The Deer Creek and Turner Gulch fires both now have burned through more than 15,000 acres. Smoke wasn’t nearly as visible yesterday as previously, and it has been weirdly (eerily?) not very windy. Rain has been in and out of the forecast (mostly out … and it hasn’t rained), but we could sure use some actual “wetting rain” that actually makes landfall and drenches the land and its vegetation AND its fires.
Terra, above, and her band had just come up from a water seep in the Spring Creek arroyo and were grazing their way peacefully toward (potentially) another little water source. They know where to find water, and fortunately the water sources in the basin are holding steady. Any little (or lotta) bit helps.
Knife Edge (right) and Valentine Mesa (left) and the eastern ridges of Spring Creek Basin (including McKenna Peak and Temple Butte) usually glow a sort of purplish orange at the very end of most days, but the vivid almost-*pink* in this pic was from late sunlight diffused through wildfire-smoke haze.
The smoke wasn’t too bad over us, but plumes from the Deer Creek, Wright Draw and Turner Gulch fires northwest and north of us were clearly visible beyond the horizon of our peaceful little enclave.
Gaia and mares from another band nearby weren’t at all bothered … but those smoky drifts drew my eyes constantly.
Caution: Fluffy wild cuteness ahead. You were warned! 🙂
While following a couple of bands of mustangs through the smoke while they grazed a few evenings ago, this little critter broke its camouflage to pose for me.
I think it’s young.
And I think that’s why it stayed put rather than galloping away.
Every time I thought to leave, taking more steps up the hill around its “hiding” spot among the lichen-covered boulders, taking another few pix of ever-increasing cuteness, I’d see another angle of even *more* cuteness!
Are you overloaded??
But wait! There’s more!!
Not long later, as I followed the mustangs uphill through the four-wing saltbush and sage, another young cutie broke camo to sit with me for a brief while.
S/he even had time for a quick little touchup to the whiskers. 🙂
Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!
I believe both Jack (Jacqueline?) rabbit and Peter (Petra?) cottontail were youngsters and that’s likely why they didn’t immediately leave when my blundering flushed them from their respective covers. Also, they both *looked* young. … Either that, or it was just too damn hot and smoky to move much for a harmless-looking two-legged who made just oohing and ahhing and clicking sounds. 😉
The Deer Creek Fire, burning at the southeastern base of Utah’s La Sal Mountains, just west of the state line with Colorado, is now at 10,000-plus acres with 0% containment. (Note: As of 10 p.m. Monday, it had grown to more than 11,000 acres.)
That’s the fire closest to us, and fires at Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison national parks have resulted in the destruction of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge (and other structures) and evacuations of visitors and National Park Service employees, not to mention people who live in affected areas nearby.
Many other fires are burning across the West’s drought-dry landscapes, as well as in Canada, while floods devastate other regions. My heart has a hard time taking it all in.
*****
I drafted the above post (showing Sancho in a very smoky Spring Creek Basin a few days ago) and scheduled it … and then I went out to Spring Creek Basin last night and saw that smoke from two more fires – Wright Draw and Turner Gulch fires near Gateway (about halfway-ish between Disappointment Valley and Grand Junction or about an hour and a half away as the vehicle motors) – is visible on our northern horizon. Argh.
Vantage point: above Spring Creek (mostly dry but with pockets of water from which at least a few bands of mustangs are drinking) in Spring Creek Basin looking north/northwest. The canyon is not far to my left. The obvious smoke starting at the left side of the image is from Utah’s Deer Creek Fire. Smoke from the Wright Draw and Turner Gulch fires shows as a yellowish line of smoke immediately above the bumpy-hills horizon just right of center.
Post-sunset from outside Spring Creek Basin. Utah’s La Sal Mountains are visible at left, and smoke from the Deer Creek Fire stretches across the entire horizon. … It looked like virga, which was completely wild and surreal.
We need “wetting rain” as I read recently. Hopefully it’s coming Friday/Saturday … along with thunderstorm chances (we do NOT need the lightning!!!). Please keep all those in the paths of the wildfires (everywhere), as well as those battling the blazes, in your prayers. And please, please, please, stay safe.
Another band had passed nearly silently through the trees below the open area where Flash and his ladies were grazing, and here he paused for just a moment in the lovely light, to check that the way was safe, before leading them on down the hill in the wake of that other band.
This handsome fellow is not the same handsome fellow from a couple of posts ago. He was near a small water source, and I happened upon him as he was walking away. Above, I *think* his attention was caught by a small band of mustangs away south and lower. He ended up turning all the way around to look at them, then watched them intently for several minutes before returning to his path away to nibble and browse.
A couple of hours later, this. 🙂
Hot, hot, hot. The temp hit 100 degrees in Spring Creek Basin yesterday. It’s not unusual as a summertime temp … but it’s still awfully miserable. There was some relief in the form of sunshine-blocking clouds, but not a drop of moisture did they produce.
By the time the moon rose, it was actually pleasant (if you don’t mention the gnats), and some little bird was singing its little heart out with a full medley of melody. I don’t know what it was, but it was a lovely serenade! 🙂
In the basin the night before last, I realized I might be able to catch the moon rising from the space between McKenna Peak and Temple Butte if I could get myself into the right position in Spring Creek Basin.
I didn’t, but it was still cool (as it always is?!) to watch the almost-full “Buck Moon” rising in the very warm (the mercury hit at least 98F) July sky last night over the basin.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 