedly a large herd of bighorn were hanging out.  Last year around this time I saw a large herd and got three blogposts worth of photos, including of a lamb.

I saw one ewe and I was darn lucky just to see her.

Dropping Pellets

As this ewe was dropping her load, she reminded me of this lamb from last year.  

May 2013

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Think they are the same gal?

Nows and Thens in the Bighorn Sheep World

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

The instinct of the members of the bighorn sheep herd is pretty consistent. 

Whether the herd is crossing the road in 1956:

Or the herd is crossing the road in 2014:

Or "Old Eighty" is looking down from her perch in 1956 (note broken horn):

Or, an anonymous queen of the desert looking for her king to mess around with:

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Vintage photos from Mountain Sheep: A Study in Behavior and Evolution (V. Geist 1971).

A Cast of Bighorn Sheep Characters

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

In 1961, The Bighorn of Death Valley, the results of a landmark study on the subject, was published by the Department of the Interior.  The report, over 240 pages long, was the culmination of almost 1700 hours of field observation of bighorns; primarily in the Black and Funeral Mountains of Death Valley, between 1954 and 1961.

The report, while dry at times, has some fun information and pictures for those fascinated with the desert bighorn.  From time to time, I intend to present tidbits from the report here on our blog.

Cover of the report

The report starts by listing the "identification names" of the 51 bighorns that were observed on a regular basis.

Some of the more amusing and creative names were:

• Black and Tan (ram)
• Kinky (ram; had kinks in both its horns)
• Knocker (ram)
• Rambunctious (ram; great pun)
• The Stranger (ram)
• Brokeoff (ewe; one horn broken off)
• Old Mama's Lamb (lamb)
• Badboy (lamb)

A complete list of the names of the 51 bighorns are shown below.

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More On The Promiscuity Among Bighorn Sheep: Or, While The Big Boys Fight it Out, I will Take My Chances!

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

More on the subject of promiscuity among bighorn sheep.

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Bighorn sheep are promiscuous rather than polygamous, in their breeding habits, the rams being indiscriminate in their selection of a mate and the ewes accepting copulation by more than one male.  According to one researcher, "Most, and perhaps all, ewes are bread many times during the receptive period, not only by different rams, but quite often several times by the same ram within a very few minutes."  Acceptance in copulation of several different rams was witnessed as two different rams copulated with the same ewe within the space of seconds.

During breeding activity there is much chasing of ewes by rams.  One researcher noticed that chases starting with 1 ewe and 1 ram often ended with as many as 11 rams in pursuit.

In one herd (harem), each of two rams was observed to copulate with the same ewe in the course of 20 minutes.

In another siting, 6 mature rams attempted to breed one ewe.  The ewe accepted at least three different rams in copulation several times.

On another occasion, 3 rams attempted mating with 1 ewe.  Two rams, were large, mature animals of about the same size, whereas one was much younger.  While the ewe was receiving much attention from the older rams, the younger individual did not approach more than 50 feet from the group.  Each of the older rams made repeated attempts to mount the ewe, only to have the other ram interfere.  On two occasions, both rams attempted to mount the ewe at the same time, the last of which terminated in vigorous battles taking place over 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, the fighting of the two larger rams allowed the younger ram to successfully copulate with the ewe.

One ram can serve perhaps 10 to 20 ewes.

From The Bighorn Sheep in the United States by Helmut Buechner (1960).

"Where can I find a good time around here?"