tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16704191993275674582024-03-17T02:29:27.660-07:00Desert SurvivorExploring the desert and what it takes for plants, animals, and people to survive (with a touch of humor).Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1740125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-26971411351960218322024-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:002024-02-09T10:58:21.787-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves: Part 7 - Baker Lake Grove<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEovr2tOBmXS-yuqCrW-G09pdqzSYT6cdmRXoLkGxvYxu0UJPfLFH-rzVP7oYGk0nr92bcEXh_K29J2v-mgtnhU5daU_CfJOUa6jSGQ0cz2V9H91VzFC2QuKTLam5sbh6C37jarSc3y5CDTfiLX9DfFvJdsj_x8UvMpCj3uOfguw9VDyWsuLyfb2MOGwp/s1024/baker%20lake%20sunset.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEovr2tOBmXS-yuqCrW-G09pdqzSYT6cdmRXoLkGxvYxu0UJPfLFH-rzVP7oYGk0nr92bcEXh_K29J2v-mgtnhU5daU_CfJOUa6jSGQ0cz2V9H91VzFC2QuKTLam5sbh6C37jarSc3y5CDTfiLX9DfFvJdsj_x8UvMpCj3uOfguw9VDyWsuLyfb2MOGwp/w640-h482/baker%20lake%20sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #f1c232; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 1 (Overview)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 2 (Wheeler Cirque)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_7.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 3 (Mt. Washington)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_17.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 4 (Magic Grove)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/part-6-eagle-peak.html" target="_blank">Part 5 (Eagle Peak)</a> and <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 6 (Snake Divide)</a> of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today we're going to finish this series with a long-forgotten grove of Bristlecone Pines, very close to Baker Lake. If you look at the photo above, you see lots of trees. These aren't bristlecone pines (<i>Pinus longaeva</i>). They are Engelmann spruce (<i>Picea engelmanii</i>), another tree species adapted to life at high elevations and in harsh climates. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had read that there was a bristlecone pine grove near Baker Lake, but was always doing other things at the lake or was in a hurry, so I didn't have time to look. Until 2023. That's when I joined some researchers for an overnight at the lake, which meant I had some time to explore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First off, where is Baker Lake? On the map below, it's to the south of Wheeler Peak and to the west of Eagle 10842.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcHALfEd6An-gEk9H6lkyhzQVn-j55zM-FyPj9LnK0TqZ7Ewwkp9vjEXUrscCq0sPy_QXJepXbWvbMYhIhpsXxL8KHTDSK89oJEm9-YOeTNBtOukU-mvxemTCUVGd5lYl_ipnXzv9AESHhJSFSOm2kWzudq6q0FsRtQXSlfKLBqd2S8AU1Pol_DmxilxMg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcHALfEd6An-gEk9H6lkyhzQVn-j55zM-FyPj9LnK0TqZ7Ewwkp9vjEXUrscCq0sPy_QXJepXbWvbMYhIhpsXxL8KHTDSK89oJEm9-YOeTNBtOukU-mvxemTCUVGd5lYl_ipnXzv9AESHhJSFSOm2kWzudq6q0FsRtQXSlfKLBqd2S8AU1Pol_DmxilxMg=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><br />If you head to the northeast of the lake, you go up on to the moraine. You can turn around and see those awesome cliffs above Baker Lake (although the lake itself is obscured). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4iW11KYNb-W_hdxrV_ekPxnUZSEyfjkbUeEaOCJM2V5iftCge4ukK74PbY8OHEa5L1XfsmUnLBAt-vmyd4JwHW-R8xKJ6b9N4O3XjPhzy3Zv0t01B3WWEyjchSzYX7TDnV-af2HTqA2Tohy_9QRa0G-P7yseLSqxKOLdULEkv-dI7jpqq-Lo4deCETex/s1024/bl%20bristlecones%20near%20baker%20lake%20cirque.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4iW11KYNb-W_hdxrV_ekPxnUZSEyfjkbUeEaOCJM2V5iftCge4ukK74PbY8OHEa5L1XfsmUnLBAt-vmyd4JwHW-R8xKJ6b9N4O3XjPhzy3Zv0t01B3WWEyjchSzYX7TDnV-af2HTqA2Tohy_9QRa0G-P7yseLSqxKOLdULEkv-dI7jpqq-Lo4deCETex/w640-h482/bl%20bristlecones%20near%20baker%20lake%20cirque.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then you start seeing that the trees are different than the Engelman spruce. They're more twisted, have needles in clumps of five, and there's a lot of dead wood on a tree. Great evidence that we're seeing bristlecone pine!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigVvrzNAzQgwMFGg7tm1QiGqqITTZz4rmhCzZcYARwwxbKevSw0jCNAgsVNZIBhIbmH7KyrTsrvjGvAFYZk68pS-kopp6Jyy3b8vVTz8RGyaYyRYGtZBakyzQbmu54lcAluEe6cJs3hgz9phsZnomY7rxMoIxw_OUbtTyJywd3od66Vc2jg8BV_tzX_KH/s1024/trl-68-204a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigVvrzNAzQgwMFGg7tm1QiGqqITTZz4rmhCzZcYARwwxbKevSw0jCNAgsVNZIBhIbmH7KyrTsrvjGvAFYZk68pS-kopp6Jyy3b8vVTz8RGyaYyRYGtZBakyzQbmu54lcAluEe6cJs3hgz9phsZnomY7rxMoIxw_OUbtTyJywd3od66Vc2jg8BV_tzX_KH/w640-h482/trl-68-204a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I started wandering around and found some old tags on the trees. They were part of a study in the 1960s. I couldn't find final data on them, so contacted the Tree Ring Lab at the University of Arizona. They're in the process of digitizing their records and are keeping an eye out for more info on these trees. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-A760kAe2dUKt8UkjxnP48WzMoy8zlYgMvIMwx8pscg74GSwLKXh4thzRic9sw5yeAfQu5uukPwMvCDXy-8_eAnnS6ezGUX-4361EWnRoVUyV-43ayZkK2Gw1psKQYZCagsqUY5nPS6BTdSMOZBKd9pR3YRWmeC5F1LU0iFrsCcWTl8E4L49Kkma2EvP/s1024/trl-68-204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-A760kAe2dUKt8UkjxnP48WzMoy8zlYgMvIMwx8pscg74GSwLKXh4thzRic9sw5yeAfQu5uukPwMvCDXy-8_eAnnS6ezGUX-4361EWnRoVUyV-43ayZkK2Gw1psKQYZCagsqUY5nPS6BTdSMOZBKd9pR3YRWmeC5F1LU0iFrsCcWTl8E4L49Kkma2EvP/w640-h482/trl-68-204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of them are so amazingly beautiful!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3POk9Gd_7iomJ08vYthmKczXEhfQJ9JCvQ_YJb3_GemDTAbLalvNL5Rl1Hro6JJ3MvdFcaKxbuIyYZrBgQInm2H2cys7-Pmq4h_Q_DyZ8OgoKrwSifu9krvXLZjqLln6EW6bVN9Ko_v47avFG0cH-1E-VjpwiQ4Q4eAnOQ7ytzKvT79O9Fhkv48M4G5bG/s1024/trl-68-199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3POk9Gd_7iomJ08vYthmKczXEhfQJ9JCvQ_YJb3_GemDTAbLalvNL5Rl1Hro6JJ3MvdFcaKxbuIyYZrBgQInm2H2cys7-Pmq4h_Q_DyZ8OgoKrwSifu9krvXLZjqLln6EW6bVN9Ko_v47avFG0cH-1E-VjpwiQ4Q4eAnOQ7ytzKvT79O9Fhkv48M4G5bG/w640-h482/trl-68-199.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I appreciated that the tags had been put on the dead part of the tree so as not to hurt it. Even hundreds of years after the tree has died, the wood is still looking good. The extremely dense wood of bristlecone pines helps it to persist so long.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic98JdPHIMR1UhyphenhyphenPyP9KJA0WymsNDfSuzs8xOQOKm9Y-7yf7ymiHO1tS-TnbgU9flF7BFzA_JJhT3gdeyr0dRe-DRHVk-XotYx6IA8ViiWQ-p9Trwh1b3oMNi7RH5Z_s1x5OMIzg0_UzuMIp72lLldj7tCjkkD713Dhk4b1Dk49n-brhn3m3kZHcv-5QDN/s1024/trl-68-197a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic98JdPHIMR1UhyphenhyphenPyP9KJA0WymsNDfSuzs8xOQOKm9Y-7yf7ymiHO1tS-TnbgU9flF7BFzA_JJhT3gdeyr0dRe-DRHVk-XotYx6IA8ViiWQ-p9Trwh1b3oMNi7RH5Z_s1x5OMIzg0_UzuMIp72lLldj7tCjkkD713Dhk4b1Dk49n-brhn3m3kZHcv-5QDN/w640-h482/trl-68-197a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of the trees looked more alive than others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfo_47Wz8-2Qf8A-uFKPLDLas_WCumsn9JGwg90VGnXIibfFu9rHV26WK7k_BXYJViqTBayyywYT3bYI_UzH-Gtci1GibO8qcO9Al7LgF6xlcB0a-8f_ILhDEanTBTH5J5ubbEdodRGslQPGeObs8sCTtRqe9GPtnfR2S7mzGrRPX9H7nr-DmDCKlITLi/s1024/PXL_20230807_154606449.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfo_47Wz8-2Qf8A-uFKPLDLas_WCumsn9JGwg90VGnXIibfFu9rHV26WK7k_BXYJViqTBayyywYT3bYI_UzH-Gtci1GibO8qcO9Al7LgF6xlcB0a-8f_ILhDEanTBTH5J5ubbEdodRGslQPGeObs8sCTtRqe9GPtnfR2S7mzGrRPX9H7nr-DmDCKlITLi/w482-h640/PXL_20230807_154606449.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of the old wood is stained, making for interesting contrasts.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmra_hp2KnSkhf0JDULFaY5jP3WkgxHPT4mtZZAy-lWYlXvR89ZT5qBC17MGBuHSitwO0sjFXnmyBEUMxuwO83ZGiax89EkOYiGDWAknWeJxSlNGqouRfPqxcocDKLB6XfpUGrLQqOwyJvdSQIWazwQ7e9iKqUih3XK0BiYDseCTs9zG3-p636w4oWXx-/s1024/PXL_20230807_154531653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmra_hp2KnSkhf0JDULFaY5jP3WkgxHPT4mtZZAy-lWYlXvR89ZT5qBC17MGBuHSitwO0sjFXnmyBEUMxuwO83ZGiax89EkOYiGDWAknWeJxSlNGqouRfPqxcocDKLB6XfpUGrLQqOwyJvdSQIWazwQ7e9iKqUih3XK0BiYDseCTs9zG3-p636w4oWXx-/w640-h482/PXL_20230807_154531653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I noticed how the tree base and boulders intersected for this tree.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2sF32g3BwiTFFZOhwM9CYRQTcYv-rtrG1Bjl9YjeY8PQpNziznkXmN3A10kD_8Of5K8U_djdKhbTUIRlVgp54qsl4BrkPlwgRmWVPUFXteZAtZD7gnc5BmUZWA8d_dqjcYa3kkLdMiT3B7ATaBaL-xRk0E1kG-Mwwj37GtP010ndssSowhPD3FOKifdl/s1024/PXL_20230807_154311819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2sF32g3BwiTFFZOhwM9CYRQTcYv-rtrG1Bjl9YjeY8PQpNziznkXmN3A10kD_8Of5K8U_djdKhbTUIRlVgp54qsl4BrkPlwgRmWVPUFXteZAtZD7gnc5BmUZWA8d_dqjcYa3kkLdMiT3B7ATaBaL-xRk0E1kG-Mwwj37GtP010ndssSowhPD3FOKifdl/w482-h640/PXL_20230807_154311819.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There are even rocks nestled into the wood!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlG2i07RxRiRwSyUbc_0xPrBCJ9C1LvfxRMZnzqR97FUbrwjxyuBCUhgfCJIzcXvPvqXhhfB7KsP8LDlL_bGFECX5k807ciF-r9k2Zzbhe0JgBOv_9nGf-B8HY3yzIchPt2hhuY-kb16uF1Ld8sY2mwhSmUTuu0ZCsg3MhmzojUDbXXGj5sRnEgfyi6U-/s1024/PXL_20230807_153817789.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlG2i07RxRiRwSyUbc_0xPrBCJ9C1LvfxRMZnzqR97FUbrwjxyuBCUhgfCJIzcXvPvqXhhfB7KsP8LDlL_bGFECX5k807ciF-r9k2Zzbhe0JgBOv_9nGf-B8HY3yzIchPt2hhuY-kb16uF1Ld8sY2mwhSmUTuu0ZCsg3MhmzojUDbXXGj5sRnEgfyi6U-/w482-h640/PXL_20230807_153817789.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This gnarled, twisting tree is a stunner.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwA8K-7vrSvFiZTJQN8a44Xn7bTSi4djJifL_MDpW7aSCZ7MEvHZ0mvjCWR-pTWcMQJW6XkLw8ppRktQST5VtFoNbRUMcygQo8f_R1sT-JzGp9HSJJPBvIZ1_BX2c8J0nlgowWsPgfzK3tV32pxMxYJPC8w0bxzAksrH9wAc4eQhRbDE8AzFBtWBb_kea/s1024/PXL_20230807_153311572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwA8K-7vrSvFiZTJQN8a44Xn7bTSi4djJifL_MDpW7aSCZ7MEvHZ0mvjCWR-pTWcMQJW6XkLw8ppRktQST5VtFoNbRUMcygQo8f_R1sT-JzGp9HSJJPBvIZ1_BX2c8J0nlgowWsPgfzK3tV32pxMxYJPC8w0bxzAksrH9wAc4eQhRbDE8AzFBtWBb_kea/w640-h482/PXL_20230807_153311572.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I kept walking around it, looking at it from all the angles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutDyqIzfpXQeFYveZ8FiL8rCjAWB44Iikl9vBgsIp5ElT6xD38fNuZrvCPbIR8f4D2khSyZplunnZYARi3cyqo1t2iqpt-F9VyDXxPF7kHRaHs1SluYnJt5YUpVilEsVkJIumbLkNK7hvw-hCYjjDppGF-Qrejxxk0Vgf6Q9JoVcX2UbhcBh8kqu2J_aM/s1024/PXL_20230807_153150355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutDyqIzfpXQeFYveZ8FiL8rCjAWB44Iikl9vBgsIp5ElT6xD38fNuZrvCPbIR8f4D2khSyZplunnZYARi3cyqo1t2iqpt-F9VyDXxPF7kHRaHs1SluYnJt5YUpVilEsVkJIumbLkNK7hvw-hCYjjDppGF-Qrejxxk0Vgf6Q9JoVcX2UbhcBh8kqu2J_aM/w482-h640/PXL_20230807_153150355.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wow, I am definitely going to have to revisit this tree again, it is seriously amazing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuTxe5vvnpI9yzNHHKBaUcoAiQMAvlR1BnJ5Oy1RKEw5v851TdLI0yecE1cME2Hb38yQcpgCG0KkFkqHOhR5Zw0D7w7QgoWn42jJGK9hUs77CNE-p1w35DnQq4OEWVfylkUgk9rlQb3_q9S8XXAAsHcRhwgpwTHn5LBTzYEhb-riCu66cnwlJM1I8u6cx/s1024/bl%20amazing%20baker%20lake%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuTxe5vvnpI9yzNHHKBaUcoAiQMAvlR1BnJ5Oy1RKEw5v851TdLI0yecE1cME2Hb38yQcpgCG0KkFkqHOhR5Zw0D7w7QgoWn42jJGK9hUs77CNE-p1w35DnQq4OEWVfylkUgk9rlQb3_q9S8XXAAsHcRhwgpwTHn5LBTzYEhb-riCu66cnwlJM1I8u6cx/w482-h640/bl%20amazing%20baker%20lake%20bristlecone.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I found a nest in a split in one pine.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lX02uYPc1zr3gZbmtirww1R503OQ-nOo7259fYpssUx-XUdxcV0eds5trUcLyYzMy6mSaUMGyUVWfn2H14OqyU0mySUNq-DKtSyMhelo8bC4AiqwfDj5TP-7V9sPw2L8ePmyS_Udw0jnwGc_J0Nc3XYNEFOyizWIxTF3DTaiUpYw_bUh4R92w2r2HtIK/s1024/bl%20bird%20nest%20in%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lX02uYPc1zr3gZbmtirww1R503OQ-nOo7259fYpssUx-XUdxcV0eds5trUcLyYzMy6mSaUMGyUVWfn2H14OqyU0mySUNq-DKtSyMhelo8bC4AiqwfDj5TP-7V9sPw2L8ePmyS_Udw0jnwGc_J0Nc3XYNEFOyizWIxTF3DTaiUpYw_bUh4R92w2r2HtIK/w482-h640/bl%20bird%20nest%20in%20bristlecone.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I didn't get to see all the bristlecone pines, but just seeing some of them was really cool.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX-zspFhXLxLGBCBEECcCe4gEhvWQOYqzfRCQsgMMjC_ejzKeflZznxxykIi0E_W_bdJLWWU3yTGGJ-gMwV4EisNVayvOZ9hfAQ59bgIVJVhuR-I7OcdY9ExTffmN-SKLAOZDdT7w2TIbhu1xuBE-T8CDTlUaxpH6jBZR8OZTz7t9duQ1VhQEe2JLkxF4/s1024/PXL_20230807_151958369.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX-zspFhXLxLGBCBEECcCe4gEhvWQOYqzfRCQsgMMjC_ejzKeflZznxxykIi0E_W_bdJLWWU3yTGGJ-gMwV4EisNVayvOZ9hfAQ59bgIVJVhuR-I7OcdY9ExTffmN-SKLAOZDdT7w2TIbhu1xuBE-T8CDTlUaxpH6jBZR8OZTz7t9duQ1VhQEe2JLkxF4/w482-h640/PXL_20230807_151958369.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'm hoping to go back and spend a little more time. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EqXM_oxzCPWrquRSG7b4InYytqA2WuUGwEw0He4iU8m1oOH0KliqpRpvE2bfYgJZTtomzkukBRxzl6AQL8vPCz-8z4gwWLTxIfHELLGScZU1CMYXlZHXUQyVroxJaJwMG_mwjJwj1pQUguR_RjXYCE6xSUo_wxfw8ZH9f7U0w9wF18CAWnBF77SQEu_2/s1024/PXL_20230807_151734098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EqXM_oxzCPWrquRSG7b4InYytqA2WuUGwEw0He4iU8m1oOH0KliqpRpvE2bfYgJZTtomzkukBRxzl6AQL8vPCz-8z4gwWLTxIfHELLGScZU1CMYXlZHXUQyVroxJaJwMG_mwjJwj1pQUguR_RjXYCE6xSUo_wxfw8ZH9f7U0w9wF18CAWnBF77SQEu_2/w640-h482/PXL_20230807_151734098.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After all, Baker Lake is quite a beautiful spot.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nd8dW3588SICNqxFEFS6uKLhF8jsjS3JJqPeQyiZJZyiddpkOAh4Wjne0qp78rk61Cs9peNB0sAMIEoJpL7Wh0GMWAT29AACcCcoak8sFHpaRjoTXc8Fhix2X6R2_BaBImFu6H8LUNtiUZPOvX62ZQwnV4LNSvr_R2jeuqIAHjfCxEqyN06nJMLtfUOu/s1024/baker%20lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nd8dW3588SICNqxFEFS6uKLhF8jsjS3JJqPeQyiZJZyiddpkOAh4Wjne0qp78rk61Cs9peNB0sAMIEoJpL7Wh0GMWAT29AACcCcoak8sFHpaRjoTXc8Fhix2X6R2_BaBImFu6H8LUNtiUZPOvX62ZQwnV4LNSvr_R2jeuqIAHjfCxEqyN06nJMLtfUOu/w482-h640/baker%20lake.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Horses are allowed on the Baker Lake trail, and these horses were brought up by the Nevada Backcountry Horsemen to help the researchers transport their gear.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0iu3aTugIF6K5QfLuUHIUbFwdJvwcz4Ga5w8CZKPU-BEiM_PTDZqr5sy3GFI4NERSo9e4EaK8PloXqJsrW_9W7mQd0ZgN4IFXBNfJwOZv-GWpVsMUU3z4kZyNI64LKTJDjAqqS7pSZsyxoh5amHYGw4bIgGsUCOhj5maxDHdKvqVb9uxtBqTGHTi1C3X/s1024/PXL_20230807_190732124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0iu3aTugIF6K5QfLuUHIUbFwdJvwcz4Ga5w8CZKPU-BEiM_PTDZqr5sy3GFI4NERSo9e4EaK8PloXqJsrW_9W7mQd0ZgN4IFXBNfJwOZv-GWpVsMUU3z4kZyNI64LKTJDjAqqS7pSZsyxoh5amHYGw4bIgGsUCOhj5maxDHdKvqVb9uxtBqTGHTi1C3X/w640-h482/PXL_20230807_190732124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>What a couple days, beautiful lake, ancient bristlecone pines, horses, and friends. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhYIbGZ0bQOVNnh4RcALJL0HUU1dAI6gxuUHsKzuY_-qegHiqYUxNoXzb2IBAD05C4MHvapO1slbF36eB2JHFikRoWAZolPjD5C98whQx7-er5NulqaJaVa0CLGrU8iIWgAivvSO1oE6-qU_R2f7OEtozKeY4S-BmxxVgjIaDOPFQoZ53-KUuzcOSq-e/s1024/baker%20lake%20backcountry%20horsemen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhYIbGZ0bQOVNnh4RcALJL0HUU1dAI6gxuUHsKzuY_-qegHiqYUxNoXzb2IBAD05C4MHvapO1slbF36eB2JHFikRoWAZolPjD5C98whQx7-er5NulqaJaVa0CLGrU8iIWgAivvSO1oE6-qU_R2f7OEtozKeY4S-BmxxVgjIaDOPFQoZ53-KUuzcOSq-e/w640-h482/baker%20lake%20backcountry%20horsemen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div>This concludes the series on Bristlecone Pine Groves in Great Basin National Park. I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these groves a little better.</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-15712491416020303982024-01-21T11:04:00.000-08:002024-01-21T11:04:55.084-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Groves, Part 6 - Snake Divide Grove<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rmQ9f6T8QMB0mzt7rTdnYwdxLTI-dKNe5JB7OUn9yn6ugXH5CK7lWOcEWwD93-1uIm0_zcoAk8AK5bQ3yOrk1aRo9ISTO8C3S4cd3EV0tS-h9MMOK5ceLR2rOZfPdF_H07NWZTAf5dvpX3LPqZFtRQgsGpW4NwP1bMqTr-WepgLhsChYDj5e4IVWo-p6/s1024/snake%20divide-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rmQ9f6T8QMB0mzt7rTdnYwdxLTI-dKNe5JB7OUn9yn6ugXH5CK7lWOcEWwD93-1uIm0_zcoAk8AK5bQ3yOrk1aRo9ISTO8C3S4cd3EV0tS-h9MMOK5ceLR2rOZfPdF_H07NWZTAf5dvpX3LPqZFtRQgsGpW4NwP1bMqTr-WepgLhsChYDj5e4IVWo-p6/w640-h482/snake%20divide-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #f1c232; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 1 (Overview)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 2 (Wheeler Cirque)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_7.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 3 (Mt. Washington)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_17.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 4 (Magic Grove)</a>, and Part 5 (Eagle Peak) of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In this blog post, we're going to visit the Snake Divide Grove of bristlecone pines. On the map below, it's lumped in with the Mt. Washington grove. It's actually just east of the "n" in Mt. Washington as its own little grove. The bristlecones grow on white limestone (see photo above). They are accessed via a slight detour off the Snake Divide Trail, which stays in the forest to the north of the bare limestone knobs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdLP90clchIV3ErPXRyzg2AZPDdYlbnUct4etmnLXr56Zx0yqOIPkl3HPcKdr1d7yhDs42XZpA6BUVKVE4raJYUVFgHcgS4WSW3R_jgBQhc9gzNuQyO2gjAVFgWluA2s-zCgTXKhQ7Jk_hSnN_DkmzS8_RD5lLgRJSxjmfT9hpQDye_8KBUpxLLDeW1DRK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdLP90clchIV3ErPXRyzg2AZPDdYlbnUct4etmnLXr56Zx0yqOIPkl3HPcKdr1d7yhDs42XZpA6BUVKVE4raJYUVFgHcgS4WSW3R_jgBQhc9gzNuQyO2gjAVFgWluA2s-zCgTXKhQ7Jk_hSnN_DkmzS8_RD5lLgRJSxjmfT9hpQDye_8KBUpxLLDeW1DRK=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><br />The trees are actually on two bare knobs, but they grow as regular forest giants in between. Even when the trees are tall and closer together, they are still amazing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-gdu1D3EpGG4lG5TwqvEl1_Ml2V28TLGbclR6TjAVXirFNJBllgcMsTY1ta0TZqFJadFvJgSlGLhfsEZv-j7CTJYpQyOrUlNovSwnXXkRiTh5z8SvLOX67jkxlhL7a5YnKP-xBMMD_gyofbrRljW72TAACUpQdLJUN2QcW5sntsSOcFNoDzEsc7FTG1Z/s1024/sd%20younger%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-gdu1D3EpGG4lG5TwqvEl1_Ml2V28TLGbclR6TjAVXirFNJBllgcMsTY1ta0TZqFJadFvJgSlGLhfsEZv-j7CTJYpQyOrUlNovSwnXXkRiTh5z8SvLOX67jkxlhL7a5YnKP-xBMMD_gyofbrRljW72TAACUpQdLJUN2QcW5sntsSOcFNoDzEsc7FTG1Z/w482-h640/sd%20younger%20bristlecone.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wood is also exceptional. You can see this tree right from the Snake Divide trail (which starts at the end of the Snake Creek road).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRJIn32aVkMMfwb_CTpGUfZH_p3r88jwIeWV5KWYkGXpth063PE3RMVHGziXbaT0Zig3Sd0U0ddR_ZHIAWkEAmJEPbI1-B_5m7k9vyywKkp7B-YX7LOKykK2zNyZThByAiyYFlM87SKuW8d2HWNt8lTv5R75WUCMd4I_av3tjN1xgDRXXynTa9RPt57ye/s1024/bristlecone%20bark.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRJIn32aVkMMfwb_CTpGUfZH_p3r88jwIeWV5KWYkGXpth063PE3RMVHGziXbaT0Zig3Sd0U0ddR_ZHIAWkEAmJEPbI1-B_5m7k9vyywKkp7B-YX7LOKykK2zNyZThByAiyYFlM87SKuW8d2HWNt8lTv5R75WUCMd4I_av3tjN1xgDRXXynTa9RPt57ye/w480-h640/bristlecone%20bark.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trees aren't super big, but they are twisted and tenacious.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZitDoMdJhVMcYidYT7cIb8uLHFP5lPK4vE8K3Rr4mzTnEKBQ-f2088tEdbS86lPPw9toW9rKOIIIv3ssk7eaE-EgHSa0om6NKwfdfGmBfm1xatiPbbEv77dhjRG_fbILW3Sts4jICWT4QFxdHujIH2p4-_BtmuvSvGvfV7DEIxeYUfq9MYsB3oUpDcPI/s1024/PXL_20231020_211647926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZitDoMdJhVMcYidYT7cIb8uLHFP5lPK4vE8K3Rr4mzTnEKBQ-f2088tEdbS86lPPw9toW9rKOIIIv3ssk7eaE-EgHSa0om6NKwfdfGmBfm1xatiPbbEv77dhjRG_fbILW3Sts4jICWT4QFxdHujIH2p4-_BtmuvSvGvfV7DEIxeYUfq9MYsB3oUpDcPI/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_211647926.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Part of the fun of visiting the bristlecones is to see how odd they have become.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfDqy9ullbk6N-jF7LlsajX-aBZGvG5iOCUQd2zQqEp9qhyphenhypheniDajmka1QAn39N6IdTnbQw6Xx2_AQaf64m8xrbsn_juP2IlP4BTPrAjIKgKKerx1IkkvTIEgCeB69H_O8ZdbpTFeoWTNRG3Y4UmDwt8k5RorAr9MXeJAXM7aM5omFD6dA_PekHLJVAjLa-/s1024/PXL_20231020_211827627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfDqy9ullbk6N-jF7LlsajX-aBZGvG5iOCUQd2zQqEp9qhyphenhypheniDajmka1QAn39N6IdTnbQw6Xx2_AQaf64m8xrbsn_juP2IlP4BTPrAjIKgKKerx1IkkvTIEgCeB69H_O8ZdbpTFeoWTNRG3Y4UmDwt8k5RorAr9MXeJAXM7aM5omFD6dA_PekHLJVAjLa-/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_211827627.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>They are so good at clinging on to life, even when they fall over.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnjN9s76ulxneCKZmTPXA0IbWv-Q7gc-QL_tZIfYRuNwUFHbUXfkICYYreon3e1K6fjLp2itV-0UEQ5Qi2bn8p5GJsuQPioXoq4zWg9eQ5fExYH235AcBqusmMbcb2lD0Xyb4MHc82UszWaNMb-Wcxci_vlyM09DYTS7U3E40y1ADlk3v5XDb4HJqqkLd/s1024/PXL_20231020_212254869.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnjN9s76ulxneCKZmTPXA0IbWv-Q7gc-QL_tZIfYRuNwUFHbUXfkICYYreon3e1K6fjLp2itV-0UEQ5Qi2bn8p5GJsuQPioXoq4zWg9eQ5fExYH235AcBqusmMbcb2lD0Xyb4MHc82UszWaNMb-Wcxci_vlyM09DYTS7U3E40y1ADlk3v5XDb4HJqqkLd/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_212254869.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prevailing winds can often be figured out just by looking at the trees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRcB5ahtsb2XP0OGJU7bkgB7VW3NhuLSPw0OIs1YSMWd7dfjA1eY2TCX66THzZSn3uAZsa9K_lnr7A3VOtmSJV_JeaUrtGhwMAeYEfk8UxcCCDpNSYk2iy61cBSDNqK-LWukrFtXbp1DPySCopGuay2Px6D494JWS6uuy_T1y61iD6VIbqO9yOtbB5st9/s1024/snake%20divide.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRcB5ahtsb2XP0OGJU7bkgB7VW3NhuLSPw0OIs1YSMWd7dfjA1eY2TCX66THzZSn3uAZsa9K_lnr7A3VOtmSJV_JeaUrtGhwMAeYEfk8UxcCCDpNSYk2iy61cBSDNqK-LWukrFtXbp1DPySCopGuay2Px6D494JWS6uuy_T1y61iD6VIbqO9yOtbB5st9/w482-h640/snake%20divide.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is one of the least visited bristlecone groves in the Park, mainly because most people don't know it exists. If you want to see the more popular Magic Grove, it's not too hard to add on a detour to the Snake Divide Grove to see some underappreciated but gorgeous trees.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOqyv-aqCxLWtrnPUlpK8ByJRfSrZ9JjdXhUDj493IRks71M6eKTsMkojj2QrlMtuzWyhZ1qe-d3R0v3wErTfQdIHNhWx2rC8_3CENQ7wilPkgsRa6UUlAxfcUaRRgF9B4mHApREQxlU5AnBFaoR515mYkhOchneh5TThVjiSVk0ltesPzIyxSill8JlL/s1024/twisted%20trunk%20bristlecone.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOqyv-aqCxLWtrnPUlpK8ByJRfSrZ9JjdXhUDj493IRks71M6eKTsMkojj2QrlMtuzWyhZ1qe-d3R0v3wErTfQdIHNhWx2rC8_3CENQ7wilPkgsRa6UUlAxfcUaRRgF9B4mHApREQxlU5AnBFaoR515mYkhOchneh5TThVjiSVk0ltesPzIyxSill8JlL/w640-h480/twisted%20trunk%20bristlecone.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> The last part in this series is coming soon!