When she was growing up, the Boss Lady's parents owned a home with rolling lawns, a pasture, and a barn. Marilyn started keeping her own horse when she was in 7th grade, often riding it to school. Now, she has a remuda of 20 horses, several colts, 36 long-horned cattle at last count (the darn things just keep multiplying), numerous pigs, goats, chickens, and a very friendly turkey named Giblette, plus the able staff to support them - all at Sandy Valley Ranch.
In 1997 Marilyn bought 110 acres of mesquite and joshua tree-covered range and began to carve SVR out of the hidden valley formed by the graceful mountain ranges that guard the entrance to the Las Vegas Valley. At the time, her attorney and fellow horse fancier, Al Marquis, had invested in Sandy Valley and offered her a chance to buy in. "When, I drove over the Columbia Pass into Sandy Valley to look at Al's property I knew: This was it. The whole place reminded me of the western spirit of my childhood," she concludes.
Once SVR was christened and mapped, Including a Piute Indian "smudging" ceremony to encourage good spirits, The Boss Lady and her team started construction, leveling the desert, hauling in gravel, installing power, water and telephone lines. Construction began on April Fool's Day, 1999 - a date whose irony is not lost on any of The Boss Lady's quirkier friends. SVR opened for business officially in February, 2000.
SVR is a family affair. Her daughter and part owner of the Ranch, Laura Dahl, is a women's clothing designer and has recently moved her business from New York to Los Angeles. She has sold her couture collections under the name Wifebeader and Laura Dahl to stores such as Bloomingdales, Anthropologie, and Nordstroms. In addition to designing she now authors a life-style blog called www.Dahlight.com. She is back in Nevada often, and trades her Prada and Manolos for Levis, spurs and the official blue denim of SVR.
Laura's husband, Timothy Dahl, created the original SVR website and has gone on to produce the sites of This Old House, Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, and Woman's Day. He is also the founder and editor of Charles & Hudson, a premier DIY home renovation site. He has now expanded his business to include web optimization for medium sized companies.
And Matthew, the Boss Lady's 29-year-old son, enjoys a career as a filmmaker/photographer and actor. His credits include the character Nico in Wes 
Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and "RV" with Robin Williams. For all the Chipmunk fans, he is the voice of Simon. He is a supporting actor in "500 Days of Summer" the Sundance winner that premiered in the summer of 2009. He can be seen every week at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on CBS' "Criminal Minds." playing the character of Dr. Spencer Reid. Matthew wrote, directed, and produced music videos for the song Reagan by Whirlwind Heat, and the Killers' 2008 Christmas video, both of which were filmed at the Ranch. His artistic touch is also seen in the "Horse Sense" safety videos shown to all who ride at the Ranch. For more on Matthew, check out his websites at www.matthewgraygubler.com, or www.gublerland.com.
"That's Matt just to the right of Bill Murray's head."
Wayne Bynum, General Manager
Ranch Manager Wayne Bynum grew up in Louisiana where he spent quite a bit of his time working on his Aunt Sue’s ranch outside of Shreveport, fencing pastures, baling hay, worming cattle and such, but mostly sneakin’ off down to the pond to fish for largemouth bass whenever he could get away with it. “I guess I did feel a little guilty about that,” he says, “But I got over it about the time I got my first strike.” He smiles and winks. ” Kind of made up for all the ticks. I guess I miss that more than anything else, the fishin’ that is, not the ticks.” How did he end up out here in the Mojave Desert, with not a bayou or Cypress tree in sight, you ask? “Beats me” he says, “Guess the wind changed for the better.” The intervening years found him doing a hitch in Naval Aviation, herding Russian submarines instead of cows, chasing them all around the Western Pacific and harassing them at every opportunity. “That was the best part, letting them know they had been found, despite their best efforts.” The end of the Cold War left him out in the cold though, pesky Russians just wouldn’t play anymore. Ask him about the spy trawlers sometime if you don’t mind tall tales. He also found work in the hospitality business, did some water-well drilling, and has picked up certifications in welding and electrical work along the way. “I know just enough to be dangerous about a few other things, but I’ve learned one thing for sure; it’s not what you don’t know that bites you in the butt, it’s what you think you know.” He came to the ranch a few years back to do some electrical troubleshooting and just wouldn’t leave. He says he kind of likes it that this is the last stop on the paved road, “Hell, I’m real close to fifty, and like Bob Dylan says, ‘who am I to blow against the wind?’” |
Lisa Erickson, Livestock Manager
