Makin' The Move

Driving sheep from the desert floor to the mountains of Arizona is a yearly ritual for Dwayne Dobson and his family. The 220-mile journey will take months along the rough and winding, Haber Reno sheep trail.

Dwayne explains, "I'm 3rd generation in this business. My grandpa bought the operation in 1929."

Dwayne Dobson knows a lot about raising sheep and he carries on that family legacy with unflinching devotion. He says, "Like I say it's tradition for all of AZ, these driveways were established in the 1880's before AZ was event a state."

Twice a year the Dobson clan moves 4-thousand sheep to and from higher elevations. The cooler temperatures are more favorable to the stock and summering in the mountains provides access to better grazing land. Arizona sheep ranchers raise more than 150 thousand animals each year - a small segment of the more than 6 million plus sheep on ranches across the country.

Mark Bradford took over the job for his father-in-law 15-years ago. He says, "It's a unique equation. We're able to spend that time transferring from the lower elevations up to the higher elevations. We actually follow the temperature climate up the hill."

It's more like staying a step ahead of the heat. These sheep will travel anywhere from 6-to-10-miles a day; and in some cases the will do it over very rugged terrain. But they will take every bit of 45-days to make this pilgrimage to higher ground.

There used to be more than a dozen ranchers that guided their sheep into the mountains for mating season. But the Dobsons are the last of a dying breed, and word is spreading.

So on this late April morning crowds gathered east of mesa to watch the flock cross the Salt River at the blue point bridge. It's a carefully choreographed move. Mark, Dwayne and their crew bring half the herd down to a staging area, wait overnight, and then race them across the bridge at sunrise. It's a fading glimpse of ranching history. Jan Stasiak has been waiting for 2-days.

Kent miller and his grandson are playing hooky from school. Kent says, "I didn't want to not experience it. It was an historic event for me, I took my grandson and I wanted him to experience it."

The flock moves carefully across the asphalt then kicks into high gear with the surge of a bigger herd. The sheep, almost instinctively, know the way. On this day everything goes just as planned; cross the bridge, make a sharp left... And... A cloud of dust. It's a spectacle seen few other places in modern America and one that leaves a lasting impression.

Sherry Phelps a sheep drive spectator says, "It was very interesting the sheep knew where they were going. The leaders came right down and knew right where they were going to come through the gate."

Retired school teacher Cindy Shanks has been following the Dobson's sheep for 10-months.15-hundred photographs later, Shanks says she wants to write a book: titled "The great Arizona sheep drive." She says, "It's history! And Arizona kids don't have a lot of history because we're such a young state and this is important history."

Some of this land is a short drive from urban areas and development is slowly choking off access to these coveted trials. Shanks adds, "We were actually able to graze our sheep on different ranchers farm ground all the way until we got to our own property. Now you cross about 15 Home Depots, some malls, grocery stores."

How long these annual treks can go on will depend on forces outside the flock. Encroaching civilization and redefined land use may shut down these pathways to the past. But Dwayne Dobson says for now, the migrations will continue.

Wooly and Warm
There are more breeds of sheep than any other livestock species. More than a thousand worldwide. Their wooly coats are categorized by fiber length and thickness. So some sheep are great for soft sweaters, some for your winter overcoat and some for that carpet on your living room floor.