Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

January, and life is easy

27 01 2025

While the rest of Colorado (yes, we’re actually in Colorado) is complaining about their snow and ice and vehicle wrecks (OK, that part is never good), we’re dusty damn dry here in the southwestern corner of the state. The pronghorns maybe don’t mind the lack of snow; it’s easier to move, and they don’t have to paw under the snow for their food. Only we who look ahead are scared about the coming summer. There’s nothing we can do about it, for better or worse, of course, but we humans love to complain about the future. 🙂

This is the same group of 14 pronghorns that have made themselves right at home in the western part of Spring Creek Basin lately. They were very calm about me moving slowly past them, stopping a few times to take some pix as I went.

That’s the north rim of Spring Creek canyon in the background. It’s hard to tell, but I’m on the south side, facing north.

The temp hit at least 51F yesterday. As desperate as we are for snow, I have to say that temp felt awfully nice after several days of frigid cold (which, yes, is normal in January in Colorado!).

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Pronghorn, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek canyon

It’s her world, too (2)

26 01 2025

Temple dozes with her family on a very beautiful day a couple of weeks ago. This was the day it snowed a tiny bit; it had melted by the time I got out to the basin. Still just a wonderful, beautiful day. (And I’m still pretty convinced that Temple has her own personal mane-combing faeries.)

Temple was named by me, in honor of good friends and advocates for the Spring Creek Basin mustangs (the longest I know!) Pati and David Temple. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that a few years ago, we had a dedication ceremony after we got Temple Butte officially named through U.S. Geological Survey. Pati passed away in 2013, and five years later, we started the process. Approval was our Christmas gift that year.

Temple keeps Pati’s and David’s legacy alive and well. 🙂

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

It’s her world

25 01 2025

Mariah graciously stayed in place while I approached closer across the hills and drainages to get another pic with a different perspective. That’s the south side of Spring Creek canyon behind her.

So lovely.

Comments : 2 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon

Growing up gorgeous

24 01 2025

Sweet Bia is looking even more grown-up these days.

Gorgeous, fuzzy, ready-for-winter (the temps arrived, now we need the snow) girl. 🙂

Bia (daughter of Buckeye and Aiyanna, one of the three Sand Wash Basin mares introduced in 2021) was named by good friend and also long-time mustang advocate (and adopter!) Tif R. “In Greek mythology, Bia is the personification of force and raw energy,” according to Nameberry, and it is that meaning Tif wanted to bestow on this beautiful girl! Bia did need that strength and raw energy as a baby, and she is a strong, lovely filly – a joy to her family. 🙂

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Clearing the way

23 01 2025

Taken the same day – later – as the previous pic posted of Skywalker, the snow clearly has melted by this time, which was my last hike-out-to-horses of the day. The snow was gone, but the sun still was dramatically lighting some of the far ridges.

Skywalker was named by good friends and long-time mustang advocates Pat and Frank A. (and maybe some other Four Corners Back Country Horsemen members?). I’m not entirely sure how they decided on it for his name; maybe they’re fans of the Force?! We found Skywalker as a brand-new black-and-white foal during the annual foal count that year, and I asked them to name him. 🙂

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Big rugged

22 01 2025

Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area may be small (slightly less than 22,000 acres), but it sure feels like big country.

Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Between winds

21 01 2025

While I was photographing Buckeye, walking up the hill with Temple Butte and McKenna Peak in the background, I looked in the opposite direction (always a great idea, no matter where you’re shooting) and found that we were being watched. 🙂

That’s looking west-ish, with Spring Creek’s namesake canyon – north and south rims – behind Mariah. Some of the cottonwoods lining Disappointment Creek are visible in the low background, and the southwestern ridges of Disappointment Valley stretch into the distance. The widest, most open and very lowest parts of the valley are off to the right, beyond Spring Creek Basin’s rimrocks.

