Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Do you see it?

You might have to click on the pic to enlarge it.

Would it help to know that *I* didn’t see it until I saw it on the computer screen? What I saw was Hayden shaking his head and then wandering off to graze.

It was T-shirt weather, a day after I didn’t think I could wear enough layers to keep out the biting north wind.

Spring is coming … and with it, the flying buzzers.

Another 2.5 inches of snow (at least) fell overnight and Sunday morning in Disappointment Valley, bringing more much-needed moisture. Lots of melting happened Saturday, and the temperature is hovering right at freezing, so lots of melting is happenING.

Interestingly, snowshoes work pretty well when mud is close to the surface under the mud by doing the same thing as on snow: spreading weight over a surface. Of course, the mud isn’t as easy to knock off, but your boots are happier.

This is Temple on Friday evening:

This is Temple on Saturday afternoon:

Oh, what a difference a day (less than 24 hours) makes. 🙂

We got at least 3.5 inches of snow, so the pic taken Saturday afternoon shows a considerable amount of melting – which means water in the ground.

Can you see the spring green?

It’s there. I’m soooooooo sure!

(Oh, I’m so, so, SO hopeful!)

If we got this much snow every winter, we might be in fine shape. 🙂

Tesora helps show off the lack of snow currently on the land, and how pretty she looks as our model. 🙂

Speaking of which, I finally made it into Spring Creek Basin, and it’s not as dry as I thought it might be. The road is parts dry and parts mud, and an actual vehicle, I would not risk driving yet. I did find someone’s spare key, in one of those little magnetic boxes you stick to some secret part of your vehicle. The box was crushed, but the key seems fine.

The hiking was most parts mud, as my poor boots can attest. With every step, the horses and I sank at least half an inch into the damp ground (OK, they may have gone a little deeper than I did). There’s some water – melted snow/ice – in some of the arroyos … but no water in ponds yet.

Does snow make you think about grass? It should.

Does snow make you think about mud? It does. 🙂

I do feel deceptive about continuing to post these wonderful images of the mustangs in snow when the truth of the land is that mud now rules it. Snowshoeing or hiking is lovely (if, yes, tiring); mud slogging is, just, tiring. And it ruins boots. (Ask me how I know.)

So while I’m preserving boots and allowing (sure, that’s the word) moisture and vegetation to do their thing, unmolested by heavy human tread (even though it’s February, and I’m not sure how much things are happening in the soil region, but it’s also 58 degrees as I type this, soooooo …), you, dear lovers of Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs, get more pix of mustangs in lovely, life-giving snow.

Alegre and Maia (at least) thank you for your patience – and your enjoyment!

Shane and Spirit nap on a windy snow day under the grand icons of Spring Creek Basin, McKenna Peak and Temple Butte.