<p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-71802723521878170482024-01-07T20:38:00.000-08:002024-01-07T20:38:10.638-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Groves, Part 5 - Eagle Peak<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNrR0q9ZNijslnZOXuhbVnmQbU8ZdLUIW_LHCDHWz4CUTvjBX4OnNoq1ViTuI8GfmeGA8ueBQ85ATJg03Xny6oAJ7JIvepdkjkDNi6Vn5k_V6XQIZJfHDyeYmOtAgrWKqkdJ85g4Mp5hBeWyvTUwIh2aGHZ-5T31vuZdYt44zG_nC7sqe80ALEq1QTMC3/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bc-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNrR0q9ZNijslnZOXuhbVnmQbU8ZdLUIW_LHCDHWz4CUTvjBX4OnNoq1ViTuI8GfmeGA8ueBQ85ATJg03Xny6oAJ7JIvepdkjkDNi6Vn5k_V6XQIZJfHDyeYmOtAgrWKqkdJ85g4Mp5hBeWyvTUwIh2aGHZ-5T31vuZdYt44zG_nC7sqe80ALEq1QTMC3/w640-h480/eagle%20peak%20bc-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><i style="background-color: #f1c232; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px; text-align: center;">See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 1 (Overview)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 2 (Wheeler Cirque)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_7.html" style="color: #445566;" target="_blank">Part 3 (Mt. Washington)</a>, and <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_17.html" target="_blank">Part 4 (Magic Grove)</a> of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the least-visited bristlecone groves in Great Basin National Park is the Eagle Peak Grove. Eagle Peak, also known as Peak 10842 (its elevation in feet) is between Snake Creek and Kious Basin/Pole Canyon. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's no trail to access it. I've gone up several times via the Snake Creek side, and it takes about 3 hours of hiking up very steep terrain with some bushwhacking. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVqkrzCZzlqqB4gA5-iXRcP4k2rEBqTfIXRGO97G9YufjaUV-onGl1SE7BLErHZryV8wv__549rwK6VMoaMgb7RXURqWhHcQBMlud3Cbeu9a4V4A0XUI6mhgVjTbMBZ4vbh_T-I9wd2ZfGxoi8L9-C5rdAk_3gL36GoJYWhBamVySiZe70zTDNg0XnIfbh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVqkrzCZzlqqB4gA5-iXRcP4k2rEBqTfIXRGO97G9YufjaUV-onGl1SE7BLErHZryV8wv__549rwK6VMoaMgb7RXURqWhHcQBMlud3Cbeu9a4V4A0XUI6mhgVjTbMBZ4vbh_T-I9wd2ZfGxoi8L9-C5rdAk_3gL36GoJYWhBamVySiZe70zTDNg0XnIfbh=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><br />Although this grove doesn't get many visitors, it is fascinating due to the array of twisted trees and amazing backdrops.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5O9_7RaY0rOweeH4wQBkGb88702q0Q6DgMpMc4HaDk-vpMUHWrwZqhvoKBbFv5q0Z89lNYnM9Lerz-czmRleuKV7Xld0uibmOOoKMdZWeO5-NWtJx8M69C5PA9RQDzjSGV-leSL8HEZk1QehD5QvwvnTWwi1EuEZALBxaeJYFJ9Gokp9BLEK-fTpZOkA/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5O9_7RaY0rOweeH4wQBkGb88702q0Q6DgMpMc4HaDk-vpMUHWrwZqhvoKBbFv5q0Z89lNYnM9Lerz-czmRleuKV7Xld0uibmOOoKMdZWeO5-NWtJx8M69C5PA9RQDzjSGV-leSL8HEZk1QehD5QvwvnTWwi1EuEZALBxaeJYFJ9Gokp9BLEK-fTpZOkA/w640-h480/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A few of the trees have grown to adapt to the surrounding geology.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziR5UsrIPUTNnRbcfrD1HQThqN8v_hug00gtJBJ4Z0DXkcOMa-gKgQ7r87NRInzG1Cd-SMHKQZxz8Xv3KVO2wqHJsbpE09wLm5VRKCGAhsV1qvczuBONP8jSiGswIaRSUk8xjNDkldw3yf9k8rteXhX0dGmbTF5pRrbzB8tLYUtQ01wQWXs8NrRE6Q_m0/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bc-002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziR5UsrIPUTNnRbcfrD1HQThqN8v_hug00gtJBJ4Z0DXkcOMa-gKgQ7r87NRInzG1Cd-SMHKQZxz8Xv3KVO2wqHJsbpE09wLm5VRKCGAhsV1qvczuBONP8jSiGswIaRSUk8xjNDkldw3yf9k8rteXhX0dGmbTF5pRrbzB8tLYUtQ01wQWXs8NrRE6Q_m0/w640-h480/eagle%20peak%20bc-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I really enjoy seeing how the trees twist around the rocks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2TNmKuuc-RPMyJrKrZ8x5LsL2KoX_xtABifKugDdpFmXUDGsoXQObMMeP-NIID20qfTnKjw45WApwG9ZjSEIdBO4zSEfL19pnPPKmNoPKN4ldU3Ywkx1ETImCbXwGt5gnLryni4CvP2VuRUCwQp4E_3l9_d9EjPkeCDY1KE5ahyphenhyphen5OjNGdlCb-doJQHCZ/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bc-003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="808" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2TNmKuuc-RPMyJrKrZ8x5LsL2KoX_xtABifKugDdpFmXUDGsoXQObMMeP-NIID20qfTnKjw45WApwG9ZjSEIdBO4zSEfL19pnPPKmNoPKN4ldU3Ywkx1ETImCbXwGt5gnLryni4CvP2VuRUCwQp4E_3l9_d9EjPkeCDY1KE5ahyphenhyphen5OjNGdlCb-doJQHCZ/w506-h640/eagle%20peak%20bc-003.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Near the top of Eagle Peak, you get views of Baker Peak, Wheeler Peak, and Doso Doyabi.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_1uLdty6T0nQsrfTdAXvVH3s6BGGIeckEvBVwCNszfTkxdpfdQVr_oGCJ9Oy9f9q5M9CwhkFvPd41nhSu5LgtQwfYrVnJJp08OIaEY4MR_1p2aBKy9rwkwjidYCTzVe_CW-n2A1iCAHa-XtX9GJvTpLqf8ui0KDJMFs57t5-Ote4ky9KoMVaE3OS5RcI/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bc-004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_1uLdty6T0nQsrfTdAXvVH3s6BGGIeckEvBVwCNszfTkxdpfdQVr_oGCJ9Oy9f9q5M9CwhkFvPd41nhSu5LgtQwfYrVnJJp08OIaEY4MR_1p2aBKy9rwkwjidYCTzVe_CW-n2A1iCAHa-XtX9GJvTpLqf8ui0KDJMFs57t5-Ote4ky9KoMVaE3OS5RcI/w640-h480/eagle%20peak%20bc-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The weathered wood is beautiful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5zgR327E6w8jpN7cxKYyeNe32_n2V03v9CuRCASmWQNsBhNu2u4PAHfo1Jmf15lPf8OZR7bin5iwpxmJ0-em7a7JIcpQ-EDL9BSNHnx0AMXtzW5gMYWdKmQUUr6gmkTkiOf1qXClws1das7NemcHxKVNiB4TJfxF5z79pVvzZdWYWQTgY-8IgOAvJA9q/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5zgR327E6w8jpN7cxKYyeNe32_n2V03v9CuRCASmWQNsBhNu2u4PAHfo1Jmf15lPf8OZR7bin5iwpxmJ0-em7a7JIcpQ-EDL9BSNHnx0AMXtzW5gMYWdKmQUUr6gmkTkiOf1qXClws1das7NemcHxKVNiB4TJfxF5z79pVvzZdWYWQTgY-8IgOAvJA9q/w640-h480/eagle%20peak%20bc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The balancing act some of these trees have is amazing. This one nicely frames Pyramid Peak.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOBjh_CjK6lv5GYvwRk0IMEUPDR0qsOKmXkwg3qIiqlxJWnUEv3PZsTOlMNol1x_KVQI4Voj-34tfcWUSDM435O3XH083NNDXZVLmFyhwxkAJMkJuifv_mKZ8bljNE31y5zF34rz4mp5pdCwkNsihFlikynkr_ti1TedYMeCE0LA4Uf5dJ5Vah4h_pxmn/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone-002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1024" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOBjh_CjK6lv5GYvwRk0IMEUPDR0qsOKmXkwg3qIiqlxJWnUEv3PZsTOlMNol1x_KVQI4Voj-34tfcWUSDM435O3XH083NNDXZVLmFyhwxkAJMkJuifv_mKZ8bljNE31y5zF34rz4mp5pdCwkNsihFlikynkr_ti1TedYMeCE0LA4Uf5dJ5Vah4h_pxmn/w640-h524/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I did find tags on some of the trees, so dendrochronologists have looked at some to determine their ages.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2gpeqI8krexcHVOMIuCt-2gFCx_CUDMCFm6hRTP4LRLgZoD6ezwej9_0URPfiMgVnMPc3c-rw53kxh7JrjySk53qmUmHHUJ59GPQwgHlHa9Mehrmaey-qgHj9ZayahZiIJ_xKXMRyLuEsGppeRiONPMDxBIf71IX7UhzjCSxKmafS7-muKgDBCAF4xJe/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1024" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2gpeqI8krexcHVOMIuCt-2gFCx_CUDMCFm6hRTP4LRLgZoD6ezwej9_0URPfiMgVnMPc3c-rw53kxh7JrjySk53qmUmHHUJ59GPQwgHlHa9Mehrmaey-qgHj9ZayahZiIJ_xKXMRyLuEsGppeRiONPMDxBIf71IX7UhzjCSxKmafS7-muKgDBCAF4xJe/w640-h476/eagle%20peak%20bristlecone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some are too small to be of interest to the dendrochronologists, but they're still beautiful. In the fall, you can get great views of the Snake Creek watershed and the aspen changing color.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72w5u2NMpMAskJbsfC1awku_D4KXKB-n76LUNfxd7BkVE9DprWrcN2iR8czg-IQHf3uW3KTDmuRruCLde1LjoLSZlcuf2oMMb-5HUjkhq6No5yOfGnx5YEBRieMuxWvX7o7IAey0vjiLqHOw5RXMlVrtu5SkvU71Mp1RJGNiDKrq-itk7szK3EbYxS1DP/s1024/eagle%20peak%20bristlecones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72w5u2NMpMAskJbsfC1awku_D4KXKB-n76LUNfxd7BkVE9DprWrcN2iR8czg-IQHf3uW3KTDmuRruCLde1LjoLSZlcuf2oMMb-5HUjkhq6No5yOfGnx5YEBRieMuxWvX7o7IAey0vjiLqHOw5RXMlVrtu5SkvU71Mp1RJGNiDKrq-itk7szK3EbYxS1DP/w640-h410/eagle%20peak%20bristlecones.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is an exposed area, so not the best place to be during summer monsoons.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiD1Ksvt5OVwpso0QyzV8G7gYx49E8IrTgW46zcLuSf9B1ipzLTjbM4LfsveIpMSAT4l_GPdfMART4hAHfRCyLzPcg6Ffp3Q-lOy6uVnUWlUrqdzjllB9x5yyqrdwaIYV-5ycKNcMdkPFu4MeLuFENci-kbnoQ_gVzUSpQBG_8mf3Vg73E9cIwA8Bs2BM/s1024/ep%20ancient%20bristlecone%20pine,%20backcountry%20Great%20Basin%20NP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiD1Ksvt5OVwpso0QyzV8G7gYx49E8IrTgW46zcLuSf9B1ipzLTjbM4LfsveIpMSAT4l_GPdfMART4hAHfRCyLzPcg6Ffp3Q-lOy6uVnUWlUrqdzjllB9x5yyqrdwaIYV-5ycKNcMdkPFu4MeLuFENci-kbnoQ_gVzUSpQBG_8mf3Vg73E9cIwA8Bs2BM/w640-h480/ep%20ancient%20bristlecone%20pine,%20backcountry%20Great%20Basin%20NP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We practically ran off the mountain this day to avoid the lightning. The bristlecones just keep growing, showing the dominant wind direction. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIIMi6XL3eQt8OLVT-IaSH1IcNEx_XxEE0k-33nZRx9hkUNYOfa1xx4sLhngW7nHvXAcYuLfRK2tnIIDA5Nsf0D5_pGOdY8c1q7U6nX0l_jv6o6qcd4-Q0D9r0dfZlPpDFSVJe5P1xXaDzk2TNkkU1HjdeWBEIeGlaRJwuPVLv3td4fR56H_X2L-jr2ve/s1024/ep%20windblown%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIIMi6XL3eQt8OLVT-IaSH1IcNEx_XxEE0k-33nZRx9hkUNYOfa1xx4sLhngW7nHvXAcYuLfRK2tnIIDA5Nsf0D5_pGOdY8c1q7U6nX0l_jv6o6qcd4-Q0D9r0dfZlPpDFSVJe5P1xXaDzk2TNkkU1HjdeWBEIeGlaRJwuPVLv3td4fR56H_X2L-jr2ve/w640-h426/ep%20windblown%20bristlecone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is one of the hardest groves to get to in the Park, but if you make the effort, it's likely you'll have it all to yourself.<br /> <p></p><div>Two parts left to this series, check back soon!</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-57535425446887873932023-12-19T16:10:00.000-08:002023-12-19T16:10:20.906-08:00My Favorite Books of 2023<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-MbQTj4T0mavaE3syOg2vhkC-c0BBRVmsKyqe_66XX1bsUnICUxN8b4gTrRfxaunXbiTb7zziRmBODo9ys6UqR1JkHXNtl5VNnV_pHvlu11XBq4czjrLvztuz1sQENyxK3OC9RYGF83E4wbsMuVSVTIDQbBBKoLGI34AkwGLg7_7Q8Ju0ZHGV3-2ADcC1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-MbQTj4T0mavaE3syOg2vhkC-c0BBRVmsKyqe_66XX1bsUnICUxN8b4gTrRfxaunXbiTb7zziRmBODo9ys6UqR1JkHXNtl5VNnV_pHvlu11XBq4czjrLvztuz1sQENyxK3OC9RYGF83E4wbsMuVSVTIDQbBBKoLGI34AkwGLg7_7Q8Ju0ZHGV3-2ADcC1=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">A fascinating journey into remote Siberia to find fish owls; notable for the wilderness and cultural aspects.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>I love to read. I also have stopped finishing as many books. If I don't like a book, I stop reading. There are more books out there than I have time to read, so why waste time with something I don't like? I may have stopped reading/listening to more books than I've gotten through this year.</p><p></p><p>I love getting book recommendations so that I can hone on in the "good ones." I figure it's only fair if I share my favorites to help pay back those who have helped me. </p><p>Without further ado, here are my 2023 faves.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg03R8HFTrvsqHEzP2KGj-Kp9DqfV5BmmFKgUCg3Dentige6xn6PnTzBUMZtS0-aZTu8fRCjpTqDoBmtmEGOjB6WAXgFa_dV2ErNR0r6_yMfoDLFYhqW_ajy6wM9ZVB4rdFy9lE_WDFbXSr3sHG0eus_QFgBactbjAO0O5hAfzy-WapB1o9cCZ8kQWmDrh_" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg03R8HFTrvsqHEzP2KGj-Kp9DqfV5BmmFKgUCg3Dentige6xn6PnTzBUMZtS0-aZTu8fRCjpTqDoBmtmEGOjB6WAXgFa_dV2ErNR0r6_yMfoDLFYhqW_ajy6wM9ZVB4rdFy9lE_WDFbXSr3sHG0eus_QFgBactbjAO0O5hAfzy-WapB1o9cCZ8kQWmDrh_=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I learned a lot about the hearing impaired community from this one.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRXq3-QH-GhebeY2aUYOw8xAe_AHmP5RJ5h86OOgub8D1Bejd_5kk-_MDHcfUxlDBl4iIRmngAtSpQZQY-uCmrKZYcKug6R-4Yk2HNfcpU4Ui4J52p1hH7jJb-1QogcNVIOZDLvDjQ7qoExyi1EpH7NBovVO0GTBRnEyrPLVzvsWa7CYoWJs0S4sFkDLCK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="957" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRXq3-QH-GhebeY2aUYOw8xAe_AHmP5RJ5h86OOgub8D1Bejd_5kk-_MDHcfUxlDBl4iIRmngAtSpQZQY-uCmrKZYcKug6R-4Yk2HNfcpU4Ui4J52p1hH7jJb-1QogcNVIOZDLvDjQ7qoExyi1EpH7NBovVO0GTBRnEyrPLVzvsWa7CYoWJs0S4sFkDLCK=w204-h320" width="204" /></a></div>Lots of great ideas that go beyond giving money to giving time, compliments, and more.<br /><br /><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibggHZWyk-l9REMrsLVKbZSwB12FyKsjupyYjEfsllbOKgnVme17ImzOqvNz1lyx5L0T7cGYqTZHvtOjMdnx0QNMWvmxZQj58P0kNZmH5_gInToflZUqvmn-WhHwtCK4vbxOaS8yUswYe0AUgD2CELEljIUv3kQ0T591tUEZeohxuSSf60KAmWexpLeyOU" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibggHZWyk-l9REMrsLVKbZSwB12FyKsjupyYjEfsllbOKgnVme17ImzOqvNz1lyx5L0T7cGYqTZHvtOjMdnx0QNMWvmxZQj58P0kNZmH5_gInToflZUqvmn-WhHwtCK4vbxOaS8yUswYe0AUgD2CELEljIUv3kQ0T591tUEZeohxuSSf60KAmWexpLeyOU=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Very fun sci-fi, listened to with Desert Boy.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif_ffgN7-unF7wAMwLF1OSInxeRIayTbhQmseJT2g3LlX1cYAR9zDYfdAnMKRgWgz5NbAw6e1_PJ2UZ2PfXe39iDVw4ZG8bNOHlGi4G8rLW8dwFnA-xywCGBwL2vlUwhPaJYtoTcnFh609dzfXs2UizccJ-k3G5vZCcwx0zoSJ4jAISihtNL9PZr5i7re0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif_ffgN7-unF7wAMwLF1OSInxeRIayTbhQmseJT2g3LlX1cYAR9zDYfdAnMKRgWgz5NbAw6e1_PJ2UZ2PfXe39iDVw4ZG8bNOHlGi4G8rLW8dwFnA-xywCGBwL2vlUwhPaJYtoTcnFh609dzfXs2UizccJ-k3G5vZCcwx0zoSJ4jAISihtNL9PZr5i7re0=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This one made me so sad, but I'm glad the story is coming to light. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSnfWVOqXsTvexd1a3scXToTTxIrHa0ZGgW5YZiqYYCn2mzUY_yU0e8nv1amzkIONXilsCNFLZNWedczveJK0BBDaM4KdCwreg7wQV_8omJP52E-Cz5HnNlyqXMG3xIdHkHIjwUmP_vlfmhAXNdzwZSJyCv4-VFaWVyVT1tGhKIX8TX6RmpzUrDboOOJsR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSnfWVOqXsTvexd1a3scXToTTxIrHa0ZGgW5YZiqYYCn2mzUY_yU0e8nv1amzkIONXilsCNFLZNWedczveJK0BBDaM4KdCwreg7wQV_8omJP52E-Cz5HnNlyqXMG3xIdHkHIjwUmP_vlfmhAXNdzwZSJyCv4-VFaWVyVT1tGhKIX8TX6RmpzUrDboOOJsR=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div>An interesting trip to the jungles of Belize and the culture and politics of a little known country.<p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGvtV9JoDrONiF140JcwCRQhZ7kfk89L36gubNPmuEkE-txfY3bHudgioeNwvBi0m1rKkgEvUV4_MOnwntL7xdKvkJz4w1nrE1Cs6JTfkT3_CdMNO5hagbFfqdiv-IFrL72juB9LKk3TKP8vZx4P2fsQuIKBx2kCLbsk-8Bh_qEy3H1tezJFXJSPmqb3xb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGvtV9JoDrONiF140JcwCRQhZ7kfk89L36gubNPmuEkE-txfY3bHudgioeNwvBi0m1rKkgEvUV4_MOnwntL7xdKvkJz4w1nrE1Cs6JTfkT3_CdMNO5hagbFfqdiv-IFrL72juB9LKk3TKP8vZx4P2fsQuIKBx2kCLbsk-8Bh_qEy3H1tezJFXJSPmqb3xb=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a long listen, but was interesting seeing how Russia changed over time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm4zqHXc_32IhABALd5DJ5melgOfkyRUJqVOHGuqfnQhOfDQPpxt6t8loGEdEwPhEv1L1qFABu1Zii8E9EoiJrjXJE0UkdQMjyJKp9v6HJsRaL5y8LeqzXCoHTjHFq0E6YIAKKe-6jZC8gJDdrNT58hgAsVLRS3ACExfvjj9cb5KPh2GVHXAVYwWjTbgLt" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm4zqHXc_32IhABALd5DJ5melgOfkyRUJqVOHGuqfnQhOfDQPpxt6t8loGEdEwPhEv1L1qFABu1Zii8E9EoiJrjXJE0UkdQMjyJKp9v6HJsRaL5y8LeqzXCoHTjHFq0E6YIAKKe-6jZC8gJDdrNT58hgAsVLRS3ACExfvjj9cb5KPh2GVHXAVYwWjTbgLt=w214-h320" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Some insights into the National Park Service and what it's like to work there.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhLSGJhSCeRyCw5A8ur37k32zTLt9DD7iwyl-Q5EPOg_PCUDy-Yp0l9Ma9-EhZwLv2NivBEd6JK41EI3OPc0HEeBvKoAJIjVlGN90G4Xf3sviTZeZPbSYQ0U2YELzxPlDyGmijtvweLzPPjHZHXhrSfSQVUUS-2KmrMfONEallSyTmzxRWo8N0p7iSrUhS" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="971" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhLSGJhSCeRyCw5A8ur37k32zTLt9DD7iwyl-Q5EPOg_PCUDy-Yp0l9Ma9-EhZwLv2NivBEd6JK41EI3OPc0HEeBvKoAJIjVlGN90G4Xf3sviTZeZPbSYQ0U2YELzxPlDyGmijtvweLzPPjHZHXhrSfSQVUUS-2KmrMfONEallSyTmzxRWo8N0p7iSrUhS=w207-h320" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">John Scalzi in a very different type of sci-fi novel. Desert Boy and I found this delightful.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaXuj2YDiTBXewm6tLn1SWSD1pvJLW73oyvL0mFk3-MkhCuefWF4hCA6Sv7z1plUhfVAC-kFsi-H1SNwGmACEtI_4B6xXbHvr2pHjstGwT1lzevvDLNyXlHVeoEuFRo3ZsPU85jwN_-WB3Q0sDt4tnGRiewI4C8X5wo41IYtrmN-yBIGyua10XCWmMrMou" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaXuj2YDiTBXewm6tLn1SWSD1pvJLW73oyvL0mFk3-MkhCuefWF4hCA6Sv7z1plUhfVAC-kFsi-H1SNwGmACEtI_4B6xXbHvr2pHjstGwT1lzevvDLNyXlHVeoEuFRo3ZsPU85jwN_-WB3Q0sDt4tnGRiewI4C8X5wo41IYtrmN-yBIGyua10XCWmMrMou=w214-h320" width="214" /></a></div>Fictional history of Hedy Lamarr. I'd like to know more about her and also want to check out more books by this author.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgChSLTzPghAc0740pPdjHI2JJGvljrFpQhKuSnKoB3s0DG2pN6flDfvtXOZBuPBjlW0myttcPf4iwMTlEEamP9DEd4Y9djkPrCoBLoAmifdESopkeOJTGNL6OWGFrK23N5dePwp2x6ZDd0QR7wfP-uMf_lgSMXGyGBHxgNGKdfwVGemkuxV_O6s_G-9yr8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgChSLTzPghAc0740pPdjHI2JJGvljrFpQhKuSnKoB3s0DG2pN6flDfvtXOZBuPBjlW0myttcPf4iwMTlEEamP9DEd4Y9djkPrCoBLoAmifdESopkeOJTGNL6OWGFrK23N5dePwp2x6ZDd0QR7wfP-uMf_lgSMXGyGBHxgNGKdfwVGemkuxV_O6s_G-9yr8=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A little long in some parts, but interesting journey of a coming of age story in Appalachia.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwCxHVgueRAh3Cipk16bOZwfuhu9SnDOB69ZXdNykCyNaxETkGZUpOCZaq4F66mW5DbTjTyx1uCtZfOycvXJGdBaRxao3ImPpNm9sohH7dPwF5otIAiLmX8YoE45LjGIAob7TH5yC7PNsNLYeWa99ImGjLaf_hofxUBuPtPdxs7SJjCByBz-LWqnSxjKVt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwCxHVgueRAh3Cipk16bOZwfuhu9SnDOB69ZXdNykCyNaxETkGZUpOCZaq4F66mW5DbTjTyx1uCtZfOycvXJGdBaRxao3ImPpNm9sohH7dPwF5otIAiLmX8YoE45LjGIAob7TH5yC7PNsNLYeWa99ImGjLaf_hofxUBuPtPdxs7SJjCByBz-LWqnSxjKVt=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The kids and I have enjoyed listening to this one. Such a different life than we live (thank goodness!)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYO92vuuUuU_ezIhde-W-6eoyohcIU635wW2meoAyvWPBaoq50_IT7PBZlDZ0ZBjar-qXJ4O6tuCtj-y_ZLjYKAEJZfVP7De1RYK7FvB5GCt7LnQ323PmG00UsXgdblAgJRJ9Jfq17I1spLkOddAMCTZNcOWD9-AKVah9P7t2qrNM9ww7oRey5Xj-jk8ke" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYO92vuuUuU_ezIhde-W-6eoyohcIU635wW2meoAyvWPBaoq50_IT7PBZlDZ0ZBjar-qXJ4O6tuCtj-y_ZLjYKAEJZfVP7De1RYK7FvB5GCt7LnQ323PmG00UsXgdblAgJRJ9Jfq17I1spLkOddAMCTZNcOWD9-AKVah9P7t2qrNM9ww7oRey5Xj-jk8ke=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div>For those who like EMS and national parks, this is a great combo.<br /><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4R4wcl26M6EtXnZwbpADC6wDXYqDvKNzCGEOoZWZLQZ8GQE4Z-ooJuc127gVcPicFF3nIF_cqcASIGssMi2dWZg1SlQ_FtfGZjJDclivwyxEndrUNne8eLxqkr8sqDQ6xW2rtvaNe0Ah3OVdy9VoodGspWo3INmuXgJDkXUO0azknjy1P5Eck8RfsJqCW" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4R4wcl26M6EtXnZwbpADC6wDXYqDvKNzCGEOoZWZLQZ8GQE4Z-ooJuc127gVcPicFF3nIF_cqcASIGssMi2dWZg1SlQ_FtfGZjJDclivwyxEndrUNne8eLxqkr8sqDQ6xW2rtvaNe0Ah3OVdy9VoodGspWo3INmuXgJDkXUO0azknjy1P5Eck8RfsJqCW=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Tips to keep you moving at any age. I'll be incorporating some of their recommendations into my daily habits.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>And my favorite book of the year:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiofb092eDKIhhnmvy0KEgu5BGWJMwHHAd95rtvbloUIdD7gn9Wh6lkq68suCTuKZe-i1QN_tp3ZdAIHbCdEWNQARNfhl3ABaiYP6Dt7CifyfYNakNMz2BY5wmKUsgbfOQv8dL20zlhwYWYb6VpDLyFTFB-RlXvIQa0Z0PgI6p_cDro6de3pv8iAqGHrDgn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiofb092eDKIhhnmvy0KEgu5BGWJMwHHAd95rtvbloUIdD7gn9Wh6lkq68suCTuKZe-i1QN_tp3ZdAIHbCdEWNQARNfhl3ABaiYP6Dt7CifyfYNakNMz2BY5wmKUsgbfOQv8dL20zlhwYWYb6VpDLyFTFB-RlXvIQa0Z0PgI6p_cDro6de3pv8iAqGHrDgn=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This one takes me back to my political science roots. It also helps make so much sense of where we have conflicts in the world and why some economies work better than others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What are your favorites?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some of my past: <span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2021/12/some-book-recommendations.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">2021 books</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2022/12/favorite-2022-books.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">2022 books</a></div><p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-59709842836348209662023-12-17T08:46:00.000-08:002023-12-17T08:46:41.112-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Groves - Part 4 The Magic Grove<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6KR3Eaaex0HMgD41EYIjoLHG3mMsSFniTobrz6lbjpHhgmwonFB1-HqbHKyWH_Mc3mNJTMGdN9GzZu8yOFAyQhvhT8ETbHuAiQ7fsr3dX1PmN75M11iALVsZI-4Bs66geu4rauKyR0f1-vQvm849lL5v81tTHoqSSl5w1gsFHywj4tnWXRyfxdC8QHsM/s1024/mg-bristlecone-001-Enhanced.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="832" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6KR3Eaaex0HMgD41EYIjoLHG3mMsSFniTobrz6lbjpHhgmwonFB1-HqbHKyWH_Mc3mNJTMGdN9GzZu8yOFAyQhvhT8ETbHuAiQ7fsr3dX1PmN75M11iALVsZI-4Bs66geu4rauKyR0f1-vQvm849lL5v81tTHoqSSl5w1gsFHywj4tnWXRyfxdC8QHsM/w520-h640/mg-bristlecone-001-Enhanced.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 1 (Overview)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 2 (Wheeler Cirque)</a>, and <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks_7.html" target="_blank">Part 3 (Mt. Washington)</a> of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Great Basin Bristlecone Pines in the Magic Grove are some of the most amazing in Great Basin National Park. Some people consider this grove, which is to the northeast of Mt. Washington, to be part of the Mt. Washington grove. It's a 45-60 minute hike down to the grove on a steep mountain slope with no trail and no trees, so I'm going to consider it as separate grove. A co-worker coined the name The Magic Grove, and while you won't find that on any map, it's one that has been adopted by many park employees and locals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To get there, it's a two-hour drive, including over an hour on a very rough, very 4WD road. Then it's about an hour hike down the side of a mountain with no trail. An alternate way to get there is to hike 6-7 miles up the Snake Divide Trail from the Snake Creek trailhead. Some of the trail is marked, and some of the trail is still a sparkle in someone's eye. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTHQc5cagOdhsR4LR58Bb3qfHKA8-ZaOJnGb6RDN781CufVsHE4vX6vc1FIGRTRaDslfjdphcojCcT4fEUt364Fp5ZG8ZBOnqr1Nr_lJN-zWj0gxc5XuXJYdHMKRcmES-NTHC3OIP5sBeiGrdd8pLYbqSyb9BwnrHyN-_Lu1MNL1Bf6DW9hJnIDZSKuu35" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTHQc5cagOdhsR4LR58Bb3qfHKA8-ZaOJnGb6RDN781CufVsHE4vX6vc1FIGRTRaDslfjdphcojCcT4fEUt364Fp5ZG8ZBOnqr1Nr_lJN-zWj0gxc5XuXJYdHMKRcmES-NTHC3OIP5sBeiGrdd8pLYbqSyb9BwnrHyN-_Lu1MNL1Bf6DW9hJnIDZSKuu35=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One tree in this grove (the one pictured at the top of this post) is so iconic that it was chosen to grace the Great Basin quarter in the National Park series of quarters. It was issued in 2013, and there was a special ceremony and unveiling in the Park.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEm-suSzFOkpcPB-NWJNobrIgnRgIXHeZr2_5E6d3urmyP28a5YpfJPZxRhxfyiCcUYBtepk88c7oZfAyj4mK272S1LFQzSyh5XXoD36C-yMuL9lqt1mO9Ti_WnPF0gbasFRMLOqf2XIzSqHNIAPx3vydxnd6jPFIyFF7Qtco0Sryc2Aezwo3GsDCdRw2/s1024/GB%20quarter.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1024" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEm-suSzFOkpcPB-NWJNobrIgnRgIXHeZr2_5E6d3urmyP28a5YpfJPZxRhxfyiCcUYBtepk88c7oZfAyj4mK272S1LFQzSyh5XXoD36C-yMuL9lqt1mO9Ti_WnPF0gbasFRMLOqf2XIzSqHNIAPx3vydxnd6jPFIyFF7Qtco0Sryc2Aezwo3GsDCdRw2/w640-h494/GB%20quarter.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This particular bristlecone pine is over 1,400 years old. One of the reasons it stands out is that it is a little isolated from other bristlecone pines on the Magic Grove. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWexS8RNK4HDBA8pcrFZsJfPkK9VH-IOiUoLOE2C07AXLr-aAl66xXXKdWJkla4Czsn5eJHFXCt0EfQbQq4FJ4AfvboAgf-6IZ1OpwhhIeofplqyP-XoJbqG_KVtlz_Hslil9TUZTvl1cbZ8_WcZFpFOq4382aotb7OpEfokcXiM0-MtTPNxiw3YowRFj/s1024/mg%201-bristlecone-Enhanced.