Lisa Erickson is the livestock manager at SVR. Although she has only been an official staff member for just a little over two years, she has been affiliated with the ranch since 2002. Lisa started riding horses when she was 2 years old (being led of course) Not born into a family of horse people her family hoped she would outgrow it, but she has been at it ever since. She got her first horse when she was 7 years old. Lisa’s interests have taken her from trail riding to the show ring. In the ring, she has many wins to her credit at National and World Championship levels. She has shown many different breeds in several styles of riding. Although it is an incredible honor to win at this level, it is not something she could have done alone. The winning combination involved family, friends, farriers, veterinarians and many other talented horsemen. There are simply too many people to thank in this bio for their part in any of Lisa’s accomplishments in the ring or anywhere else in the horse community. Her most celebrated win came as a breeder. A mare that Lisa bred and raised produced a US National Champion Arabian pleasure horse, which represented two generations of Lisa’s breeding. Lisa has worked for some of the most prestigious horse facilities as Livestock manager, trainer or breeding manager. Stallion management and promotion is something she really enjoys and she is proud to have played a part in the success of some of the country's most sought after stallions. Livestock purchases and Breeding decisions and business game plans she made while employed at these facilities are still being used and are producing winners years after Lisa left to pursue and conquer other goals. Always striving to improve her horsemanship and management skills, she received a certificate from CSU in the techniques used in breeding horses using cooled and frozen semen. Before relocating to the Las Vegas area from Los Angles, she was also a licensed Veterinary technician, which can come in handy in our out of the way rural location. Although Lisa appreciates a good horse of any breed, her biggest joy is raising Spanish Arabian horses. She is dedicated to preserving the bloodlines bred over centuries by the Spanish Military. After much careful and selective breeding, the Spanish Arabian carries a strong genetic signature to produce a truly usable horse with the disposition, athletic ability, desire and conformation to excel in any sport. In Spain the horses are not primarily used for recreation, they are used as military mounts and spend many hours in harness as a plough or trenching horse. Horses that where easy to handle and able to stand up to hard work were imperative and these qualities are bred very heavily into the Spanish horses. An incredibly large percentage of Arabian show winners today can trace their heritage to a Spanish Arabian. While the Spanish Arabian has been an important outcross for other Arabian strains, the actual number of Arabians tracing 100 percent of their heritage to the Spanish Stud book is incredibly low. Breeders who have focused on preserving these lines are fighting to prevent some of the oldest bloodlines from dying out as many outcross breeders are using them to improve the quality of their favorite strain of Arabian. There are always friendly competitions or jokes around any barn about which breed is better or smarter but when she,as the sole Arab person at the ranch, takes on the diehard Quarterhorse fans of our family here at SVR, her ability and experience in castrations usually gives her the last word . |
James Shannon, Ranch Foreman
Born and raised in Connecticut, Ranch Foreman Jim Shannon has been with SVR going on five years now and has become familiar with all aspects of Ranch Operations. The wide range of skills he acquired back east has served him well enough that we have almost forgiven his being a ‘Damn Yankee’. “ I got real tired of the cold,” he says. “Kept going west ‘till I thawed out, but I never thought I’d end up a cowboy, don’t know if my mother will ever forgive me.” While others have come and gone, Jim persevered, outperforming or outlasting some of the wranglers (and at least one boss) that taught him the ropes when he first came to us. He definitely knows his s--- from his shinola. Now, we’re not sure what’s under that beard of his and not sure we want to, and he admits that he might not recognize his own self if he shaved it off. “Tried it once, “ says Jim, “scared the hell out of myself”. Good enough for us. Jim is a regular fixture on our trail rides and is a veteran of many a corporate party as well as having been featured on a couple of TV shows and a music video filmed here at our beautiful ranch. He is also the man to beat in a quick draw competition, so don’t make him mad! |
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Apache |
| A sorrel Quarter horse gelding purchased a few years ago, he has been an incredible asset to our ranch. Trained and shown as a reining horse, he has found happiness with the slower pace on the ranch. Eating is his favorite thing followed by hanging with his friends in the pasture on their days off. |
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Big D (Big Daddy) |
| Thoroughbred gelding recently added to the collection of horses here at the ranch. Big and gentle with a lazy side for a former race horse. He was actually sold as a yearling at the prestigious keenland yearling sale. He has since retired but had a good career with several wins. His new job as a ranch horse seems to suit his personality and allows him to sleep in most mornings. He is finally getting the idea about chasing cows bit at first he wasn’t too sure about the whole idea. |
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Broke Butt |
| If you are wondering about the name there is a story behind it. He was given to the ranch after he was injured at a team roping competition. It is a name that just stuck after one of our staff asked “who is the horse with the broke butt” when he first arrived. He has completely recovered but he has a drop off in the top of his hip that will remain. He has earned his keep here as a wrangler horse and has been a big help with doctoring cattle. He has even gotten back to work doing some light roping but not at a competitive level. Like most former competitors he enjoys a more laid back easy going environment. |
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Commander |
