Cattle chute off Del Puerto Canyon Rd. At round-up, cattle are herded through and penned upright for branding and other inspection. I’m not sure what’s going on here, maybe an auction. In Murrieta’s day, juniper posts were used at the stations along La Vereda and Las Tres Piedras was the branding iron. The road follows the old droving trail, crossing Hideout Canyon, where mustangs were corralled, sometimes stolen from ranches along the Sn Joaquin Valley. or running wild in the marsh lands of Lake Tulare. Del Puerto Canyon, following Colorado Creek, is about as remote as California gets. It’s all private property now, with no access. I had the good fortune of meeting a cowboy on this trek, who was feeding his horses off Mines Rd when I passed by (previous post). He offered to take me out in his side-by, ‘take you anywhere you want to go,’ he told me on the phone, ‘I own all that land.’ What? trying to contain my enthusiasm – he also owns these magnificent California mustangs, full of vinegar, when we meet, the next time I’m out, I’m going to ask him if we can saddle-up and ride,