Gaia
She’s standing all goofy here, but this is a big, bold, curious girl.
Gaia and Alegre
Almost as big as mama. She’s also a daddy’s girl and loves (step) Daddy Bounce.
Baby girl
Baby picture, taken four days after she was born. Can you believe she grew up into such a big strapping girl? She is Alegre’s firstborn.
Happy birthday, delightful girl!
“If you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes and it will change.”
I’ve heard that phrase spoken by locals in different states, and it’s true in all of them. Weather is especially changeable at the cusp of seasons, and as Friday was the first day of this year’s spring, was it any wonder that although March purred into beginning as a pussycat, by the second day after the beginning of a new season, the winds were roaring like a lion?
Sunday started with blue skies and fluffy white clouds and a wind howling like a … what howls with more power than a banshee? I’d never felt it so terrible. The wind was rude and pushy – literally. I do believe it carried and deposited half of Arizona into (at least) Southwest Colorado. By mid-afternoon, there was about 300 pounds of dirt per square air inch. One of the freakiest things I’ve ever seen.
Within minutes of driving into the basin, I spied Kreacher and his multi-color girls in their current favorite haunt along Spring Creek north of the first crossing. Compared with the wind, I was a creature not worthy of much attention.
Into the wind
Raven, Mona and Kreacher at ease. Is that a belly I spy …?
Napsters
Kootenai snuck up behind Raven, but she didn’t seem to mind.
Outward bound
Not even when Kootenai drove Mona away did Raven get involved.
Wind in her hair
The epitome of innocence (not).
Do you notice the abundance of sunshine? The blue sky?
By the time I got to the double ponds, I hadn’t see another horse. The wind was howling. It was – obviously – dry. The road was amazingly dry.
I thought I might find horses back in the east pocket. Nope. I did check the pond there. Water? Check. I thought I might find horses around every bend. Nope. The road was never bad enough to turn back. Dry. So dry. Where on Earth were the horses??
Finally, almost to the cutoff road to Horse Park, I spied Steeldust and his band and hangers-on below the long east-west hill, maybe somewhat protected from the worst of the wind. I turned around and headed back to a place closer to hike out.
The wind was enough to actually push me backward when I stopped to look around when I topped a hill farther south than where I had thought the horses would be. I thought I caught a glimpse of them around the bend, below the hill, but I decided to cross the little valley and see if Bounce, Alegre and Gaia were still in the same place I had previously seen them. When I topped the next hill, I found Bounce facing into the wind, watching … Steeldust’s band heading down the hill toward the far road.
Bounce at attention
I sat down in the wind (the better to be steady in the gale) to watch Steeldust’s horses through the binocs, and when I looked back at Bounce’s band, he was bouncing up to me, trying to figure out where the heck I had appeared from.
Alegre and Gaia
Let me tell you, shooting with the barrel of my lens straight into the jaws of the howling beast was, uh, not impossible but difficult as hell. Pretty, pretty girls.
I didn’t stay with them long. It’s hard to even describe the power of that wind, so I’ll let the next couple of pictures illustrate it.
Dust bowl
Do you recognize Filly Peak? Do you even see the outline of Filly Peak? I promise, it’s out there like a whale beached in the fog of the sea.
Brumley in the dust
The wind was out of the south, so (I guess) that’s why there was still some visibility to that direction. Meanwhile, it was all settling in the north of the bowl, err, basin.
Exit plan
You might be able to barely pick out the road down to the trap site in the upper middle part of this photo. Straight out is the first hill you drive in past the cattle guard and interpretive sign.
The road to oblivion
Filly Peak again, a little later but a little more visible – at that moment in time.
Renegades
The (at least) two cows and calves still in the basin. Their time was up the end of February. At least two other trucks were in the basin Sunday, but I don’t know whether they were related to the bovines.
Not in Oz anymore
This photo of Mona, Raven, Kootenai and Kreacher was taken about four-ish hours after the blue-sky pictures of Mona, Raven, Kootenai and Kreacher. Don’t adjust your monitors. These pictures were sharpened only – no other tweaking for contrast or color (I usually only boost contrast and sharpen anyway). That’s what it looked like. Spooky as all get out. This is from the road in the “flats” just below the water catchment looking north.
My Grey/Traveler boy and his family were down in the valley south of the catchment where it opens to the valley that runs southeast between what I called “bachelor ridge” last year and the hill above (east of) the hill above the corral off the county road. Did you get all that? They were hunkered down finding their own protection from the wind.
It was still daylight – sort of, in an eerie, horror-film kind of strange Hollywood-film way – so I headed out of the herd area and south on the county road with the idea that I’d park and hike back into the basin to look for the pintos and/or David and Shadow and/or Cinch and Bruiser – whichever came first and/or at all! This brings up another question for photographers: What white balance setting do you use when it’s not cloudy or shady or sunlit? Or otherwise? When it’s like looking through dusted rose-colored glasses – except the only reason you’re still wearing your shades is because your eyeball sockets are now the repositories of about 13,000 pounds of grit – each. I set white balance to auto. I never set white balance to auto.
Guess who I found right beside the road??
Painted ponies
And Copper, who suffers from being boringly solid (but shhh, don’t tell him!). Bonus points: Can you pick out the other boy in this image? Right to left: Spook, Reya, Kiowa and … Corazon … BETWEEN Copper and the girls?! As far as I know, Copper-nicus is still king among the spots, but he wasn’t at all worried about Corazon there. In fact, while I was watching them, it occured to me that no one passing by on the road who stopped to watch would know that this modern, dysfunctional family contains four boys, two mature ladies and two young ladies, let alone who was who or which or what. It works for them, eh?
Mesa
Ty
Auto white balance in a rose-dust world. Weeeeeird.
Girl between boys
Stallion Corazon, left, Chipeta-girl and stallion Ty.
Flirty girl
Chipeta chooses Ty.
Rejected girl
What is he, nuts?!
Copper and Kiowa
Easy-going.