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Another ranch born and raised pinto. He was the first of three full siblings! Commander has matured into a handsome all around kind of guy. A pasture injury allowed him a well earned vacation but he is fully recovered and is back to work well as new. He really likes to work and seems disappointed when he gets passed by for another horse. He is a lover and enjoys chasing the cows. |
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Dallas |
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A fun loving pinto mare that was born and raised at the ranch. This little home grown sweetheart is not so little anymore and is growing into a solid ranch horse prospect. She has started her career under saddle and she is a full sister to commander. |
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Eddy |
| Eddy is like the little engine that could. He is short but has a huge heart. He will try anything you ask of him but prefers to reserve his energy when he can. A few months back while moving the SVR cattle on a cattle drive to another pasture the cattle started to stampede. Eddy was a huge reason we were able to get the stampede under control. Using his lightening fast moves, he got ahead of the cattle and stopped them before they made it to the mesquite thickets. |
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Foxy |
| A new addition to the family of SVR horses foxy is a grey Quarter horse mare with a family lineage of champions. While she may be used as a broodmare in the future she is a great horse with incredible movement. She has been shown but there are no plans at this time to take her away from the ranch riding she enjoys. |
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Ghost |
| Ghost came to the ranch as a rescue horse. She was abandoned by her previous owner along with several other horses near the infamous area 51. She is an older gal that was in terrible shape when she arrived. She has gained a few hundred pounds and has been nursed her back to health. While recovering it was obvious she still wanted to work for a living. She would get upset if she was passed by for a ride. She has gone back to work, but SVR has limited her to light riders. She is happy to have an opportunity to thank us for the care and love we have shown her and we are happy to have her. |
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Jackie |
| A recent gift to ranch manager Wayne from Lisa our livestock manager. Jackie is a 21 year old quarter horse mare with a great outlook on life. She is still in great shape to enjoy all the ranch activities. She had a foal earlier this year and may get a chance to produce another next year. Because Wayne is so busy with his manger duties he has donated use of her to SVR and guests visiting the ranch. She was thrilled when she saw SVR had cows to play with as she has been used to play with cows for sport and enjoyed working with them when she was employed at a cattle ranch earlier in life. |
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James |
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James has been with the ranch for almost a year and quickly became a favorite of Ivan’s (SVR team member). James has been out of service with an injury and has started to get back in shape to join the work force once again. |
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Lexi |
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She is one of the younger horses available for riders visiting the ranch to enjoy. She is a beautiful bay Thoroughbred mare that spent some time racing on the track before being saved at an auction by our neighboring ranch, Shiloh horse Rescue. She is a sweetheart and has really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of ranch work. |
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Penny |
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Penny is a 1996 model Quarter horse mare who is a granddaughter of the legendary Doc Bar. She is Marilyn’s personal horse and has been on maternity leave. In October she gave birth to a beautiful Pinto filly that is an excellent example of the fine bloodline Penny carries. Both are doing well and penny has resumed light riding with her baby tagging alongside. |
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Rockstar |
| This little guy stands only 32 inches tall at the shoulder and likes to eat so much he is almost as wide. Believed to be around 4 or 5 years old he was saved from a life of candy and graham crackers and his favorite, licorice. Since we have not encouraged his sweet tooth here he has accepted his shrinking waistline to be a good heath thing. His former owners loved him to death and really taught him that his small size didn’t mean he had to have a small heart. He is a real gentleman and has good house manners. With his new shrinking figure he has squeezed into a harness and is learning to drive so he can pull a cart. These little guys can pull 3 times their body weight and have a ball in front of a cart. He still cannot resist a kind pet or some admiration from his fans but he will try to mooch a snack whenever our backs are turned. He has no idea he is so small when he is out playing with the big guys he just looks them in the knees and they are off racing around again. |
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Rusty |
