Growing in
Harmony Wildflowers Bloom where Cattle graze by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande
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estled away on the westside of Colusa County lies Bear Valley, a place where not many live but cattle graze and every spring wildflowers bloom. This much anticipated spring spectacle has been dubbed as the “super bloom.” While the flowers have been around for years with the help of cattle grazing, the knowledge of their beauty came to light with social media and media attention from publications such as The Sacramento Bee, SF Gate and San Francisco Chronicle. While the valley is large, only a handful of people live there and get to experience all the good and bad nature has to offer on a daily basis. Summers are dry, hot, with little water and raise concern for wildfires. Winters are cold with the potential for snow. But the spring poses a time when the sun is shining, soft breezes blow, and dormant annual plants bounce back to life. Emmett Rothweiler of Dixie Valley Ranch is in his sixth winter on the Bear Valley Ranch and over the years has interacted with the admirers who travel the distance to see the flowers. 126 miles North of San Francisco and 88 miles Northwest of Sacramento, Bear Valley can be reached off of Highway 20 going West towards Clearlake. The closest town with amenities is Williams, once on Highway 20 headed towards Bear Valley, the pavement quickly turns to dirt and there are little to no public restrooms, gas stations or phone service. Visitors who come to see the flowers pull over on the side of the gravel road to take in the scene. Along with the cattle, and occasional wild animal, some of the wildflowers that can be seen include Indian paint brushes, lupine, California Poppies, pepper weed and many more varieties. Picnics, photo shoots, videos, endurance off road bike races and an array of other activities are centered around the bloom. Everyone is entitled to experience nature and the blooms beauty 18 California Cattleman April 2023
but the ranchers whose cattle inhibit these hills still have a job do. Something not always initially evident to the public is the fact that the flowers are there because of the cattle and the ranchers proper grazing management practices. Ranchers work tirelessly to care for their livestock and maintain their land to ensure that it can produce feed for the cattle. No workday for a rancher looks the same, some may be moving cattle to a new pasture, fixing fence, branding and shipping. When asked what challenges he and other ranchers face with the increased spring traffic, both Rothweiler and fellow rancher down the road, Jim Keegan, Williams, share how visitors don’t always realize that while the road may be public, it is utilized for pushing cows to a new pasture. Most visitors on the road are understanding and wait their turn as the cows move on by. Others who become frustrated with the roadblock tend to drive around the cattle being moved which at times can cause a frenzy. Keegan whose family has been ranching in Bear Valley since the 1880s, shared how over the years, people wanted to get into the fields of flowers for a better view. With this in mind, Keegan chose to put a wildflower access gate on a piece of his property where people can safely enter, and not harm the fences. Before field access was available Keegan shared, “I’ve seen them go right under the NO TRESSPASSING sign.” For the most part, those who visit are respectful and appreciative of the land, ranchers and cattle. Rothweiler shares how most of his interactions come about when visitors are jumping over his fence to get up close to the flowers. “I kindly ask them to get out of the pasture and explain to them that they stepped on the exact same flowers on the side of the public road to get over my fence.” From here