Modesto Taxa Martinez has been sheepherder in Colorado and Wyoming for almost a decade. His H-2A visa allows him to work in the U.S. for up to 3 years at a time. For most of his life Modesto was a carpenter in Huancayo, Peru, a town in the central Andes. He raised his kids with his wife and when the kids moved out of the house took advantage of the opportunity to make money in the U.S. as a sheepherder.

During the winters Modesto watches his sheep in the harsh, empty plains of Wyoming’s Red Desert. Ladder Ranch, Modesto’s employer, brings him and the sheep food during the winter. In the summer they move to the higher elevations, in and out of a lush aspen forest, one of the most beautiful forests I have ever seen. Modesto and his three dogs keep the sheep safe from bears and cats, though some die of natural causes. One such death occurred during my visit and Modesto had to leave the sheep in the forest. Within two days the carcass had been scavenged by a bear and other animals.

Modesto loves the work and doesn’t mind the solitude of life in a tiny trailer. Once a week or so he gets a ride into the nearby tiny town where he can get cell service and call his wife and daughters. He likes making money to send home. A week after I left Modesto called me, as he said he would. All was well, last I heard.