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWexS8RNK4HDBA8pcrFZsJfPkK9VH-IOiUoLOE2C07AXLr-aAl66xXXKdWJkla4Czsn5eJHFXCt0EfQbQq4FJ4AfvboAgf-6IZ1OpwhhIeofplqyP-XoJbqG_KVtlz_Hslil9TUZTvl1cbZ8_WcZFpFOq4382aotb7OpEfokcXiM0-MtTPNxiw3YowRFj/w640-h480/mg%201-bristlecone-Enhanced.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I love the "Quarter Tree," but I also have some other favorites. This one may have started as several trunks that joined together. I believe it's over 2,400 years old. That means it started growing before the first Christmas! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz4mXCWn9cfAmUOQXEzMzMpmFlLs5RrFiM55BZY_pIquvSjFDih5Z0JE0V9HAJ-Fgzk05lfmRDtSU9g64pIUT9LrSj0j3ICCo0jw3-gRKtD9z9hun_B3omQr6Dw9xefZ5Hd21JFG57ugB4IZ0ma8rKXJJDrF-LFALQCA3E6dtGCX9R-SuajeVN5bnh77D/s1024/mg%20bristlecone%20big.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1024" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz4mXCWn9cfAmUOQXEzMzMpmFlLs5RrFiM55BZY_pIquvSjFDih5Z0JE0V9HAJ-Fgzk05lfmRDtSU9g64pIUT9LrSj0j3ICCo0jw3-gRKtD9z9hun_B3omQr6Dw9xefZ5Hd21JFG57ugB4IZ0ma8rKXJJDrF-LFALQCA3E6dtGCX9R-SuajeVN5bnh77D/w640-h628/mg%20bristlecone%20big.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>If you move to one side, you can frame Mt. Washington in the dead branches.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshBkYdLuvuG4j-65-Q1vySrVwJfvUxuNhjv1ORj9xdWEP-n9V2Q6_beLVTWaBJaNVWmaSORrGjP6RkQpRluscm8k5b0E5iyvhDfPctNQjId43xK2atwxguC0VomdYUQbbzyM1DZ7S_oXffyyOl2HiZ1-KfET0kG3IZazsy8-IHWXn6Q1gdQX7SfoSxTWq/s1024/mg%20bristlecone%20frame.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshBkYdLuvuG4j-65-Q1vySrVwJfvUxuNhjv1ORj9xdWEP-n9V2Q6_beLVTWaBJaNVWmaSORrGjP6RkQpRluscm8k5b0E5iyvhDfPctNQjId43xK2atwxguC0VomdYUQbbzyM1DZ7S_oXffyyOl2HiZ1-KfET0kG3IZazsy8-IHWXn6Q1gdQX7SfoSxTWq/w640-h482/mg%20bristlecone%20frame.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a view of the same tree at night, the night sky photo that launched my photography hobby. The orange glow in the background wasn't visible with the naked eye, I only saw it with a 20 second exposure. It was from the Hampton Creek fire, and when I saw that, I realized I would never get a photo like this one again.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGJtYsJAuycIWoaNc_sQH-G3bN86B10o3rcAnf7AY3bnc7l-X2TelMvO4lMGiIaccv0giqyNelW7kpVHDj8EQ7eTWyTOGBK3fjbCBSLXy_Rigi1RBf2tJJeFrXoGENsXra_d7TSYMZCjXrlJxrToCO1x8Am7yTZaPi3bHwnZGsk-fnKENY8RkYseHftJT/s1024/mg%20Old%20bristlecone%20under%20the%20Milky%20Way-10MB-DeNoiseAI%20(1)-Enhanced.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGJtYsJAuycIWoaNc_sQH-G3bN86B10o3rcAnf7AY3bnc7l-X2TelMvO4lMGiIaccv0giqyNelW7kpVHDj8EQ7eTWyTOGBK3fjbCBSLXy_Rigi1RBf2tJJeFrXoGENsXra_d7TSYMZCjXrlJxrToCO1x8Am7yTZaPi3bHwnZGsk-fnKENY8RkYseHftJT/w640-h426/mg%20Old%20bristlecone%20under%20the%20Milky%20Way-10MB-DeNoiseAI%20(1)-Enhanced.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sunrise is also an awesome time to admire bristlecone pines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEecQZU3T6AosMMCkL9POFg3KxXCpl1ptwvEhLoqdVGGvMJRopPY1hq5XG8LfN_51j9E3kVwmDW2sbPVG9t-vXCzz9bPdymQFKkHVykiHxkafrsJhxnn3nMSVmGQr86pzujDvSm0Q3W49LFCrc-lnp0IxAzfPKZzph0XvEp-M5cPMRo2TZlC5dE8GB91gc/s1024/mg%20sunrise%20bristlecone.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1024" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEecQZU3T6AosMMCkL9POFg3KxXCpl1ptwvEhLoqdVGGvMJRopPY1hq5XG8LfN_51j9E3kVwmDW2sbPVG9t-vXCzz9bPdymQFKkHVykiHxkafrsJhxnn3nMSVmGQr86pzujDvSm0Q3W49LFCrc-lnp0IxAzfPKZzph0XvEp-M5cPMRo2TZlC5dE8GB91gc/w640-h602/mg%20sunrise%20bristlecone.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The early morning light enhances the wind-shaped wood. This particular tree that has fallen over is featured by one of the <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2014/08/artist-in-residence-presentation-of.html" target="_blank">Great Basin National Park Artists in Residence.</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcEvedNVJlEv_3pRpF_3SuP-IgtD7EY4cIMGqJV9jhoBa2kZn5lvJ61ysqzllT-0Q3ujjZt4OWS4mIxc97lYhWXRyh2ngaLvdWq1D0TCCZIYolcHwXCv8FHcIaLCtaSEUVNdah1MfjvavGu0GH6nXFVXJ7jzXzTnXgpW7DsTj6OfAE8iUnkk5wV-1LDFX/s1024/mg%20fallen%20bc.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcEvedNVJlEv_3pRpF_3SuP-IgtD7EY4cIMGqJV9jhoBa2kZn5lvJ61ysqzllT-0Q3ujjZt4OWS4mIxc97lYhWXRyh2ngaLvdWq1D0TCCZIYolcHwXCv8FHcIaLCtaSEUVNdah1MfjvavGu0GH6nXFVXJ7jzXzTnXgpW7DsTj6OfAE8iUnkk5wV-1LDFX/w640-h426/mg%20fallen%20bc.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Back to the Quarter Tree at first light. I've enjoyed each opportunity I've had to visit this special bristlecone pine grove. With some luck and God's blessings, maybe I'll get to visit it again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHJ72TA8rdpItaKDTfTJH-uHD09G2oHbZ_sBRDR220GIDvA6cEwV6tplDNv9-Gtbr3NealX0wxZYHmVa18TGFmToHk3NKOkwvrnHh_W0yDFx2ixTzTIJ3Ezx4ODuzTC6FluzqDJfvp291oKU96klZ9O7aCAuWBzSqyCHhXf9TvZWJKm0co9SbGAKm9QSo/s1024/quarter%20tree%20magic%20grove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHJ72TA8rdpItaKDTfTJH-uHD09G2oHbZ_sBRDR220GIDvA6cEwV6tplDNv9-Gtbr3NealX0wxZYHmVa18TGFmToHk3NKOkwvrnHh_W0yDFx2ixTzTIJ3Ezx4ODuzTC6FluzqDJfvp291oKU96klZ9O7aCAuWBzSqyCHhXf9TvZWJKm0co9SbGAKm9QSo/w640-h480/quarter%20tree%20magic%20grove.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Check back soon for another post about the bristlecone pines in Great Basin National Park!<p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-81109039805686747002023-12-07T19:37:00.000-08:002023-12-07T19:37:32.024-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves - Part 3 Mount Washington<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn_8gIDoXGKi2uJVEk4X7N0hEKBu09FnDSJpkGzLQjR7_D7DkUG2S9ZieDhUGTpM1Yvdkp07kgwNxddc1l80U2_ls3uPMBgSX-6a2rCm3npQB44dtECrbbvgiNq-zGvU9mFIy6M409-9rHpSry_y7qrDWtvRMpsFuB0Hd2iFilqxigEHDHDmR6QyfM498/s1024/IMG_0605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn_8gIDoXGKi2uJVEk4X7N0hEKBu09FnDSJpkGzLQjR7_D7DkUG2S9ZieDhUGTpM1Yvdkp07kgwNxddc1l80U2_ls3uPMBgSX-6a2rCm3npQB44dtECrbbvgiNq-zGvU9mFIy6M409-9rHpSry_y7qrDWtvRMpsFuB0Hd2iFilqxigEHDHDmR6QyfM498/w640-h426/IMG_0605.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> (Overview) and <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> (Wheeler Cirque) of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The Mount Washington Bristlecone Pine Grove is quite extensive and is the only grove in Great Basin National Park that can be reached by vehicle. However, the road is extremely rough and requires a high clearance 4WD with an experienced driver to go up a technically difficult set of switchbacks and along some areas with a lot of exposure and other areas that are eroding with every rainstorm. It's located in the west-central part of the Park.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtT6zi0KGnRozrLPJG-rnn8DYeKr3tIhS0KOJFUkN1J9RGIZdft6zHS561ls0YtLQBT9QI-FmMaxLJ0szkB6YOkIb4PIHpiYeyYuATwnHl1nBvonUFIGsMcEWrA-JKRbccft3o76FeQJr5pQvMykm_f--qvujG10qf1_dnjXYdDW-wArXRYwbA8UXNry2X" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtT6zi0KGnRozrLPJG-rnn8DYeKr3tIhS0KOJFUkN1J9RGIZdft6zHS561ls0YtLQBT9QI-FmMaxLJ0szkB6YOkIb4PIHpiYeyYuATwnHl1nBvonUFIGsMcEWrA-JKRbccft3o76FeQJr5pQvMykm_f--qvujG10qf1_dnjXYdDW-wArXRYwbA8UXNry2X=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the unique things about the Mt. Washington grove is that it experienced a large wildfire in 2000 (Philips Ranch Fire) that burned through many bristlecone pines. Often, bristlecone pines are fairly solitary, especially at higher elevations, so when one catches on fire, it's hard for the fire to spread. In this case, the fire started at lower elevations in other trees, and then strong winds blew it uphill, blowing embers from tree to tree.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgM1hqcZT8VmGUipvPE_z010f44kO6z6GlA_o6gBX9nrbh1gLPVaRg-uu7FcsVSyM7BqxCytKVyXE4VATvpwru-FfKOf0MeG9OJLN-yeUYMGnHBdv4Bt-O_GF6z0hCIwItxvKUBh3Xf13yun6BkeV9QCy_wsdhiYLVzlrlnnRSgZCTQru3CBjxxGZNVk3a/s1024/PXL_20210909_003604833.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgM1hqcZT8VmGUipvPE_z010f44kO6z6GlA_o6gBX9nrbh1gLPVaRg-uu7FcsVSyM7BqxCytKVyXE4VATvpwru-FfKOf0MeG9OJLN-yeUYMGnHBdv4Bt-O_GF6z0hCIwItxvKUBh3Xf13yun6BkeV9QCy_wsdhiYLVzlrlnnRSgZCTQru3CBjxxGZNVk3a/w640-h480/PXL_20210909_003604833.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even some rather isolated trees burned. Fortunately, young trees are growing back in portions of the burned area, and overall the fire seems to have stimulated growth of saplings. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/900/pdf" target="_blank">Here's an article about how the bristlecone pine recovery is going.</a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbKNsVcQ4zXpqHWjYYpq_4qxXv_70yfb6dCei2BzyKNad1N3KTcIIkiFdut11QQFw0qsFkhokBRjH8VH9SmGowRwsQxXtSRxqrcbZaSQ2RMOu0rXdYcCg7oKD9SY2sekxY0oUglQvkm0KbznTbR07vFmHDTyK_18q5g-FgDhkvOi66mqltg63dyqPig4x/s1024/PXL_20210908_221241850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbKNsVcQ4zXpqHWjYYpq_4qxXv_70yfb6dCei2BzyKNad1N3KTcIIkiFdut11QQFw0qsFkhokBRjH8VH9SmGowRwsQxXtSRxqrcbZaSQ2RMOu0rXdYcCg7oKD9SY2sekxY0oUglQvkm0KbznTbR07vFmHDTyK_18q5g-FgDhkvOi66mqltg63dyqPig4x/w480-h640/PXL_20210908_221241850.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The top of Mt. Washington, at 11,658 feet (3,553 m), is too high for bristlecone pines or any other trees. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VBTx8786CuV2x7PIR6y4LMLYtMRvToQNrPA3CTM9EHssqPBPt3Y0np3l3m8klHd9X8ww6KwSFkoZrPEsP9qg1KVQYVVaMkdpJPuORa05YtUl0JoCZVizHHU8gnxmR3-AdpCzxTrUU80a7Q74t_6hj-M3qKcVwkeEgWNwRz5PFqxDbP-Uhe2RQPwrlben/s1024/mt%20washington.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VBTx8786CuV2x7PIR6y4LMLYtMRvToQNrPA3CTM9EHssqPBPt3Y0np3l3m8klHd9X8ww6KwSFkoZrPEsP9qg1KVQYVVaMkdpJPuORa05YtUl0JoCZVizHHU8gnxmR3-AdpCzxTrUU80a7Q74t_6hj-M3qKcVwkeEgWNwRz5PFqxDbP-Uhe2RQPwrlben/w640-h480/mt%20washington.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>If you look closely, though, as you approach the summit, you might spot pieces of dead wood. Where did they come from? Well, during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_climatic_optimum#References" target="_blank">Altithermal (Holocene climate optimum)</a> roughly 9,500 to 5,500 years ago, it was warmer than it is now. This allowed bristlecone pines to grow higher on the mountain. When it cooled off again, the highest trees died, leaving their wood. In most cases, the wood disappears in a few hundred years, but bristlecone wood is so dense that it can stay on the landscape for thousands of years, which is why it is so important for climate studies.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-WsD10QGdLZxxWBHN_9WCwJ0QYXzbycIY2R1K73yj1jAiWCnRqhRpdWzL6nod04OPCfEH5MFbqCUufaQrTFtp1v6BWIlGlAp-W5IZj8t9FoZgXem_C2AGZGOwhhqaEse5wV2bXkXQXl-B3xoorDN6bNK-aOzQlv1obkbO1BWJVGVnTe_JiQsii9K11R9/s1024/old%20wood%20above%20treeline.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-WsD10QGdLZxxWBHN_9WCwJ0QYXzbycIY2R1K73yj1jAiWCnRqhRpdWzL6nod04OPCfEH5MFbqCUufaQrTFtp1v6BWIlGlAp-W5IZj8t9FoZgXem_C2AGZGOwhhqaEse5wV2bXkXQXl-B3xoorDN6bNK-aOzQlv1obkbO1BWJVGVnTe_JiQsii9K11R9/w640-h426/old%20wood%20above%20treeline.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some bristlecone pines right outside the Park, on property owned by the <a href="https://longnow.org/" target="_blank">LongNow Foundation</a>, are being studied by the Desert Research Institute and University of Nevada, Reno to learn more about how they grow and interact with their environment. Sap flow measurements taken every 10 minutes for five years (wow!) show how these trees relate to soil moisture and other climate variables. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720333817?fr=RR-2&ref=pdf_download&rr=832170c1380b08c4" target="_blank">Read more here. </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6en3BCEmBwNpMdZN8fOgfQoNFxqUIOA9Rr0AQMbbL1ryqjuYXxSGWT7Z6Na-u1RNau-bQLhcajLX9CAg4Zx99hKmO2b4c5tVd7rIeHd3cZleM-2Z4OV4kZ7ndLtcL35IVmF-W5wyI_E1botuzP8q42e9o9TUKjUp-WptfFUcPtSLOZPOfJMhNYzz2X4Np/s1024/PXL_20210908_200437252.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6en3BCEmBwNpMdZN8fOgfQoNFxqUIOA9Rr0AQMbbL1ryqjuYXxSGWT7Z6Na-u1RNau-bQLhcajLX9CAg4Zx99hKmO2b4c5tVd7rIeHd3cZleM-2Z4OV4kZ7ndLtcL35IVmF-W5wyI_E1botuzP8q42e9o9TUKjUp-WptfFUcPtSLOZPOfJMhNYzz2X4Np/w480-h640/PXL_20210908_200437252.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Most people who go up Mt. Washington just enjoy the beauty of the bristlecones. The trees take some amazing forms. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1thyphenhyphenum2m-_p2Qqvbo9ZpzyLfZYe3sob-U0_Dzg06W19mibnoFmqBZYypsnQ0yOvv_8sjFc4NK9crQ-jt-GF9ozwwT6V2FsMIwhUvaKrux_46HPu8uuZER_19PWHjf3fKKc041YvrG0AwWv7xYQ_B93MoCljrAngWJuDQBVjOzPlXT8EiqfZn3V6WHITU/s1024/PXL_20210909_011619799.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1thyphenhyphenum2m-_p2Qqvbo9ZpzyLfZYe3sob-U0_Dzg06W19mibnoFmqBZYypsnQ0yOvv_8sjFc4NK9crQ-jt-GF9ozwwT6V2FsMIwhUvaKrux_46HPu8uuZER_19PWHjf3fKKc041YvrG0AwWv7xYQ_B93MoCljrAngWJuDQBVjOzPlXT8EiqfZn3V6WHITU/w480-h640/PXL_20210909_011619799.JPG" width="480" /></a><div><br /></div><div>Generally, the higher up the mountain you go, the smaller the trees are. Some interesting things are happening with the bristlecones in the upper zones that they inhabit. <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0903029106" target="_blank">This study</a> found that they have wider tree rings, meaning higher temperatures, in the last century than in the past 3,500 years. Another thing that has been changing is that we can now find more limber pines at higher elevation, as they "leap frog" over the bristlecone pines in some cases to live even higher on the mountains, as <a href="https://escholarship.org/content/qt7fg126qn/qt7fg126qn.pdf" target="_blank">this study found.</a><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96o9PLqi42JXkMagNPXusJR1OwaywaDVYYF62Dy0eqYiMHkRNztA_slOGSC76daXdT1-nKUeMdcHa5ZcUSLnRsudj8xNZaQiuVAyF1yMoRZ-pcbAuHlZMkOCwGDfhqr-l_4cSCMqrjbk3W0P5K-jXCRKoXj8VBM3iLbbxRXfQhVKCeY_StzndILRnp25A/s1024/PXL_20210803_023134969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96o9PLqi42JXkMagNPXusJR1OwaywaDVYYF62Dy0eqYiMHkRNztA_slOGSC76daXdT1-nKUeMdcHa5ZcUSLnRsudj8xNZaQiuVAyF1yMoRZ-pcbAuHlZMkOCwGDfhqr-l_4cSCMqrjbk3W0P5K-jXCRKoXj8VBM3iLbbxRXfQhVKCeY_StzndILRnp25A/w480-h640/PXL_20210803_023134969.jpg" width="480" /></a></p>Bristlecone pines can be 30 years old or even older before they produce their first cones. There are two different kinds of cones. Below are the pollen cones, very small.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7qhE50G2b2dU2UeJO3V7N4fhMT-XPOZF9rLGqQH_L58jtsrjictEg23n1UnifZ2_7lFPkPRIbIUmMD3TQwW3XmMUSlzTWjREklASgbWrgM6XbV9lksjetAabMGID-sDvU4AxTsUTDQ5rf5UqBbWmOzYUrIU5MzlR-j5CyMbu2UA4Ixvk-aEP2nb32iZ6/s1024/mw%20pollen%20cones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7qhE50G2b2dU2UeJO3V7N4fhMT-XPOZF9rLGqQH_L58jtsrjictEg23n1UnifZ2_7lFPkPRIbIUmMD3TQwW3XmMUSlzTWjREklASgbWrgM6XbV9lksjetAabMGID-sDvU4AxTsUTDQ5rf5UqBbWmOzYUrIU5MzlR-j5CyMbu2UA4Ixvk-aEP2nb32iZ6/w482-h640/mw%20pollen%20cones.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The other kind of cone is a pine cone. You can see why they call it a bristle-cone pine. These cones are almost spiky! The seeds in them are very small.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZS5QgO0_BYM0E024KKqK-koZWtgH0dHrxWkET2v7r2BQYP0YGcyPanmytZopXzGrydD19prSbgpdE9utVqt7n8ZpOnZtUq1TpG4aXAuBunusHNep7l2sPsSdfVmFs3APSvldzLCnn9SK0XB-8yzvOeoniFGKAG8Ao6B96z0wu08pXkL0ReiMZ_vJW2_b/s1024/PXL_20210908_200627395.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZS5QgO0_BYM0E024KKqK-koZWtgH0dHrxWkET2v7r2BQYP0YGcyPanmytZopXzGrydD19prSbgpdE9utVqt7n8ZpOnZtUq1TpG4aXAuBunusHNep7l2sPsSdfVmFs3APSvldzLCnn9SK0XB-8yzvOeoniFGKAG8Ao6B96z0wu08pXkL0ReiMZ_vJW2_b/w480-h640/PXL_20210908_200627395.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There are some amazing cliffs and views in this area, and I like to wander along the edge. Here's a view looking east at sunrise.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGBPXfHJWj3TxtH0g20e5YDlpeu6UKGpHtYADXELYag-bVAa5tEJ4-z_NtyC8L8kHyA4uCdrdPAQrmquiqX0Trr2Cd48yeXjxmMdlL7uimHo291MpVsPQDz1sH0i15PA2X-FN31HXBX3tgbkKdY3ybsiIzouetyiUA6z83rGhN3USk0VeqGcal2u4A2Qv/s1024/mw%20sunrise%20bristlecone%20arch.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGBPXfHJWj3TxtH0g20e5YDlpeu6UKGpHtYADXELYag-bVAa5tEJ4-z_NtyC8L8kHyA4uCdrdPAQrmquiqX0Trr2Cd48yeXjxmMdlL7uimHo291MpVsPQDz1sH0i15PA2X-FN31HXBX3tgbkKdY3ybsiIzouetyiUA6z83rGhN3USk0VeqGcal2u4A2Qv/w640-h482/mw%20sunrise%20bristlecone%20arch.NIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This tree is quite amazing as it balances on the edge. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuhMYuJdGmzoFQlZhHv0r6cF7EtU76xbl8r-aIXZKhUFGwfqbEldjNUbIN6idI86wlnMHOFGqKO-aUTN1tKhjkry_6jJTYSnUD6oJiajkrrRCQm41E3EDDJ89R1HVLosziJPvrD7CEmthU5ordPQo0LF70iktnNRQFz5rhA-O8Z5C7dIOJHu2Gmrfo1WM/s1024/PXL_20220829_231816911-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuhMYuJdGmzoFQlZhHv0r6cF7EtU76xbl8r-aIXZKhUFGwfqbEldjNUbIN6idI86wlnMHOFGqKO-aUTN1tKhjkry_6jJTYSnUD6oJiajkrrRCQm41E3EDDJ89R1HVLosziJPvrD7CEmthU5ordPQo0LF70iktnNRQFz5rhA-O8Z5C7dIOJHu2Gmrfo1WM/w640-h480/PXL_20220829_231816911-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty much every time I pass this tree I have to take a photo! My nickname for it is Perseverance. It keeps on persevering even though the cliff is crumbling away, no longer supporting it like it used to. Nevertheless, part of the tree is still alive!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPqjGoYdD41ShRGK0fZTJIjQdAk2SbrW-vKsiOdY6PeCZBexEBfqrQrvp52cqGLcfdk-lRipajzTJeJv5RKIpzkgt2DbGIuZSINUcaa5aaG2XZC0Iz4B3x-SNILWas2HkeeL1X0ju5MQ4_QiLZpVDf_3tzJ2geCldJ6Z0Lu8WnRtz4a8zBT-BdNc1D94f/s1024/mw%20perseverance%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1024" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPqjGoYdD41ShRGK0fZTJIjQdAk2SbrW-vKsiOdY6PeCZBexEBfqrQrvp52cqGLcfdk-lRipajzTJeJv5RKIpzkgt2DbGIuZSINUcaa5aaG2XZC0Iz4B3x-SNILWas2HkeeL1X0ju5MQ4_QiLZpVDf_3tzJ2geCldJ6Z0Lu8WnRtz4a8zBT-BdNc1D94f/w640-h438/mw%20perseverance%20bristlecone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Part of the appeal of these trees is just how twisted they can get, and how colorful the wood is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeRJzkNWT3pZhgRUxo2pWg3DIuPHnHH5gNjGCpzSq96dX4qDxnjL_R5LwJ4cdPdKTlUrJvf7ogx_TIPuGicczv2dZD5q9gbCzdTWez11IJ_cTzWGtM_ngctBv9_G8Roe5ZbRSopFs_uPM7WDLs4FotPdUPbvujctj7x0oPGZkPBPV4kF75xMtBmspsiLj/s1024/bristlecone%20beauty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeRJzkNWT3pZhgRUxo2pWg3DIuPHnHH5gNjGCpzSq96dX4qDxnjL_R5LwJ4cdPdKTlUrJvf7ogx_TIPuGicczv2dZD5q9gbCzdTWez11IJ_cTzWGtM_ngctBv9_G8Roe5ZbRSopFs_uPM7WDLs4FotPdUPbvujctj7x0oPGZkPBPV4kF75xMtBmspsiLj/w480-h640/bristlecone%20beauty.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mount Washington is an amazing place to soak in the atmosphere of bristlecone pines, both day...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoINiSs9eZ4K1CL0srRXqEZ__FFBXy106hzuZXx49onuLZovmjLTwBncpOvuq6cVaU6bitA8tNtFmdj5-aNnqFC81bh-zktGtjkCq2RBsR5lYs84rdVpeATrI38Sx2M20yxuJL2j3nbvdX1Nrtq7hZGgc0z39cJkJW_eCBM-p5A7o7oUcYEWyTRf-4_0hu/s1024/monster%20tree.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoINiSs9eZ4K1CL0srRXqEZ__FFBXy106hzuZXx49onuLZovmjLTwBncpOvuq6cVaU6bitA8tNtFmdj5-aNnqFC81bh-zktGtjkCq2RBsR5lYs84rdVpeATrI38Sx2M20yxuJL2j3nbvdX1Nrtq7hZGgc0z39cJkJW_eCBM-p5A7o7oUcYEWyTRf-4_0hu/w640-h480/monster%20tree.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and night.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMfKA2sr0mYGTu66k6zV3Y0X3Zun_6VCAU8C0GOJZlXfaY5cFaiTAdx4hkuygio3j9t-Aa4QQNI7E7dPS4OziPXomDnGWXR5AK-cbrDw8oR9pmG_tVlpO2c3RnM6g5y1ArxVICLEunk0g-fP29sbI17D0zTA6DGf-i0AZgibAiI7rjZj0SLXNrj_a-qAZ/s1024/burned%20tree%20silhouettes.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMfKA2sr0mYGTu66k6zV3Y0X3Zun_6VCAU8C0GOJZlXfaY5cFaiTAdx4hkuygio3j9t-Aa4QQNI7E7dPS4OziPXomDnGWXR5AK-cbrDw8oR9pmG_tVlpO2c3RnM6g5y1ArxVICLEunk0g-fP29sbI17D0zTA6DGf-i0AZgibAiI7rjZj0SLXNrj_a-qAZ/w640-h512/burned%20tree%20silhouettes.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>More bristlecone groves still coming...</i></div><p></p></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-2078589769885006882023-12-02T07:41:00.000-08:002023-12-02T07:41:06.923-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves - Part 2 Wheeler Cirque<p> <i>See <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-tour-of-great-basin-national-parks.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> of the Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves.</i></p><p>The easiest bristlecone pine grove to access in Great Basin National Park is the Wheeler cirque bristlecone grove. It's located below the stunning 13,063 ft Wheeler Peak. One of the things that makes this grove stand out is that the bristlecone pines are growing on quartzite rock (instead of the usual limestone or dolomite) and on glacial moraines that have only been uncovered by ice for 10,000 years or so.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBc4jGcONyiuVind0l2IPGzPBelyY2D7OkE23h9zsmTy-_rq8Tq9UpNUuq84fOKSPIu_WkLaOk8annH063maUDhVO_qoYVHzWCdZDc5hRstwCnrweF-6682cKvUzBky7LubQ1iFZvskQbjElegIzGjYFM1HQrxkF6LcviRL-k06KLgsyATq66yL_8F4J2/s1200/bristlecones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBc4jGcONyiuVind0l2IPGzPBelyY2D7OkE23h9zsmTy-_rq8Tq9UpNUuq84fOKSPIu_WkLaOk8annH063maUDhVO_qoYVHzWCdZDc5hRstwCnrweF-6682cKvUzBky7LubQ1iFZvskQbjElegIzGjYFM1HQrxkF6LcviRL-k06KLgsyATq66yL_8F4J2/w640-h426/bristlecones.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">To get there, you drive to the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and then take a 1.5 mile trail to the bristlecones. It's a fairly easy trail, but because it's over 10,000 feet elevation, you might find yourself gasping in the thin air! It's also only accessible from June to October unless you want to snow shoe or ski from Upper Lehman Campground, as during the winter the road is closed at that point.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnqcjIP2EpwIF4prsG4Sa8alL1CxWkfxqc2Alc-Ko6zS7aD25clwH-YLVRAS1DABtckX4K6zmhpUANvh0eviyv8s4tTAVozIPs_Ly-4_K_6JbV6Ab3YUIscR6jTl3Uy0pkFlYIePXxyIxwsCB4NfwH0oHDKZM4RsmPPIdBV5kpMX5N5VivURSCRrVpvnaM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnqcjIP2EpwIF4prsG4Sa8alL1CxWkfxqc2Alc-Ko6zS7aD25clwH-YLVRAS1DABtckX4K6zmhpUANvh0eviyv8s4tTAVozIPs_Ly-4_K_6JbV6Ab3YUIscR6jTl3Uy0pkFlYIePXxyIxwsCB4NfwH0oHDKZM4RsmPPIdBV5kpMX5N5VivURSCRrVpvnaM=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the trail there, you start passing some bristlecone pines before the interpretive trail with signs. This dead tree shows the twisted skeleton of a formerly majestic tree.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FcpiX3-3XGSKdv1nb2t_KMLmsx_zCQChKOq81GVWQxKAJjHoSWXqwbJXgXVb-PdBjfD3qkn0tdlslwSzYUxlKeIL65rOrohq6x0We2ScQ0vQkgoqy69ama2zSM6TulvauMH7MQlJPZPxELsHGLTZ55TMx1ekunGiVc0CpEYsOMxhlgDSJ8AytsEIgJV8/s1024/wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FcpiX3-3XGSKdv1nb2t_KMLmsx_zCQChKOq81GVWQxKAJjHoSWXqwbJXgXVb-PdBjfD3qkn0tdlslwSzYUxlKeIL65rOrohq6x0We2ScQ0vQkgoqy69ama2zSM6TulvauMH7MQlJPZPxELsHGLTZ55TMx1ekunGiVc0CpEYsOMxhlgDSJ8AytsEIgJV8/w640-h482/wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even when dead, the bristlecone pines persevere on the landscape for a long time, their dense wood resisting erosion, wind, sun, and other factors that would break down other wood. In some cases, the trees even become home to lichens.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYOVwwUNV3H47XOhE2RuCDb2DAd5TeIXqGfIWTJVk7WNBSZ_g8jNeAhN5Q3OWwdaMy9n7aSBy4ONAjsXwJbFsQXiKjmcE4E3c3O9k8qdxv0eOsWHXkyUShMELfrfAT31LN0BEtXrI7qYiH0Rl5rvNvbL7e6MZWpp04qafnn9jCr5E5bkeRDbzQX7lHtGa/s1600/bristlecone%20wood%20and%20lichens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYOVwwUNV3H47XOhE2RuCDb2DAd5TeIXqGfIWTJVk7WNBSZ_g8jNeAhN5Q3OWwdaMy9n7aSBy4ONAjsXwJbFsQXiKjmcE4E3c3O9k8qdxv0eOsWHXkyUShMELfrfAT31LN0BEtXrI7qYiH0Rl5rvNvbL7e6MZWpp04qafnn9jCr5E5bkeRDbzQX7lHtGa/w640-h468/bristlecone%20wood%20and%20lichens.