Hearkening back to days of the past, the Alkali Cattle Co. drove a herd of cattle through Rifle last week as it moved 74 cows and calves from De Beque to Alkali Creek near New Castle.
“This is the first time we’ve tried this. Normally we truck them up, but we thought, ‘You know, we should have a cattle drive — what the heck,’” Alkali Cattle Co. co-owner Dan McQueen said.
With a core group of a half dozen, Duke and Maria Ramthun, their three children and Dan and Kelly McQueen began the drive began Friday, May 15, on the company’s winter range in De Beque. Averaging 6 miles a day, they followed Highway 6 through western Garfield County through Parachute and Rifle to the company’s summer range on BLM land on Alkali Creek in New Castle.
After eight days the drive made it up Alkali Creek last Saturday, May 23.
Duke Ramthun, Alkali Cattle co-owner, said everyone was happy to arrive and finish the long journey after sleeping on cots along the nearly 50 mile drive from De Beque to New Castle.