Kiowa and Spook
The trouble with weaning your babies is that you then have to compete with them for every blade of chow on the ground.
I’d like to interrupt the progression of photos for just one minute and say that this was my best visit ever – bar none – with the pinto band (and their boys). For whatever reason, alpha-Kiowa-girl was cool as steel in the face of that blustering howler, and so was everyone else. Crazy wind isn’t usually the kind of weather where you expect your horse to be calm as a cucumber – am I right? Thank you, painted ponies!
Sissies
As in “sisters.” As in ain’t scairt of a huffy little wind that hides the sky and tangles the hair. Reya, big girl of almost 2, nuzzles baby sister Spook, who has a first of May birthday coming up.
Lookin-good girl
I wanted to include this pic of Kiowa because she’s looking good with baby weaned and winter (almost) over. She has some fat over her ribs, which were visible just a few weeks ago when last I saw her.
So it took a little longer than 10 minutes for the weather to change from blue to rose, but by the time Monday morning rolled around, it would change again – to white. 🙂 Stay tuned.
Words are useless to describe my experiences with the horses last weekend. So I’m not going to try. It has taken me several days to even get to where I could look at the photos I took because the memories – and the emotions they evoked – are so vivid, the photos really are just aids to remember.
It’s about the horses. Always about the horses …
Reya, Copper, Spook, Ty, Kiowa
Spook and Kiowa
David and Shadow
Shadow, David and Mesa
Shadow and David watch Corazon and Mesa
Corazon, Chipeta and Mesa
Shadow and David leaving
Pinto band settling down
Bruiser and Cinch nearby
Shadow and David later
Hook, Chrome and Duke
Duke and Chrome
Steeldusts band in front of McKenna Peak
Ember and family
Mouse and Comanche in front of Brumley Point
Steeldust and Comanche
Steeldust and Hook
Mahogany
Pinon under a juniper
Luna
Ember
Storm and Alpha
7-month-old Storm
Poco
Roach
Bones
Bones and Roach
Gaia and Bounce
Alegre
Gaia and Alegre
Two Boots, Iya and Twister
Houdini
Houdini and Two Boots
Jif
Jif, Iya, Houdini and Grey/Traveler
Grey, Houdini and Two Boots
Twister and Iya
Two Boots, Grey/Traveler and Iya
Although not everyone is pictured above, only Seven’s band did not make an appearance Saturday. The pictures of the pintos, David and Shadow and Bruiser and Cinch were taken early in the morning, and the pictures of Grey’s band were taken with the last bit of sunlight and after the sun had gone behind Filly Peak. A full day of horses.
Pictures from Sunday to come …
The weather forecasters were raining (and snowing) on my parade since about Thursday, after we’d had decidedly atypical Colorado February weather the past couple of weeks. After being sick last weekend and deciding to wait till this weekend to visit Spring Creek Basin, come hell, high water or a Johnny-come-lately snowstorm, I was heading north to get some face time with the ponies!
You’ll forgive me, again, I hope, for saying – again – what a beautiful day was my most recent visit (Saturday). The weather was undeniably gorgeous (61 degrees?!), and I had the opportunity to sit with three bands while they napped and grazed. I didn’t sit with Kreacher and the girls, but they were so interested in the cattle and a Suburban they all but ignored me as I stood nearby in the early morning sunlight during our visit.
Roach and the gang remain elusive, but I haven’t gone searching for them in their back-of-beyond favored territory. Did see the pintos from afar, and Seven’s, also way off yonder, still between the Tops. Didn’t see David and Shadow, Bruiser and Cinch. Pix of everyone else are but a downward scroll away.
Three girls and a boy
The cattle – a lot of them/most of them? – are up in the area near the entrance and west of the catchment. They have less than a month remaining of their time in the herd area, so I wonder if the ranchers have moved them closer in preparation for moving them out to the private property outside the herd area. When I drove in – the road was remarkably dry, by the way – I saw lots and lots of cattle … and one little grey non-cow-looking object: Kreacher, up on a little ridge, watching the cows go by. I parked by the water catchment to hike out to them, but from the road before I parked, I saw Grey (Traveler) and his band almost tucked away behind a little hill across the “valley” south of the catchment. It’s always a great day when I see my boy! The above pic of the girls and Kreacher was taken from a little ridgetop trail that basically goes from the water troughs at the catchment toward the pond just off the road to the trap site.
Look at the weird cows!
From left, Mona, Raven, Kootenai and Kreacher. Mona and Kreacher were shy this day, but none of them were so interested in me as they were in those cattle!
Sunshine nap
The girls must think it’s quite normal to have weirdo the two-legged (that would be me) around at random intervals. They don’t seem to be bothered by me in the least. Here’s Raven, getting some of her 40 winks. Hope that’s just belly fat?! She’s healthy, anyway!
Fuzzy horse
I love how fuzzy and furry she is! All the horses were fuzzy as can be, so I’m sure they know in their wild bones that winter is not quite over, despite the warm temperatures we’ve enjoyed lately.
Next stop: Traveler’s band. But when I walked down to where they had been, they weren’t there! I spotted them up on the ridge, probably on or close to the doubletrack that goes to Flat Top and the pond. I’m not sure if they had water on their minds, but when I reached the ridge top, they were walking a diagonal back slightly toward me. I thought they might be going toward the Spring Creek arroyo, so I went back to the Jeep and braved the V arroyo (did I mention how dry the road was?), then turned on the “north-south” doubletrack. By the time I got that far, they had crossed that road and had slowed down to graze. When it looked like they weren’t going to make a beeline to water, I parked and walked out toward them.
Blue ridges
Conventional photography wisdom says “shoot with the light at your back.” This isn’t directly shot into the light – but close. We had some high, thin clouds during the day – mostly sunny, but sometimes a heavy enough cloud would cross the path of the sun and turn the sky cloudy. Whatever combination of light was going on here, I happen to like how the photo turned out of dun Jif and dark grey Two Boots! That’s Knife Edge in the distance.