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Bristlecone pines are five-needle pines, meaning that their pine needles grow in clumps of five. One of the easiest ways to identify them is to look for the signature bottle-brush drooping of the branches. The needles are grouped densely.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZrsccC498Rxxqif6sZLYosBXs3aqHNQ-OHduAGNl9YaMZpnNGVVwF2cYYDu8w1SXwPGy23aBlNJU6mrkoO6wizr6TyuFqH9fOrZy_fYWNl1G_7TQhNWzdlPwX5dSRnLJ6sIdeaWwswVjV9KCTjWSTPO4p7VXLSPNrM1j8QuGpSokQA1ThyphenhyphenT_XVlMhAip/s1024/PXL_20230730_172453955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZrsccC498Rxxqif6sZLYosBXs3aqHNQ-OHduAGNl9YaMZpnNGVVwF2cYYDu8w1SXwPGy23aBlNJU6mrkoO6wizr6TyuFqH9fOrZy_fYWNl1G_7TQhNWzdlPwX5dSRnLJ6sIdeaWwswVjV9KCTjWSTPO4p7VXLSPNrM1j8QuGpSokQA1ThyphenhyphenT_XVlMhAip/w482-h640/PXL_20230730_172453955.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Looking up at the bristlecone pines also shows off the bottle-brush look. It also showcases that many of the bristlecone pines are only partly alive. There are sections of dead wood and live tree on many of the trees. The reason this exists is because of stripbarking. Where strips of bark still exist, water and nutrients can be delivered to the pine needles, and that part of the tree continues to live. Where the bark has fallen away, that section of the tree is dead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHDnNCNGuTMMLoi_1q0HJnWqNNWQLcY11XVn-49-ClDLjWDxWtSzZ6-z6-dP4SsHfCUElEnHh69fLXOj8IrjwDMCoCdORnRcl0BZQqR92FV2n_A3NxQI9UG0rHuVpChJiglhX-sspKLnHbnPW9OUmfxz-pzjsqXLhnUQgwzg6stHVHeuM5SqdT_h1r9q_/s1024/bristlecone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHDnNCNGuTMMLoi_1q0HJnWqNNWQLcY11XVn-49-ClDLjWDxWtSzZ6-z6-dP4SsHfCUElEnHh69fLXOj8IrjwDMCoCdORnRcl0BZQqR92FV2n_A3NxQI9UG0rHuVpChJiglhX-sspKLnHbnPW9OUmfxz-pzjsqXLhnUQgwzg6stHVHeuM5SqdT_h1r9q_/w640-h482/bristlecone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The start of the interpretive trail begins with a sign about the grove. There's also a convenient bench if you want to sit a moment to catch your breath or absorb the magic of these ancient trees.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbXS27JU1nOQhirDd91ErEmZop0GgdQPtGEnHZpWyqS4ZzAk3iSShcTPDa0yAtzzg8pMIpQu0NW2qMy6ss7xlfoDLh8475GOUfLS_vagi9LEYYZNyKnzsEVZZANcV7YER46DU6xd8nWX4_CUVo_DWXBJcuPJVj9LNTLISw05tPqO6BNLhfWl66WpXV_Uz/s1024/PXL_20230730_171812090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbXS27JU1nOQhirDd91ErEmZop0GgdQPtGEnHZpWyqS4ZzAk3iSShcTPDa0yAtzzg8pMIpQu0NW2qMy6ss7xlfoDLh8475GOUfLS_vagi9LEYYZNyKnzsEVZZANcV7YER46DU6xd8nWX4_CUVo_DWXBJcuPJVj9LNTLISw05tPqO6BNLhfWl66WpXV_Uz/w640-h482/PXL_20230730_171812090.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As you walk along the short trail, signs share some information about the bristlecones, such as how they are dated, how they grow, and what some threats to their existence are (we'll get into all those topics in this series). <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCuids1OBPWWdQNEZbKi-VWO_AbXmqJmlr_ZGzf9LAgeckFeQ-Y4ij4Xjmrml_ZJSf0RTSFt1ipi9T3u_ON-38fYBvG5nxXADHjdnU3jJDmxpjWnkzcfwnIFsKaDkkoT7aLDBqToCoqnbW7VFOfEmfJnZSbd127ehoQVWorDL50AuRSiB3dH0RcZ4bPmu/s1024/PXL_20230730_172219063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCuids1OBPWWdQNEZbKi-VWO_AbXmqJmlr_ZGzf9LAgeckFeQ-Y4ij4Xjmrml_ZJSf0RTSFt1ipi9T3u_ON-38fYBvG5nxXADHjdnU3jJDmxpjWnkzcfwnIFsKaDkkoT7aLDBqToCoqnbW7VFOfEmfJnZSbd127ehoQVWorDL50AuRSiB3dH0RcZ4bPmu/w482-h640/PXL_20230730_172219063.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Several of the trees in this grove are over 3,000 years old. That's sort of mind boggling that they started growing well before what we call year 1. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqf740CgHmU_-aUHwS12StSprAJ_YUWtQ8PS9vGYPO1diaGU5DmLicfXQHbnF0Mpp7lQBuKiDxx9gxw_vu1vRSht6MwQu8vo47LozUwqwHf-tLYKgZ4vJAWejkQfo_ud2373sUvolVVARDUQkJTwn9Us5FHS5ja3GmaZrYmoItrbkdv7FnxtUAPrIhuYU/s1024/PXL_20230730_172544487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqf740CgHmU_-aUHwS12StSprAJ_YUWtQ8PS9vGYPO1diaGU5DmLicfXQHbnF0Mpp7lQBuKiDxx9gxw_vu1vRSht6MwQu8vo47LozUwqwHf-tLYKgZ4vJAWejkQfo_ud2373sUvolVVARDUQkJTwn9Us5FHS5ja3GmaZrYmoItrbkdv7FnxtUAPrIhuYU/w482-h640/PXL_20230730_172544487.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was one tree not far from this area that turned out to be much older. In the 1960s, a graduate student doing research in the national forest (Great Basin National Park was established in 1986) used an increment borer to get a small straw-sized amount of tree core out so he could date it. The increment borer got stuck, so after hiking all the way down (there was no scenic drive at the time), he got permission from the US Forest Service to cut the tree to get his increment borer out. When he did, he found that the tree was estimated to be about 5,000 years old! No other tree in the area has been found to be that old, or even over 4,000 years old for that matter. You can read more about the <a href="https://home.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus-story.htm" target="_blank">Prometheus story here</a>. Bristlecone pines were awarded more protection after that.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywCVulJxcg41x2Bb9oRGY4JGWdti3mzRJ7sXX6uDamkVtwLywot9VF6e0yk5AEY6driHuvDod5bBu-mscfRxsUKscZTNScjDeD52NIXTZ-_pyc-udjEf6czTszHG4uzSgrZnlyEbb8sa8hL9JBoE7UCEkX4GhXVYvD5tiFY7_LuEaV_VT0ERN3WdYV-fu/s1024/PXL_20230730_172629025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywCVulJxcg41x2Bb9oRGY4JGWdti3mzRJ7sXX6uDamkVtwLywot9VF6e0yk5AEY6driHuvDod5bBu-mscfRxsUKscZTNScjDeD52NIXTZ-_pyc-udjEf6czTszHG4uzSgrZnlyEbb8sa8hL9JBoE7UCEkX4GhXVYvD5tiFY7_LuEaV_VT0ERN3WdYV-fu/w482-h640/PXL_20230730_172629025.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><p>Visiting the bristlecone pines is one of the top visitor activities in Great Basin National Park. There is just something special about seeing these trees that have survived so long through all sorts of storms, droughts, blizzards, scorching sun, and more. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyBN7Tr9G-Yf8j3OyZ6ru1NwQ5zySyD7pvO5Hp5Mr9-irUNDa1Ty1BUJYEWN6ud-VuRdBy4vxH4sgmFq_yW-UnZRiBveON0x8Tf3oWILEFAsSTADlw3Xr36ykcRtvQJA0ecnV97_x6espNkqBmtX-BdYDD61y4qu-wqAv-2ywwO3XTBM1Rril3WtkaNDR/s1024/wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone%20grove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyBN7Tr9G-Yf8j3OyZ6ru1NwQ5zySyD7pvO5Hp5Mr9-irUNDa1Ty1BUJYEWN6ud-VuRdBy4vxH4sgmFq_yW-UnZRiBveON0x8Tf3oWILEFAsSTADlw3Xr36ykcRtvQJA0ecnV97_x6espNkqBmtX-BdYDD61y4qu-wqAv-2ywwO3XTBM1Rril3WtkaNDR/w480-h640/wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone%20grove.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The background of tall mountains and cliffs make for spectacular scenery.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj_q_HhEEKKz8z6upZ8TKrJ908JenNx9Ss9shsGjbollRJdxJ9DdUTAhwKcENtCS7kWe70OwHTMl8rOfJH_zGYOO3Fzttv72dtZoVbvEzZnkax44aQJ6pEdt3H2mF_pctCwMHD_yofJqbcqpGnwoh9hdx_0Bqcl2q-hwEHy4xYb78Cx8srrW84wcm-__j/s1024/wc%20wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="905" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj_q_HhEEKKz8z6upZ8TKrJ908JenNx9Ss9shsGjbollRJdxJ9DdUTAhwKcENtCS7kWe70OwHTMl8rOfJH_zGYOO3Fzttv72dtZoVbvEzZnkax44aQJ6pEdt3H2mF_pctCwMHD_yofJqbcqpGnwoh9hdx_0Bqcl2q-hwEHy4xYb78Cx8srrW84wcm-__j/w566-h640/wc%20wheeler%20cirque%20bristlecone.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Just thinking about the bristlecones energizes me in a way that other tree species doesn't quite do. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVvnTVED9-cxWnOA5FcH6olCBJRvGjup8ekQe6pN8HMAcWU551i3LTVyKYuWLhquZbczbDe54t7cUFp5UqxjxuvqxakjfyhuQKhkvQ_my7NEvRaoLp0FK8hOqTT5uyzeV9vD2ptzwN5OrKEfzjpu44FFd_cVEIWf-EOMyqR-G_AelM0g7BeSthYDF2lhY/s1024/wc%20looking%20up%20the%20bristlecone.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVvnTVED9-cxWnOA5FcH6olCBJRvGjup8ekQe6pN8HMAcWU551i3LTVyKYuWLhquZbczbDe54t7cUFp5UqxjxuvqxakjfyhuQKhkvQ_my7NEvRaoLp0FK8hOqTT5uyzeV9vD2ptzwN5OrKEfzjpu44FFd_cVEIWf-EOMyqR-G_AelM0g7BeSthYDF2lhY/w640-h512/wc%20looking%20up%20the%20bristlecone.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>During Covid, Comet Neowise appeared in the night skies. I wanted to capture the comet with epic scenery, so met up with a couple friends to go this spot (for two nights, since the first night didn't work out!). Perhaps these bristlecones were alive the last time Comet Neowise made an appearance.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq0ZhpFLS7omrA_xlfmdIetOAlz6Fvc4HwZ1WqSfWaoaQl-NpvBiTqi8m6MINwreQGph8MrK0jvXUORD_PfDiBcbMt7Y9rd5RkWDqnrO-EGdRCf9MM-yt5kF42zTRPzIUVt9v8E6pQEHxfXnqUrbDo_oIBvSSYe4opGObeZnbFFaRqiVVijLg05cWBxSQ/s1024/wc%20bristlecones%20and%20neowise%207MB-DeNoiseAI-Enhanced.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1024" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq0ZhpFLS7omrA_xlfmdIetOAlz6Fvc4HwZ1WqSfWaoaQl-NpvBiTqi8m6MINwreQGph8MrK0jvXUORD_PfDiBcbMt7Y9rd5RkWDqnrO-EGdRCf9MM-yt5kF42zTRPzIUVt9v8E6pQEHxfXnqUrbDo_oIBvSSYe4opGObeZnbFFaRqiVVijLg05cWBxSQ/w640-h460/wc%20bristlecones%20and%20neowise%207MB-DeNoiseAI-Enhanced.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Stay tuned for more posts about bristlecone pines in less visited areas of the Park!</i></div><p></p></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-42420270254427999552023-11-24T07:31:00.000-08:002023-11-24T07:36:50.850-08:00A Tour of Great Basin National Park's Bristlecone Pine Groves - Part 1 Overview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCLA8jStgnZgNjuNjvp_vI0GKAcrxlIkCZl5UUBj2mrknPQqlLT_asGLPKV97xa530QH_IphvBdkdBZnC8fYmYElUL-7QzW-MGlV5z_-Ldc48VKn3AHWjtJhqaWzIW92xN7kzKTJxZ9JNw3KprhdDFxcEssNdyJo13IzCrDkXlZojPaUeBjIUFuoyR-Oi/s1024/bristlecone%20curves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1024" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCLA8jStgnZgNjuNjvp_vI0GKAcrxlIkCZl5UUBj2mrknPQqlLT_asGLPKV97xa530QH_IphvBdkdBZnC8fYmYElUL-7QzW-MGlV5z_-Ldc48VKn3AHWjtJhqaWzIW92xN7kzKTJxZ9JNw3KprhdDFxcEssNdyJo13IzCrDkXlZojPaUeBjIUFuoyR-Oi/w640-h482/bristlecone%20curves.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Great Basin Bristlecone pines are one of the coolest features of the Great Basin region. These long-lived trees have the scientific name <i>Pinus longaeva</i>, a tribute to their ability to live extremely long, even over 5,000 years. <div><br /></div><div>Great Basin National Park features several ancient bristlecone pine groves. These trees are so important that there's even a replica of a bristlecone pine in the Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker, Nevada. (Can you spot the Clark's Nutcracker on it?)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBBwO8n3ddnx4MnUV9Czlmh3mwIlE-W4_PDxQw05m09UBwBdQdGIVzvu2Gk6EoOaS_8TLONyvIdoC8h37isaeaUF-YYyE7_n6ApeH5oDreNyYxqGQ0e9jQTKof1cjVWiOhjp4KhQDQ4soBzcLsjmNaSALJB1Viz9-oUtJ5bdSaEAm6BY8_bXYrYdMkfh0/s1024/bristlecone%20exhibit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBBwO8n3ddnx4MnUV9Czlmh3mwIlE-W4_PDxQw05m09UBwBdQdGIVzvu2Gk6EoOaS_8TLONyvIdoC8h37isaeaUF-YYyE7_n6ApeH5oDreNyYxqGQ0e9jQTKof1cjVWiOhjp4KhQDQ4soBzcLsjmNaSALJB1Viz9-oUtJ5bdSaEAm6BY8_bXYrYdMkfh0/w480-h640/bristlecone%20exhibit.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Until recently, a young bristlecone pine tree (transplanted in 1976 as part of a US bicentennial ceremony) could be found in the parking area near the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Unfortunately, in 2022 it succumbed to damage from the <i>Pinyon ips</i> beetle, a native bark beetle that usually attacks pinyon pine trees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5E4w5STNrBIwTVuCuTuBdWJreVQ4wTJu9VXCxZRgPmMl3bV3J59Y5owv9Kd0kqNrx6tuEijn01NGJTKeji_9wN1Wt7cKaKlUghSIoNyx78RGoQ-sM7_qhmH5URxAk4EY12tqAJQyKB_DnnYvSzrHLesKx51Y5POmZsQ15yk6oANTSv5TaU1sHkpAG57P/s1024/bristlecone%20parking%20lot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5E4w5STNrBIwTVuCuTuBdWJreVQ4wTJu9VXCxZRgPmMl3bV3J59Y5owv9Kd0kqNrx6tuEijn01NGJTKeji_9wN1Wt7cKaKlUghSIoNyx78RGoQ-sM7_qhmH5URxAk4EY12tqAJQyKB_DnnYvSzrHLesKx51Y5POmZsQ15yk6oANTSv5TaU1sHkpAG57P/w480-h640/bristlecone%20parking%20lot.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So now we have to go a bit further to find the Great Basin bristlecone pine trees. They usually grow at elevations of about 9,000 to 11,000 feet. Within Great Basin National Park, the easiest grove to access is at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Over the next few blog posts, I'll take you there and also to some groves that are harder to reach.</div><div><br /></div><div>Great Basin Bristlecone pines grow from the White Mountains in California, across many ranges in Nevada, and up to the edge of the Colorado Plateau in Utah. (A different species of bristlecone pine, the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (<i>Pinus aristata)</i> grows further east.) </div><div><br /></div><div>This wonderful map shows the extent of Great Basin Bristlecone pine. Here's a link to the map, as it's interactive and you can zoom in and out: <a href="https://byu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9669989c90c04a07b2acab67e07035dd">Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey) Distribution Map (arcgis.com)</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA3eBm2CKrOoVnK9KIoRI_M75n4F3sjNJqburt6iKdtlAyZm0c5Fk-iAtcIBSmeLQhFfNlML269WuJokVyk02Tk7ogN0Dx9BZOP4e7oGBdsQtcW8wgCdXWPZG_BRS3bIzDHIPMzHU40AkX47gXbYi6uWlyYmxfvPP-suKvPf8x7-zQnFDQ5gYzCEjy9qXC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1243" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA3eBm2CKrOoVnK9KIoRI_M75n4F3sjNJqburt6iKdtlAyZm0c5Fk-iAtcIBSmeLQhFfNlML269WuJokVyk02Tk7ogN0Dx9BZOP4e7oGBdsQtcW8wgCdXWPZG_BRS3bIzDHIPMzHU40AkX47gXbYi6uWlyYmxfvPP-suKvPf8x7-zQnFDQ5gYzCEjy9qXC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a close-up map of some of the places we'll be visiting.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSwpt9I6yMBcMm6zk8n08OfFjzuJ28JXjG8ZJ2SFnlyMHLxIIkT5vqcXj19Tn4hcOq9xT8pjCvT2MNSXa83k9hs3KNCseKBZujZGEJnOLUnLdmGNV0Sho3DKi7pBfDNDwVXOqsPxxXtf-mcwCT3zoq5BHisQ-EWuiIhiO6Rj1jyJTsnAfDRWp8jqAevJeP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSwpt9I6yMBcMm6zk8n08OfFjzuJ28JXjG8ZJ2SFnlyMHLxIIkT5vqcXj19Tn4hcOq9xT8pjCvT2MNSXa83k9hs3KNCseKBZujZGEJnOLUnLdmGNV0Sho3DKi7pBfDNDwVXOqsPxxXtf-mcwCT3zoq5BHisQ-EWuiIhiO6Rj1jyJTsnAfDRWp8jqAevJeP=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></div><br />You can find more about bristlecone pines here: <a href="https://pws.byu.edu/ghal/bristlecone-pine-distribution-mapping-and-ecology">Bristlecone Pine Distribution Mapping and Ecology (byu.edu)</a></div></div><div><p>And for a sneak peak of some of the areas we'll be going, check out: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/identifying-bristlecone-pines.htm">Bristlecone Pines - Great Basin National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)</a>.</p></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-37175810396000399842023-10-26T18:55:00.002-07:002023-10-26T18:55:16.201-07:00Dead Lake-Johnson Lake-Snake Divide Trail Loop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohbSCB4R2qj__JLxJhyphenhyphentwal0Hxrj1AppJwLID9NEewlMrwuk-VcHynaWyQU3rXBUS2_97_V7AS8Ja5hnGywMj7XJ3VxnlAyc0hE6rOIV9QWOBg7oTaKQbv6-HVjZmLkLb0u6T3c_fSwirREBjep9R79qWAExTduUF0rA00mRhNd-aTGgiqd7oLLHS8Ez8/s1200/PXL_20231020_142147844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohbSCB4R2qj__JLxJhyphenhyphentwal0Hxrj1AppJwLID9NEewlMrwuk-VcHynaWyQU3rXBUS2_97_V7AS8Ja5hnGywMj7XJ3VxnlAyc0hE6rOIV9QWOBg7oTaKQbv6-HVjZmLkLb0u6T3c_fSwirREBjep9R79qWAExTduUF0rA00mRhNd-aTGgiqd7oLLHS8Ez8/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_142147844.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I had a day off and a beautiful forecast, so I decided to go for a long hike. Out of several options, I chose the Dead Lake-Johnson Lake-Snake Divide Trail. Part of the reason I decided on this is I reread my blog post <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2018/10/johnson-lake-snake-divide-ridge-trail.html">Desert Survivor: Johnson Lake-Snake Divide Ridge Trail Run</a> from October 2018, where I did almost the same route in 5.5 hours. I wasn't planning on trail running, as my body doesn't like running any more, plus I had recommended to take 8-9 hours to enjoy the sights more. That sounded good to me. <div><br /></div><div>I started at the trailhead about 7:40 am and was the only vehicle there. I found a few fall colors as I started up the trail to Dead Lake. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI5KJPTSRDaEbBtvIjq4ac8O_D8MUGJ7kmBYSWp7aF4xGfTTxWszjZowyzscLjiuANZa_cRh-kgDJ2umN22CtndjkDJzIxWRyIxTqnqEV8cquBXtuLo2oL_h4IrKKxdFUXFNI4FJs6BV42KH0oDu94srCytmh2_jkfCQWmTxSmszPNFTVv13n-0JxRwsR/s1200/PXL_20231020_143228720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI5KJPTSRDaEbBtvIjq4ac8O_D8MUGJ7kmBYSWp7aF4xGfTTxWszjZowyzscLjiuANZa_cRh-kgDJ2umN22CtndjkDJzIxWRyIxTqnqEV8cquBXtuLo2oL_h4IrKKxdFUXFNI4FJs6BV42KH0oDu94srCytmh2_jkfCQWmTxSmszPNFTVv13n-0JxRwsR/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_143228720.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This trail has a few big ponderosa pines on it, which I always enjoy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ffkq8w9NxvOUJQfPsdOWZBHaHYqYrwrOjUqXTSPv_Rx-bkqzZYRj1XnvIq34UTUWMuomeDp2db-Oz_e6K7QA_6FrRjHJDrVI-w9rkU8Cj1i31HwH30jx_MfsvJcTR8G_zh5U9E0Zc5gcaVlanI7y56h5IIC1eXzmwe1odKHyz98p50OHa6sZtBer5mgm/s1200/PXL_20231020_145600808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ffkq8w9NxvOUJQfPsdOWZBHaHYqYrwrOjUqXTSPv_Rx-bkqzZYRj1XnvIq34UTUWMuomeDp2db-Oz_e6K7QA_6FrRjHJDrVI-w9rkU8Cj1i31HwH30jx_MfsvJcTR8G_zh5U9E0Zc5gcaVlanI7y56h5IIC1eXzmwe1odKHyz98p50OHa6sZtBer5mgm/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_145600808.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I reached Dead Lake at about 1 hour. The leaves had fallen off the aspens, but it still looked beautiful. And it was so full of water! Usually this late in the season it's just a puddle.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVF5wsHiFrMc4p2EdAitYRHZs169B3oVkJe6ODxuzyuFvFhtxpbdJB-irq_zzrDUOETyXPB-xrdT2m2MUrtj5QN6XX-zeUKyG03uIWwSEnA2d4GjrhLTl59bGMTCAqZaOZFJgd6W1iXDvSCCu8admkUBlHvmtr5omncWVDZMkvH-xSlGov6E2CsAuc68N/s1200/PXL_20231020_152658959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVF5wsHiFrMc4p2EdAitYRHZs169B3oVkJe6ODxuzyuFvFhtxpbdJB-irq_zzrDUOETyXPB-xrdT2m2MUrtj5QN6XX-zeUKyG03uIWwSEnA2d4GjrhLTl59bGMTCAqZaOZFJgd6W1iXDvSCCu8admkUBlHvmtr5omncWVDZMkvH-xSlGov6E2CsAuc68N/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_152658959.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After a snack and some water, I continued on to meet the Johnson Lake trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2vReElFTAdowsWCQkeVwEqcXhGJNeQJc-w9uLJ7E9SRMGH3F6eEz9XjwwXld4gBF2RpxpLB_p3Bu6UWUsgQf9wXoZBJqfsLQzfLrHGTFzsbCi7xUKzSGSwbl5w6RQjAThV0rrEQu8VXp2iH9BUZw04HEJwxeQCJOKmKAvx11DcROiG2YDjDje3rtmjB-/s1200/PXL_20231020_154428495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2vReElFTAdowsWCQkeVwEqcXhGJNeQJc-w9uLJ7E9SRMGH3F6eEz9XjwwXld4gBF2RpxpLB_p3Bu6UWUsgQf9wXoZBJqfsLQzfLrHGTFzsbCi7xUKzSGSwbl5w6RQjAThV0rrEQu8VXp2iH9BUZw04HEJwxeQCJOKmKAvx11DcROiG2YDjDje3rtmjB-/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_154428495.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The mill site is always a fun stop.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-R3YgpwvBcBmSweiaXJ0YmHEBawWarAXoyPGI58ieY8wvt2DiVXZdSipkCPLvl6ZQAlq5Lj15ZHKwk_iilSUlCSr-Zox9TQxwxZY4ukp7mjgMGyrgbK-sdVZCUMQayzYKAXgFeR1zg3CoQS0v51qlAg2_2SKMtkYh3Hg7o-T585RNjjNHtxZ1p3JIAMX/s1200/PXL_20231020_155956867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-R3YgpwvBcBmSweiaXJ0YmHEBawWarAXoyPGI58ieY8wvt2DiVXZdSipkCPLvl6ZQAlq5Lj15ZHKwk_iilSUlCSr-Zox9TQxwxZY4ukp7mjgMGyrgbK-sdVZCUMQayzYKAXgFeR1zg3CoQS0v51qlAg2_2SKMtkYh3Hg7o-T585RNjjNHtxZ1p3JIAMX/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_155956867.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I ascended, I found a few flowers in bloom, which surprised me. Here's some yarrow (<i>Achillea millefolium</i>). <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpWPFrq9eEv9iz2rw7qY59IX4gM1Hr6eIzWfRBJYynGKmN6oVi4oQ0z6INzzhTjFSlDFF-DL7bnqkhoBGfN00K8zCW1llK5hbsjgUuuekB-m5_OEe0R1HA4UEefMzN3y_TKRS9DyxEKmxHkCSlOiG7MShZYuhSBZlrwjypr-nukelxCm2K82Y_dQD_OFa/s1200/PXL_20231020_161512639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpWPFrq9eEv9iz2rw7qY59IX4gM1Hr6eIzWfRBJYynGKmN6oVi4oQ0z6INzzhTjFSlDFF-DL7bnqkhoBGfN00K8zCW1llK5hbsjgUuuekB-m5_OEe0R1HA4UEefMzN3y_TKRS9DyxEKmxHkCSlOiG7MShZYuhSBZlrwjypr-nukelxCm2K82Y_dQD_OFa/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_161512639.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And a daisy/aster.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLz0L23-2fyRw8biHnB_RADVjxIbS454nE2mrH7oO0IQjBKkCbFdrw_bwVZYERTvHZuGD2MNvmdHv2P6qwGV7581uLiXqMqcy3MXR2ESuBx_chw_YyadANmbRNf3I3o6AzHMNw-nl_qS3TFmQKSclAhwzMm-4Nki1pG3xRXRoiuMcJz3eBB38WDL_AUFe/s1200/PXL_20231020_163031231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLz0L23-2fyRw8biHnB_RADVjxIbS454nE2mrH7oO0IQjBKkCbFdrw_bwVZYERTvHZuGD2MNvmdHv2P6qwGV7581uLiXqMqcy3MXR2ESuBx_chw_YyadANmbRNf3I3o6AzHMNw-nl_qS3TFmQKSclAhwzMm-4Nki1pG3xRXRoiuMcJz3eBB38WDL_AUFe/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_163031231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also found a little patch of snow. But it looked good up ahead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPqJV2P9V8xXrfKt3r9sl9qNrl01NYcAq1Dt-aVKHdfJGX6WCF6S17r9EASohEDEbph3mp-T6JivDGzSA1MZLaDFaHiOSphTLVlxETio5OwgtDgYX5_DNZdCnh9op_RtAUYQra03rmi72LVKFYjv2Chw2bgJ0PjH_kZDBDaPewzF2D0G83iYKPiwJMC2U/s1200/PXL_20231020_163502732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPqJV2P9V8xXrfKt3r9sl9qNrl01NYcAq1Dt-aVKHdfJGX6WCF6S17r9EASohEDEbph3mp-T6JivDGzSA1MZLaDFaHiOSphTLVlxETio5OwgtDgYX5_DNZdCnh9op_RtAUYQra03rmi72LVKFYjv2Chw2bgJ0PjH_kZDBDaPewzF2D0G83iYKPiwJMC2U/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_163502732.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When I got to the old cookhouse, I decided to take a closer look. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0RGeD4XIcYHX5-dbcYuFKAptdO29edWlYauAt4C3B4wEiO_kkTAPjRGhBRIgoESOqbvIjAcEydMpxuE4ujpMx9vBa1icuHvUNT61ckYGFThAOdTPLMxajeDXOQcG7P6GfBGi4jSOQcFF3n6s1y2gAZ42TVcPJWF-AuqFIC4JNTOkoTVBvhGXpvfGp1gQ/s1200/PXL_20231020_163532592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0RGeD4XIcYHX5-dbcYuFKAptdO29edWlYauAt4C3B4wEiO_kkTAPjRGhBRIgoESOqbvIjAcEydMpxuE4ujpMx9vBa1icuHvUNT61ckYGFThAOdTPLMxajeDXOQcG7P6GfBGi4jSOQcFF3n6s1y2gAZ42TVcPJWF-AuqFIC4JNTOkoTVBvhGXpvfGp1gQ/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_163532592.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The building was renovated a few years ago using traditional methods, and still looks good.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouWYtPN37YqqqerxOmjubQn00OioyWwtuDJCTXT9YkcymEu-9GQsdVYs9bgCqBoO1cHB373YzukV5t0te53fKdZV3gjaOZ9u8-qAQB7RT6cc7DG7wiA8QN1hpcXFGPrw_mzdLbV4i-wIQDOGoqGYlhRVeXkW2DQ6ZWsK-Bi-kaCMAxtLSuJJCOiBDr0NI/s1200/PXL_20231020_163635521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouWYtPN37YqqqerxOmjubQn00OioyWwtuDJCTXT9YkcymEu-9GQsdVYs9bgCqBoO1cHB373YzukV5t0te53fKdZV3gjaOZ9u8-qAQB7RT6cc7DG7wiA8QN1hpcXFGPrw_mzdLbV4i-wIQDOGoqGYlhRVeXkW2DQ6ZWsK-Bi-kaCMAxtLSuJJCOiBDr0NI/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_163635521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Those miners were tough living in such a remote spot!