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LOGAN — Hundreds of cattle are being moved through Logan Canyon this week, and it could slow you down on the way up or back from Bear Lake.
This is all about moving some 1,400 cattle from one pasture to another so they can keep feeding, but the ranchers who take part in this event year after year say there's a conservation reason behind this too.
Traffic will be delayed in Logan Canyon from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout this week for a cattle drive, wildlife officials said.
The cattle will move in groups of 200 to 300 cattle starting at Temple Fork Road to the cattle guard below Twin Creeks, the forest service said.
One of the herders on horseback, Madelyn Kunzler, described how moving cows up the highway 2.5 miles comes with its unique challenges.
"Being on the highway is very nerve-racking just because you get semis going by and stuff like that, but being up here riding, pushing cattle with everybody, it's one of my favorite things," Kunzler said.
She says she's been doing it since she was 5 years old. Her family is one of four families that make up the Logan Cattlemen's Association which owns all these cows.
"You get a spectrum of people's feelings. You either get people who are super excited and think it's super cool and then you get people who get super annoyed because, you know, it takes us an hour or so to get down the road. And then you get people who are just mad about it in general," Kunzler said.
One excited young observer in Logan Canyon called it a traffic jam with cows.
The cattle are being moved from the lower early summer pastures to higher late summer pastures, according to the forest service. But moving the cows is about more than just getting them fed, Kunzler told KSL-TV.
"They can be great to prevent fires. They help keep down the really bushy stuff. And they keep the native plants coming back because they eat the invasive species," Kunzler said.
If all goes as planned, drivers won't see the cows on the road after Wednesday, though there is a possibility of the cattle drive being extended into next week.
Officials are urging travelers on U.S. 89 in Logan Canyon to slow down and use caution.
"Extra caution should be used when traveling through the canyon during evening and night hours to avoid encounters with stray cattle," the press release stated.
Contributing: Matt Brooks, KSL.com