Houdini
She’s still not too sure about me. Lucky for me, she tolerates her stallion’s tolerance for this two-legged!
Grazing
When it became clear they were going to settle down to the business of eating, I angled around the other side of them – and got a white sky for my troubles. Ha.
Little boy, big girl
Twister (back) will be a 2-year-old this year (along with Two Boots), but this orphan is still a little guy. Iya (front) will be a yearling the end of April.
The boys
Twister and Traveler don’t seem to mind being the only boys in the family.
Le petite Jif
Is there a baby in that belly?! She didn’t have a foal last year (and wasn’t gathered), so as far as I know, this will be her first baby.
From my visit with Kreacher and the girls, I spotted horse-ant dots against the very same hill where I found Steeldust’s band a few weeks ago, and if you can believe it, I drove out to the loop road, parked a little northwestish of the old enclosure and hiked out to them. The road, if I haven’t been clear, was unbelievably dry. I thanked my lucky stars, but that’s just not right in February! (The stars held off, for whatever reason, and it’s snowing here now – Sunday.)
But when I got close enough to see their hill, all I saw were Bounce and Gaia, close together, and Alegre a short distance away. That baby girl loves her daddy (not really her sire)! But by the time I started hiking, there wasn’t a horse to be seen – except, in the other direction, Seven and Molly up against Round Top. Off I went.
All the trails I’ve learned in the basin are the result of walking out to the horses – whether directly from the Jeep or on a long walkabout loop. What I always find interesting is finding a trail for the first time, then having it become familiar because the horses are suddenly hanging out somewhere. It was like deja vu walking back out to that hill, even though I couldn’t actually see any horses at that point. This was also the point a few weeks ago when I found out Aspen had stolen Piedra and Baylee from Hollywood. I walked up the ridge where Duke had walked to join Chrome and Hook that day, then followed the little diagonal trail to the top of another ridge, which I had gone up on last time to look over the other side …
The first ponies I saw were Duke, Chrome and Hook. Then Bounce, Alegre and Gaia between the boys and Steeldust’s band. Then, running toward Steeldust’s band from the left – Hollywood and Comanche, hot on the heels of Aspen, Piedra and Baylee! Weird timing, but I don’t think they had seen me because I hadn’t seen any horses and approached from the wide open. They must have been just around the end of that hill/ridge I was on.
Bachelors
Alegre, Gaia and Bounce – top – ran for the opening between the bachelors and the big band, then the bachelors – Duke, Chrome and Hook – went toward the band.
So close
Then Bounce’s band sort of stopped to watch Hollywood challenge Aspen to get “his” mares back. They were totally oblivious to Bounce and his mare and foal. Piedra galloped toward the band with Baylee right with her. At one point, Hollywood actually got between the mares and Aspen, but re-claiming his mares was not to be, and they remain Aspen’s mares!
Sorting it out
At left, you can see grey Piedra and Baylee (big star, strip and snip) with Aspen (star) behind them. Hollywood is in the middle, torn between them and Comanche and Mouse – you can see their matching grey-brown butts behind Steeldust toward the right; Mouse is the right of those butts, trying to cut Comanche (the left butt) away from the band.
Eventually, they all ran out into the open, away from Knife Edge. I waited on my ridge until they got everybody separated and ran out of steam, then went down toward the end of Knife Edge. I had seen Bounce and family earlier this year but from a great distance – no pix – so they were my goal. Except that when I got down to where I could see the horses out in the open starting to settle down and graze, Bounce was nowhere to be seen. Alegre seems to favor that little “valley” between Knife Edge and Lizard Mesa as a sort of escape route (from either direction), so I figured they’d go that way. Sure enough, from one of the trails that goes up over that “flank” of Knife Edge, I could see Bounce, Alegre and Gaia, also seemingly settled down and grazing.
Bounce is pretty tolerant of me, so I walked slowly up and over until he saw me, then stopped so he could recognize me. What a boy. He’s one of my favorites because he’s so smart and laid back. He’s been around the block, you might say, and he doesn’t waste energy where it’s not needed, and thankfully, he apparently doesn’t see me as something to waste energy over! Alegre and Gaia were walking slowly eastish, grazing as they went. I came down the hill so Bounce could see me through the trees and waited. He looked toward Alegre and the baby a few times, but he just cocked a hip and otherwise stood looking at me. Hmm. That shady side of Knife Edge was still soupy from melting snow (the most snow I’d seen still in the basin), so I didn’t really want to walk through the mud when it had been such easy – dry – walking, and I didn’t want to go after Alegre and Gaia and thus get between them and Bounce. If I had done that, I figured Bounce would go running toward them, and they’d all take off. So I found a nice little boulder on Bounce’s sunny side and sat down to see what happened.
At some point, Alegre must have realized Bounce wasn’t following her, so she came back to him. Did Bounce know she would come back?! Or did he just figure he and I were fine alone, together? Oh, I try not to anthropomorphize … but it’s hard NOT to wonder what they’re thinking!
Baby loves mama!
One of my favorite mares … one of my favorite babies (though I can’t really say I have a least-favorite baby!?). And another little belly. Gaia was born around April 22, so around that time is when I expect Alegre’s next baby. Hey, if the politicos and football talkers can speculate, so can I!
Faces
Three of my favorites. 🙂
One more
Can’t have too many pix of this beautiful little family.
Wild black stallion
Lizard Mesa and the east pocket in the background.
Alegre finally got tired of ignoring me, so she sauntered off back up the valley (you can just barely see her and Gaia above “Spring” and the “C” in Creek). I took a few more looks back at the boy as I left, then he stretched and moseyed on after them! No energy wasted in the observation of this human!
Disappearing ponies seemed to be a theme of the day because when I went back over the flank of Knife Edge to see Steeldust’s band and head back to the Jeep, they were all gone! But it was about midday, time for a drink. Mouthfuls of snow weren’t readily available like they had been until recently. I figured if I waited long enough, I’d see them pop up out of Spring Creek. When I waited long enough to amend that thought to “… if they haven’t already popped up and gone up the hill and over the road and out of sight,” they appeared. Stinkers. I’m not privy to their timetable, of course.
