Muzzle snowy from sifting through snow to get to the tasty bits, Temple looks toward the lower reaches of Spring Creek. I’m not sure what she saw there, but it had her attention – and she had mine!
Watcher in the snow
21 02 2023Comments : 13 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Days like these
20 02 2023
Just … beauty.
For a period of time while I was with Maia and Houdini and their band, the world of Spring Creek Basin was completely, totally, absolutely still and silent – but for the movements of the horses. No birds. No planes. No wind. The silence was NOTICEABLE.
Then the wind picked up and the horses were browsing and moving and watching bachelors, and all was, well, normal. 🙂 And absolutely, totally, completely, utterly … gorgeous.
Comments : 12 Comments »
Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte
The eye
19 02 2023
Jadi watches the horses around her – while well aware of me watching all of them – with the curve of the rimrocks above Spring Creek canyon arching across the background. Fluffy, fluffy!
We still have a few to several inches of snow on the ground. There’s some melting happening, but the temps aren’t rising as much as the forecasters are forecasting, so it’s slow and steady … which is fine and good.
The horses don’t seem to mind the snow too much. It’s not so much that they can’t get to the protruding vegetation. And when that sun shines full on us, it’s almost downright toasty! Nap time is peaceful time.
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon
Bold
18 02 2023
Could any mustangs or any mountains – or any mustangs before any mountains – be prettier than ours?! Even when those mountains are rooted in what we know as the state of Utah, by their view, they’re ours as surely as any.
And Skywalker … well, he is loved. 🙂
Comments : 15 Comments »
Categories : La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon
Wild watching wild
17 02 2023
Tenaz and Temple watch mule deer walk uphill across the snowy expanse of Spring Creek Basin from near the main/original water catchment area.
After a very cold morning (minus 5!) and a high only around 25 degrees, all that lovely snow is still pretty pristine … all the way to Utah’s shining La Sal Mountains!
Comments : 12 Comments »
Categories : La Sal Mountains, Mule deer, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
We gots da snow!
16 02 2023
The snow depth varies throughout Disappointment Valley in general and in Spring Creek Basin specifically. Six inches might be the *minimum*. I rolled in until my wheels had trouble rolling any farther through the deep snow. I did the arm test, with my fingertips on the ground through the snow, and the top of the snow was halfway up my forearm, which the ruler at home says is 11 inches!!!
The snow level in the pic above wasn’t 11 inches deep, and Tenaz and friends were browsing calmly among the northwest hills. When I left them, they were all napping, hips cocked and eyes closed against the glare of the pristine snow.
Several inches of snow? No worries! Just another day in the life of mustangs. 🙂
(Not to mention other wildlife; there were at least 50 elk on the upper north rim of Spring Creek canyon. We *know* it’s winter when the elk come to mingle. :))
Comments : 19 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Six and falling
15 02 2023
This isn’t a super current pic of our lovely elder lady Houdini. It was taken a couple of weeks ago after a then-fresh snowfall.
When I get into Spring Creek Basin next – hopefully today – the snow is going to be even deeper than in the above pic. As I type this Tuesday night, to schedule for what will be this morning, we are getting walloped with snow! A solid 6 inches total so far, maybe 7 … and surely more by morning, let alone the end of the day, when the winter storm warning expires.
Our world looks MUCH different again from the uniform brown we had just a couple of days ago. We are getting tremendous moisture out of this storm!
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte
Love lights the way
14 02 2023
With those you love, celebrate, today and all days.
******
Breaking news! Disappointment Valley got about FOUR INCHES of snow yesterday (less or more, depending on elevation)!
This was no little wave, and there was nothing light and fluffy about it – wet, heavy, snow-wo/man-building snow!
A second, bigger, longer-lasting wave is coming today through Wednesday, says the forecasters. Then coooollllldddd!
Comments : 18 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
On the way
13 02 2023
And just like that, it was time for the evening trek to water, which the horses found trickling sweetly though the bottom of an arroyo. The boys are always the last to know. 🙂
Comments : 6 Comments »
Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte
Mid-winter slog
12 02 2023
Realistically, we’re probably closer to the latter end of winter than the middle, but we’re optimistic for more snow! This is a current view of Spring Creek Basin and Disappointment Valley beyond to Utah’s La Sal Mountains. It’s fabulous to see the peaks capped in pristine white. Those nearby patches of snow are keeping the basin pretty soggy, which is valuable for the soil and vegetation … and we’re hoping for another dose of white stuff this coming week.
Kestrel is plump and fuzzy and ready for whatever Mother Nature brings.
Comments : 8 Comments »
Categories : La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 