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg7J4xVuplMExpNoXXwkhmxgeRBBRO4yEShyphenhyphenJBYBmfqLFiuxqKcXmL4lfKGPRTS0JWWOQGnGcPVhhGhaNajQYioJGWJu-q_BITHSIieSfxwSoGFau1LyU8HKpafphHA9LyYN2Rz5a1z8Y2orxR4Nvh6TgKou8aIa74zv6-tsQXi5DoBWrXz5n5dQFuz8W/s1200/PXL_20231020_163653421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg7J4xVuplMExpNoXXwkhmxgeRBBRO4yEShyphenhyphenJBYBmfqLFiuxqKcXmL4lfKGPRTS0JWWOQGnGcPVhhGhaNajQYioJGWJu-q_BITHSIieSfxwSoGFau1LyU8HKpafphHA9LyYN2Rz5a1z8Y2orxR4Nvh6TgKou8aIa74zv6-tsQXi5DoBWrXz5n5dQFuz8W/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_163653421.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was cold enough I wasn't tempted to swim in Johnson Lake, so I climbed up above and got a photo while taking another break to enjoy the views. I was really liking the plan of taking more breaks!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLzIkl8w8BIVrkAqRpJAXMtoLEWjbjuCOGczWEhmKwK5JIyn9H3uC8_w1RAbwSt61xuv1Sy8l_iATb5NR-SKWOz2lp8jVa-_cTxGkcsVfbxGBfHPw35ou5u3pXT0s8v4Z5KGoE76raQyidTwlsEHjWHIV6P-vpVjo5LP72bo2CA6MRSpU2Fub-V0HBVjV/s1200/PXL_20231020_165905649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLzIkl8w8BIVrkAqRpJAXMtoLEWjbjuCOGczWEhmKwK5JIyn9H3uC8_w1RAbwSt61xuv1Sy8l_iATb5NR-SKWOz2lp8jVa-_cTxGkcsVfbxGBfHPw35ou5u3pXT0s8v4Z5KGoE76raQyidTwlsEHjWHIV6P-vpVjo5LP72bo2CA6MRSpU2Fub-V0HBVjV/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_165905649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I heard some voices and saw some hikers coming down the trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT20FKqSqz2s9HtLeJbSUwHRSXr0tRXYyNKiDhFCNoqgNDp6iBPddpkrgSYZ1iCfhcikWZ1exo0MmbidTpbr_bjnY8LaPW2xnRqjyn-oP2FuRc9gpFotz5ocnMG3E0ORC_w82p7fa8wpnAFZZjm46zLuKlgX5rSHrZ6WIl76W06Hre0qREJar1vY27MaF/s1200/PXL_20231020_171909398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT20FKqSqz2s9HtLeJbSUwHRSXr0tRXYyNKiDhFCNoqgNDp6iBPddpkrgSYZ1iCfhcikWZ1exo0MmbidTpbr_bjnY8LaPW2xnRqjyn-oP2FuRc9gpFotz5ocnMG3E0ORC_w82p7fa8wpnAFZZjm46zLuKlgX5rSHrZ6WIl76W06Hre0qREJar1vY27MaF/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_171909398.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Since I was taking the scenic route on this trip, I went on the old trail up to the mine site. There's still a cable connected that goes from near the mine down to the lake.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglul1vSw493We3K4RYDUy0up63ZxjCtTbwwNpkJBE5Bb0HPT0MoL6YVLVVVadIJRC0ntDv59chJAcP38jHaXYWEpB69C_d203s8-v7ViH44GTT3gKTqL6yVO4s9VlQQZzC6uF6_l_e6AzZ9SFbS4G7nrdy5gshWZs5JEd1nz9i8gwO_NdeYfsQMq4SXwQV/s1200/PXL_20231020_172733642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglul1vSw493We3K4RYDUy0up63ZxjCtTbwwNpkJBE5Bb0HPT0MoL6YVLVVVadIJRC0ntDv59chJAcP38jHaXYWEpB69C_d203s8-v7ViH44GTT3gKTqL6yVO4s9VlQQZzC6uF6_l_e6AzZ9SFbS4G7nrdy5gshWZs5JEd1nz9i8gwO_NdeYfsQMq4SXwQV/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_172733642.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The mine is mostly collapsed and not very exciting.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CMqgLUJaKncuyydi-UF5r5UkBB01sXfswMc2fJc-CmtxXlJ9AeqgSp4P9wnsVVav7vV_y-bYNNcjZjsoBqoapsYZUVzQqCN4XL1jck7V7x1N85M3F8DQuvdWgE0UmcBGCimktIEMOJC8DfBOBTP9Eusrwhzf31U2lMoXaNWz2xRj-_woIolqgyJ7RLJq/s1200/PXL_20231020_173328226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CMqgLUJaKncuyydi-UF5r5UkBB01sXfswMc2fJc-CmtxXlJ9AeqgSp4P9wnsVVav7vV_y-bYNNcjZjsoBqoapsYZUVzQqCN4XL1jck7V7x1N85M3F8DQuvdWgE0UmcBGCimktIEMOJC8DfBOBTP9Eusrwhzf31U2lMoXaNWz2xRj-_woIolqgyJ7RLJq/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_173328226.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The view from it is gorgeous.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARRhdTNLSryy0ksaxgkRER4qBupuuEzlqL2FMMtRtZLD0TRwmMGM5DKgHxVB_JPTPdqAPGzz030WaPj0vuVLXM-v8fMVwJMZZn1JYhei0bBSDvrOhyphenhyphen9uNKsMwTwHXFXoaGOgBFIuRaivEeGT_8bFP_stf7L4YvqTO9Zzhlu5J62AqIjBcpy7QEvQdmctD/s1200/PXL_20231020_173440106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARRhdTNLSryy0ksaxgkRER4qBupuuEzlqL2FMMtRtZLD0TRwmMGM5DKgHxVB_JPTPdqAPGzz030WaPj0vuVLXM-v8fMVwJMZZn1JYhei0bBSDvrOhyphenhyphen9uNKsMwTwHXFXoaGOgBFIuRaivEeGT_8bFP_stf7L4YvqTO9Zzhlu5J62AqIjBcpy7QEvQdmctD/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_173440106.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I scampered up to the ridge, where I found larger patches of snow on the east-facing slopes. In the background, Pyramid Peak rises up from Johnson Lake, and beyond the ridge is the backside of Wheeler Peak and Doso Doyabi.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdmUBqbE4BHogg6nOlqVcye1UsqbXSu4RM77HdEHg3zVZwfTnTC7q8QA1TfIsXewQ8FweIigwZpPe5ggM8shg8Qqw0xHWIs8wXEBLtkzP9J07r37CwEiq1uGNI_Q_p7aKzEsh0LtQrM_EIVDw57Owt-db3F2L2Vpc3WiXLBngx4KMSPwmyLDlWTS4ZIHP/s1200/PXL_20231020_175632741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdmUBqbE4BHogg6nOlqVcye1UsqbXSu4RM77HdEHg3zVZwfTnTC7q8QA1TfIsXewQ8FweIigwZpPe5ggM8shg8Qqw0xHWIs8wXEBLtkzP9J07r37CwEiq1uGNI_Q_p7aKzEsh0LtQrM_EIVDw57Owt-db3F2L2Vpc3WiXLBngx4KMSPwmyLDlWTS4ZIHP/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_175632741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Walking the ridge is sometimes easy and sometimes boulder hopping or tree dodging. It's not particularly hard, but it's definitely not as easy as a trail. Below is a panoramic view of looking east, down the Snake Creek drainage towards Snake Valley.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0x7Oc342Ek1xVypVA06VEXxkrs08CqnBYjdInf4FG6x7ozRHfzF-h3OwGd2ZI0AYg7d4wNDbNKdo6Wx0rOKA2wXjx8qmwrGfD_ZZIu2U4vwIqvXPKEYtvNQ03PtYgOFl9gCorNUHqVO9xBO-ep52DMl2j2grSDy-agnhaKsul0BQ06QWiuy8J49KG09I/s1200/PXL_20231020_181140353.PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1200" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0x7Oc342Ek1xVypVA06VEXxkrs08CqnBYjdInf4FG6x7ozRHfzF-h3OwGd2ZI0AYg7d4wNDbNKdo6Wx0rOKA2wXjx8qmwrGfD_ZZIu2U4vwIqvXPKEYtvNQ03PtYgOFl9gCorNUHqVO9xBO-ep52DMl2j2grSDy-agnhaKsul0BQ06QWiuy8J49KG09I/w640-h370/PXL_20231020_181140353.PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a panoramic view of the west-side view, looking down Williams Canyon towards Spring Valley and the Egan mountains.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLINfcxrYwoqih2CkQOgJQ_2Df9RwbxwEfzvHW1e_fs7M-wMzyhyphenhyphen4hGuy8r4eCAvu4eRY1cFfgp7T2aB3JeBg7uklUnb8iJYRJ0n6bv6_79v7LRbwJI_EeUrU1QLhCuS-tHqWbnZXNRtp-kFq60o9yyK_TAxFndKLmsqNH092Xq90ME02yhgWdzwMEtv7S/s1200/PXL_20231020_181211803.PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLINfcxrYwoqih2CkQOgJQ_2Df9RwbxwEfzvHW1e_fs7M-wMzyhyphenhyphen4hGuy8r4eCAvu4eRY1cFfgp7T2aB3JeBg7uklUnb8iJYRJ0n6bv6_79v7LRbwJI_EeUrU1QLhCuS-tHqWbnZXNRtp-kFq60o9yyK_TAxFndKLmsqNH092Xq90ME02yhgWdzwMEtv7S/w640-h300/PXL_20231020_181211803.PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There's a very obvious trail along the ridge. I've taken it before and wanted to take it again.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQg3J6gzckg1jP7ExCo-qnS87Fk40AafkcwV6Ghg0_uYNTdolNyXnSMz2dePBJfBG2vPNcZ9w_DJcBYMJkQQtOHoGWgUI8JH5oe87rma9TzbjcLoE2aHC3OtScEY-_8yn8rZw5W90VyRl6_6g2G3Qwav8A4wJM-gB3O-P8Rs0EpolEVJMulIxDFkwSa02/s1200/PXL_20231020_181946912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQg3J6gzckg1jP7ExCo-qnS87Fk40AafkcwV6Ghg0_uYNTdolNyXnSMz2dePBJfBG2vPNcZ9w_DJcBYMJkQQtOHoGWgUI8JH5oe87rma9TzbjcLoE2aHC3OtScEY-_8yn8rZw5W90VyRl6_6g2G3Qwav8A4wJM-gB3O-P8Rs0EpolEVJMulIxDFkwSa02/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_181946912.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It leads to an abandoned mine, where some of the trusses have fallen and some are just barely holding the boulders in place.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hWFRkjHqw2OCBADouZ3-QLidW0esvej8BSJO_t8xWZUtD5z_o54AHjk4QNhIb-SpFRIvLhkXqHM0Tw-IPCosMHDpWTLdU3dYMkplbou7N2_AWTRgMwWUVl7Gyic9-4gQdBxaFgnM1SyO1TvR-glSkV5M5rkwWEHrUnTqJQojggvB0GLHogZuybV-tXdO/s1200/PXL_20231020_182205764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hWFRkjHqw2OCBADouZ3-QLidW0esvej8BSJO_t8xWZUtD5z_o54AHjk4QNhIb-SpFRIvLhkXqHM0Tw-IPCosMHDpWTLdU3dYMkplbou7N2_AWTRgMwWUVl7Gyic9-4gQdBxaFgnM1SyO1TvR-glSkV5M5rkwWEHrUnTqJQojggvB0GLHogZuybV-tXdO/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_182205764.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Back on the ridge, I checked out the middle fork of Snake Creek. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6l9jLcv4SVoKOnHBDuSPUApjLm5FgjnnD2sbWl7JuTWoBtEdNIQ8eYtMviOAyLhbIV6CWrkjXvIjyqGu9SRNl-YNQDOt7h__2fsK74p-tLZNEfXCFIiKTiW0F_8JbOKpUBV7axvczynR9IdPDOq1-i52xkfSMfrFOyv5hHFfwKH4G_7LrKfCSHb04Q2R/s1200/PXL_20231020_182716930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6l9jLcv4SVoKOnHBDuSPUApjLm5FgjnnD2sbWl7JuTWoBtEdNIQ8eYtMviOAyLhbIV6CWrkjXvIjyqGu9SRNl-YNQDOt7h__2fsK74p-tLZNEfXCFIiKTiW0F_8JbOKpUBV7axvczynR9IdPDOq1-i52xkfSMfrFOyv5hHFfwKH4G_7LrKfCSHb04Q2R/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_182716930.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I found some <i>Erigeron leiomerus-</i>alpine daisy blooming. Yay!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FYijs-qQkXBZN6X7emdXEDN33yQOznYicaZKpKnfKa2rAfaknsO67bTvTOKykTARIMyObnYVT9pfpt5t57pZWIyYoo0BFoC4xAUIqj-1DgDbThdapM3f2VCyN1V3WjL7AHxJY7PMt-FG4A8RvFXU-tIlf1Sf6tsoESLlav3ii6L9wL7ZoLK_JhGA9z3q/s1200/PXL_20231020_183023997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FYijs-qQkXBZN6X7emdXEDN33yQOznYicaZKpKnfKa2rAfaknsO67bTvTOKykTARIMyObnYVT9pfpt5t57pZWIyYoo0BFoC4xAUIqj-1DgDbThdapM3f2VCyN1V3WjL7AHxJY7PMt-FG4A8RvFXU-tIlf1Sf6tsoESLlav3ii6L9wL7ZoLK_JhGA9z3q/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_183023997.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Along some of the ridge are trees, and you can definitely see the dominant wind pattern.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2YZ43tSsdark4XqDq7wvj2vOMWfAyCd1akaCL2hiVg85BJlKAyiRmGNPumQOLj-nnFVUP2aDwiVlrKyP51zBRaNLvbPilKmTqcmXMX-DMb25M9yuRRNiipCyuao-1d6bnIvg0naRy6S8UsQaYprWBNf6HfldXtBrli6GVLinSfVtTxt8C8GCCTafSMv9/s1200/PXL_20231020_184106729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2YZ43tSsdark4XqDq7wvj2vOMWfAyCd1akaCL2hiVg85BJlKAyiRmGNPumQOLj-nnFVUP2aDwiVlrKyP51zBRaNLvbPilKmTqcmXMX-DMb25M9yuRRNiipCyuao-1d6bnIvg0naRy6S8UsQaYprWBNf6HfldXtBrli6GVLinSfVtTxt8C8GCCTafSMv9/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_184106729.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To my huge surprise, it was such a warm day that I stripped down to my tank top. I couldn't believe how warm it was for mid-October.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GAQoUkJDQRJNP45UPQspNepV7yNMnwrPuh6mdzkWGawY1Uf9yLxx5AJW2f6C_BKMszR3Y-W7AhyphenhyphenulY9JNEgqdc6cVIwSWMUsw9KgrvNR8ortpdYXM98VEEtQcCirPhmxLics8zb5W8L0BTO-F10tVI90NhWTdnZ1pQWSkYJkGSujafaM4KL08J51D_h7/s1200/PXL_20231020_185627665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GAQoUkJDQRJNP45UPQspNepV7yNMnwrPuh6mdzkWGawY1Uf9yLxx5AJW2f6C_BKMszR3Y-W7AhyphenhyphenulY9JNEgqdc6cVIwSWMUsw9KgrvNR8ortpdYXM98VEEtQcCirPhmxLics8zb5W8L0BTO-F10tVI90NhWTdnZ1pQWSkYJkGSujafaM4KL08J51D_h7/w640-h480/PXL_20231020_185627665.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I continued south on the ridge, I kept getting closer to Mt. Washington, with quite a bit of snow on it's north-facing side.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4F6vvbxcHfF54Zh5tQUnrK3APQeSt-MNBpvUjZps2BrbyHCFTApULZxS-ColiI4iXqMaKMOSzkdo73pxCptIKJoI1RepDxIefJbk0MBlOrNk7T-Btug8mapyVTbQZow_lZuPtWB6f_MudCsgZp9ZVVoU4eTSQHWCsJ-9LM97C9KH_cN-upxdNNENoccc/s1200/PXL_20231020_190141861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4F6vvbxcHfF54Zh5tQUnrK3APQeSt-MNBpvUjZps2BrbyHCFTApULZxS-ColiI4iXqMaKMOSzkdo73pxCptIKJoI1RepDxIefJbk0MBlOrNk7T-Btug8mapyVTbQZow_lZuPtWB6f_MudCsgZp9ZVVoU4eTSQHWCsJ-9LM97C9KH_cN-upxdNNENoccc/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_190141861.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another break for more flowers! A little potentilla (buttercup) nestled next to a rock.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzo9UoJk5KxY2k8DwxMKbT2LLagGNK7jb7klQvi0pYPKPwqQ4l-eMU5vT35-3bBpIFuiDLu2PmvAwqBlPSRtipu_OG0mdHmk1dT_CR1QSd0XqISi4yId2n0DrSLjc4Q47pUp14hBgYZg4s7NcGPHpKyoTFOW_HshtVJ9CsoMVLM6BSMF_ijpKZ3IL0dPx6/s1200/PXL_20231020_190733359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzo9UoJk5KxY2k8DwxMKbT2LLagGNK7jb7klQvi0pYPKPwqQ4l-eMU5vT35-3bBpIFuiDLu2PmvAwqBlPSRtipu_OG0mdHmk1dT_CR1QSd0XqISi4yId2n0DrSLjc4Q47pUp14hBgYZg4s7NcGPHpKyoTFOW_HshtVJ9CsoMVLM6BSMF_ijpKZ3IL0dPx6/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_190733359.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And some <i>Phlox pulvinata</i>, alpine phlox. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCuv1VoNYd8eHrrcWC2V3DKGlx4vk-Vwka4t0uPNtS4GHWg-PzmWJz3h8ndaV39YmlB_dF8SG2vP6RQp3VeB3c8Zrqrh_wE7wfF0r9s5eewH69h3tOo7p6xFa7YooVQ3IZPx9RhqJf5fMqKRX0RWbXfV4HyqDzooxGYlK4vTSS4tEk7dfE4eP98hziBNM/s1200/PXL_20231020_190845579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCuv1VoNYd8eHrrcWC2V3DKGlx4vk-Vwka4t0uPNtS4GHWg-PzmWJz3h8ndaV39YmlB_dF8SG2vP6RQp3VeB3c8Zrqrh_wE7wfF0r9s5eewH69h3tOo7p6xFa7YooVQ3IZPx9RhqJf5fMqKRX0RWbXfV4HyqDzooxGYlK4vTSS4tEk7dfE4eP98hziBNM/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_190845579.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And one more, maybe a draba? With colorful lichen next to it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1wNwCOcLYTcFL_icF2JbQw-33XZ10G6rbalIXvZ9fljYKpKQIfJngGVSiaebd-e6o15SD4DMaLttjc3Je8hUNOr7mOnCbsg4nEcfS6krVd2OVceFzyUD9QDn3_0ruCJxNEQiV3eB1sQgTJLM1eXYr2AZjxHWg08kxBWO6CSTEQgbntBJs9uL_Y1WqkQu/s1200/PXL_20231020_191603342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1wNwCOcLYTcFL_icF2JbQw-33XZ10G6rbalIXvZ9fljYKpKQIfJngGVSiaebd-e6o15SD4DMaLttjc3Je8hUNOr7mOnCbsg4nEcfS6krVd2OVceFzyUD9QDn3_0ruCJxNEQiV3eB1sQgTJLM1eXYr2AZjxHWg08kxBWO6CSTEQgbntBJs9uL_Y1WqkQu/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_191603342.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a view looking northeast. The old piece of wood is far from current trees, indicating that it's probably a remnant from when trees grew up higher during the last warm period, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_climatic_optimum" target="_blank">Altithermal</a>. In the background is Pyramid Peak on the left and Eagle Peak on the right.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3cVYQhXeOybXbs6aG4ScOwA9tuo2aoNSHch51hR6Qpma2ZdmlZfK2GDlsstMQ4_ikXGKcLqyQtPm6OPeS6fvdAtRK2I7PTzcpfh2vps2SDXlvOkiaXk2Yr_Dq2rJo7kXV_2Wv98WAsd_uzSz6FoNkG0Y3zkGdwUyFNUURkqE_c1d7sm9jQdhaTm2Xiyw/s1200/PXL_20231020_191817178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3cVYQhXeOybXbs6aG4ScOwA9tuo2aoNSHch51hR6Qpma2ZdmlZfK2GDlsstMQ4_ikXGKcLqyQtPm6OPeS6fvdAtRK2I7PTzcpfh2vps2SDXlvOkiaXk2Yr_Dq2rJo7kXV_2Wv98WAsd_uzSz6FoNkG0Y3zkGdwUyFNUURkqE_c1d7sm9jQdhaTm2Xiyw/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_191817178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Johnson Lake is between Prospect Mountain Quartzite (on the north Pyramid Peak side) and granite/quartz monzonite on the west and south sides. Along the ridge, I was on granite for quite awhile, then transitioned to quartzite. Mt. Washington is limestone. So it's fun to see the rocks change. And then I saw what looks like a rock with fossils!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiva9ichHIMgq61oxjRRzR7HExlf7EW4GylmSG8LW_3kYilQAUFCrXCO97yI8LnsJ3HdW0h6SMR4-zuaVl9yII9k61EaV7v19G1hPM8IzyeC1OMgkhESoiIUoisrLWj-BwzD22RRkiy59EnH55h8zAMiHEJhwXX9CjQsrLrVw_goORsoCcbVnVMX5abj1q/s1200/PXL_20231020_192321207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiva9ichHIMgq61oxjRRzR7HExlf7EW4GylmSG8LW_3kYilQAUFCrXCO97yI8LnsJ3HdW0h6SMR4-zuaVl9yII9k61EaV7v19G1hPM8IzyeC1OMgkhESoiIUoisrLWj-BwzD22RRkiy59EnH55h8zAMiHEJhwXX9CjQsrLrVw_goORsoCcbVnVMX5abj1q/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_192321207.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And another one! <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/index.htm" target="_blank">National Fossil Day </a>was October 11th. I celebrated then and I celebrated again!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJBZ4HOs3HfIFkZjWyoall5L0l46y8ZwwEUUaP1-QjSv8lHl1e_5QxQCpIHPMp3rZZ5KlWlS43yDCwfZECnwXGBVXi-0j4Cwxjtj709nMcMdSoIbf-ArApRNVWXt1GuKynS-E-9k3sqWWXEfcZV0mPNZnKRCGRp-2Mg1Z41p142ZRCELg1-yt98B90Fgp/s1200/PXL_20231020_193735349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJBZ4HOs3HfIFkZjWyoall5L0l46y8ZwwEUUaP1-QjSv8lHl1e_5QxQCpIHPMp3rZZ5KlWlS43yDCwfZECnwXGBVXi-0j4Cwxjtj709nMcMdSoIbf-ArApRNVWXt1GuKynS-E-9k3sqWWXEfcZV0mPNZnKRCGRp-2Mg1Z41p142ZRCELg1-yt98B90Fgp/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_193735349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The changes in rock types also make for fun color changes.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqxjITOmxUNpJcl_z1WhOlUP05PbKaShgNNq0g50KkuBuRNGaDAxqIsvhP5tjX93-hv7xzEjdHhnPfLgmRnK5rC92IKmd6KW6TFn1RtcPqVX6UBmXqSFx1mRHvhwYD6Mq7E3l5-gKPF7J0bWbTY50riCoXYeFPkHcw3kN1OGpYTQFcRSuSuBjmUHWajXQ/s1200/PXL_20231020_193844505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqxjITOmxUNpJcl_z1WhOlUP05PbKaShgNNq0g50KkuBuRNGaDAxqIsvhP5tjX93-hv7xzEjdHhnPfLgmRnK5rC92IKmd6KW6TFn1RtcPqVX6UBmXqSFx1mRHvhwYD6Mq7E3l5-gKPF7J0bWbTY50riCoXYeFPkHcw3kN1OGpYTQFcRSuSuBjmUHWajXQ/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_193844505.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I was rounding the corner in front of Mt. Washington and entering what's been nicknamed "The Magic Grove." It's an apt name, with some wonderful bristlecones there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjud6D_aRXgRqYFOlsYcoz3KyuMj64vybDzR7sbKAh-u4MVhH87NiG0vpWNxHM1UU_1RNgja_kMBjVDN3eNZgrvUKBacHtmJW2R7UHWex2tcttcbNtUGHok7vm8ay7-n0V2KAEfacOoxPrZiNI83EJz7BQYa2hHp_tW05tAzMkzZOe3_edO2LH55ePxPA4/s1200/PXL_20231020_194242102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjud6D_aRXgRqYFOlsYcoz3KyuMj64vybDzR7sbKAh-u4MVhH87NiG0vpWNxHM1UU_1RNgja_kMBjVDN3eNZgrvUKBacHtmJW2R7UHWex2tcttcbNtUGHok7vm8ay7-n0V2KAEfacOoxPrZiNI83EJz7BQYa2hHp_tW05tAzMkzZOe3_edO2LH55ePxPA4/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_194242102.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I had been trying to ignore my hunger pains so I could get to the "Quarter Tree," the bristlecone pine featured on the Great Basin National Park quarter, for lunch. Despite mid-day light and no clouds, it still looked amazing.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9dYXnyUAbKJ582Nx-4Fwt-Oz3BLMUgQpji69kX0rmo_jhOsGo2cVqijuAcxgRmLGxnQO6WMsjLnTn-6br-uznBBJgR5Xh-jyW5JKf7fDkTmbvZcCX7A97os9hXjEytmiVfytoLgquhnnqMrvyhk6GuyJs_oNYzBgii-FmyXMs0fLrIV_6mhGn280lbXI/s1200/PXL_20231020_194841540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9dYXnyUAbKJ582Nx-4Fwt-Oz3BLMUgQpji69kX0rmo_jhOsGo2cVqijuAcxgRmLGxnQO6WMsjLnTn-6br-uznBBJgR5Xh-jyW5JKf7fDkTmbvZcCX7A97os9hXjEytmiVfytoLgquhnnqMrvyhk6GuyJs_oNYzBgii-FmyXMs0fLrIV_6mhGn280lbXI/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_194841540.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I did a full walk around it. Then I sat down and ate, feeling like the tree was giving me a hug. It was wonderful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm3SvVdnsLUGZso0G2mmuj11SeK5uUmKXEl_ONsy3Pxc2QTUcAJ_rE4LKzm8t-9qkUVZxUOYsEVLcJk3mggpNyf5sZUYRONHj75pE9xXsQo_SkloXdsQnvGACnqsBaHYyo9mcgQKv8KmXCnv_goNT-jqOYSu1zwaIlqRURQrqOAsc-ZfnAdkdJ5-cwZeQ/s1200/PXL_20231020_194959918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm3SvVdnsLUGZso0G2mmuj11SeK5uUmKXEl_ONsy3Pxc2QTUcAJ_rE4LKzm8t-9qkUVZxUOYsEVLcJk3mggpNyf5sZUYRONHj75pE9xXsQo_SkloXdsQnvGACnqsBaHYyo9mcgQKv8KmXCnv_goNT-jqOYSu1zwaIlqRURQrqOAsc-ZfnAdkdJ5-cwZeQ/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_194959918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I felt in such awe of being next to a tree that's at least 1,400 years old. It's been through so many storms, so many eclipses (each spot sees a total eclipse roughly every 375 years), so many droughts, so much of everything!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_RX3V-g_PYCWfDOeghXZDJ3qxz-Yunj7MyrAp8whCly0qt2Z0X-VJ-oRHGnOdUvHprRVMRgfnu7u3IIKcKG2RlVHNRSUNZi-YMWF1ik_boVay1zG9A0Qf9PywYkTtwjAEk2aNPzWM0PX3jyHWL0QxGDlriIY7csGxXeWMqpEyyLhnEctWY8GnVTGz5NW/s1200/PXL_20231020_195719709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_RX3V-g_PYCWfDOeghXZDJ3qxz-Yunj7MyrAp8whCly0qt2Z0X-VJ-oRHGnOdUvHprRVMRgfnu7u3IIKcKG2RlVHNRSUNZi-YMWF1ik_boVay1zG9A0Qf9PywYkTtwjAEk2aNPzWM0PX3jyHWL0QxGDlriIY7csGxXeWMqpEyyLhnEctWY8GnVTGz5NW/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_195719709.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's my blissful spot.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4osNuIa1_wgP9uTbn3eZaU6A9Q7aLaRNXCejRd4D4ASkXKudIdgDfxqwgZGYJ6NitwoYPG1vvlxHAduNasTDYJ6tDNA6bsfSlUDxyEIbXM31pwfznvK_UbxfVKeuIlqfU72EzClmhVIRz4S6TydHgZxn9CnYu4y8WyQSuAqfF4vbGgYrgb0FP35hNBtH/s1200/PXL_20231020_200435042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4osNuIa1_wgP9uTbn3eZaU6A9Q7aLaRNXCejRd4D4ASkXKudIdgDfxqwgZGYJ6NitwoYPG1vvlxHAduNasTDYJ6tDNA6bsfSlUDxyEIbXM31pwfznvK_UbxfVKeuIlqfU72EzClmhVIRz4S6TydHgZxn9CnYu4y8WyQSuAqfF4vbGgYrgb0FP35hNBtH/w480-h640/PXL_20231020_200435042.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I took some time to wander through the grove. Here's a bristlecone that's fallen over, so we're looking at the twisted root structure. These bristlecone roots do not go deep.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxSX00Lv2fWRAxjleflf_oLP9OTmPjb1z7qqlDnYjOM405CogdTMJnN8zwoaAvv59P3rEDQrBh17OAdk3P62lzF7QIkekeUxm7ipxFHggaYioFCuoa5nyT89nzf-2D2Y5Z-mhlFJn8iyKKzx368RcJmN2FeWL5LNzmLeByhBDCREAnf1SqkqYKi9Ypzjz/s1200/PXL_20231020_201405407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxSX00Lv2fWRAxjleflf_oLP9OTmPjb1z7qqlDnYjOM405CogdTMJnN8zwoaAvv59P3rEDQrBh17OAdk3P62lzF7QIkekeUxm7ipxFHggaYioFCuoa5nyT89nzf-2D2Y5Z-mhlFJn8iyKKzx368RcJmN2FeWL5LNzmLeByhBDCREAnf1SqkqYKi9Ypzjz/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_201405407.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Bristlecone wood framing Mt. Washington.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tzkeZgZ6UD4bNVt-TZJNkhIiH9u8aUJO5rczUq3lhzmS4sYNCXyLGpWdLD2Xi171WS5tCOXVhhuNin-HgCDa5kePLuEZxJ99YQns_k2k6Abmtw1GGTpSp1j-zL07jB91vX8nFuux1hWzudKzcWTqqcSEcZs-JPC-JvAxN3kKT1wvl_Zi8iZ3qC8FADvn/s1200/PXL_20231020_201429091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tzkeZgZ6UD4bNVt-TZJNkhIiH9u8aUJO5rczUq3lhzmS4sYNCXyLGpWdLD2Xi171WS5tCOXVhhuNin-HgCDa5kePLuEZxJ99YQns_k2k6Abmtw1GGTpSp1j-zL07jB91vX8nFuux1hWzudKzcWTqqcSEcZs-JPC-JvAxN3kKT1wvl_Zi8iZ3qC8FADvn/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_201429091.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There's another tree up in the grove I feel a close connection to, and I just had to touch the wood. I was a little surprised by how warm it was. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewgZpYfDE_S1-tQ6eZqR5_8oDxIIKnB6W0YkJVtHxBL0aeDwR_Af-HL1FAmSx52_VGeqnLlM7q1qw9iR0CUVxd_g-4HDxRmKKjtblTWUxjZ5yk0076U2gUFo2-T6OLsMsiNOedlUx-fTpmo-w3SRYQx_qGJzXjXDH-GyDx2BvxLTvthxOcsAQDlDG_Hbl/s1200/PXL_20231020_201701366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewgZpYfDE_S1-tQ6eZqR5_8oDxIIKnB6W0YkJVtHxBL0aeDwR_Af-HL1FAmSx52_VGeqnLlM7q1qw9iR0CUVxd_g-4HDxRmKKjtblTWUxjZ5yk0076U2gUFo2-T6OLsMsiNOedlUx-fTpmo-w3SRYQx_qGJzXjXDH-GyDx2BvxLTvthxOcsAQDlDG_Hbl/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_201701366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>More cool twisted wood.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC70Fc0dcm2h10m7ygbB4x_JwzNZagMrLvyCdFjYzLSkv5qTBU2r89HQYa72nF__cJEYt56vrhPCuQYkD4TarHOD28I4TGbLWPAT77_X_M9z2IG2XGoVEmDNDjgsAoKVhIuNXEDVJN5k-cy4KQ7rdlddWC0qDTHaupAEDfn4C2nGgpjo9iJE6RfHnLJi4j/s1200/PXL_20231020_201717967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC70Fc0dcm2h10m7ygbB4x_JwzNZagMrLvyCdFjYzLSkv5qTBU2r89HQYa72nF__cJEYt56vrhPCuQYkD4TarHOD28I4TGbLWPAT77_X_M9z2IG2XGoVEmDNDjgsAoKVhIuNXEDVJN5k-cy4KQ7rdlddWC0qDTHaupAEDfn4C2nGgpjo9iJE6RfHnLJi4j/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_201717967.