Midday nap
By the time I crossed “the big open” and picked up a trail to the arroyo and up the hill and made it up to them, it was time for their midday nap (not to be confused with the equally important mid-morning nap). From right to left, Butch, Storm, Alegre, Kestrel, Pinon, Mahogany (and Sundance’s back), Steeldust, Luna and napping Ember at the very left edge of the picture. Filly Peak in the distance. They were just a hop, skip and a jump from the loop road here. I sat with the ponies for quite a while and enjoyed every peaceful minute.
Outcast
Aspen sandwiched between Baylee, left, and Piedra. Hollywood at right.
Windblown
The wind picked up at some point mid- to late morning and started blowing with a vengeance. Even so, it was never cold. I love how the wind is blowing tendrils of Chrome’s tail. That’s Hook at left. Duke was a short distance farther to the left. I noticed when I first saw this pic that Hook’s snip-hook seems to have faded right away as he gets a little more grey. Chrome’s face looks really white from a distance, but here you can still see the outline of his blaze.
Convenient chin rest
There’s good baby Storm (almost 6 months old!) letting “uncle” Butch rest on his back.
Show me the love
I wish I knew the exact relationship of these look-alikes. Brothers? Surely. Twins? Who knows?? Butch, right, tries to give Sundance a little nuzzle, but SunnyD is suspicious of his motives …
Gotcha!
… For good reason!
Lover boy
Steeldust was looking for a little romance, but Luna shot him down.
New season
If you had a belly like that, you probably wouldn’t be up for much romancin’, either! Ember was the first foal last year, likely born April 18 or April 19. Pinon, in the background, was born around May 13, right before last year’s count by the Four Corners Back Country Horsemen. The count is May 16 this year. All the babies seem to be weaned (except Storm). I saw Luna, Mahogany and Alegre raise a hind leg, pin ears, nip or just walk away when the babies even thought about sneaking a slurp (I didn’t see Iya even try).
Luna and Ember
Being weaned doesn’t mean the “old” babies don’t still get comfort from mamas, though.
Pinon and his mama
Can’t help but look ahead a year or so when it will be time for Steeldust to kick last year’s babies out of his band to start their lives with new families – a new stallion or a group of bachelor buddies.
Wild world
I’m a sucker for taking pix of the ponies with the La Sal Mountains in the background, in case no one has noticed. Big girl Kestrel will be 2 this year – same age as Baylee, who already has left the band.
That old wind was fierce, and I had had such a great day (saw Seven again, and Roja) that I decided to head home, glad the snow held off for one more day. It was pretty nice to be able to drive in as far as I did, which enabled me to do a few short hikes as opposed to one great big one, but I’ll be the first to make a wish for more snow. The pond by Flat Top, which dried up early last year, like the one south of Round Top, is still dry so far – like the RT pond. We need more moisture for the coming dry months.
Thanks, ponies, for our time in the sun!
Seven and his girls
Look who decided to make an appearance: Seven, left, Molly and Roja. They were at the yucky little water hole between Flat Top and Round Top on Saturday with Bruiser and Cinch. Molly is showing her age, but she looks pretty good. Roja is downright fat! Seven is handsome as ever. That light patch on Molly’s hip is just dried mud, in case you were wondering, like I was.
I walked out to them on the trail that goes around the west side of Round Top and connects to the trail that runs along the ridge sort of south of Flat Top down to the water hole that has been dry since April. Right along that ridge trail is where Bruiser and Cinch were grazing. Seven saw me for quite a while as I was hiking, but the spotted boys were oblivious until I was fairly close.
Wide open invisible
This is Cinch, with Seven in the background. I was standing in the middle of the trail here, in full view of Seven, and I had expected Cinch and Bruiser to spot me much earlier than this. In fact, although you can see Cinch’s eye here, he still hasn’t noticed me.
Hello!
Cinch pretends to finally notice Seven.
And hello!
Now they see me. Bruiser on the left.
Boys
A wider shot showing Seven in the background.
Molly and Roja
See how fat is Roja? She’s the sorrel mare walking away. The white stuff is the salty stuff around the little water puddle. And that’s Molly looking at me.
Mr. Handsome
Seven was not very happy about the proximity of the pinto stallions, but they insisted on sticking around.
Bruiser and Seven
Older and recent band stallion Bruiser seemed to recognize Seven’s dominance, and neither he nor Cinch put up much “fight.”
Arabian knight?
“How cool am I?” Seven seems to ask here. Isn’t he beautiful?
El Victorio
Very satisfied with himself.
Seven
I have definitely missed seeing this boy.
Molly, Seven and Roja
This was taken near the road to Round Top looking sort of northish, maybe slightly northeastish.
Boys with spots
One more of Cinch, left, and Bruiser. What if Bruiser is Cinch’s sire? Similar faces, eh? But check out those little curvy hooks at the tips of Cinch’s ears! Cute!
Quiet time
Steeldust’s band was right along the base of the roller-coaster ridge, just a little southeast of the pond. They were fairly spread out. Mouse was close to the family band (seen above minus Kestrel, Steeldust and Mahogany and Pinon), Aspen, Comanche and Duke were hanging out with Hollywood, Piedra and Baylee, and the breakaway boys – Chrome, Kreacher and Hook – were even farther south. In the photo above, from left, Storm, Alpha, Ember and Luna, Butch (hard to see) and Sundance. You may not be able to see it in this small photo, but Ember is totally eyeing me even while having her snack.
Luna and Kestrel
Luna and her yearling filly, Kestrel. Even though yearling filly Baylee (Mahogany’s daughter) decided to join Hollywood’s little band with Piedra (who might be her big sister), Kestrel is still with the big family.
Luna and her babies
Luna and her youngest babies, Ember and Kestrel. And a bonus background. Can you guess? That’s Filly Peak way off yonder to the west.