| Rusty is one of the boss lady’s personal horses but he does help out around the ranch. After weaning as a youngster he quickly hit the show circuit. He has many wins on the appaloosa circuit and on the open all breed circuit. His wins are in several events including halter, western, hunt seat, reining and trail. He has earned an R. o. m. (register of merit) in many of these divisions and has many yearend awards to his credit as well. Although many would bask in the glory of stardom Rusty is rather shy and preferred his life to be a little more on the quiet side. Not too long before we purchased him he decided to share the ribbons with the younger crowd and retired. He is still busy though and has found great fun in team Penning and has even tried his hand at roping. He just doesn’t like having to go so fast, he has been a 'slow goer' his whole life. |
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Sassy |
| Sassy is penny’s daughter. Her dad is Mister Shameless a Champion pinto stallion that remains undefeated in the show ring. Sassy is a self confident cutie that sees no reason to pretend she is not the most gorgeous creature on earth. While she is very friendly she is very careful to ignore you occasionally as well to make sure you understand how important she is. She recently found great fun racing around us on the trail and getting far enough away for mom to start worrying about her. Never out of sight, she returned for a milk snack just before she was in serious trouble. With her “look at me “attitude and correct confirmation she could continue the incredible legacy of champions in her pedigree. |
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Shanie |
| This is probably our best horse for too many reasons to mention. While her exact age is not known it is estimated she is in her mid twenties and it is mind boggling to think it is possible. She is an important part of the day to day duties at the ranch on top of her other responsibilities as a dude horse. She hates to be passed over for a chance to work. She is in awesome shape and is still happy to rope or whatever other extracurricular activity is available. She didn’t care for motherhood but did produce a beautiful foal a few years back but that was enough of that. She is a beautiful grey ghost appaloosa who is one of the original SVR horses. |
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Simon |
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A big tall young thoroughbred who was adopted from our neighbors Shiloh Horse rescue. He is an awesome horse who is willing and athletic. He trots across the desert through the sand dunes without missing a beat. In wrangler horse training, he loves cows and is an easy going guy with the sweetest face. |
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Tank |
| Tank is a draft cross born and raised here at the ranch. He looks like a scaled down version of a Belgian but is still our tallest horse. He was born in 1999 and is still a big kid. It is possible he will never grow up but he is dependable. He recently finished his drivers training and has earned his learners permit pulling the surrey. He Stays busy harassing the older guys and is a beautiful mover under saddle. For fun he likes to gallop the pastures and has talent over jumps. He is not built like a typical saddle horse but he is very smooth and easy going. |
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Tequila |
| Tequila has been with the ranch since the beginning. He is a beautiful palomino Quarter horse gelding that never lets us down. Not a youngster but can still chase cows and keep up with the kids. One of the ranch favorites he is well trained and schooled in every detail of ranch horse work. He even enjoys team roping every now and then and is part of calf branding / castrating every year. He has not requested retirement yet but we have allowed him some additional time off for setting a good example for the younger horses. |
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Twister |
| Twister used to work at other stable taking tourists out for rides but thought he would retire in a private home. When they had to move we were lucky enough to find him. He is a big older guy whose exact age is unknown. Age has slowed him down a little but retirement was way too slow for him. He has rejoined the working class as a dude/wrangler horse and has found happiness with our trail rides allowing him to have a little more freedom and play with cows. While hurry is not in his vocabulary he will happily step up when needed and lead the rides if we ask him too. Otherwise he is a big flirt and prefers to hang out in the back of the pack to watch the girls. He is a great addition to our horse family. |
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Waylon |
| An energetic handsome sorrel and white pinto gelding. He is a favorite among guests and is one of the fast walkers on the ranch. He is one of the most enthusiastic guys when it comes to chasin' cows. Roping is not his thing but team penning sure is. He is another horse that has been with the ranch a long time. he and his almost twin brother were purchased and used as a pair to drive the wagon at the ranch. After a while they gave up their driving careers to be saddle horses. Waylon is an all around horse that will give you everything you ask for and more. |
The Paleolithic Peoples
These first settlers left behind few clues as to their lives. We are fortunate, however, to have numerous petroglyphs ("rock etchings") in the area. Some of the best of these are found the Valley of Fire State Park just outside of Las Vegas. And projectile points ("arrowheads") are relatively common in the Sandy Valley. When you visit you might well find a few. Do take a look and consider the remarkable skill many reveal. But do please leave them "in-situ" -- which is to say exactly where you found them. For we at the ranch cherish our history, and work hard to see that any historical relics are available unscathed to the many archaeologists and other researchers who come to the Ranch and the valley for their studies.