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This tree is about 2,400 years old.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMwReBgqsKOqcKU7IriqVagt4FsS28sXT2JYRgR-4Ryc_8ZaOggKLQdlAWCtYiK97BGCFpK0gGNcfCsKW4NaNHWbGVXKDInrkUO_zfH_EDc3iaepFPSIiE8Y_EO46K2yDWbzKh3_6klH09rmM7yRH7pnH1J3c2zinQhSnwdqUCHM1hD_Ul8Jvhc6DrvDi/s1200/PXL_20231020_201924695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMwReBgqsKOqcKU7IriqVagt4FsS28sXT2JYRgR-4Ryc_8ZaOggKLQdlAWCtYiK97BGCFpK0gGNcfCsKW4NaNHWbGVXKDInrkUO_zfH_EDc3iaepFPSIiE8Y_EO46K2yDWbzKh3_6klH09rmM7yRH7pnH1J3c2zinQhSnwdqUCHM1hD_Ul8Jvhc6DrvDi/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_201924695.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then it was time for the long way down. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NQMqc53q3-AmODrRQ2KUmv3r2meR_YFHAQzp1KwPdmAvwBAfv9VeKb_V9CsqyT-YQ97m74C7GOZw5hP5XaRz3Xs1rt_ickPt9B5NcdXhLWQkqHiAONRnClt1VAZsroe9hcyvIB_hWa7l2uvLijd1fh9MhBmEUa_cvk8TMdYYxdcdglt2OVyxOnZjfvWr/s1200/PXL_20231020_202521816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NQMqc53q3-AmODrRQ2KUmv3r2meR_YFHAQzp1KwPdmAvwBAfv9VeKb_V9CsqyT-YQ97m74C7GOZw5hP5XaRz3Xs1rt_ickPt9B5NcdXhLWQkqHiAONRnClt1VAZsroe9hcyvIB_hWa7l2uvLijd1fh9MhBmEUa_cvk8TMdYYxdcdglt2OVyxOnZjfvWr/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_202521816.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail kind of disappears in places, but as long as you stay on the ridge, you're okay. There's some old flagging that shows the way in places, but I imagine that will eventually fall off. The Snake Divide Trail is much more of a route at this time than an actual trail. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7Xg2y87E-jSr3LmzS60Tq2eysAA0Ck0eaODXXFu274nO6LtRXBh7mkZWcqAtzIqg1m0Vcjq53mRBTqZoo725pDMi6cJPKzajdSaRV2cS8CfQu666qR-QpYBUa5Nl-aD4UQfpq2BTbftLlG5xm1ks9yl4ZNUoiVISTxOateEpMeZaGok39FygspNTpnLT/s1200/PXL_20231020_210312769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7Xg2y87E-jSr3LmzS60Tq2eysAA0Ck0eaODXXFu274nO6LtRXBh7mkZWcqAtzIqg1m0Vcjq53mRBTqZoo725pDMi6cJPKzajdSaRV2cS8CfQu666qR-QpYBUa5Nl-aD4UQfpq2BTbftLlG5xm1ks9yl4ZNUoiVISTxOateEpMeZaGok39FygspNTpnLT/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_210312769.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I found another old mine next to the trail. It looks like it might go aways, but there was no way I was going to investigate as it looked ready to cave in.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBh4zayVvZSrwC6uVSXMcVoxLXn6gy1dak2fGynIkdmVia06Y1mwIrG6eb6adQvsot13C9R-U_sLI_5qLMLV856jtYYdJ8L3HG3VUXjooCNwn_bToaohq58eC-PCYzYZTlxnEqKMwuqV8xAtCkruewJPoVV0EmQ6fdn5Uy_9DW4WYBxfEoNYq7IFSOBZp/s1200/PXL_20231020_210513926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBh4zayVvZSrwC6uVSXMcVoxLXn6gy1dak2fGynIkdmVia06Y1mwIrG6eb6adQvsot13C9R-U_sLI_5qLMLV856jtYYdJ8L3HG3VUXjooCNwn_bToaohq58eC-PCYzYZTlxnEqKMwuqV8xAtCkruewJPoVV0EmQ6fdn5Uy_9DW4WYBxfEoNYq7IFSOBZp/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_210513926.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I went lower, the bristlecone pine trees continued, but they looked different. They were much taller and had more branches. They still look like Dr. Seuss trees, though.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkjZpZmkHr9TJr664xu7d6Y21baEcIYIFlKHhXELdw7wgYuW600nkGIguKfbMbY9-coAiITMQ6giIvU9_d40Cy3t8QJnmW0rjCeQfUmrp6Vx3f7crLtPhk-rQVEViT0-2FjNFGkHFm3NTjszPgpB68ZXdrK9q9RMhrK4vEFkvdimSjIQKIY5r8pbnu4mP/s1200/PXL_20231020_210918613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkjZpZmkHr9TJr664xu7d6Y21baEcIYIFlKHhXELdw7wgYuW600nkGIguKfbMbY9-coAiITMQ6giIvU9_d40Cy3t8QJnmW0rjCeQfUmrp6Vx3f7crLtPhk-rQVEViT0-2FjNFGkHFm3NTjszPgpB68ZXdrK9q9RMhrK4vEFkvdimSjIQKIY5r8pbnu4mP/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_210918613.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I took a side trip on one of the limestone knobs to see the trees on the south side. They aren't very large, but they are fun.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdyC1M0xqxev5bOAweH2bE_1-YskgRUeD9QGOWc3XcmTzmxcYOiMjNFkRgx63fEB4_u8Cv_KVZ8N3e1J2txcu8jbM73K2yMTifIPCi-cxE1hjc0Sf20e4yzC1TQDF9oTdxyPSOB2MgBn_ImrwSj5A6CeJYTjIQm2G-1MAt4lZ3AwYc935Dbc6hv1fYcSE/s1200/PXL_20231020_211635113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdyC1M0xqxev5bOAweH2bE_1-YskgRUeD9QGOWc3XcmTzmxcYOiMjNFkRgx63fEB4_u8Cv_KVZ8N3e1J2txcu8jbM73K2yMTifIPCi-cxE1hjc0Sf20e4yzC1TQDF9oTdxyPSOB2MgBn_ImrwSj5A6CeJYTjIQm2G-1MAt4lZ3AwYc935Dbc6hv1fYcSE/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_211635113.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also had a great view of the fall colors in Big Wash.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAJQHTX2kceiDEREN2AEYZ_alt1ChES4PI3x4vyOr3jifC0GBFZEmsfShUIoZqESG48HWHAgfEUMeZGZb6r4Lh_abJExkUXPdgapvwQFsE8AI2CXY_3fr7MPdLk-UaTp-buJbloG9XauQ2Qwe2l1cuYUqq7cctmNdVoFmk5PSCRBZKh7l4niWqIwh06-E/s1200/PXL_20231020_214243844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAJQHTX2kceiDEREN2AEYZ_alt1ChES4PI3x4vyOr3jifC0GBFZEmsfShUIoZqESG48HWHAgfEUMeZGZb6r4Lh_abJExkUXPdgapvwQFsE8AI2CXY_3fr7MPdLk-UaTp-buJbloG9XauQ2Qwe2l1cuYUqq7cctmNdVoFmk5PSCRBZKh7l4niWqIwh06-E/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_214243844.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The lower I went, the better the trail became. There are some cool sights.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvfwVDkcHtg0LPDtYO-shzu-jYAptTX3_8VMSl_7y9npawtZkxXFOZtNgbeILgx29x4Mmj81i_xSRwZDE6WH0wlIihvpssj7ZiTMqkMfwDfV9wb1uJxScmDLD3_AsjXWn9avf2AFYutzXfE46fzEVoVVNhltL38EnR_4MbPzcztWN07FvJxq50w9eQrAF/s1200/PXL_20231020_214843932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvfwVDkcHtg0LPDtYO-shzu-jYAptTX3_8VMSl_7y9npawtZkxXFOZtNgbeILgx29x4Mmj81i_xSRwZDE6WH0wlIihvpssj7ZiTMqkMfwDfV9wb1uJxScmDLD3_AsjXWn9avf2AFYutzXfE46fzEVoVVNhltL38EnR_4MbPzcztWN07FvJxq50w9eQrAF/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_214843932.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I came out on the Shoshone Trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlKCDi1iq0V9KX6jG4ms25AnlofQAT8m4ZofdYTjsEe_2ALQgCyMbZi2jFLgPeKEcsyGhxU-JiHwQZ6te8z0FKktIgrwMCIZObaQHk4fdbimElF-ZQUO1iMnX1qpLtW-y1fFo0V5pDJf_H6g6FYnldIWlgP4k5duXj4Eb4KKbyppgfPnkbdX2odaMTosL/s1200/PXL_20231020_220804022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlKCDi1iq0V9KX6jG4ms25AnlofQAT8m4ZofdYTjsEe_2ALQgCyMbZi2jFLgPeKEcsyGhxU-JiHwQZ6te8z0FKktIgrwMCIZObaQHk4fdbimElF-ZQUO1iMnX1qpLtW-y1fFo0V5pDJf_H6g6FYnldIWlgP4k5duXj4Eb4KKbyppgfPnkbdX2odaMTosL/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_220804022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It cracks me up that this old sign is still in place.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOJMYOaARp-N6FrZTLrMBPy-8TZ_y64nCYKij79pOsb2TxQo4sUkqUSf3LQQc4mYzSVjOAWVypljIKR22INjmAkbwAXaX0Rbaz_SY6M0YAEWQS5SqB-2HzkHDiLrMmLcmPheyYM04voTLDAGcTo5C4Z5IfkYmVP7XqrmNxcIrBtcZWPef5AVbP2kdGWop/s1200/PXL_20231020_220827489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOJMYOaARp-N6FrZTLrMBPy-8TZ_y64nCYKij79pOsb2TxQo4sUkqUSf3LQQc4mYzSVjOAWVypljIKR22INjmAkbwAXaX0Rbaz_SY6M0YAEWQS5SqB-2HzkHDiLrMmLcmPheyYM04voTLDAGcTo5C4Z5IfkYmVP7XqrmNxcIrBtcZWPef5AVbP2kdGWop/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_220827489.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A caterpillar on the trail caught my eye.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXImz3zv-FQIgM-t-vwpOGYEMj6BIf11NX9-RYjB3R3kVicpJ_furTPULKegXnjjLx0YSDuHcefJVV-Vey0bJzqOYSXmjZGw8MMUiLDnlXw68AwE0JDNbrTvOIe2_lJFLCtHkTjGXTSEykKF9RhNTE0Jzc7WUbOeJLpQvCC8y8ajhT2MYFy_QLQK48jsM/s1200/PXL_20231020_221420588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXImz3zv-FQIgM-t-vwpOGYEMj6BIf11NX9-RYjB3R3kVicpJ_furTPULKegXnjjLx0YSDuHcefJVV-Vey0bJzqOYSXmjZGw8MMUiLDnlXw68AwE0JDNbrTvOIe2_lJFLCtHkTjGXTSEykKF9RhNTE0Jzc7WUbOeJLpQvCC8y8ajhT2MYFy_QLQK48jsM/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_221420588.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail crew had been working on the trail recently, and it was in excellent condition.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVPz4NhBSgQ1dMRkwGta9v70QHGYMmJ8sNy4lHzxRxEJoli_5vpm1Dr5lYhLeg-e5pFJsNJpBtpd5dabz6NUcLyP9p1e4ROZIxofj7LKCVzc-bS72u04s0ju6kwo1YpWTbW6_XyK3dTV0ezQc64_fg-pXWiFt80_z43GKMqjdnqjYuNtDx8HOghC84vq3/s1200/PXL_20231020_221923844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVPz4NhBSgQ1dMRkwGta9v70QHGYMmJ8sNy4lHzxRxEJoli_5vpm1Dr5lYhLeg-e5pFJsNJpBtpd5dabz6NUcLyP9p1e4ROZIxofj7LKCVzc-bS72u04s0ju6kwo1YpWTbW6_XyK3dTV0ezQc64_fg-pXWiFt80_z43GKMqjdnqjYuNtDx8HOghC84vq3/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_221923844.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>One of the very few colorful leaves.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLrNTrYof6XZxXSwnBejAl9viUcp0ynnA3kowJvKdwSI9Pkio6excaZTM15UMIwNcDgbKUhAb1gU9I_1_qea7IdxVl8yjzD13-PF8bRQQ9jtbpgj1q9z_khlCGEeG4KogawddrMTC_xg_iqMmqB9bkS_8NBl5gh99pTtyxwkshRTf_MyIyJQQU6a37gC-/s1200/PXL_20231020_222200108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLrNTrYof6XZxXSwnBejAl9viUcp0ynnA3kowJvKdwSI9Pkio6excaZTM15UMIwNcDgbKUhAb1gU9I_1_qea7IdxVl8yjzD13-PF8bRQQ9jtbpgj1q9z_khlCGEeG4KogawddrMTC_xg_iqMmqB9bkS_8NBl5gh99pTtyxwkshRTf_MyIyJQQU6a37gC-/w482-h640/PXL_20231020_222200108.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I crossed over the south fork of Snake Creek and was almost back to the trailhead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7H7XvQvD0x5kYdvpaENfcdIk-S04ieSx_mUs9O9kSyDOnzTraQ3pxN1NITanFWtFsri4wBt95vFkeB3JmcB9us_rvUSJYIuB9iA6NodFRLBf4y-PeJyeUsrIbEwsfKGe79Q8rb15lXhqTL3qkqsUo_Fh0a26rnqxoAa1nnb_ZfbR9dUnRMNjxsmFd9qi/s1200/PXL_20231020_223859909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7H7XvQvD0x5kYdvpaENfcdIk-S04ieSx_mUs9O9kSyDOnzTraQ3pxN1NITanFWtFsri4wBt95vFkeB3JmcB9us_rvUSJYIuB9iA6NodFRLBf4y-PeJyeUsrIbEwsfKGe79Q8rb15lXhqTL3qkqsUo_Fh0a26rnqxoAa1nnb_ZfbR9dUnRMNjxsmFd9qi/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_223859909.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some rabbitbrush (I think) still blooming.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlTnzoBOtbR79jPyyObHyNNHtE9CklsEJfD3IFCV-UbskAqN3OJhs8J8PLcXWHlDLHIemXMtKXqfikZB2M1kj5IvkoHuVj-XQHckWkZqgX4mEQmkmGf-eXWqfEm5InG3jbFgX6E8-3AwXWXLQNliUamywagC6PidGKPj9UEiWh8edD1uZ_xzj0ay-1iBq/s1200/PXL_20231020_224007933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlTnzoBOtbR79jPyyObHyNNHtE9CklsEJfD3IFCV-UbskAqN3OJhs8J8PLcXWHlDLHIemXMtKXqfikZB2M1kj5IvkoHuVj-XQHckWkZqgX4mEQmkmGf-eXWqfEm5InG3jbFgX6E8-3AwXWXLQNliUamywagC6PidGKPj9UEiWh8edD1uZ_xzj0ay-1iBq/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_224007933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A last bit of color. And then I was back, in 8 hours and 19 minutes. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKon9zzTeD0yUGWFed85zrFSjQY5YjGYPwxTCIR6bx6xDcJwScdzmm9r7lnoweP9PLZpAfnAr0536LI0_3Axmfur-yydMaVE0zFZMaSwnwGuFR5Of88tJ-Bu2Z35nXft7yIULnvTKvT1GU_jYV9A75AbIMi9tQHaFs7wUuIRdiCUoVg44es9hgDxcKZ5Kw/s1200/PXL_20231020_224031048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKon9zzTeD0yUGWFed85zrFSjQY5YjGYPwxTCIR6bx6xDcJwScdzmm9r7lnoweP9PLZpAfnAr0536LI0_3Axmfur-yydMaVE0zFZMaSwnwGuFR5Of88tJ-Bu2Z35nXft7yIULnvTKvT1GU_jYV9A75AbIMi9tQHaFs7wUuIRdiCUoVg44es9hgDxcKZ5Kw/w640-h482/PXL_20231020_224031048.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Below is a map of the approximate route I did, which Google Maps says was 10.4 miles. And here are my times in hours:minutes, so you can figure out how long of a day to expect. I walked fast at times, but took lots of breaks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">0:00 Start hike</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1:01 Dead Lake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1:36 Mill site</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2:18 Johnson Lake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3:26 on ridge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5:20 Magic Grove arrival</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5:59 departing Magic Grove</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7:45 junction with Shoshone trail</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8:19 back at trailhead</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLQsF9ofqbA5P_ObWW2QupnWN58W4FypVN7qPeeHelhUa_tV_1H-CYZMxNQCXhqleQxAKANc2AMaNXYuIdGrss1saiF19cglYyt7u6bVDmRVjQB24MW9Dnzfk8mDp268zytF9GCexrd518DlhyQjxPFNdukqbbchwHtX3zUaiYHKFD6so5uc334QePksMj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1287" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLQsF9ofqbA5P_ObWW2QupnWN58W4FypVN7qPeeHelhUa_tV_1H-CYZMxNQCXhqleQxAKANc2AMaNXYuIdGrss1saiF19cglYyt7u6bVDmRVjQB24MW9Dnzfk8mDp268zytF9GCexrd518DlhyQjxPFNdukqbbchwHtX3zUaiYHKFD6so5uc334QePksMj=w640-h386" width="640" /></a></div>It was a great day to recharge my batteries!</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-49634518608461371542023-10-14T17:15:00.003-07:002023-10-14T17:15:49.496-07:00October 14, 2023 Solar Eclipse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2lP51UxTcDZ0jm7n9UjS-0dvsVG6oEuH0v3aSVJeVNIv_KKIa9-SiEksuY2DbRDTFHZIMwmjIiDU4qUJaIx7UV9Wof6DEdJXAWqA__bwyUnX4S33aUt2R9_Ru1Z8wjO-fQeTL3f0bzyKnmGUjBLRkQEgh5yAKw6C6YsEiaDGxNVBnZsxWM0jwJxh-fs6/s1200/PXL_20231014_134017610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1200" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2lP51UxTcDZ0jm7n9UjS-0dvsVG6oEuH0v3aSVJeVNIv_KKIa9-SiEksuY2DbRDTFHZIMwmjIiDU4qUJaIx7UV9Wof6DEdJXAWqA__bwyUnX4S33aUt2R9_Ru1Z8wjO-fQeTL3f0bzyKnmGUjBLRkQEgh5yAKw6C6YsEiaDGxNVBnZsxWM0jwJxh-fs6/w640-h398/PXL_20231014_134017610.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>An annular eclipse graced our area on October 14, 2023. I first learned about it about a year and a half in advance, when an astronomy club from Illinois who had connections with one of my brothers reached out to me. That put it on the calendar. I thought some family was coming to visit, but plans continued changing until the last minute, when I decided to go up into the Mt. Moriah Wilderness with a couple dear friends. </div><div><br /></div><div>We started out at 5:15 am, which put us in a lovely spot for a magical sunrise!</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we got to the trailhead, and to our great surprise, there was just one other vehicle there. We started hiking the two miles up to The Table.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTkAllemMY5eiSeS35VzLtRBLr7CHiLvJggiS7sv8RxvncvYnwBQOIpKTAjrOrODI3qoawbC3K03pMkT4pqSwTLI27Rdx2XCMnUCbv6yM5-5S4o-m0N59YzIRWoH7PMxFXzydbuiPhg83hdw9QRrBWt4maSKXuK7omfMDs6UpTyTyKHW8G_emn6sJq0e7/s1200/PXL_20231014_150810146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTkAllemMY5eiSeS35VzLtRBLr7CHiLvJggiS7sv8RxvncvYnwBQOIpKTAjrOrODI3qoawbC3K03pMkT4pqSwTLI27Rdx2XCMnUCbv6yM5-5S4o-m0N59YzIRWoH7PMxFXzydbuiPhg83hdw9QRrBWt4maSKXuK7omfMDs6UpTyTyKHW8G_emn6sJq0e7/w640-h480/PXL_20231014_150810146.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before we got to the top, the eclipse was starting, and we paused to put on our eclipse glasses and take a look. I managed a quick photo through my phone, with the eclipse glasses over the camera.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfB5RsxIQym7f00GgPG4YcBEWIl0U_pJY5xraLbceuRCz_Y4WFGfEcNPAgNAF0DQCM4ae6DP7fV-1TBNA6PA0jnK-Ycqml6-C_QjUjSGRz10bYW0gBefJV9bSKRVATBHHib5jP1YTnsI9JSVWBG85iyKANMD4CvcNIVJhUq2lM1cIMxEAvqbSDeH-_uzF/s698/PXL_20231014_153328692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="698" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfB5RsxIQym7f00GgPG4YcBEWIl0U_pJY5xraLbceuRCz_Y4WFGfEcNPAgNAF0DQCM4ae6DP7fV-1TBNA6PA0jnK-Ycqml6-C_QjUjSGRz10bYW0gBefJV9bSKRVATBHHib5jP1YTnsI9JSVWBG85iyKANMD4CvcNIVJhUq2lM1cIMxEAvqbSDeH-_uzF/w640-h498/PXL_20231014_153328692.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When we got up to the Table, it felt like we were little kids. We were giddy with excitement with all the magnificent trees, amazing clouds, and just general beauty and peace of the place.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpYe1IkK_auDiT2MJT-LyISdmoBKQyKYBZwmCfa4_hMu4dpi14wE1AMrtHF5FURAqnH3fkUuJQYgJZ7VhegKmeXFTwsHO5XMMXYctv12YXRcpfuhoWyXxo5LdR9dTWQYkcoaujuZtnnkDf68iCR5IaYudo5QA8n-GQcx2faN0dEupyncAEaUON14DbPe8/s1200/PXL_20231014_154131393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpYe1IkK_auDiT2MJT-LyISdmoBKQyKYBZwmCfa4_hMu4dpi14wE1AMrtHF5FURAqnH3fkUuJQYgJZ7VhegKmeXFTwsHO5XMMXYctv12YXRcpfuhoWyXxo5LdR9dTWQYkcoaujuZtnnkDf68iCR5IaYudo5QA8n-GQcx2faN0dEupyncAEaUON14DbPe8/w640-h480/PXL_20231014_154131393.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The eclipse continued...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawbMaHusjT1QvlRTTymcqArweu98kU5kRcucbl82xerIiXqQzibUhe9VqFMdVswmG-YF1FTaLpO_Oxyxs7KDWaJTk8hL762Db-gutM5NzCUnZs8_C5JnNnNi2Dg3zIPP3FPi5sgQf7x_pie06zWEqdZ0MyBZjWRQV61Y2Ed9fm_Yu__R3-SjScCqYZfxb/s1005/PXL_20231014_161128011.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1005" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawbMaHusjT1QvlRTTymcqArweu98kU5kRcucbl82xerIiXqQzibUhe9VqFMdVswmG-YF1FTaLpO_Oxyxs7KDWaJTk8hL762Db-gutM5NzCUnZs8_C5JnNnNi2Dg3zIPP3FPi5sgQf7x_pie06zWEqdZ0MyBZjWRQV61Y2Ed9fm_Yu__R3-SjScCqYZfxb/w640-h462/PXL_20231014_161128011.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We ended up watching most of it from this iconic tree.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXBwpmm6k8c62Cca3XuQD1MkohbgaRp2Ej9A8s8wZP_x7czKvIIgVTv9P1YZkJT3UhtpyGUHcO0hgO0ghQRsM-qvrhdWD_zuAyBP9QWD1kX78Cy_KbivrADzJMmGaPJi_aRTXNvnFE27IhFD5mNYqu1zaL2i1un-ysZ4TV7PUyAS5qxV7-q7QUblbYH49/s1200/PXL_20231014_161204506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXBwpmm6k8c62Cca3XuQD1MkohbgaRp2Ej9A8s8wZP_x7czKvIIgVTv9P1YZkJT3UhtpyGUHcO0hgO0ghQRsM-qvrhdWD_zuAyBP9QWD1kX78Cy_KbivrADzJMmGaPJi_aRTXNvnFE27IhFD5mNYqu1zaL2i1un-ysZ4TV7PUyAS5qxV7-q7QUblbYH49/w640-h482/PXL_20231014_161204506.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was quite cold, but our hearts were warm as we celebrated this celestial event. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgdLQg6aFBwHvYHjl1uXRCO0e1tEYshQckBQ1dif25bTxEw5NCnYAvmiykOoazUS-5NDUHK2BJ2kguZ7aTw-HAJgedS5z1wXkK-vB_3Z2bjHl3PbkW9MPBc7Smbm8KX5VrewAb99RIDDvX-G-3BPcjr0kklTOr_CKuiWzmbq2orvSdhOapaNdEd8_-Tg1/s1200/PXL_20231014_162108939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgdLQg6aFBwHvYHjl1uXRCO0e1tEYshQckBQ1dif25bTxEw5NCnYAvmiykOoazUS-5NDUHK2BJ2kguZ7aTw-HAJgedS5z1wXkK-vB_3Z2bjHl3PbkW9MPBc7Smbm8KX5VrewAb99RIDDvX-G-3BPcjr0kklTOr_CKuiWzmbq2orvSdhOapaNdEd8_-Tg1/w640-h480/PXL_20231014_162108939.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The tree provided a nice back rest, and the clouds gradually moved out of the way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjou_mPM4HQ2C1ZaKEyjZyXhJoNaqEhGDoB1kHUw_RuTKtr_5sot93sMiY-cmb-SvrE-0C7KEd2sucvDloYlEwiXW63a27kNdaM8bjo1IpQYKpdZ2OHnNvo2FEr0-frJ5JiVMrzhB6QK4397_-XPVUvSuu0LsLK20b5YRijh5KOxnhQvW4UTT1x0uaGGrrC/s1200/PXL_20231014_162202830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjou_mPM4HQ2C1ZaKEyjZyXhJoNaqEhGDoB1kHUw_RuTKtr_5sot93sMiY-cmb-SvrE-0C7KEd2sucvDloYlEwiXW63a27kNdaM8bjo1IpQYKpdZ2OHnNvo2FEr0-frJ5JiVMrzhB6QK4397_-XPVUvSuu0LsLK20b5YRijh5KOxnhQvW4UTT1x0uaGGrrC/w640-h482/PXL_20231014_162202830.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We took a moment to enjoy the shadows on the bristlecone wood.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnny8Lj1wPG9OyHVarb8-3ZFruZLHE1RW5Mk8R629rU_UpdSNRrmhJCL-38n2APku2yxs-4esr3UmIGrB63TkZP4LEB-u3GLWa7_ywdo2NotNKtBVwYzhDWJE2IiCr0iAJRTuoB7yhTRIUAem1L9GsbE_BjwOf5OWHahoeD3DlruGEAYHViFeZwXQ4nVA/s1200/PXL_20231014_162247068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnny8Lj1wPG9OyHVarb8-3ZFruZLHE1RW5Mk8R629rU_UpdSNRrmhJCL-38n2APku2yxs-4esr3UmIGrB63TkZP4LEB-u3GLWa7_ywdo2NotNKtBVwYzhDWJE2IiCr0iAJRTuoB7yhTRIUAem1L9GsbE_BjwOf5OWHahoeD3DlruGEAYHViFeZwXQ4nVA/w640-h482/PXL_20231014_162247068.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Trying to get a photo of the eclipse without the eclipse glasses didn't do much. The lighting looked very strange as more and more of the sun was blocked. It got colder. We heard chickadees sing right before the maximum eclipse, but it was really quite quiet up on the Table, so we didn't notice any big decrease in sound.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-VfbHCL_YX8L799J9oDfA4Wfa_BFK_Ga5D-D-klVYCWFPyUO_tHGYtWw7ICeNdMUYenVek3IzVJkz6exjw0jHPs60gVfYZgEdVuRbXQDGuHjQG2A-1rfGroI1s9wmyI9VvLCCMbuSmCzK7tj2gDaKn5tHwcY8zrxddZYusOEw8RvumlvklcXlFgGFM_R/s1200/PXL_20231014_162338078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-VfbHCL_YX8L799J9oDfA4Wfa_BFK_Ga5D-D-klVYCWFPyUO_tHGYtWw7ICeNdMUYenVek3IzVJkz6exjw0jHPs60gVfYZgEdVuRbXQDGuHjQG2A-1rfGroI1s9wmyI9VvLCCMbuSmCzK7tj2gDaKn5tHwcY8zrxddZYusOEw8RvumlvklcXlFgGFM_R/w640-h482/PXL_20231014_162338078.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then it happened! The Ring of Fire.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiD2y1YBeyf8uYTQNkecFlL3kpsppqvc8GQNd4zja_c8iTEk07_7CteIp0UqMubcsCnDZhnvo0sbFEoNoRMcdIljLFNJn_R8tPEPMpmt4Mvs0p8k13c_7oV57dONj68kfioFVQpJRH8Cedm3Mekl-rNWTcwHQftEOy6bTfoiuH9tfXFVP3eKlxm_GC0mP/s795/PXL_20231014_162517055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="795" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiD2y1YBeyf8uYTQNkecFlL3kpsppqvc8GQNd4zja_c8iTEk07_7CteIp0UqMubcsCnDZhnvo0sbFEoNoRMcdIljLFNJn_R8tPEPMpmt4Mvs0p8k13c_7oV57dONj68kfioFVQpJRH8Cedm3Mekl-rNWTcwHQftEOy6bTfoiuH9tfXFVP3eKlxm_GC0mP/w640-h462/PXL_20231014_162517055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>While it was happening, we saw two hunters hiking. Julie grabbed an extra pair of eclipse glasses and ran over to them, asking them if they had seen it. They hadn't, and were delighted to get a view.</div><div><br /></div>After a few minutes, the moon continued down...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOZz8itx3A7KRn0MMKyXKdpxR4nkaIspsGjYf2JHFkpeOxOkQSrfebn4mQUTo5p1SU6b2X9AgZyvOZ4kuom6tWeL4Po_6RjmxVsGb_iAU_woVd_ARmGBoVu2aX7EayJCnW1zrkuMOOBzgWdY6wcLg1BC6X1gswHzJSewEsQJ1uPqSyT0WOpjj51KeLoLu/s1088/PXL_20231014_163118152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOZz8itx3A7KRn0MMKyXKdpxR4nkaIspsGjYf2JHFkpeOxOkQSrfebn4mQUTo5p1SU6b2X9AgZyvOZ4kuom6tWeL4Po_6RjmxVsGb_iAU_woVd_ARmGBoVu2aX7EayJCnW1zrkuMOOBzgWdY6wcLg1BC6X1gswHzJSewEsQJ1uPqSyT0WOpjj51KeLoLu/w640-h480/PXL_20231014_163118152.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and down (I was finally getting the hang of taking decent phone photos)...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVVTQCPk2G1tZ7M_1F7qtXQ_2562EqQc_qqxJL3Pie4G3OV7xItBObHYqzWEuhbcIzG-RRy8wnwkwy-024lBgv9M_sxtZatsENgnIco6NCdf9Wscg-8_dzwGy0Yb7d1VyJy4GbRnDD7PLtFzVnQno-q64jPkOL7Oc-loild0AXHsJB3XVCuQN8xWmkK1r/s1200/PXL_20231014_165102425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1200" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVVTQCPk2G1tZ7M_1F7qtXQ_2562EqQc_qqxJL3Pie4G3OV7xItBObHYqzWEuhbcIzG-RRy8wnwkwy-024lBgv9M_sxtZatsENgnIco6NCdf9Wscg-8_dzwGy0Yb7d1VyJy4GbRnDD7PLtFzVnQno-q64jPkOL7Oc-loild0AXHsJB3XVCuQN8xWmkK1r/w640-h548/PXL_20231014_165102425.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and down some more.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eWQCALCK9cwJdOhUGPXJiu28IsBLJRMtPClDEb7t5_Nit6Na5rA4IjokK7Qr2dhaZ_4A8yIrhAmylsQUeExF_mLc2MzImtvbBWK1jqo98mpkKt5HfXTOzIdW7CuEyu9nCpjChiQcxiLX5IQ3byS2e06jn5QrHBwMUXFln-pRkfD87qjYT6Q5BMe37vg1/s1200/PXL_20231014_171248523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="1200" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eWQCALCK9cwJdOhUGPXJiu28IsBLJRMtPClDEb7t5_Nit6Na5rA4IjokK7Qr2dhaZ_4A8yIrhAmylsQUeExF_mLc2MzImtvbBWK1jqo98mpkKt5HfXTOzIdW7CuEyu9nCpjChiQcxiLX5IQ3byS2e06jn5QrHBwMUXFln-pRkfD87qjYT6Q5BMe37vg1/w640-h592/PXL_20231014_171248523.