Steeldust
Family man Steely Dan walking toward Luna (and Ember and Kestrel) with the beautiful La Sal Mountains in the background.
Pinon and Mahogany
I think young Mr. Pinon is growing up to be such a handsome young man!
Alpha, Storm and Sundance
Storm looks slightly disembodied here, but he’s still lying down as in that first photo of the group.
Little prince
A closer look …
Soooo sleepy
Check out his wispy little “Trojan horse” mane!
Napping
Daddy Steeldust was taking advantage of the warm sunshine, too. Flat Top in the background.
Boo-boo
Hollywood and Mouse got into a little play fight last Sunday while we watched them near the end of the day. Although none of us thought they were being at all serious, Hollywood came away with a cut on his lip, and Mouse has an apple-size swelling on his neck.
Hearts
Say it with me now: Awwwww. I love how their faces seem to mimic the shape of a heart. Piedra, left, and Hollywood.
Alegre and Gaia
These last photos were actually taken at the very end of the day Friday (all the other pictures on this post were taken Saturday). Bounce and his girls were down on the other, north, side of the roller-coaster ridge.
Bounce m'boy
Only beautiful
Think “goose,” think Seven, think more than a month since I’ve seen the boy and his girls. The gauntlet has been thrown, and I’m on the trail of Seven, Molly and Roja. My trail has been cold so far, and this weekend wasn’t any different. I’ll keep looking – it’s half the fun!
Since a report a few weekends ago that Seven had been spotted near Brumley Point, I’ve been concentrating my searches in that area. Last weekend, I hiked in and went around farther south. This weekend, I hiked in and made a loop up to the northwest to Round Top and around westish and southish back to the road. Did see the pintos and their solid pals. Did see Bruiser and Cinch. Did see the Glynns riding between Flat and Round tops.
Waiting
Have I mentioned these spotted creatures of habit? Hill. Pintos. Check. Call it my natural stair-stepper, that hill. Copper, Kiowa, Reya, Spook, Chipeta and Ty were toward the top of the hill – Mesa and Corazon out of sight – and they saw me coming from a mile away (maybe literally). But they were calm, and I set a diagonal course to reach the top of the hill south of them. When I poked up at the top edge of the hill, Spook-girl spotted me right away, but Chipeta – seen here – and Kiowa (at least) were standing so they faced down the hill. Watching for me? Surely. I waited until they noticed Spook’s attention and saw me, then walked on up. I had a fairly single-minded goal of looking for Seven’s band, and I wasn’t necessarily going to take any more photos of this band, but who can resist? Not me.
Stallion action
With Mesa and Corazon presumably in the trees – out of my sight, anyway – Ty decided to make his move. It was not a move well received by either Copper or the girls, however. You can kinda see Chipeta – far left – at the lower end of a kick to the boys. I’m not sure she was aiming for either of them particularly, just both of them.
Mama and babies
Resistance is futile?? Who can resist those faces? That’s Mama Kiowa with baby Spook in the middle and yearling Reya.
Around then, there was a whinny from the trees – Mesa or Corazon? It turned out to be a “where are you guys” call from Corazon. One thing I’ve noticed is that the ponies rarely whinny, and the message seems fairly urgent when they do. Mesa came out later.
Having seen Cinch and Bruiser between Flat Top and Round Top on Saturday, I didn’t expect to see them there again, but I had seen David and Shadow there a few weekends ago, so that area was my northernmost goal. When I first saw the boys, they were looking at something, but all I could see was something red through the trees. It turned out to be the Glynns, watching the boys from the other side. They rode up to where I was, and we chatted a bit, then they rode on south to see the pintos (still out on their hill), and I headed southwestish. Soon after I watched David and Doris ride over a ridge east of Round Top, I spotted Poco and Bones way, way far away against the far grey hills. Roach must have been nearby. Not another horse did I see – except the pintos again as I approached the Jeep.
Seven, pony, where are you?
Into the basin on the main road. Binoculars helped me spot the new girls – still on THEIR hill. I stopped at the water catchment to check the level of water in the drinking troughs; I turned off the flow of water Saturday. Still good.
Didn’t see Grey/Traveler and his band on my way in, but I did see them on my way out – still near the catchment. They’re definitely staying close to that fresh water.
On the loop road, as I approached the Round Top intersection, some of Steeldust’s horses, then Bounce came into view, looking at something. Then I saw Doris and David, so I stopped so I wouldn’t interfere with their observation of the horses. I was within view of that old enclosure right off the road but pretty far from the horses and at least partially blocked from their view by hills. I thought the horses would head west and low, toward the arroyo, and I’d see them appear out in that “valley.” So I took the time to write some notes on my earlier adventures … then looked up to see horses coming right toward me!
Alegre and Gaia
Bounce’s girls stopped ahead of and east of the Jeep.
Bounce
Bounce stopped behind them and looked back for followers. What a handsome boy he is. They trotted on down the hill, out of sight, and ended up out in the open to the east.
Two mamas, two babies
Storm and Alpha, Ember and Luna.
When the band realized I was there and saw the Jeep, they stopped, milled around, then started grazing – or just standing around like cool cats.
Three boys grey
Kreacher, Hook and Chrome.
More boys
A wider view of more boys: Comanche at left and Aspen and Duke in the center (Aspen standing sideways to the camera). Knife Edge in the background.
Pals
Hook and Chrome. Sometimes I wonder how long some of these bachelor boys have known each other. Did they grow up together, like Storm and Pinon?
Hollywood and girls ... and one little boy
Hollywood with Piedra and Baylee – sisters, I think – with Pinon in the background. Pinon is definitely Baylee’s little brother. If Piedra’s dam also is Mahogany, he’s her little brother, too! You can see the road behind him.
Around this time, the Glynns had ridden up on a far ridge, and I realized we had the horses trapped between us. Plus, the horses all turned around to look at them, so then I had only butt shots! I started moving around them toward the Glynns so the horses didn’t feel squeezed and could continue on if they chose. They were very calm, though, and had mostly started grazing again.