On that note, those new to aboriginal archaeology are often surprised to learn that while most of us associate improvements in technology and craftsmanship with more recent works, the most technically advanced and skillfully crafted (as well as beautiful) projectile points in the American West usually prove to be the most ancient The reason is interesting: Paleolithic hunters had not yet developed the bow and arrow or the atlatl (pronounced ‘at-ah-lyle’ -- a stick used to propel a small spear) but still had to contend with some very large and very dangerous prey. As such they needed large points for their spears, ones that were large enough to mortally wound, say, a woolly mammoth, sharp enough to pierce their extremely thick hide and hair, and durable enough not to shatter while doing so.
After the ice age, and with it the extinction of such huge creatures as the saber-toothed tiger, giant ground sloth, and mastodon, aboriginal peoples survived by hunting the same game animals seen in the Sandy Valley today -- animals such as Blacktail and Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, and Desert Bighorn Sheep. These species are both smaller and faster then the mammoths, mastodons, and giant sloths hunted before and during the ice age, and the tribal people of the area quickly and successfully adapted to hunting them. First, around 8000 BCE, they developed the atlatl -- essentially a three or four foot stick carved like a large crochet needle that enabled a hunter to place a small spear in the hook at the far end and then throw the spear with the markedly increased speed gained by the lever action of this device. Later still, at around 6000 BCE, these tribal people developed the bow, which allowed them the launch and even smaller spear (i.e., an arrow) at still greater speeds and over greater distances.
So while hunting mammoths and the like required spears of enormous strength (likely the size of 2x4" boards) with very large, very sharp, and very strong stone points, later hunting of game animals like those we see today required smaller spears or arrows thrown at greater distances. As such atlatl spear points are smaller and, as modern prey required, less robust and sharp. And the enormous increase in projectile velocity offered by the bow required still less of the projectile point. For this reason, arrowheads are the smallest and least crafted aboriginal projectile point found in the Great Basin of the American west. All that is required of an arrowhead is that it keep the wooden shaft of the arrow from splitting. And the tribal people of North America are nothing if not efficient, for their very existence depends on it. They don't waste time crafting "artistic" projectile points when any-ole' sharp rock will do. You'd be surprised how many arrowheads "airheads" often scoop out of the way as they root for "arrowheads".
We hope you will enjoy considering this, as we do, when you come upon projectile points here on the Ranch; and in that better appreciate and enjoy any you might see. And, we hope, better recognize the importance of leaving these remarkable artifacts where you find them and in the condition you find them.
The Modern Native American Tribes
With the end of the last ice age, about 8500 years ago, the land of the Great Basin became drier -- drastically so. Over thousands of years the water level of the Lake Lahotian dropped dramatically as weather patterns changed and little rain or snow fell to replenish it. Over time the once enormous Lake Lahotian essentially just evaporated -- leaving behind large flats of silt and salt carried centuries before when rain and snow melt scoured the surrounding granite ranges of the Sierras Nevadas to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. That, and a handful of far smaller lakes. The Bonneville Flats just west of Salt Lake City and the Black Rock Playa in north-western Nevada are the largest of these salt flats. Pyramid and Walker lakes in Nevada, and the Great Salt Lake in Utah are the largest and best known of these Lake Lahotian relics. As Lake Lahotian essentially evaporated, all of the salts and minerals in what had been a freshwater lake concentrated dramatically. As a result, the relic lakes of the Great Basin region once covered by Lake Lahotian have extremely high levels of salt and minerals -- the Great Salt Lake is saltier than ocean water. And while Utah's Great Salt Lake has no extent fish, the less saline Walker and Pyramid lakes, along with a few scattered smaller lakes, are inhabited by a hardy and beautiful species of trout known as Lahotian Cutthroats. These extremely specialized trout have adapted to live in the highly alkaline (‘salty’) broth left behind as Lake Lahotian evaporated into memory, and have rightly been named the Nevada state fish.
