Frank at Peregrin Ranch

This is Frank, a Peruvian herder, with the tools of the trade: horse, dog, and, in the background, his sheep wagon. The sheep camp, or wagons, are a huge part of herding life. Typically 6'x12' (varies), they are self-contained and have everything you need to live for months in the desert or mountains. They are pulled by horse, truck or tractor and constructed to roll over rough terrain.

The original herders 'round the West were, as near as I can tell, mostly Scots. Then Basque were hired in from Spain. These days, most are Peruvian along with a few Mexicans and other nationalities. They are hired from their home countries through the Western Range Association. They sign a contract to work with a ranch (3 years, I think, but not sure), get their papers and permits and a roundtrip ticket. Many end up staying and working different vocations after their contracts expire.

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New West and the Outdoors

When one looks through the photos that have been submitted to New West over time, either directly or through our robust Flickr pool of enormously talented contributors, it is clear that the landscape inspires creative genius.  To date, our 835 Flickr group members have uploaded nearly 27,000 photos, and many of them are jaw-dropping-ly gorgeous.

In reader survey after reader survey, the New West audience continues to peg outdoor recreation as their favorite topic of interest, and with the stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop, the (recreation and photo) possibilities are endless.

When we match the two – reader interest and beautiful photos – we come up with a new editorial home which also serves as a great place to show off the robust Rocky Mountain photo talent:  Adventure Rockies.

The writers for Adventure Rockies have diverse interests and styles, and they write about river guiding, running, hiking, rafting, and a whole host of other outdoor recreation.  The stories are anchored by a changing set of photos, so please visit and then promptly…..send us your best shot(s)!  We will run as many of them as time and space permits, and then we will run them again here to give your work the widest exposure possible.  It’s a win/win.