Snack time
I’m not sure if Alpha here was looking at my Jeep or at Bounce, Alegre and Gaia as they moved away from the ridge and horses and humans and excitement. Steeldust had walked around Alpha as Storm nursed and stopped right in front of her, as if to keep her from going any farther.
Auntie Luna standing by
Again with the wider view, here to show “Auntie Luna” very close by.
Little boy, little girl
Storm and Ember
Like mother, like son
Striking similiarity, eh? Mahogany and Pinon. Ember and Storm were just to the left, and they tagged along in Pinon’s wake as he passed them with Mama.
I walked the road down to where David and Doris were watching from their hill. The horses stayed in the area for quite a while as we talked and watched them. When they started to move on, so did we, both taking the road back toward the dugout intersection.
Heading out
This may actually be the photo I was thinking of when I wrote this morning’s post about Saturday’s adventures. That IS Flat Top in the background. So many landmarks … so many ways to present them!
Closer look
Zoom-zoom.
Uneventful, the rest of the day. We woke up to snow Monday morning in Mancos, so I hope the basin got some more of that moisture. It melted right away here, so I’m sure it did there as well. We’ll take all the moisture we get after our recent dry spell. Weather is certainly turning toward winter. The ponies are all fuzzy and look great.
Grey against the blue
The horses had a visitor Saturday: Dale from the Denver area. I met her at the main entrance Saturday, we drove in searching for horses. We ended up seeing all the northern horses except Seven and the girls (and they may have become southern horses …), so it was a great experience. We even saw the new mares from a distance – still by themselves, still up in the hills above the trap site.
Our first close-up was of Traveler’s band, just south of the water catchment. He knew something was up, that he had a visitor, so he gave her a little of the old show (which I rarely get anymore because he’s so used to me).
Greeting
He trotted down to the mares and youngsters, the better to protect them.
Defending his turf
With Twister and Houdini and a little slice of far background, looking southeastish.
We drove onward to the loop road and took it counter-clockwise. We spotted Bruiser and Cinch between Round Top and Flat Top – closer to FT – napping in the sunshine. It turned out to be a gorgeous day – perfect after the snow earlier in the week. We also spotted the white spot that is Alpha with her compadres up on the roller-coaster ridge. Below them we could see other horses, which I assumed were bachelors until we got closer. The far horses were bachelors, but the horses closest to us were …
Bashful girl
Alegre and Gaia and …
Big Daddy
Bounce.
These were taken through the Jeep’s window; the horses were below the level of the road and just northish of that pond. We drove on until we could see Steeldust’s band through the trees, then parked and got out to walk to them.
Innocents
I took this photo of Storm and Ember – standing right on the road – but then I looked down, and there was Kestrel coming up from a notch in the hill on the other side of the road – right in front of us! And she was followed by Mahogany! We stopped immediately, but they were as surprised as we were and trotted on up to the band, which trotted on down the hill. Roller-coaster ridge earns its name; it’s narrow along most of its length, and you can see right off either side except straight down. We had seen Hollywood lounging in the distance, watching us, hip cocked, and he and his girls were the last to follow. The horses formed into a line on the other side of the ridge heading toward the pond, but we didn’t know at that point if they had already been to water or if they were heading that way anyway.
Roach and Bones
A little farther on, on the southeast side of the ridge that continues after the road drops over the other side, we spotted Poco, Bones and Roach.
Poco
You can see tiny patches of snow behind Poco, remnants from last Tuesday’s storm.
By then, we had seen everybody I expected to see, so we turned around there so we didn’t have to drive over the roughest parts of the loop road and so we could see the horses again on the return trip.
Band at water
This also answered a previous question, when we saw the horses wading into and drinking at the pond. That’s actually Flat Top in the background. Round Top is more southwest from this position. CORRECTION: Bob Ball emailed to say he thought this hill in the background is Round Top, and he’s right. I was thinking of a different pic taken from a different perspective, farther down the road, looking at Flat Top, which is farther from the water hole.
Band at water 2
A zoomed-in look at almost the same image. You can pick out Steeldust, standing in the first image; walking in the second.
We also passed Bounce, Alegre and Gaia a second time, still in about the same place, and Grey/Traveler’s band, who had moved out into the open from the low hills they were on earlier. All the babies were down for naps in the sunshine. The new mares were lower on their hill, but Dale needed to get back. Nice to meet you; hope you visit the ponies again!
The third hunting season ended the day before I got to the basin, and knowing there had been at least two camps at water, I wanted to make sure they had cleaned up after themselves. Californians had been at the trap site, and they did a pretty good job of taking their trash with them. I’m not sure why people think aluminum cans will burn away in the campfire, but I did pick some of those out of the ashes. There were at least two new trails down to Spring Creek – all with hoof prints – but I don’t know if the mares made the trails or if the hunters did and the mares are using them. I headed up the hill to get a look at the girls.
Girl band
They look plenty comfortable where they are.
Grazing
One thing I noticed is that they’re actually eating what grass is there, and by that I mean they seemed to bypass the “shrubs” – the greasewood and four-winged saltbush (names I just learned). I watched the black mare get at the grass (if you can really call it that; it’s very dry and brown and shriveled) at the base of a small greasewood bush, but she didn’t touch the bush. Makes me wonder if they don’t have those plants in Sand Wash Basin? Or never learned to eat them? At that point, I tried to really look at their body conditions, but they still look good. Fuzzy, but I don’t think they’ve lost any weight.
Friendly girls
Here are the apricot dun and black pinto mare, pretty close to each other while the other dun mare grazes ahead of them.
Meanie girl
And here, a few minutes later, black mare gave apricot dun mare a warning sizzle. Sheesh. Black mare definitely has ‘tude!
I was on my way back to the Jeep at that point and figured it was a good time to go ahead and leave them to their own devices.