In order to best adapt to the changing environment, the hunter gatherer clans collected into larger groups after the close of the last ice age, forming the basis of what are today's Native American tribal groups. The larger Las Vegas valley was the home of the Paiute (pronounced ‘pie-hute’) tribal group. The Sandy Valley area to the west of the Las Vegas valley is especially interesting as it formed a common border area between the Paiutes who became skilled specialists at surviving in the desert environment, and the Shoshone (pronounced ‘show-show-nee’) tribe, a tribe that became specialized in the demands of living in foothills of the high alpine mountains to the west and north. Many tribal people, especially Paiutes, still reside in and near the Sandy Valley.
Indigenous Plants
Those with expertise in desert plants find the Sandy Valley interesting in that it has areas indicative of 3 different distinct desert ecosystems: the Great Basin, Mojave, and Chihuahuan. In an hours ride you can pass through stands of the sage and salt brush common in Great Basin deserts; then spots rich in creosote bush and joshua trees as common in the Mojave deserts; and then a little ways on see groves of mesquite shrubs and prickly pear cactus most common in Chihuahuan deserts.
Desert plants are remarkably hardy and have developed equally remarkable tricks to deal with low moisture and sparse soils of the American southwest. If you were to pour a few cups of water over a square foot of apparently barren dust higher up on a ridge then return in a few days, you'd likely be stunned at the plant live that suddenly appears as if by magic. Scientists have found that a square meter of such "empty" desert dirt can contain between 5,000 and 10,000 seeds of local plants lying dormant just waiting for their moment.
Early spring (late February into March) is an especially beautiful time in the Sandy Valley as that is when you're most likely to seen the delicate flowers of the indigenous plants.
One beautiful and sweet smelling bloom is the desert primrose. It's the latin name (Oenothera brevipes) means "shortfoot," as the primrose keeps its flowers down close to the ground. An especially wet late fall and winter assure a good crop of these beautiful white to light red flowers. They are most common low in the valley. You might also see prince plume, a member of the mustard family with a distinct 2 to 3 foot long stalk of yellow flowers.
Another outstanding bloom is the lovely desert san verbena which you'll also see in lower elevations of the Sandy Valley. It especially likes to hug the few roadsides in the valley, where it likes to soak up that extra bit of moisture that drains off the hardpack. We're a tad high for particularly huge spreads of these flowers, but as you drive in from Las Vegas in early spring you might see large carpets of its trumpet shaped, pink flowers each 2 to 3 inches wide. You'll certainly know if they're near, even with your eyes closed, as the pungent smell of their perfume in unmistakable.
As you climb up the ridges both the number and size of blooms decreases, but never disappears entirely. You might take a moment when off your horse to get down close to the ground and take a look. At the right times of year you will see remarkable little paradises of flowering plants and mosses that are simply out of this world. You might carry a lupe or small folding magnifying glass to better enjoy the remarkable detail of these tiny gems.
So when do the flowers bloom in Sandy Valley? Well that varies from year to year, depending on the amount of winter precipitation, weather patterns, and the like. Generally, late February through mid March is a good bet. Give us a call or send an email for updates from the ranch starting in early February.
Plants and animals have a complex love-hate relationship here in the valley. For on the one hand, both the indigenous vegetarians like the pronghorn antelope and mule deer and introduced animals like our horses are quick to bite the tender little heads off of growing plants. But on the other hand, many local plant species would be sunk were it not for the hooves of these herbivores breaking the hard soil down as they pass by, adding, er, the organic matter essential for plant life to that soil, and by spreading seeds as they charge through meadows as the plant seeds charge through them.
Native Creatures
Mammals:But there is still plenty of wildlife to see today. Pronghorn antelope are quite a common site in and near the Sandy Valley. Higher up on the ridges, especially on west and north facing slopes, you might see mule deer -- once you see one there is no mistaking how they got their name, wow, those ears! 
Desert bighorn sheep are an endangered species, but sighting on on the highest and most rugged summits is not uncommon in the Sandy Valley. Watch for motion on those rock faces that seem impossible for any creature to climb... you'd be amazed.
