The prediction of snow was correct. Snow fell lightly on and off throughout the day. And because the air and the ground were so warm, the snow melted right into the thirsty ground. So it’s not white out there … but it’s wonderfully wet!
Mud isn’t very photogenic, though, so you get to see Mysterium from a couple of days ago. 🙂
Because the post below this one published before I intended (!?), let’s try it again. And maybe, in the morning – this morning, hopefully – when THIS one posts, it will reflect what’s on the ground … again.
Above is Temple, seen the last time it snowed in the basin, a couple of weeks ago.
We’re due to get snow in the night and during the day today, and we can only hope!
Or ring-around-the-hill. 🙂 Madison checks the coast (for clearness) while Tenaz negotiates his way around the slope.
By the time this post publishes this morning, we should be getting snow?!
Yesterday was a day grey and very windy … and superbly, wonderfully soggy!!!!!
Above, Tesora displays her gorgeousity at the end of a magnificent day in Spring Creek Basin a few days ago, when the air was warm and the ground was dry, dry, dry. But as I didn’t have pix of soaking wet mustangs, I thought she’d have to do. 🙂
We are SO grateful for the moisture. It is seriously needed.
Yesterday was a day grey and very windy, hopefully foretelling rain to come! It was made most wonderful by the unexpected and wonderful (as always) sighting of Storm and his family.
We hope rain to come is as wonderful!
The last low rays of light just touch Mariah and the edges of Spring Creek canyon in the western part of Spring Creek Basin.
Still dusty out there. … We’re looking forward to a wet weekend!
Three lovelies – Houdini, Alegre and Maia – to start your day the bright way.
He’s not terribly tall, but he is dark (even when not backlit), and he’s wonderfully handsome. He’s Maiku, a wild stallion of Spring Creek Basin.
Today, walk in light, so all our tomorrows are as bright as they may be.
On Halloween, I had great fun hiking with a group from Telluride’s Sheep Mountain Alliance into a part of Spring Creek Basin that is overlapped by McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area.
Lexi and Mason from SMA brought five interested – and interesting – people to see this area that’s in the same county as Telluride (San Miguel) … and a world away climate- and geology- and geography-wise.
Disclaimer: The pic above of Juniper walking past McKenna Peak was NOT taken during our hike. 🙂
We didn’t see any of our fabulous mustangs during our hike in the far southeastern part of the basin, but we did see a couple of tarantulas and lots of cool fossils (including a couple of faint but awesome nautilus impressions!). I got to talk about my favorite subject ever (I bet none of you can guess what that is … ;)), and Lexi talked to us about McKenna Peak and the CORE Act – the Colorado Recreation and Economy Act.
From the website:
“The CORE Act is the most significant and broadly-supported effort to protect Colorado’s most cherished lands, waters, and forests in a generation. The legislation would protect roughly 400,000 acres of public lands in Colorado, ensuring that future generations can always enjoy our state’s mountains, rivers and wildlife.”
McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area is proposed for inclusion in the San Juan Mountains area. This link shows the locations of the areas; scroll down to read a little more about McKenna Peak and see where it’s located. The entire WSA isn’t included, just the part in San Miguel County. As with anything else, politics plays a part. Our San Miguel County commissioners are fully supportive of this inclusion, just as they were of the naming of Temple Butte, which is in San Miguel County.
Regular readers know the shape of both McKenna Peak and Temple Butte as icons of our Spring Creek Basin horizon. Given our location and lack of specific trails, I don’t think we’ll be overrun with visitors. But how cool would it be to see the status of even part of this amazing landscape go from wilderness study area to full wilderness area? It’s protected from motorized/mechanized-vehicle use currently, which enables it to feel secluded and protected to the wild horses and other lives that know its wildness (even us humans).
Being able to share it with another few like-minded humans gave me great enjoyment. To see their wonder and appreciation of this landscape I love … well, to be perfectly honest, it made me happy. 🙂
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 