David Glynn, a frequent visitor to the basin, and his wife, Doris, had pulled in with two horses (Buck and borrowed horse Wally) while I was visiting the girls. I stopped to chat with them, and while we were talking, one truck drove into the basin and one truck drove out. Those were the only vehicles I had seen all day. Traveler’s band had been at the water catchment for a drink then moved out into the open to graze. The folks in the inward-bound truck stopped to watch them, then turned around at the catchment and drove back by for another look. I don’t know what it was about that truck, but Traveler watched it all the way out of the basin.
On guard
He turned his head a couple of times to look at me as I drove by, but mostly he stayed focused on the truck. I took this photo from the road after it curved away from Filly Peak and heads straight to the catchment, and the truck he’s watching was at the far side of that big open area, almost to where it curves out of sight and heads to the entrance.
I went on around to check the camp at Wildcat Spring – which should not have been a camp in my ever-so-humble opinion. I took a bag of trash (mostly cans from the fire pit) away from the camp at the trap site; I took five bags and an old cardboard box away from the Wildcat Spring site. People also had left two elk skins, three legs, the remains of at least three rabbits, two still-full cans of beans, three pairs of socks (?!), more cans in the fire/trash (?) pits and two half-full rolls of toilet paper on a branch near a box topped with a toilet lid (of course I didn’t touch that!), among other things. They had also driven their ATV to and across and alongside the spring AND somehow scooped up mud as a dyke across the water, though not very effectively. Not to mention the previously mentioned (in a previous post) second driveway. Not cool. WAY not cool. Very disappointing.
Copper and the girls with spots
What a beautiful weekend! Too warm for the hunters still, maybe, but perfect for wandering the wild for our wild beasties. I had a report from Durangoans Tom and Amanda that they had seen Seven, Molly and Roja last weekend at the base of Brumley Point, so that’s where I headed first.
The pinto girls with their boys were on top of the hill they favor, but I gave them a wave and headed on to Brumley. I ended up going almost to the southern boundary fence and looked down into the “meadow” area you can see from the county road across from the Black Snag Road. I made extensive use of my binoculars. I sat on a hill at the base of Brumley and enjoyed the world.
Yeah, I never saw the grey boy and his girls.
The pic above was taken on my way back across the hill. Copper is at right, then Chipeta, Reya, Spook and Kiowa.
Girl guard
Here, Chipeta gives me the stare-down while Copper grazes and Corazon sticks close.
Boy guard
And here’s Copper taking his stallion duties seriously with Kiowa, right, and Corazon in the background.
Kiowa and her baby girls
Mama Kiowa, back right, with baby Spook in the middle and yearling Reya at left.
Ignorance is bliss
Baby Spook ignores Copper having a little “stay away, pal” chat with Ty.
Blended family
All together now: from left, Kiowa, Spook, Reya, Chipeta, Ty, Copper behind Ty, Corazon and Mesa. This is looking slightly northeast. The south side of Round Top is just a bit to the left.
A hunter was waiting at my Jeep on the county road when I hiked out. His question surprised me: “Is this private land?” I told him it was the wild horse herd management area. Then he told me he had just let his buddy out a bit farther up the road. Sooo … kind of a belated question if he thought it was private land? He was after “the big one,” but I told him I’d seen just one deer since spring. He went his way, and I headed up to the main part of the basin.
The first thing I noticed after driving in the main entrance was a hunting camp down at the trap site by Spring Creek – right by the creek, which has running water. Then I spotted the new girls, so I decided I wasn’t going to be shy about driving past the camp to park and hike up the hills to see the mares.
In step
Our new girls look comfortable in their new environment. They’re still together, by themselves. (I did tell them there are many handsome stallions to be found in Spring Creek Basin!)
Curious girls
The girls are curious, not afraid. Makes me wonder how many visitors they had in their Sand Wash Basin home.
Grey boys
I didn’t stay too long with the mares; there’s plenty of time to get to know them. Steeldust’s big group was hanging out right near the loop road, close to the Round Top intersection. I stopped the Jeep before I got to them and just watched them from there for a while. They ended up walking right past me, and I never left the Jeep. In the pic above are Kreacher, ignoring me, Chrome looking at something in the distance and Hook peeking over Chrome’s back.
Peek-a-boo Pinon
Pinon wasn’t above playing the peek-a-boo game, using mama Mahogany to hide behind.
Ember, too
Ember had recently submerged herself in mud, so she may have been feeling a little shy!
After the act
One of the weirdest things I’ve seen yet happened Saturday. Butch bred Alpha – with Steeldust standing about 5 feet away. Butch is one of the two young rose-grey stallions (the other is Sundance) in Steeldust’s band. I’ve been wondering when he was going to kick them out. I think, possibly, Luna is their dam, and I think they’re 2-3 years old. Earlier this year, Sundance decided to hang out with the boys for a few hours, but neither of them has really demonstrated any signs of sexual maturity – until now! (Although they got a little jealous when Hollywood bred Piedra in May.) It has been three months and a week since Storm was born. Alpha got the PZP when she was released last August after the roundup, and my understanding is that she will continue to come into heat. The only theory I have is that Steeldust had already bred her so didn’t mind if Butch had his chance?! Alpha was obviously in heat and receptive. In the pic above, you can see Steely Dan straight behind Alpha.
Venting
Then Steeldust chased Hook off. (What did HE do?!)
Nursing
Then Storm decided it was snack time.
As the world turns, eh?
In sync
These little boys are practically inseparable. Storm was obviously playing in the same mud puddle Ember found so inviting.
Baylee and Hollywood
The family dynamics are certainly interesting to watch in this big band. Hollywood and his small harem are with – and separate from – the band. (What a stud! He gets two girls while the bachelors are still, well, bachelors!)
Piedra and Hollywood
Holls and his other girl, Piedra. Busy day at the spa, eh?
When the ponies had ambled on past the Jeep, it looked like they were going to wander down the hill to the arroyo. I drove on to go around the loop. Guess who I spotted from the roller-coaster ridge road, in almost exactly the same spot where Poco, Bones and Roach were last Sunday?
The beautiful Bounce band
Bounce, left, and his lovely ladies, Gaia, center, and Alegre.