Chasing these herd animals are our largest local carnivores, coyotes and mountain lions. And while coyotes do on occasion pull down a deer or antelope by working together in a pack, most of their diet is made up of smaller fare like ground squirrels, desert wood rats, kangaroo rats, their junior cousins kangaroo mice, even grasshoppers. Now you won't too often see these little coyote snacks when out on the ranch -- because if you can see them, brother coyote certainly can see them, and if that happens they're usually toast.
If you are out in the cool of the morning or at dusk with one of our wranglers they can often point out a coyote or two heading out or back from a night of hunting. Seeing a mountain lion on the ranch or anywhere in their range is a rare treat indeed, as they are so stealthy it seems they can appear and disappear at will. But every so often our staff and guests do see them.
Smaller local carnivores include bobcats, gray fox, and the endangered kit fox. Foxes are much smaller than most people who have not seen them expect, in fact most could fit in a big guys hat. They are also far more wary than coyotes, not surprising as the coyotes will make a quick snack of them if they can, though they almost never can.
Bobcats are such masters of apparent invisibility as to make even mountain lions look clumsy and easy to find. Here again, we know from tracks and the occasional sighting that they're here among us, but even the best of our local trackers would be unlikely to take on a wager to find one in a hurry.
Birds:
We've got many species of birds in the Sandy Valley, some rare or endangered in much of their range but relatively common here.
Large local raptors include the bald eagle, turkey vulture, western burrowing owl, and red-tailed hawk (also called buteos locally) -- the hawks renowned for their haunting shrill cry. Surprisingly, you're as likely to see one of these magnificent birds sitting on a fence post alongside the road as you drive in as anywhere -- for they're as smart as they look and are quite happy to let you dispatch their lunch for them with your vehicle. Hey, why work up a sweat?
One especially interesting bird is, well, not a bird at all -- though like most you'll likely have a hard time believing that when you first see one. We're talking about sphinx moths -- the most common local species being the white-lined sphinx moth. These large moths emerge at dusk from their hiding places and feed on the nectar of flowers just as hummingbirds do. They beat their wings extremely rapidly just like hummingbirds, are the same size and light color as the female of many common hummingbird species. Heck, they even have what appears to be the long thin beak of a hummingbirds -- but this is what gives them away, if you watch carefully enough. For their long "beak" bends, you'll even see it on occasion roll right up in a ball at the moths mouth. Bird beaks don't do that, now do they.
Geology
Where's the geology? You're standing on it...
As you travel out of Las Vegas on your was to Sandy Valley, look north of the highway and you'll see red sandstone cliffs of the the Red Rock Canyon area. These sandstones are part of the Kaibab level (same as at the top of the Grand Canyon) and date back about 200 million years ago to the Jurassic period (yes, your kids are right, "Just Like Dinosaurs!"). As you get closer to Sandy Valley you'll notice more frequent intrusions of a gray limestone called Good Springs dolomite. This rock is significantly older -- dating from the Devonian period about 350 million years ago -- but was pushed over the top of the younger Jurassic period red sandstone around 150 million years ago by movement along the many fault zones found just west of the Sandy Valley.
These nearby fault zones, including the major Bristol-Granite, Garlock, Nipton, Cedar Canyon, and San Andreas faults, pushed and pulled and essentially mixed the geology of the Sandy Valley into a veritable wonderland of interesting geological sites. There are a dizzying number of outcrops made up a dozen or more layers of the earth's crust, made up of dozens of different minerals. This explains the many mine sites, most now abandoned ghost towns, in the area. Places where early settlers dug for silver, lead, gypsum, even talc. On highway I-15 just west of the Sandy Valley, you'll see mine shafts up high on the the red rock mountainsides. These are old gypsum mines which were abandoned early in this century. But gypsum is still mined on a very large scale at the nearby Blue Diamond Mine.
...as you turn off of interstate 15 just west of Las Vegas and begin your short trip back through time, as we like to say, "We're 45 minutes and 100 years from Las Vegas". You'll climb up through the Clark Mountains, wind through jagged sandstone formations and spiky green Joshua trees, see caves that were home to prehistoric peoples and the mine shafts where fortunes were made, and lost. All of the spectacular scenery found only in the Great Basin of the American west, the bighorn sheep, the coyotes, the jack rabbits and golden eagles that are all common sights here in the heart of the Sandy Valley.