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We started our gorgeous hike back...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Sl0SsFBa-IVYvQPTk8lGDFeVXgagOeClAmQ8ckTB-wBPOYflzTf6ATEwADVLokPzuIZ1JY-Qp5S-ZV-2fBXhVqvsRVL1ce5sjac6cARuC9BE-2iyzGWrxBtoeQh_kl8Qdjkkm9U_GRJ2UiZsRrsV1TW-oXVa83fFl8mbfdRzh_6S2hPn9j-tLvp1jbD2/s1200/PXL_20231014_173159565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Sl0SsFBa-IVYvQPTk8lGDFeVXgagOeClAmQ8ckTB-wBPOYflzTf6ATEwADVLokPzuIZ1JY-Qp5S-ZV-2fBXhVqvsRVL1ce5sjac6cARuC9BE-2iyzGWrxBtoeQh_kl8Qdjkkm9U_GRJ2UiZsRrsV1TW-oXVa83fFl8mbfdRzh_6S2hPn9j-tLvp1jbD2/w640-h482/PXL_20231014_173159565.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...but paused again for another look. It was a wonderful experience, and we felt so lucky that the weather cooperated. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw90ow7b2UVJhZl_Nm6i9c0UindMCI7MlJvxaE0GOvG0bhNimIz4UgxPDOyG5OhWw8aMjnXzzXplrCIgoeVhPL3iX2tO_c1VHLsOsgk6SLsH1FU7LKZFkpPZvFSQJHDFPvi07Fi6FY7LZWIyqYEgoNIV4C2oUuNX7qmfriuUIoWInYZVWagnptS8yFGgx/s1200/PXL_20231014_173444554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1200" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw90ow7b2UVJhZl_Nm6i9c0UindMCI7MlJvxaE0GOvG0bhNimIz4UgxPDOyG5OhWw8aMjnXzzXplrCIgoeVhPL3iX2tO_c1VHLsOsgk6SLsH1FU7LKZFkpPZvFSQJHDFPvi07Fi6FY7LZWIyqYEgoNIV4C2oUuNX7qmfriuUIoWInYZVWagnptS8yFGgx/w640-h574/PXL_20231014_173444554.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-26750499654529724152023-09-26T06:38:00.001-07:002023-09-26T06:38:47.666-07:00Serviceberry Trail Jaunt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIcLohb5GCTTvGe20FHfR3NYGJB9zVODApl9WnYZcElWt-a2X-pthwhFnEztlnwrDDumn438tVfFXRzIIIZc_lk1k7Ly15y3jOVMfQwPmxIbfJSvYs3LnVNfYJGoKF0csSCVoQz6Hebo01NCpzqE80KQYiFvbrC4-KdkCmXB_NYzsvksYgln4R-AOnTHg/s2560/PXL_20230924_231405828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIcLohb5GCTTvGe20FHfR3NYGJB9zVODApl9WnYZcElWt-a2X-pthwhFnEztlnwrDDumn438tVfFXRzIIIZc_lk1k7Ly15y3jOVMfQwPmxIbfJSvYs3LnVNfYJGoKF0csSCVoQz6Hebo01NCpzqE80KQYiFvbrC4-KdkCmXB_NYzsvksYgln4R-AOnTHg/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_231405828.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Desert Boy is keeping track of the trails he's doing this year, and still needed Serviceberry Trail. I needed some exercise, so we went out for a jaunt.<p></p><p>The serviceberries are edible right now, although they aren't the tastiest. I showed Desert Boy what they were and he wasn't too impressed. In the background is the beautiful limestone cliff next to Granite Basin.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjYZGejam3lEBDvrtthnr6zANcC7JxU5_CgRdqFwUp2bzqEBT9iISlpFc36clcn652b9yn08BkKsgCPJW8DOoFlPJv-T01S___a7SYBQ770THYINosh8eQmKBPt2IBbYEvOrNohofxsBDrFfcnLCgHEf5Q6oad9ZkfAW87OPVwuA_OKm6gIxhU6mqgmOs/s2560/PXL_20230924_231503033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjYZGejam3lEBDvrtthnr6zANcC7JxU5_CgRdqFwUp2bzqEBT9iISlpFc36clcn652b9yn08BkKsgCPJW8DOoFlPJv-T01S___a7SYBQ770THYINosh8eQmKBPt2IBbYEvOrNohofxsBDrFfcnLCgHEf5Q6oad9ZkfAW87OPVwuA_OKm6gIxhU6mqgmOs/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_231503033.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The buckwheats were popping, and I really liked this redstem buckwheat, <i>Eriogonum racemosum</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim554bkL5FFuzMPnsqNt1aes4WADU2tPewKEtdWAVWRRvQykEK0o-L9M-gQjJt9tPkJhSXik8NVNtfWEW4sOGfNNDBBNZltsuKg7lmTQkOupE37URSCOFV32W4wNdnm5DdcJn3NIzp20bvceljkcqk6P-UAYBEv2y3J4MLk3KMo4w7cZfvJbJZ-JhurQPm/s2560/PXL_20230924_233220088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim554bkL5FFuzMPnsqNt1aes4WADU2tPewKEtdWAVWRRvQykEK0o-L9M-gQjJt9tPkJhSXik8NVNtfWEW4sOGfNNDBBNZltsuKg7lmTQkOupE37URSCOFV32W4wNdnm5DdcJn3NIzp20bvceljkcqk6P-UAYBEv2y3J4MLk3KMo4w7cZfvJbJZ-JhurQPm/w480-h640/PXL_20230924_233220088.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Desert Boy hikes much faster than me, so I asked him to wait periodically. I had to laugh when I found him chugging a Coke on the trail. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BmhAf2SF7e2-ilds7MFl2FGTpvDzxD61_l1Zv40Bogis0DQKwCBLWzsMZhh6RcJFM26RS3U3x34cru7DVeJ3U5QtZmEtmSeFb0B_TO7-n4pKriSm_S-0JRksJE4JwzAKoLUyzo0D9Pi3SK1d9J2FD0K7w7msdnu12kkYdWa_XWNlOM3e6LdFK4WCpP33/s2560/PXL_20230924_233906107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BmhAf2SF7e2-ilds7MFl2FGTpvDzxD61_l1Zv40Bogis0DQKwCBLWzsMZhh6RcJFM26RS3U3x34cru7DVeJ3U5QtZmEtmSeFb0B_TO7-n4pKriSm_S-0JRksJE4JwzAKoLUyzo0D9Pi3SK1d9J2FD0K7w7msdnu12kkYdWa_XWNlOM3e6LdFK4WCpP33/w480-h640/PXL_20230924_233906107.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>We had the whole trail to ourselves. It was in pretty good shape, with just a couple trees down.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCHPrBKW8LEXjHYJsdVcHkIM0JZK1VDknXk1eA2Di66EgJMVpKZW24X_5JDmHZEic2J1lW5hIOl9GOHueqty8TiuaV2BMorAI3HEkW9CWQm5bN8oCUrI2W4f_VTDCD1tgVXqliEYnzvpzjCdn3dZjpqbDZCX8Ab4IdxetIKb45H_5rp53jcn_BqnPN91Q/s2560/PXL_20230924_234218177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCHPrBKW8LEXjHYJsdVcHkIM0JZK1VDknXk1eA2Di66EgJMVpKZW24X_5JDmHZEic2J1lW5hIOl9GOHueqty8TiuaV2BMorAI3HEkW9CWQm5bN8oCUrI2W4f_VTDCD1tgVXqliEYnzvpzjCdn3dZjpqbDZCX8Ab4IdxetIKb45H_5rp53jcn_BqnPN91Q/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_234218177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We kept powering up, although when the flowers got especially pretty, I had to stop for a photo. Here's Eriogonum microthecum (the white one on the left), Eriogonum umbellatum (the brown one in the back), and green rabbitbrush (the yellow one).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWuXQOHN0pmhJoNyxjkTldXsgeejcBw6wrJI5DKgblRIKnV4fG7HT3KSWwNY84ZletqKmSurCgGe0wXODiDUeNcEWPHG0Sd2egbjmlaO0z3PebPpV4eyOtWy1BEdD19k8qABgXTPTEnAGo7rO2n0ENNyaJT4Gmpb64J-ddt8ucha4DKd_nlj1tKG8w5DZ/s2560/PXL_20230924_234529915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWuXQOHN0pmhJoNyxjkTldXsgeejcBw6wrJI5DKgblRIKnV4fG7HT3KSWwNY84ZletqKmSurCgGe0wXODiDUeNcEWPHG0Sd2egbjmlaO0z3PebPpV4eyOtWy1BEdD19k8qABgXTPTEnAGo7rO2n0ENNyaJT4Gmpb64J-ddt8ucha4DKd_nlj1tKG8w5DZ/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_234529915.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The backside is so pretty. We went up through the aspen grove. Most of the leaves aren't changing yet, but a few have started.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFt1uIs1Wy9Ad5OYKE2s2EM9FwyD2abqsc0x729qG_iyg79dXnzgl5FxelAn2CKd0I6WgD4nl0novDlDef4UyWdgr0RJxsG8U6zUhlqugbcC089aUI1Gl9jn1BjLz17A86N1huuRCjcZbC6rn8WsclH87T6p4_k3l6nKKC_vKcT6OkFEfwOlhT4VMoyU4/s2560/PXL_20230925_000030448-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFt1uIs1Wy9Ad5OYKE2s2EM9FwyD2abqsc0x729qG_iyg79dXnzgl5FxelAn2CKd0I6WgD4nl0novDlDef4UyWdgr0RJxsG8U6zUhlqugbcC089aUI1Gl9jn1BjLz17A86N1huuRCjcZbC6rn8WsclH87T6p4_k3l6nKKC_vKcT6OkFEfwOlhT4VMoyU4/w480-h640/PXL_20230925_000030448-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Then it was down into the mountain mahogany. The seeds cover the forest floor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl2mHOr_kUshPXKSHCA_OeYkNPHNm_W1X8ryRTohMpP9onnwBPrwKb3SiV2sym0rtHqEgisnL4kOi2Lri2TRmB1AfvMctumrib1bAfnZTaik68P14CSnzeLnHRLLM6catgO2zHBT8AAtHd8fEyi3oxmgoAfYItAbkXdyWlWmNH1YRavfnypiajqOSJD_Z/s2560/PXL_20230925_000435639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl2mHOr_kUshPXKSHCA_OeYkNPHNm_W1X8ryRTohMpP9onnwBPrwKb3SiV2sym0rtHqEgisnL4kOi2Lri2TRmB1AfvMctumrib1bAfnZTaik68P14CSnzeLnHRLLM6catgO2zHBT8AAtHd8fEyi3oxmgoAfYItAbkXdyWlWmNH1YRavfnypiajqOSJD_Z/w480-h640/PXL_20230925_000435639.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The backlit seeds were gorgeous.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cggEHUOKv8ecLpMQh1xkbS0aH_vtIfeAcQ0XmydVksq7PYkPkvq6Ys-rQF2wcCLTOiIMW2K350OnwRL-IIIU9MIg2XzLwdDqHah6tpYHK_l6QnM_APez7c1NtGzfwK4zKIH3UF8MojI5TBqhhyGZn9oLErEcNtPAH3cjYXljb1kHMM4tCL6hbfcPeNjE/s2560/PXL_20230925_000522245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cggEHUOKv8ecLpMQh1xkbS0aH_vtIfeAcQ0XmydVksq7PYkPkvq6Ys-rQF2wcCLTOiIMW2K350OnwRL-IIIU9MIg2XzLwdDqHah6tpYHK_l6QnM_APez7c1NtGzfwK4zKIH3UF8MojI5TBqhhyGZn9oLErEcNtPAH3cjYXljb1kHMM4tCL6hbfcPeNjE/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_000522245.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I showed Desert Boy where the Johnson Lake trail goes. The big aspen grove further uphill has barely started changing.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfO4rtAgKQklrat5QO7Jqy0_B8zvlaP1c07DlbOt0lGukiEnugeFBO-D3AzY4nBfJKZwZ7Hb_GQwZIGM-5qUG_JdhHqOvRGMxYImXqoEROmuORIkMFdaREI9XL75fPNmZYyz2Mlr82Q7T9TFI8EM3k7ahe6R4rmWVlwTvQFH1doIVvRyEGomwoojgHs8i/s2560/PXL_20230925_000739752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfO4rtAgKQklrat5QO7Jqy0_B8zvlaP1c07DlbOt0lGukiEnugeFBO-D3AzY4nBfJKZwZ7Hb_GQwZIGM-5qUG_JdhHqOvRGMxYImXqoEROmuORIkMFdaREI9XL75fPNmZYyz2Mlr82Q7T9TFI8EM3k7ahe6R4rmWVlwTvQFH1doIVvRyEGomwoojgHs8i/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_000739752.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love the balanced rock!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqtVvFQE9mBiX_trO1Bcm52-FrEIOnl2QyM2HZkfwQHYPEubrsax6VHV6A25JKHBox9ymiNjrKAwtGpFe7TeCDt386Urqh3MmLU1AUumCe_FLZmmIAqaOdOmZxVliZFcyelXzXeZl2Iv5M9TjiqviUXtDiDuei2ExlLiEnjnI9G-DTYwVNh5j_NwzDl-P/s2560/PXL_20230925_001738499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqtVvFQE9mBiX_trO1Bcm52-FrEIOnl2QyM2HZkfwQHYPEubrsax6VHV6A25JKHBox9ymiNjrKAwtGpFe7TeCDt386Urqh3MmLU1AUumCe_FLZmmIAqaOdOmZxVliZFcyelXzXeZl2Iv5M9TjiqviUXtDiDuei2ExlLiEnjnI9G-DTYwVNh5j_NwzDl-P/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_001738499.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Down lower, you can see the north fork of Snake Creek.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJNvVMU4fI3T5cdt3035E3iUs6TpHcgmf7KKuimpPZY6w0Rfkf4EOIUzkPKlz-zVD9zI4qcnlSd98aSa5Zo9Gnce_vRQwG-Q_COc8FTxba-ezSUcdsGLyYHH6EH7tJSU6IJGTPO3Pt24343nEC9-YK5RFpxfBeXY2XKwdOnXQ9OWb1mgSXi_uvP1pl5q_/s2560/PXL_20230925_002551274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJNvVMU4fI3T5cdt3035E3iUs6TpHcgmf7KKuimpPZY6w0Rfkf4EOIUzkPKlz-zVD9zI4qcnlSd98aSa5Zo9Gnce_vRQwG-Q_COc8FTxba-ezSUcdsGLyYHH6EH7tJSU6IJGTPO3Pt24343nEC9-YK5RFpxfBeXY2XKwdOnXQ9OWb1mgSXi_uvP1pl5q_/w480-h640/PXL_20230925_002551274.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The snowberries were white, leaving no doubt to their name.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs4t80Z_ZxxYVxIp275DcHel0EdFiDk4inpEuW4kTekM3oTsKf3RRbjw8J8dBGpf1ViQjNbn2MN10AR7VFd1wgmwXHcBiruNhUBkE_ZBK19wNTDbgWSozvQB23B25jIldf2bl9Fr_FrMZK_iqSG-_hCz50FP_dSHyFGvzx8b4wPZE6fDkj9aS5WwNtkHB/s2560/PXL_20230925_002604132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs4t80Z_ZxxYVxIp275DcHel0EdFiDk4inpEuW4kTekM3oTsKf3RRbjw8J8dBGpf1ViQjNbn2MN10AR7VFd1wgmwXHcBiruNhUBkE_ZBK19wNTDbgWSozvQB23B25jIldf2bl9Fr_FrMZK_iqSG-_hCz50FP_dSHyFGvzx8b4wPZE6fDkj9aS5WwNtkHB/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_002604132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A colorful aspen leaf.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmioob6duOxj3TfV1c-eyZZQiWHr7D33q2yeUFJcaEF0pHQIbm6MLxr-zTs5TJ4FrwWY84lZoNaaDIfWQh42etem7bVg8CXHSkAVjDbFp5g8FYweJBXkYnNK_WM2_o_-o7SNMuz4djXg4a-4HemPJ4HI9wsx5tFjcxX1S-4dh_dpXWmiYS0wE_JlSu3e7/s2560/PXL_20230925_002738085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmioob6duOxj3TfV1c-eyZZQiWHr7D33q2yeUFJcaEF0pHQIbm6MLxr-zTs5TJ4FrwWY84lZoNaaDIfWQh42etem7bVg8CXHSkAVjDbFp5g8FYweJBXkYnNK_WM2_o_-o7SNMuz4djXg4a-4HemPJ4HI9wsx5tFjcxX1S-4dh_dpXWmiYS0wE_JlSu3e7/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_002738085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And another.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMTfFp2enBmUOSIwow1peuiZfUCqd-PVrgLz2T0ABEqey1TwDdXJvGJ48tOvni8rbNuF0eanO0UjqKQ7d6pR7djXQrgwcPa0jMdyg7C6kMezca8KkviONZnj3t5vu_hZQRl5I5onexlgxC8936-Klf6gvTmd7P4UWTHRFyReN1ixv-j-wl24d3HqaKCUq/s2560/PXL_20230925_002751492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMTfFp2enBmUOSIwow1peuiZfUCqd-PVrgLz2T0ABEqey1TwDdXJvGJ48tOvni8rbNuF0eanO0UjqKQ7d6pR7djXQrgwcPa0jMdyg7C6kMezca8KkviONZnj3t5vu_hZQRl5I5onexlgxC8936-Klf6gvTmd7P4UWTHRFyReN1ixv-j-wl24d3HqaKCUq/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_002751492.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail here is beautiful, the trail crew did nice work on it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0dAhejOfWkJnAfg8QuIbUnDyQDskErrUWjzMVMWjFpUevjglVV12oe_QaZv2ebSmHwrsPbt3CpD6wS5ZYWP07SjnIsYI5ncbg7VCdyMperAwVErM48JswmkTiWh8-PtFtAIWCFeKgz0QVwSEjHR7tgUNZrPVTTpC8oquAWvkt6EdeXM4N15oMN5HoT57/s2560/PXL_20230925_002802943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0dAhejOfWkJnAfg8QuIbUnDyQDskErrUWjzMVMWjFpUevjglVV12oe_QaZv2ebSmHwrsPbt3CpD6wS5ZYWP07SjnIsYI5ncbg7VCdyMperAwVErM48JswmkTiWh8-PtFtAIWCFeKgz0QVwSEjHR7tgUNZrPVTTpC8oquAWvkt6EdeXM4N15oMN5HoT57/w480-h640/PXL_20230925_002802943.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A baby lizard in the shade.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIIMBRG8wVZehPtbWRSx0cvz85AvrlefOHRphdAPNcqUfM_2NnP9gHSHNlJXTTM9mEZp5bk47XVy6lwvW_AFSgk_lMN--lHKW5fi034HPtZUGuIX2aGoXaI88pZBiexflh4dtbgp3KUg7StbvzPgq9q5kCsEKjlybzFRpL6zYCooqdMOrw-VwyEY_2J99/s2560/PXL_20230925_003115370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIIMBRG8wVZehPtbWRSx0cvz85AvrlefOHRphdAPNcqUfM_2NnP9gHSHNlJXTTM9mEZp5bk47XVy6lwvW_AFSgk_lMN--lHKW5fi034HPtZUGuIX2aGoXaI88pZBiexflh4dtbgp3KUg7StbvzPgq9q5kCsEKjlybzFRpL6zYCooqdMOrw-VwyEY_2J99/w480-h640/PXL_20230925_003115370.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Oregon grape/creeping mahonia is especially beautiful now.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AR9-e0p9VUNuwZSh-EJRRDyK_qSlCKr6LFO5UyOErniG5kkaQg5P4FDra08eIyu3lsTssaVOpSGU7Xboq9QYCI1q7dSlkkioar5MMNmD9LNZbFIN4dybo9gAIus2BJe0KDWyPzOfwoIL_wpgEhE-4hiBJM8YHABc3UUJ7G_2e-Z_PDC1vYyWOoAbrULH/s2560/PXL_20230925_003128790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AR9-e0p9VUNuwZSh-EJRRDyK_qSlCKr6LFO5UyOErniG5kkaQg5P4FDra08eIyu3lsTssaVOpSGU7Xboq9QYCI1q7dSlkkioar5MMNmD9LNZbFIN4dybo9gAIus2BJe0KDWyPzOfwoIL_wpgEhE-4hiBJM8YHABc3UUJ7G_2e-Z_PDC1vYyWOoAbrULH/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_003128790.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A closeup of serviceberries.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EYb2ncgeo50FwIrHJxXj46x8muCb8_7B7rI2kdk0WwGc-CREIR1beEdTgIsLdlolcsi5VxixwU_T1H46KYt7j0TVZBT3sBRdnh9pH0Bvc3T_UkFjv9WN-tr27YWePH3BrnDa7UT8TC9d0aN7tXCuYmUirOtHidJdtzSV-bZij8CpdcwWh8yfbi51WpUN/s2560/PXL_20230925_003326253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EYb2ncgeo50FwIrHJxXj46x8muCb8_7B7rI2kdk0WwGc-CREIR1beEdTgIsLdlolcsi5VxixwU_T1H46KYt7j0TVZBT3sBRdnh9pH0Bvc3T_UkFjv9WN-tr27YWePH3BrnDa7UT8TC9d0aN7tXCuYmUirOtHidJdtzSV-bZij8CpdcwWh8yfbi51WpUN/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_003326253.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then we were done, in an hour and 20 minutes. That got us home just in time for dinner! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8UJHcBLhk6Q5lC8RMN91eSi1q-O3WjVfn7-dvjCDM1cUuCiMhAznzhdRg7f0KIO8C8QnAxRHQzCCXgj7IhtQDqQZjobxFRhhLNBfFsrSyyDelhhfjxOLfjohuDEYaHn-is_pnXKoIxF7-lsAa-L0PFbQqxw1wdFeV_n3i1yDo0i-hdLTjVZYGirv_FbT/s2560/PXL_20230925_003413849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8UJHcBLhk6Q5lC8RMN91eSi1q-O3WjVfn7-dvjCDM1cUuCiMhAznzhdRg7f0KIO8C8QnAxRHQzCCXgj7IhtQDqQZjobxFRhhLNBfFsrSyyDelhhfjxOLfjohuDEYaHn-is_pnXKoIxF7-lsAa-L0PFbQqxw1wdFeV_n3i1yDo0i-hdLTjVZYGirv_FbT/w640-h480/PXL_20230925_003413849.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Have you done any fun hikes lately?<p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-46991376437308262882023-08-13T20:20:00.001-07:002023-08-13T20:20:25.477-07:00Timber-South Fork Baker Loop Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4Cv-XzjU18sDHSao842TICMWOGbyot0PTPn4RXgmlDIoil9GLCvNTMXTQcmA3lPkAgFLPrC1rgR0QIUxJvNaO33-91z2zJsJKWBn3jTH7QR94QQMEIojVJBSa0dgtERBeONkqyJP-GciUqNOpSgyOoMlQ2lD64Q59h_Tjq76GNfFxsxaaNJgZ0IhHp_w/s1200/PXL_20230812_125307612-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4Cv-XzjU18sDHSao842TICMWOGbyot0PTPn4RXgmlDIoil9GLCvNTMXTQcmA3lPkAgFLPrC1rgR0QIUxJvNaO33-91z2zJsJKWBn3jTH7QR94QQMEIojVJBSa0dgtERBeONkqyJP-GciUqNOpSgyOoMlQ2lD64Q59h_Tjq76GNfFxsxaaNJgZ0IhHp_w/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_125307612-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>It was Saturday morning, and I wanted to get in an early hike. I woke with my husband at 5 am and got moving and out the door by about 5:30 am. That had me heading up the hill to Great Basin National Park as the sun came up, and I couldn't resist pulling over to the side of the road and enjoying these spectacular sunflowers at sunrise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I continued to the park entrance and had to pull over again! Obviously, this wasn't going to be a quick hike with my draw to picture-taking. So join me on this journey of one of my favorite trails in the Park, about 5 miles long and 1,500 feet elevation gain and loss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_D28RYA1m1XqInPej69rcFCyCgNqRtzQRT1DYnwcmCUZw7kVyFbshJYVoCJ8IHrW0jutZ8tFk4svUXw-DM0tY-zRzpUBTJqh2K6SNNXaJTB-k9ulqfuHG7FHLKFgje0jRRwVX91lr5r3yRzt3iY0hw2_uW80qc8Btefi8gGa8r8DQlFkC9fl7cMiTgEn_/s1200/PXL_20230812_125809855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_D28RYA1m1XqInPej69rcFCyCgNqRtzQRT1DYnwcmCUZw7kVyFbshJYVoCJ8IHrW0jutZ8tFk4svUXw-DM0tY-zRzpUBTJqh2K6SNNXaJTB-k9ulqfuHG7FHLKFgje0jRRwVX91lr5r3yRzt3iY0hw2_uW80qc8Btefi8gGa8r8DQlFkC9fl7cMiTgEn_/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_125809855.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before I even reached the trailhead, I had another stop, to let some deer cross the road. A mom and two fawns (one pictured here) went by me.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i0p2IRcL2XAOYibQhKC3ZOz_BC9JIVaq4u1m07hksuZ92BI9C2XpahhqNXgCB53JKRZVqwQ-9oOy-vL0pdEyuMme1FdpPXEF8bKFly2DNIcWZcM4cyUtAl0g5P7CXHWk8X53e0JiVmbzaowT29-bClgoz0EOkjSrpdOTLneR_JOSqMtHV_XlIEdLA6ac/s1200/PXL_20230812_130250602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1200" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i0p2IRcL2XAOYibQhKC3ZOz_BC9JIVaq4u1m07hksuZ92BI9C2XpahhqNXgCB53JKRZVqwQ-9oOy-vL0pdEyuMme1FdpPXEF8bKFly2DNIcWZcM4cyUtAl0g5P7CXHWk8X53e0JiVmbzaowT29-bClgoz0EOkjSrpdOTLneR_JOSqMtHV_XlIEdLA6ac/w640-h458/PXL_20230812_130250602.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then it was time to hike. Five other vehicles were at the trailhead, but I didn't see anyone else. I started up the Timber Creek trail at a comfortable pace. I hadn't noticed these arrows on these trees before, but obviously they've been there awhile. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdA7vknipNNrq9jwsuvjjnNdbGggSi-bX1X3hlTjwzubVThtdOrzsIlLRc7oC7vb2E8TbgkAHIMcWLEIVzlZu6jWBNWUpCJd7YDplOeddXJvZLlOO9IMOvGLjz6KbrfHMSgaOk1w09g5BjbchzdRvsF0_yeeqhGcAZqilQ_0B0aNpkJHfp6vJcA8PDu4V/s1200/PXL_20230812_133842052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdA7vknipNNrq9jwsuvjjnNdbGggSi-bX1X3hlTjwzubVThtdOrzsIlLRc7oC7vb2E8TbgkAHIMcWLEIVzlZu6jWBNWUpCJd7YDplOeddXJvZLlOO9IMOvGLjz6KbrfHMSgaOk1w09g5BjbchzdRvsF0_yeeqhGcAZqilQ_0B0aNpkJHfp6vJcA8PDu4V/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_133842052.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The flower assemblage is different now than earlier in the year. In addition to paintbrush, there are lots of buckwheats blooming in yellows, pinks, and whites.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtPuWEkT3PlpV4cRCrziwqonOmOsOp4fU-QAKrqDXV4MNgHGcsje7lsTN9h0lZlSUmd_YFWYHOgVKKZ6Teys5OuNGV1oAuoEOKcUfOgSr7pkjk640blEjvH-YqAp-F3f8rsFcx6kF223jQhzbOTOF-BpZfQaO8JnA8zcjjlBGSFXWhY5f2ixH7B5aaAIq/s1200/PXL_20230812_135240941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtPuWEkT3PlpV4cRCrziwqonOmOsOp4fU-QAKrqDXV4MNgHGcsje7lsTN9h0lZlSUmd_YFWYHOgVKKZ6Teys5OuNGV1oAuoEOKcUfOgSr7pkjk640blEjvH-YqAp-F3f8rsFcx6kF223jQhzbOTOF-BpZfQaO8JnA8zcjjlBGSFXWhY5f2ixH7B5aaAIq/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_135240941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's some redroot buckwheat (<i>Eriogonum racemosum</i>) with a bee on it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF7zAlLI5X94zGatjxOwBoJa_1627K3wXOme0wTu6BvtGYdiMxyvaUmBsQy8VKQJ1PFDkjBIbwYCLE1YX1SutqjVtC79pMM2xwN9G6Xg197KY7ohB_oWsrBV180_cW-i9w1Y2esDPWEmqdId1ks6E184l1YG27HUiCISElQGs9HgJVgN1baQrmUke8i-V/s1200/PXL_20230812_140244906.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF7zAlLI5X94zGatjxOwBoJa_1627K3wXOme0wTu6BvtGYdiMxyvaUmBsQy8VKQJ1PFDkjBIbwYCLE1YX1SutqjVtC79pMM2xwN9G6Xg197KY7ohB_oWsrBV180_cW-i9w1Y2esDPWEmqdId1ks6E184l1YG27HUiCISElQGs9HgJVgN1baQrmUke8i-V/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_140244906.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I really like the trail when it gets a little higher and flatter! The Timber Creek trail is relatively steep for quite a bit of its length.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzpJcud-RIj3cZSIv3h4sglD8dlHMmgHAtJYw7wKy7cXT9WZL9XnNmaxedivZn6mfeEMD70jxZuP_54OtRTAEBCOudhdZlgQhxAWvs70ZmQZiYZQ8_ebj_JvtiVP7CTEJgxpDC8DUt4KIl6FAuFBC1VYxS0tmu-X1mYbQulYKGZ6ihaewbuHdYsvgTO8q/s1200/PXL_20230812_140915292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzpJcud-RIj3cZSIv3h4sglD8dlHMmgHAtJYw7wKy7cXT9WZL9XnNmaxedivZn6mfeEMD70jxZuP_54OtRTAEBCOudhdZlgQhxAWvs70ZmQZiYZQ8_ebj_JvtiVP7CTEJgxpDC8DUt4KIl6FAuFBC1VYxS0tmu-X1mYbQulYKGZ6ihaewbuHdYsvgTO8q/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_140915292.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The silvery lupine decorated parts of the trail, and at the higher elevations there are limber pines, white fir, and Douglas fir.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfx7BhWTt8LQel5nPBBnzAienuclXjOD2OJwjbJhoIeztPKdQkk7nQ2xwGrilHX4_oT_SKf0DUXwC1ASxwJy75MBpznNTz5MeJIZRtcV3ZgeRuNrpbXHfS_4RvtU_cwJUm4fWm87bjDWxCq6ew2skc7BHTnnHxWNkdraPAXYXlADu5lwAhpjPINfix4oP/s1200/PXL_20230812_142340600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfx7BhWTt8LQel5nPBBnzAienuclXjOD2OJwjbJhoIeztPKdQkk7nQ2xwGrilHX4_oT_SKf0DUXwC1ASxwJy75MBpznNTz5MeJIZRtcV3ZgeRuNrpbXHfS_4RvtU_cwJUm4fWm87bjDWxCq6ew2skc7BHTnnHxWNkdraPAXYXlADu5lwAhpjPINfix4oP/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_142340600.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I popped out into the high meadow, the light shone on Pyramid Peak in the distance. A splotch of sulphur buckwheat (<i>Eriogonum umbellatum</i>) caught my eye and I moved over to get a photo.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmuGorl2lojkmIpEQhjZ3NbllrjErZs5PfImHlv9vcWQg6cp2B4_iA_S0hoAZTdltCT_OQqiu0FlxVIhT29EoCFPfTP-utvqWGQZv5rZXlk6LrbfaVVCc9Xa7kyGbE-1Yuj43w95RwLo72RHypMEDNsNPx0H9My2Z9ojUO_N7X1XFnjbornBkXjZmDe6v/s1200/PXL_20230812_142824016-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmuGorl2lojkmIpEQhjZ3NbllrjErZs5PfImHlv9vcWQg6cp2B4_iA_S0hoAZTdltCT_OQqiu0FlxVIhT29EoCFPfTP-utvqWGQZv5rZXlk6LrbfaVVCc9Xa7kyGbE-1Yuj43w95RwLo72RHypMEDNsNPx0H9My2Z9ojUO_N7X1XFnjbornBkXjZmDe6v/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_142824016-01.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I really love this meadow, so decided to get a selfie.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKKEoxbolwMsp0XTEq--5I_oxFZRMgG7OoSXw5arF1TDYWwXJNZZHIgEzgyyXshorbTdG3iseo0icpI_fy__VY8tqhYOF3QdTUw6U6uRRqE69crQWKCkfTZREhACJck0Z6otag_NsdK1srS1gOtJo6tTMoTx0iKnVe7oTollxfKtnrg6jc9ahZr9BTIBC/s1200/PXL_20230812_143124401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKKEoxbolwMsp0XTEq--5I_oxFZRMgG7OoSXw5arF1TDYWwXJNZZHIgEzgyyXshorbTdG3iseo0icpI_fy__VY8tqhYOF3QdTUw6U6uRRqE69crQWKCkfTZREhACJck0Z6otag_NsdK1srS1gOtJo6tTMoTx0iKnVe7oTollxfKtnrg6jc9ahZr9BTIBC/w640-h480/PXL_20230812_143124401.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I got to the sign and realized I could put my phone on it and put on the 10 second timer and get some views with scale. Here's looking north.