Mules helping mustangs

13 03 2017

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Spring Creek Basin herd manager Mike Jensen leads Katy Bartzokis (BLM) and Glenn Ryan (Forest Service) and their mules to a drop site with fence materials for some upcoming projects – including alternative spring break!

We are so stoked to work with the Rocky Mountain Regional Specialty Packstring to get these supplies hauled into the basin by mule power!

This project is completely possible because of some big “horse” power, so BIG thanks to awesome mules Joey, Karla, Lena, Roz and Skid, and saddle horses Karmel and Sly. 🙂

And extended thanks to San Juan Mountains Association’s volunteer coordinator Kathe Hayes, who heads alternative spring break each year; Justin Hunt, BLM range tech; and tireless advocate Kat Wilder.

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Splendid dirty girl

12 03 2017

Reya, La Sal Mountains

Miss Reya is glorious, in all her muddy, fuzzy, wind-blown disheveled gorgeousity.

How our hearts sing at the sight.

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Did you remember to spring forward?!





Cute-eye

11 03 2017

Hayden

Can he get any cuter?

Probably not possible. 🙂

Hayden sauntered by … just checking to make sure he was seen.

He couldn’t be missed. 🙂





Rivals

10 03 2017

Hollywood and Tenaz, McKenna Peak and Temple Butte

But it wasn’t always that way.

Hollywood is Tenaz’s daddy. One wonders what bit of fatherly advice he might be giving his son. 🙂





Double the lovelies

9 03 2017

Piedra and pronghorn doe in Spring Creek Basin.

Ah!

Piedra and pronghorn doe in Spring Creek Basin.

Ah ha!





Caught napping

8 03 2017

Comanche

Comanche was napping with his back to his mares (out of the frame to the left).

Comanche

He was seriously snoozing! Until something caught the attention of his mares, which eventually awakened him.

I thought it might be a coyote … but it wasn’t. 🙂 The mares – and, eventually, Comanche – were watching something that was just out of my sight in a low area beyond a slight rise.

Tomorrow’s post will reveal the mystery!





Rave-licious

6 03 2017

Raven, La Sal Mountains

Divine mustang matron Raven, glowing in sunset light against the snow-covered La Sal Mountains.





Ready

5 03 2017

Hollywood, exclosure, La Sal Mountains

Hollywood is gearing up for vegetation-monitoring season. 🙂

That’s one of our exclosures, used to measure ungrazed – excluded – vegetation inside the small fenced area vs. outside, where the horses and other wildlife graze. Doesn’t look a whole lot different, eh? As part of our management, we monitor the health of Spring Creek Basin’s vegetation, measuring it in a variety of ways. Last year, I helped a couple of interns in the spring, then did more sites in the fall. Our herd manager tallies the results. This year, a team of specialists will visit the basin, and we’re eager to hear what they have to say.

And those are part of the La Sal Mountains in the background. Lots of good snow there!





Oh, that redhead

4 03 2017

Tesora

Pretty red girl Tesora watches the murmuration … and the paparazzo.





Drifting

3 03 2017

Storm

We had winter. And then we had spring. And then, before summer and fall could arrive, winter returned. 🙂