A crazy ol’ wind blew in some stormy weather above Disappointment Valley on Saturday. Our biggest color change down here in the lower valley so far is flowering rabbitbrush and snake weed. But lookie: Up high, the aspen are going gold.
We didn’t get any rain in the mid- to lower valley or Spring Creek Basin (beyond, maybe, a handful of windblown drops). See Benchmark Lookout atop the Glade, right under the curtain of rain? Check out this short PBS video about fire lookouts Rick and Linda Freimuth, who staff the tower during fire season. Bonus points if you pick out Spring Creek Basin icons. 🙂 (And yes, we ARE very thankful for their observations!)
No rain, but it sure left some beauty in its wake before the hole in the clouds over the western horizon closed for the night.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Beautiful pictures & the “picture” into the life of the people who do the looking out from those towers. Seems like at this particular time, there should be MORE of those lookouts rather than less! They are so lucky to be able to live their lives that way.
Agreed. Having been to the top of Benchmark Lookout many years ago, I can attest to the fact that they have a terrific view!
The same phenomena in this valley, too. Fall is trying VERY hard to get in here for real.
Fall is much further along above Disappointment Valley; I took a nice little drive this afternoon. 🙂
It’s further along up in South Fork, too. I think those mountains scrape out all the good stuff before it can get here.
It’ll get to ya’ll. 🙂 Pretty soon, the cottonwoods along Disappointment Creek will catch up and turn golden, too (they’re already starting up-valley)!