Mariah was named by good friend Roy G., who will celebrate his 92nd birthday this summer. He grew up with his family in Disappointment Valley, and he returns twice a year to see the mustangs. I love to meet up with him and his significant other, Donna, in their camper overlooking Disappointment Creek and hear about how he rides his bike more than I ride mine. 🙂 It was a windy day when he spotted Mariah as a spindly-legged baby, and he called her Mariah, as “They Call the Wind Mariah.” (The original was spelled “Maria”; here’s an explanation of the pronunciation via Wikipedia.)

The day I took the pic fortunately was not windy, but the day before and the day after were sharply windy and cold!

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon

Buckeye’s home advantage

20 01 2025

No one could really call me a sports fan (Gig ’em, Aggies!), and certainly this blog about Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs isn’t the place you would think to read about the collegiate football national championship game.

But the Ohio State Buckeyes are playing Notre Dame (what are they? The Fighting Irish?), and my folks not only are from Ohio, my dad is an Ohio State Buckeye. 🙂

Have you wondered why Buckeye is named Buckeye? It’s not because he was born buckskin (though that would have been a good guess). It’s because he was born a couple of days before my mom’s birthday, and she named him when he was a baby!

So we’ll be rooting for the Buckeyes – of course! Go, Buckeyes!

Also celebrated today: the life of Martin Luther King Jr. According to Brittanica, “The day commemorates the life and work of Dr. King, who was a Baptist minister and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. People are encouraged to use the day to ‘reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King.’”

Be kind to each other, and remember, we’re all on this planet together.

And for the incoming president, a hope from the last lines of Irish poet John O’Donahue’s poem, “For One Who Holds Power,” which I read recently:

“May integrity of soul be your first ideal.
The source that will guide and bless your work.“

(In polar news: Yesterday’s high temp in Disappointment Valley was about 28F. Not frigid, but it definitely was not warm. Buckeye and his family were able to find liquid water in the hoofprints through the ice layer in the bottom of the Spring Creek arroyo, so with that and their winter grazing, they’re not too bothered by the polar vortex.)

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Arrival of the front

19 01 2025

The cold front announced its arrival in Disappointment Valley yesterday morning with wind and dramatic skies. Utah’s La Sal Mountains were blocked from sight by a snow squall in/over western Disappointment Valley most of the afternoon.

I drove into Spring Creek Basin briefly, just in time to see a little snow squall rolling from north to south across the eastern ridges of the basin. In contrast to the other day, when the snow blazed a trail across the basin, yesterday, the snow was all around but never atop us.

Horses were visible in the distance, but I decided that this would be more of a scenery day.

On my way out of the basin, I happened upon the group of about 15 pronghorns that have been hanging around together lately. By the time I saw them, stopped, got the camera out of my pack and aimed, at least half of them had dropped off their little ridge.

Away out yonder in those breaks and canyons is the Dolores River.

From back on the Disappointment Road, another isolated little squall was dropping snow along Horse Park, a narrow little valley between Spring Creek Basin and beyond. You can recognize part of the far ridge as the same one in the background of the Maiku pic a couple of posts ago. The rimrocks at the bottom, semi-foreground are the western boundary of Spring Creek Basin.

And just a little south of the previous pic, the squall was still moving south over Temple Butte. In the near foreground are cottonwoods and tamarisk along Disappointment Creek.

This is yet farther south (from my vantage point, I’m looking sort of southeast-ish). While I was trying to get the snow over the very far (and much higher elevation) ridges, a golden eagle was flying over the scene. See it above the cottonwood at left?

We’ll close with another, tighter view across Disappointment Creek and Spring Creek Basin. You can see the basin’s western rimrocks, Flat Top, Round Top, submarine ridge, McKenna Peak and Temple Butte – snow beyond.

Gosh, I love this place. 🙂

Wherever you are, I hope you’re warm these next few days!

Comments : 2 Comments »

Categories : Disappointment Creek, Disappointment Valley, McKenna Peak, Pronghorn, Snow, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Temple Butte

Polar-vortex-ready mustang

18 01 2025

Fuzzy Winona-girl is going to need that fluff the next few days as temps plunge with the incoming Arctic blast. Not as cold as elsewhere in Colorado – or even northern parts of the country! – but cold enough. Brrrrr! Stay warm!

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon