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Cattle drive picture story
Oak trees landscape
The 3Bar ranch near Oakhurst, California in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. By early summer, temperatures in these oak-covered foothills can soar to well over 100 degrees.
Diane on horse
Boss of the 3Bar ranch, Diane Bohna leads the cattle drive. She has been making this trip annually since 1968 and knows this high country like the back of her hand.
Cattle on the Move
The drive will mean climbing several thousand feet over several days before they reach their final destination on Quartz Mountain.
Chowchilla Hill Climb
Chowchilla Hill is a three-mile climb that is perhaps the toughest challenge of the whole drive. The steep, scrubby forest is thick with poison ivy and rattlesnakes … and thirsty work in the intense heat.
Stock Dogs
In the thick brush, the ranch’s stock dogs come into their own … keeping the cattle moving when it’s too dense for the cowboys and horses to work safely.
Highway Patrol
The third day of the drive moves past Ahwahnee and involves crossing several busy roads. Diana has to call in the Highway Patrol to help control the traffic.
Into the Woods
As the cattle enter Sierra National Forest, the temperatures are cooler and the shade is welcome by cattle and cowboys alike.
Yosemite Landscape
Here at around 8,000 feet the cattle escape the worst of the summer heat. These lush high altitude meadows and forest will be home to the 3Bar herd for the next three months.
The Meadows
The 3Bar herd will quickly fatten up on the rich meadow grasses. Diane and the 3Bar team will move them back down to the valleys in late autumn, before the first snows return.
The Ranch Team
Diane and the 3Bar ranch team. She believes strongly in the cowboy traditions and responsible stewardship of the land. Ranching and passing on her knowledge to the next generations are her driving passions.