Bounce and Gaia
“Daddy” Bounce and baby Gaia.
Gaia and Alegre
Baby and Mama. I think Gaia plans to keep her sorrel color. She’s still bright red; Ember, Iya and Storm, all born sorrel, are all turning grey.
I hiked down to them on the same trail I found last weekend, and glad I did: Grey/Traveler and his band were behind a hill, close to Knife Edge, where I couldn’t see them from the road. It was cool to see them, but I didn’t hike any closer to them so I could stay on the opposite side of the arroyo from Bounce’s band and not worry Alegre. I did drive on around the loop, but I didn’t see any more horses.
Despite the resemblance to Grand Central Station – people, people, everywhere – it was a beautiful day with beautiful horses in a beautiful place.
Tuesday, I had the pleasure to meet up with Kathe Hayes, with the San Juan Mountains Association, Bob Ball, BLM manager of the Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, and Mimi and Ken and Wendy, high bidders for the tours offered during the silent auction at the main Pony Up event in Durango back in August (I think there also was another, second high bidder for another tour). Bar none, Kathe provided the best lunch I’ve had in the basin. Our lunch bags were almost bottomless! We also got great lessons in plant identification from Bob.
I camped in the basin overnight so I could scout some bands for the group.
Iya and Houdini
Grey/Traveler’s band was northeast of Filly Peak when I arrived in the evening.
Babes in the wild
Big girl Iya, left, is nearly as big as her big sister Two Boots and big adopted brother Twister, both yearlings. Iya is 5+ months old.
I was racing the setting sun, so I left them grazing on a hillside below the road and drove on into the interior of the basin to see who else I could find before dark. Steeldust’s band was back by Wildcat Spring. Bachelors Mouse, Comanche and Aspen are still with the band, and the “breakaway boys,” Duke, Hook, Kreacher and Chrome, are still hanging out in the north (we saw them Tuesday). Shadows had filled the basin clear to the eastern hills, so I found a rock and sat with the band for a little while until it got almost too dark to see them. It’s so fun to watch the babies of that band – Ember, Pinon and Storm! They’re curious about everything!
The next morning, Steeldust’s band was fairly close to Traveler’s band, just down the hill from the water catchment, napping and taking advantage of the warm sun (frost on the windshield that morning!). Maybe both bands are using the water tanks?! The vegetation is kinda “slim pickin’s” back in the east, so I went north looking for Duke’s group. I hiked the trail around the hill from the water hole but didn’t spot them. But from that area, I spied Seven and the girls, Molly and Roja, far yonder south, north of Round Top. By the time I drove out on the loop, they were headed south between Flat Top and Round Top, Steeldust’s group was on the road toward Flat Top (possibly the water hole there?), and Traveler’s band had run down the hill toward Steeldust’s into the broad “valley” south of the catchment.
I spotted Chrome and Co. on the north hills before I got to Kathe and the tour folks at the interpretive sign, but the boys had slipped out of sight again by the time we got rolling. Unfortunately, Traveler’s band was way out toward Flat Top, and Steeldust’s band headed over the loop road toward the east-west hill by the time we got to the catchment. Steeldust’s band stopped to graze in the big open area west of Knife Edge by the time we got in position on the road. Hollywood and his girls – Piedra and Baylee – do seem to be with but slightly apart from the band. They show no inclination to wander off on their own, but Steeldust seems to have decided they’re with Hollywood; he actually snaked them away from his band Monday night while I watched.
Right around the intersection to Round Top, we spotted Seven in the trees in the area between Round and Flat tops. Ken may have seen the mares, but I don’t think the rest of us did. We had lunch on the roller-coaster ridge overlooking the only pond that didn’t go dry this summer and found what seemed to be a gravesite for “Molly” marked “05-07.” She has a pretty incredible view. Thanks again to Kathe for the most excellent lunch.
We made it all the way around the loop in Kathe’s Land Cruiser. I had hoped to spot Poco, Bones and Roach because I haven’t seen them for several weeks now, but it wasn’t to be. In fact, we didn’t spot horses again until Ken cried horse on the road to the north entrance – it was Bounce! I hadn’t seen him, Alegre or Gaia for a few weeks, either, so I was happy to see them … except that we saw just Bounce and baby Gaia. We were in the pinon-juniper, but we all got out and looked – nada. We drove on and spotted the boys, right near the north pond. They ran farther north, so we didn’t get a good look at them, but I’m glad they’re all still together.
On the way back toward the intersection, we stopped, and Bob and I hiked up the hill toward Bounce and Gaia to see if we could find Alegre. I was pretty nervous by that point, memories of not finding Starla with Molly, Seven and Roja a month or so ago still fresh. We headed up toward Bounce, then lost him in the trees and veered off to come up to the side of him and the filly. Then Bob, who was back to my left, spotted a tail swishing in the trees. I thought I’d misjudged or the horses had moved and we had come up the hill right below Bounce, which wasn’t what I wanted to do … but then Alegre streaked across a gap in the trees! Good grief. I could strangle her for scaring me so badly, thinking something might have happened to her … 🙂 She and Gaia reunited, then they trotted off with Bounce.
Alegre and Gaia
When we first saw Gaia and Bounce, everyone commented on how big Gaia is. She’s about 3 days younger than Ember, the oldest of this year’s foals, and about five days older than Iya, who is enormous. I told Bob I was really worried when we didn’t see Alegre because “she’s one of my favorites.” Bob correctly summarized that they all seem to be my favorites, but, really, Alegre and Gaia are among my *favorite* favorites!
And that was about our day. We drove back to Dolores via the county and Dolores-Norwood roads. I looked for the southern horses on the way past but didn’t spot anybody. It was a gorgeous day – just about perfect as far as weather. The basin got some rain from the weekend’s rain/snow storms, but none of the roads were enough to deter Kathe or her Cruiser.
It was nice to meet you, Ken, Mimi and Wendy! I hope you had a wonderful day seeing our wild horses of Spring Creek Basin!
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 