Trailing of the Sheep: Idaho

Posted by Lynn Mason-Pattnosh Oct 12, 2006

The Trailing of the Sheep is an annual parade from Ketchum to Hailey, Idaho (about 14 miles). The parade has been ceremoniously designed to get the flocks down from the mountain to their winter grazing homes. The parade is this weekend, Sunday, October 15th at noon. If you come for the parade, the organizers ask that you don’t bring your dogs (you’ll see why shortly).

The Trailing of the Sheep also involves events throughout this weekend, October 12-15, 2006. All weekend long there many festive sheep related activities (mostly having to do with the various ways to cook and eat lamb). This year’s event also focuses on the Basque Culture, complete with traditional music, dances, clothing and food. To learn more about the Basques check out: The Basque.

I love to take fall walks and hikes. Today I took our puppy for a training walk. It was actually the first day that I decided to let her run off-leash on the bike path (don’t worry I didn’t break any laws, it’s legal up here). The training and the walk were both going very well.

Suddenly, we turned the corner of the bike path only to come face to face with about 300 sheep, ten extra big sheep dogs, one horse, and their Sheppard. My puppy, understandably, froze. In fact, remember Roy Scheider in "Jaws?" She kind of looked like that.

Have you ever seen a flock of sheep? They are very odd creatures; sheep actually move at the same time like an insect colony.

So, my puppy froze and then ALL the sheep froze. When I called for my puppy to come, she instead ran towards the sheep. Then the entire flock began backing up! Odd animals?

The sheepdogs then decided we needed to be checked out (just like airport security). My puppy quickly ran back to me. I got her on the leash and we pushed ourselves back into the trees that lined the bike path. As the flock began to pass, each sheepdog gave us a thorough inspection as they walked by.

If you want to come up for the Trailing of the Sheep Parade, check out the Trailing of the Sheep Festival or the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau (but don’t bring your dog).

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