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloxdXi7oWOIAAQAkILqLilH0YwgwvPQD0kwAZ6ylwcX_pEdtQXskSACSey4qZsww_wlLO92GO_RowLGlN0yDIIi9Mv-HVx5u2nLT32sc2ghKoP0pwZT3Uycw6_Hw6cNeGfPlz-RwnIdZnvzH0fxaflh-KB7BBsIVTm1py8RKRRmZFNeqrkpWICDmpTR6l/s1200/PXL_20230812_143620641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloxdXi7oWOIAAQAkILqLilH0YwgwvPQD0kwAZ6ylwcX_pEdtQXskSACSey4qZsww_wlLO92GO_RowLGlN0yDIIi9Mv-HVx5u2nLT32sc2ghKoP0pwZT3Uycw6_Hw6cNeGfPlz-RwnIdZnvzH0fxaflh-KB7BBsIVTm1py8RKRRmZFNeqrkpWICDmpTR6l/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_143620641.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And south.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-90B0-m3uLroDAAADyOZRJhjB3bdrEGaYlWdCzoiiZ7uKIpe82w4eaNbjuYpGOHDPHgqDTBYYgS4dfz98FSUb1xvY8DzVipoy_XM8kc1iDsYQ_xnLS8L2LaWZKIUkhcsgKBqgSkXCyRplYkSwBSU26Kte02kqIv0lPHBBO4odiRntO5xqNEcY-BTD9Stx/s1200/PXL_20230812_143807685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-90B0-m3uLroDAAADyOZRJhjB3bdrEGaYlWdCzoiiZ7uKIpe82w4eaNbjuYpGOHDPHgqDTBYYgS4dfz98FSUb1xvY8DzVipoy_XM8kc1iDsYQ_xnLS8L2LaWZKIUkhcsgKBqgSkXCyRplYkSwBSU26Kte02kqIv0lPHBBO4odiRntO5xqNEcY-BTD9Stx/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_143807685.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And east.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsiTAeECQ-RPC9SKRrSCqMFvmfGohS77vT6VFbuV3K_zbeg_Z23e0hXpYLPVvvUAUUQCOmdI_133sxuxGahs8nksTVVKt0zF-M6h5uhdyBoogeUrCZrelF3JeEoj3C7l9sOvgENvcNjPq_NhpjgLNHe1LfGv4xIPZFvuXkhuefjhXRPXVFwGLNtQi4Q_W/s1200/PXL_20230812_143924209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsiTAeECQ-RPC9SKRrSCqMFvmfGohS77vT6VFbuV3K_zbeg_Z23e0hXpYLPVvvUAUUQCOmdI_133sxuxGahs8nksTVVKt0zF-M6h5uhdyBoogeUrCZrelF3JeEoj3C7l9sOvgENvcNjPq_NhpjgLNHe1LfGv4xIPZFvuXkhuefjhXRPXVFwGLNtQi4Q_W/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_143924209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And west.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHP_EYKMYd5AdiQ1SNqh1383mUacpu-rluhDJUgLj_7v3-5YDv0vB3Q_qR0Hh3g0h2AlbeIxDTORu5oUDgRFhl9lo82QY6f0zExM5XmFaKF0s5xUM2P7It9FuAdbaiKlaP3LnB3y8Iw0pAj0R8waYK91MEzVOTqqlczHF6OCuPpGCam6RRAMh4ZbKYDZn/s1200/PXL_20230812_144038491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1200" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHP_EYKMYd5AdiQ1SNqh1383mUacpu-rluhDJUgLj_7v3-5YDv0vB3Q_qR0Hh3g0h2AlbeIxDTORu5oUDgRFhl9lo82QY6f0zExM5XmFaKF0s5xUM2P7It9FuAdbaiKlaP3LnB3y8Iw0pAj0R8waYK91MEzVOTqqlczHF6OCuPpGCam6RRAMh4ZbKYDZn/w640-h458/PXL_20230812_144038491.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A bumble bee on my sock. After hanging out in the meadow for a bit, it was time for the lovely walk down South Fork Baker.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1a9MzrA3IPXhgDpoFnyoqOocyO3gVVbkZOZAFQAEAGRcCLcDsUyoo2R0R04WVIZrsqAUG245G8L7xzumdH5dpo1_di6dfdHBIFY_jHYzsVf8DHW117Cmt6K04-HsYEcQMqCYJ6ttEYa-9tKc6ypyEFVc_dH5rU65ESKGdt4kTwjCS3wr0Dm2L1_nE0Yt/s1200/PXL_20230812_145002034.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1a9MzrA3IPXhgDpoFnyoqOocyO3gVVbkZOZAFQAEAGRcCLcDsUyoo2R0R04WVIZrsqAUG245G8L7xzumdH5dpo1_di6dfdHBIFY_jHYzsVf8DHW117Cmt6K04-HsYEcQMqCYJ6ttEYa-9tKc6ypyEFVc_dH5rU65ESKGdt4kTwjCS3wr0Dm2L1_nE0Yt/w432-h640/PXL_20230812_145002034.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail is in great shape.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMuVXydrawuYnAmWSzcFaT56RcNzTrkvg5yCHD-DOY320er8xz_AXuCvYjndP3_FTHt1_hBk1Wq_HKCXS3D5GIqn5Lc3NDzmfP8O-jlSExBARTOrs3_WTkllZf8866r5weiBeM3b7sjr9y8GMeQg97sTFyKqnLCKDABfhKqr9GizRnpX-w6xr1NzWExyE/s1200/PXL_20230812_150355799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMuVXydrawuYnAmWSzcFaT56RcNzTrkvg5yCHD-DOY320er8xz_AXuCvYjndP3_FTHt1_hBk1Wq_HKCXS3D5GIqn5Lc3NDzmfP8O-jlSExBARTOrs3_WTkllZf8866r5weiBeM3b7sjr9y8GMeQg97sTFyKqnLCKDABfhKqr9GizRnpX-w6xr1NzWExyE/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_150355799.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I couldn't resist a photo of these lupine with a background of aspen.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv-JKn373fwfrTrz12jWDg79NuYVLqCBFnBew7jRK_-Byw2qJZroblON9t28BkVA_e2AqXRLSZa_MdVvBQJsYzuCix15UdfFsP44kx97OX5r44WkTrlg_qutNLT-UhOliiNDLOFgNng-i1dVEdBrg5OKTqeare450QxERgsinUZlDESvtH7-tAj2vlRS3/s1200/PXL_20230812_151534916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv-JKn373fwfrTrz12jWDg79NuYVLqCBFnBew7jRK_-Byw2qJZroblON9t28BkVA_e2AqXRLSZa_MdVvBQJsYzuCix15UdfFsP44kx97OX5r44WkTrlg_qutNLT-UhOliiNDLOFgNng-i1dVEdBrg5OKTqeare450QxERgsinUZlDESvtH7-tAj2vlRS3/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_151534916.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Spotted coralroot<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QxfNkb929qOeiN8ZFA-ybOCZg6aObMNw76R_6Y1sirjprWRGdjxbOD5ZRdGkhxJZvdixCaq2VAMb1_UfhZAFhFticM3Xh4PnacQBV1zY-7gOoQANRqb1Zo6_068cFscR6ZlMk6P-sNUODlN7ZATx9xsFjGpnaTs9LffURULmU4X1uL45EiH3D1nWZy8n/s1200/PXL_20230812_152324882.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QxfNkb929qOeiN8ZFA-ybOCZg6aObMNw76R_6Y1sirjprWRGdjxbOD5ZRdGkhxJZvdixCaq2VAMb1_UfhZAFhFticM3Xh4PnacQBV1zY-7gOoQANRqb1Zo6_068cFscR6ZlMk6P-sNUODlN7ZATx9xsFjGpnaTs9LffURULmU4X1uL45EiH3D1nWZy8n/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_152324882.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Shaggy Scalycap (I think, guess is based on iNaturalist)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNuhyK5-XHyTQvI7X9HMKHKYBUtw56Ej43tUxu1XzH5eT0HL661ipdqQJEwsf8LUX-muISooCBMekTn7nB_11LYIzGZuRg8a_-K44OxQGmY3R89if6d7YdGXaVDpgBe5J-DYF_6nbseUlS5mmLONV7vrKwMJlIG3eubuo8wpbdycu5ndEGCbFEQQ6zUq7/s1200/PXL_20230812_152850407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNuhyK5-XHyTQvI7X9HMKHKYBUtw56Ej43tUxu1XzH5eT0HL661ipdqQJEwsf8LUX-muISooCBMekTn7nB_11LYIzGZuRg8a_-K44OxQGmY3R89if6d7YdGXaVDpgBe5J-DYF_6nbseUlS5mmLONV7vrKwMJlIG3eubuo8wpbdycu5ndEGCbFEQQ6zUq7/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_152850407.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Weidemeyer's Admiral butterfly on yarrow<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVrzhGClsKexCE5nPIP4atG08dUlmJs_xpwleIOhaw7pPfMCcqdakXN4GKUTSW--WSc2KP5FlHELpHpKUCIGwNMavJY9T49Z9BnAX3PImyCegyiBlXUrbAqcjWVd8JiwZNBIrKADxaqNcClVEyRpMemXzFTbqJ6hXwz9hEwCbDLsHaUpEpX774OyKWiUg/s1200/PXL_20230812_153517079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1200" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVrzhGClsKexCE5nPIP4atG08dUlmJs_xpwleIOhaw7pPfMCcqdakXN4GKUTSW--WSc2KP5FlHELpHpKUCIGwNMavJY9T49Z9BnAX3PImyCegyiBlXUrbAqcjWVd8JiwZNBIrKADxaqNcClVEyRpMemXzFTbqJ6hXwz9hEwCbDLsHaUpEpX774OyKWiUg/w640-h470/PXL_20230812_153517079.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A greater frittillary<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvrdfFZhw2-oCMZSGKrevn7NcfMY1SuZZXg6FB_AGtEX7chsiQM9UZilkTT_hjijQjg6L181qYGm3Celd4rHngz4KJjPYJOlrXJov9AJfkEBIMa9n5KppH9wepMy1aUfDTtp6Mc9uho5_1460Aecdu2d7MGkkTk6MMCP0IKqgzWRPZNtkWY7PnCMx4XIy/s1200/PXL_20230812_154018144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1200" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvrdfFZhw2-oCMZSGKrevn7NcfMY1SuZZXg6FB_AGtEX7chsiQM9UZilkTT_hjijQjg6L181qYGm3Celd4rHngz4KJjPYJOlrXJov9AJfkEBIMa9n5KppH9wepMy1aUfDTtp6Mc9uho5_1460Aecdu2d7MGkkTk6MMCP0IKqgzWRPZNtkWY7PnCMx4XIy/w640-h478/PXL_20230812_154018144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The mountain mahogany has its "hellfeathers" right now. The seeds are great for getting into the back of your shirt and causing some discomfort.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwjwZdamcZSd8Y1WtQkhnLRsRXLgWmh1Vnab1b9kPJ4qG2ZmwokQtR0wXS9y0hgj3ZHRux3WEHD-OIElffTWuTqM5uiDO6UcPrS-kh7D_qmF1Xfe_88na6ryQDi7nKqDKu6grXcJq9JvMHU4f91u1qCptFUS2CQcr4PdwXJI9amv79kl-uDsQeSLtz4z7/s1200/PXL_20230812_155244868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwjwZdamcZSd8Y1WtQkhnLRsRXLgWmh1Vnab1b9kPJ4qG2ZmwokQtR0wXS9y0hgj3ZHRux3WEHD-OIElffTWuTqM5uiDO6UcPrS-kh7D_qmF1Xfe_88na6ryQDi7nKqDKu6grXcJq9JvMHU4f91u1qCptFUS2CQcr4PdwXJI9amv79kl-uDsQeSLtz4z7/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_155244868.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've seen a lot of these Police Car moths this summer.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tsg3IN6GZFb9n65MmIEkrGfyifWC4Md6Z-_FoqdrP6H9wLCeYkwFNS2uQoDSSSPm-cegBTTrEelVtMzkvpZG5YFs7xPQ5mYwI1OTMwqwglDU90Ba6LcP0FfzVMxc7PDn7-CcZNTf5gUcwZEWY1tq9Ulmy4R8BP_TZL1gbopmlpdolpNtL_-Wzc7koGRU/s1200/PXL_20230812_160303569.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tsg3IN6GZFb9n65MmIEkrGfyifWC4Md6Z-_FoqdrP6H9wLCeYkwFNS2uQoDSSSPm-cegBTTrEelVtMzkvpZG5YFs7xPQ5mYwI1OTMwqwglDU90Ba6LcP0FfzVMxc7PDn7-CcZNTf5gUcwZEWY1tq9Ulmy4R8BP_TZL1gbopmlpdolpNtL_-Wzc7koGRU/w464-h640/PXL_20230812_160303569.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I snacked on these currants. Yum!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrIyoVCdBVFsVFYYnXbQB6bD52XV7imI0gBOBrMgiB2B9jhlD5nR_MQbFeNHxSwi9smFMhqPKN-4uOyOQFKPWU21uGsfx6G_2QZfzg54Sxl_F6ec-fbEAOvwlxSxHKq2N_FdQ5UpiM0fbhBqTGF668wSjfBR31hoUThUQKDYYtV_dNTr6HQVC0bDeHT3q/s1200/PXL_20230812_160410765.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrIyoVCdBVFsVFYYnXbQB6bD52XV7imI0gBOBrMgiB2B9jhlD5nR_MQbFeNHxSwi9smFMhqPKN-4uOyOQFKPWU21uGsfx6G_2QZfzg54Sxl_F6ec-fbEAOvwlxSxHKq2N_FdQ5UpiM0fbhBqTGF668wSjfBR31hoUThUQKDYYtV_dNTr6HQVC0bDeHT3q/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_160410765.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Columbian monkshood near the trailhead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyw2pMMGvaYDgPBGgMJ5h0wPwaiLTGjbQTPSV1cNTtXVn9-1gMSb1bwQCZmpnQ0F19ZR5WQK9GaJONDa2-PNOd7-41n--bFIZfcYVwrsU-ACdQChcOJBZOLzOVwaxQIv6RXDcBIbiBtAlgTGpJdib-Ax4QkLs_9g88_CxA1P40PnAdP_WwvmdWS5V7n3l/s1200/PXL_20230812_162335912.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyw2pMMGvaYDgPBGgMJ5h0wPwaiLTGjbQTPSV1cNTtXVn9-1gMSb1bwQCZmpnQ0F19ZR5WQK9GaJONDa2-PNOd7-41n--bFIZfcYVwrsU-ACdQChcOJBZOLzOVwaxQIv6RXDcBIbiBtAlgTGpJdib-Ax4QkLs_9g88_CxA1P40PnAdP_WwvmdWS5V7n3l/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_162335912.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Prairie mallow, also near the trailhead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGmlKnRO0Kc-XKrwpYlN38tzwmO76vrJXzIyXmObN_N4n-0-zpTNoOfllUW0nFAgMQr_rJQ6CzcXqrVdHRL_h93cIH355NPFDEzQYa9Rwyrzsrydkg593_8A-_tGey4Eng8FTs7GIcb-STCB225tObi4DJKF6z380fW4S69GfAsuua0Xw8xiyxtC8EAMS/s1200/PXL_20230812_162419862.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGmlKnRO0Kc-XKrwpYlN38tzwmO76vrJXzIyXmObN_N4n-0-zpTNoOfllUW0nFAgMQr_rJQ6CzcXqrVdHRL_h93cIH355NPFDEzQYa9Rwyrzsrydkg593_8A-_tGey4Eng8FTs7GIcb-STCB225tObi4DJKF6z380fW4S69GfAsuua0Xw8xiyxtC8EAMS/w482-h640/PXL_20230812_162419862.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My lovely hike was over (with only three other people on the trail!). But the good stuff kept coming, including three bucks next to the road. This mule deer enjoyed the serviceberry for breakfast.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7bcZ6UWTJuGLyPSE6E8lREWJWL5jnKdZbfULYrfInWU1A68_vQbAAEiIn6g57di7XxCdH7Z1g-xLnkVTo0alOHfYXFy1P6NM0_cvP4w1il6yXk17c_gOzKewn5CGEctnV_OIlYgJJ6PO2zPuL8AJhwShfkr72722RjaiMOp_cozqziaOfncuN33mZFH_/s1200/PXL_20230812_163314830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7bcZ6UWTJuGLyPSE6E8lREWJWL5jnKdZbfULYrfInWU1A68_vQbAAEiIn6g57di7XxCdH7Z1g-xLnkVTo0alOHfYXFy1P6NM0_cvP4w1il6yXk17c_gOzKewn5CGEctnV_OIlYgJJ6PO2zPuL8AJhwShfkr72722RjaiMOp_cozqziaOfncuN33mZFH_/w640-h482/PXL_20230812_163314830.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I could do that loop many more times this summer if I just had a little more free time. It is such a great way to spend a few hours, and going early in the morning meant that the temperatures were wonderful.</p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-67438738144357543022023-07-23T12:45:00.001-07:002023-07-23T12:45:03.537-07:00The Marvelous Night Sky - Astrophotography<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47K04sCIpb3ZBjlgIiNSO6oFoZrxFLHWl281Csh1gx5tX2ox12wb4Amn3pSQ7IfOxgncePcoVcB3kb5jk4EyxU2LPoz49pXZfCsPrux8zG0M9R7tGdk3oededE7rEoEMG0cVPwQJTYzJSYyMzfbtOs009G9iQJ4xKRFVpMXTkZLoT7suaB1WpQv95-0Sw/s1600/GMB_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47K04sCIpb3ZBjlgIiNSO6oFoZrxFLHWl281Csh1gx5tX2ox12wb4Amn3pSQ7IfOxgncePcoVcB3kb5jk4EyxU2LPoz49pXZfCsPrux8zG0M9R7tGdk3oededE7rEoEMG0cVPwQJTYzJSYyMzfbtOs009G9iQJ4xKRFVpMXTkZLoT7suaB1WpQv95-0Sw/w640-h426/GMB_0128.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The Milky Way is extra bright in summer and fall because we can see the galactic core, the center of our universe, easily. One evening, my friend Jenny and I headed to Ward Charcoal Ovens near Ely, NV. We had it all to ourselves on a calm, cloud-free night. Yay! We put a tea candle in each of the charcoal ovens and then tried a variety of photos with various light painting options to light up the ovens.</p><p>Can you see Jenny in the door of the oven?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM-hUo5pw0j9TZB-6AewauPwzn-FJOw6LMjCrVz5ztAhfh_XvGnOzIXO2H2nDFczxmYmCpMeOru5l-zvyNiLvWUf8DJyD22zHGX2r7uvPS_WpJzepoNuoPxkm_HIzSUuqUoVXYqeceHTHyruDWjavQ5mi3X8H6wzHFO3ogmARe1h_OSeBt2wwTDsnL0fd/s1600/GMB_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM-hUo5pw0j9TZB-6AewauPwzn-FJOw6LMjCrVz5ztAhfh_XvGnOzIXO2H2nDFczxmYmCpMeOru5l-zvyNiLvWUf8DJyD22zHGX2r7uvPS_WpJzepoNuoPxkm_HIzSUuqUoVXYqeceHTHyruDWjavQ5mi3X8H6wzHFO3ogmARe1h_OSeBt2wwTDsnL0fd/w426-h640/GMB_0151.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We thought it would be fun to put ourselves into some photos for scale. These ovens are big!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvLDQ-D9aAcCQZNfbXgmr2YobsDEHss3URJpt40wYTVZl0zG8RgR7vLEt0QG_kb-ObmwQZk_Tgi9-K-bAosK-O86McQHobe_zkER-M6EiRTMn1F1bXJrzFWF5ym9Ppg-KJnSEtw_TmF209maoM9ODlhSGH0-473KGXRjDiOQ3_gG3KITBDxZK5S-UrZd3/s1600/GMB_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvLDQ-D9aAcCQZNfbXgmr2YobsDEHss3URJpt40wYTVZl0zG8RgR7vLEt0QG_kb-ObmwQZk_Tgi9-K-bAosK-O86McQHobe_zkER-M6EiRTMn1F1bXJrzFWF5ym9Ppg-KJnSEtw_TmF209maoM9ODlhSGH0-473KGXRjDiOQ3_gG3KITBDxZK5S-UrZd3/w640-h458/GMB_0160.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>We had so much fun taking photos. When we left, we finally looked at the time and realized we would be getting home the next day. :)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbB3CYGaDJIcsB5CPZtClkVuEvuOJJDTiwCWQa1A8AOnTqeEydruKQ_iEZZzppMCy2OML7XnosX5tTzAw4FR8TpKTjzFqB7X43bM_dL9w9lOCx258gtFHKml1Zjh-hY3YZVyxDuvCTwXBqAAWgv6Md9lefi-PECl-RejuXqA4D3LLctjoLfGblB4dOLaUT/s1600/GMB_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbB3CYGaDJIcsB5CPZtClkVuEvuOJJDTiwCWQa1A8AOnTqeEydruKQ_iEZZzppMCy2OML7XnosX5tTzAw4FR8TpKTjzFqB7X43bM_dL9w9lOCx258gtFHKml1Zjh-hY3YZVyxDuvCTwXBqAAWgv6Md9lefi-PECl-RejuXqA4D3LLctjoLfGblB4dOLaUT/w640-h426/GMB_0162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Another evening I decided to check out the night life of tractors. I was a little surprised to hear some squeaking from one trailer. I guess they aren't always quiet, lol.</p><p>I was also surprised by all the green airglow. Apparently you can see it in the darkest night skies. It may also be more evident when there is more aurora activity, which is caused by more solar activity. Our sun is the most active it's been since 2002.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0mwJJJ9fE-vQDHOo6t4aDHPkYQ1j6ETVWZVjAGVKh3WLAq-NuyIwLSmj_6QflxukKmNQO1oVByd7uUpsHE-I2avkNwhMGqWBqD2uWhyaV2VuMOipB7RYV7QUFeIaP4KRv1Vmqium1FBDrr_rbBpl8dltSw3eWlr9HIAmzeyN1r3WIzm42q-eo75dXRQp/s1600/GMB_0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0mwJJJ9fE-vQDHOo6t4aDHPkYQ1j6ETVWZVjAGVKh3WLAq-NuyIwLSmj_6QflxukKmNQO1oVByd7uUpsHE-I2avkNwhMGqWBqD2uWhyaV2VuMOipB7RYV7QUFeIaP4KRv1Vmqium1FBDrr_rbBpl8dltSw3eWlr9HIAmzeyN1r3WIzm42q-eo75dXRQp/w640-h426/GMB_0189.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Another view<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vW5D6OlIeBuYqPnTyv8AcSe52CYWGN0POhdu44QCUM0S6iV4byNEqI-OPDgQfGDTr8S8hXoAmZr3Bx6Kn7RWhBPGuge1dX1QUoOvnxlldwA555fxUoVvbPcyyMPrnSc0_jxAYE9ml4BezFgpoa62m4Zf7WF-RS8CSqCJrl5QHVXkAJvEeAHZaZeN44G0/s1600/GMB_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vW5D6OlIeBuYqPnTyv8AcSe52CYWGN0POhdu44QCUM0S6iV4byNEqI-OPDgQfGDTr8S8hXoAmZr3Bx6Kn7RWhBPGuge1dX1QUoOvnxlldwA555fxUoVvbPcyyMPrnSc0_jxAYE9ml4BezFgpoa62m4Zf7WF-RS8CSqCJrl5QHVXkAJvEeAHZaZeN44G0/w640-h426/GMB_0199.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Then I headed down to some sunflowers. It's such a good sunflower year!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qvxuis8ZcPRlBeWNeNEIUpmr2J4hyzmhryaM-_odfYFMsoO3HAkDvR37cQZH9XBejrAZi7N26ykfX-im41T0Q3HQrsoDGVef93SA-vaLmi2yuVkl8omoiu0-gy9sU1CgpkAKmHdXhJMB-R4E38gjfUV3nawXmECHR2gYqp1NCAepwA0Q2lO1NQDkYqF0/s1600/GMB_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qvxuis8ZcPRlBeWNeNEIUpmr2J4hyzmhryaM-_odfYFMsoO3HAkDvR37cQZH9XBejrAZi7N26ykfX-im41T0Q3HQrsoDGVef93SA-vaLmi2yuVkl8omoiu0-gy9sU1CgpkAKmHdXhJMB-R4E38gjfUV3nawXmECHR2gYqp1NCAepwA0Q2lO1NQDkYqF0/w426-h640/GMB_0231.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><p><br /></p>I tried for various angles, not sure what would be the most captivating. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-Q_P6G2zj0dX-UNQhDhdhzS72TQ1gDm8Almup2gkQB5GlSpx8BmblqagKfhVbY0clKUwA9OhahPuzXoBV5PRfNFJoE1ejUEHNEyyBfTirb4mrOdOknoA-80tPb8SrdJcFIbG1bRMdF989SvMGU8rG8-ot2e4w26y5Tgn03rA9U1SJ4HwcmP3mWYBfh61/s1600/GMB_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1600" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-Q_P6G2zj0dX-UNQhDhdhzS72TQ1gDm8Almup2gkQB5GlSpx8BmblqagKfhVbY0clKUwA9OhahPuzXoBV5PRfNFJoE1ejUEHNEyyBfTirb4mrOdOknoA-80tPb8SrdJcFIbG1bRMdF989SvMGU8rG8-ot2e4w26y5Tgn03rA9U1SJ4HwcmP3mWYBfh61/w640-h466/GMB_0247.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>I could just stay out there so long with the gorgeous flowers under the beautiful Milky Way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPv2YkjsHU_WChAAdqAUyLDqmXGXFCWYXKq84mVp1AC3VO3umTJVM58EmVZGdBRPGPfc9lrf0m5v02DO1zUgzt2tKEGM-qyDUM3KT5zObt6grFclnnlMquz_M-9iVbBrUHHom4Oo9OMxf-UgPLlaSEg7HFrtBTrUfLOO-CFipEAB5TupcLQ73eR9D_ogF/s1600/GMB_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPv2YkjsHU_WChAAdqAUyLDqmXGXFCWYXKq84mVp1AC3VO3umTJVM58EmVZGdBRPGPfc9lrf0m5v02DO1zUgzt2tKEGM-qyDUM3KT5zObt6grFclnnlMquz_M-9iVbBrUHHom4Oo9OMxf-UgPLlaSEg7HFrtBTrUfLOO-CFipEAB5TupcLQ73eR9D_ogF/w426-h640/GMB_0259.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /> Just seeing the Milky Way gets me excited. I've been wanting to learn more about astronomy, so I've gone to five astronomy programs at Great Basin National Park this summer. They're held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights. On one off night, a couple of the astronomers offered to help Desert Boy get his telescope working properly. He had been given one but couldn't figure it out. Fortunately, with the expert help, he was soon seeing really cool objects like binary stars, globular clusters, nebula, and more.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj0dg-AcGBOJ8noJMNCBMfEeDVOJKjArgQrynlLCpvRLn8-ijigS2OeCByf13S1qTkgJLgFIIuL6tolVKAcqUsncg1M3V0DoVwoZRICLEZSifalQ04CbTVjVUtY7QZlnnHVSV3wpvTXFfJq96-L3gqRIeK2YE_q90q6lbIJIcCqMiQvJ5el1F8vQf5FBG/s1600/DSC00501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj0dg-AcGBOJ8noJMNCBMfEeDVOJKjArgQrynlLCpvRLn8-ijigS2OeCByf13S1qTkgJLgFIIuL6tolVKAcqUsncg1M3V0DoVwoZRICLEZSifalQ04CbTVjVUtY7QZlnnHVSV3wpvTXFfJq96-L3gqRIeK2YE_q90q6lbIJIcCqMiQvJ5el1F8vQf5FBG/w640-h426/DSC00501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I was having fun taking photos at the same time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA6r9D5DrZJcY_yud-OP3L8iFDDbM4H4zWwcp_cbidTlPmJLjl3E1iQfT4_ESU6QWSR52ai5zA6tKRPhlJtzhp7JNWigvlUw9VMlBgzdoZZTBEsjk09F-mhmlVX7wTFvuX0RoRKP2pLWWuPPOrdfS51PO0gpyd7_1j-FxYkbHdKlwjT9ZdSIc-p6GhsOC/s1600/DSC00510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA6r9D5DrZJcY_yud-OP3L8iFDDbM4H4zWwcp_cbidTlPmJLjl3E1iQfT4_ESU6QWSR52ai5zA6tKRPhlJtzhp7JNWigvlUw9VMlBgzdoZZTBEsjk09F-mhmlVX7wTFvuX0RoRKP2pLWWuPPOrdfS51PO0gpyd7_1j-FxYkbHdKlwjT9ZdSIc-p6GhsOC/w640-h426/DSC00510.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Desert Boy was even able to show some other people things through his telescope. He can't wait to use it again--but now we're in a cloudy pattern, so he'll have to wait a few nights. It won't be long until he can explore more of our marvelous night sky.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0TRr7fW3Lf4E-mJ0gZaKPcGxKxKfaNbSGuZotMpYkh5g86PTQuIzhek5ppyWCGIIaB8o5zAmkZSnBDOw4saANTWZj84Z6_Whu-f4r2fnF8Zfek6hofrSbbO4_020du69zr__wLwZrsZsT6rRcGqKiEdNrPr_kTAoAE-_xbx5GRShY7uooPJFHHg3c5X5/s1600/DSC00520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0TRr7fW3Lf4E-mJ0gZaKPcGxKxKfaNbSGuZotMpYkh5g86PTQuIzhek5ppyWCGIIaB8o5zAmkZSnBDOw4saANTWZj84Z6_Whu-f4r2fnF8Zfek6hofrSbbO4_020du69zr__wLwZrsZsT6rRcGqKiEdNrPr_kTAoAE-_xbx5GRShY7uooPJFHHg3c5X5/w640-h426/DSC00520.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-9390634377863931042023-07-12T15:57:00.005-07:002023-07-12T15:57:41.553-07:00Snowy Great Basin National Park Hikes in June<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV9aROLturUvcQqzkeN9esK42WAQyta1s0IV0Oy5cjyfhx5xVhqjVmwBt8_rNJoeC5hhw9Mx6rzaLQXgSjLK6OI49s5BL47o2bvY_hFYpuSIUc53nsrrwOPH6HryYfqeEj3BV7LgTyw93lLFLSuGraBMRYIHlwa0FVztBUjeg8ofyaQsEZKHidI-BJXZ1/s1200/june%202023-528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV9aROLturUvcQqzkeN9esK42WAQyta1s0IV0Oy5cjyfhx5xVhqjVmwBt8_rNJoeC5hhw9Mx6rzaLQXgSjLK6OI49s5BL47o2bvY_hFYpuSIUc53nsrrwOPH6HryYfqeEj3BV7LgTyw93lLFLSuGraBMRYIHlwa0FVztBUjeg8ofyaQsEZKHidI-BJXZ1/w480-h640/june%202023-528.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div>Near mid-June 2023, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive opened. Most years it opens before Memorial Day weekend (last weekend in May), but this year there was so much snow it opened later. Desert Boy and I decided to go for a hike on the Alpine Lakes trail. Even at the trailhead, there was so much snow!</div><div><br /></div><div>We didn't think to wear microspikes/exospikes/Yaktrax. Desert Boy fell down several times. I had a hiking pole and that helped me stay up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_phbxU8Oz9DQHFC3ryp8GTSYTBab9QZ36YcW2A3m9YwrIoEr7Nv7wu9KpcCnNc6BygYqMcHj5uPgeK3-iIdKgTo4fVGRdRjEy_hHpIdZwe9M96qEvvKu0nmHQsexMNstyzl1dSkwpBqORg_FgP5MHoIM7eMkT_SLAY0eh31B54RrbqYUV-qLsfic1rpo/s1200/june%202023-530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_phbxU8Oz9DQHFC3ryp8GTSYTBab9QZ36YcW2A3m9YwrIoEr7Nv7wu9KpcCnNc6BygYqMcHj5uPgeK3-iIdKgTo4fVGRdRjEy_hHpIdZwe9M96qEvvKu0nmHQsexMNstyzl1dSkwpBqORg_FgP5MHoIM7eMkT_SLAY0eh31B54RrbqYUV-qLsfic1rpo/w480-h640/june%202023-530.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When we got out of the trees more, we found patches where the snow had melted. But overall, we estimated that about 80% of the trail was covered with snow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_Tsol-tcyAMOhR0r3t_4At0uWDCLNjhrf-TETUY_wxVpPBopdb2KnRxz8rBnp95uxzJVqzRCNkXtjd3iRswD1fanKEJLANfSWoRXI4V7OPvdXQn5zKeCxxxvgZicsUDAOt2mILK7YRcDEjEQRu-BsmB-H35B4PU6zp1Cd0MnlnEE8sJM9RLPb-i8vJY-/s1200/june%202023-540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_Tsol-tcyAMOhR0r3t_4At0uWDCLNjhrf-TETUY_wxVpPBopdb2KnRxz8rBnp95uxzJVqzRCNkXtjd3iRswD1fanKEJLANfSWoRXI4V7OPvdXQn5zKeCxxxvgZicsUDAOt2mILK7YRcDEjEQRu-BsmB-H35B4PU6zp1Cd0MnlnEE8sJM9RLPb-i8vJY-/w640-h480/june%202023-540.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The orange blazes on the trees helped us know where the trail was.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAD49pp-SE4tfSSJsCeKbxPl-4K4PJj2qSlYMWBmHZHkeYOO1xpVfcfvYN3wIEvLArginNOyBxJj-iXn-fcJuzS9dVSvFRbTY-rPsPvdIOrBasQmwRyAFXajMtI8rKWzQhtz-u_-8fnAZFsXDZSMiiCynULavg41SAjUTrogOA9JccTLHDi0-eTG08o6g/s1200/june%202023-545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAD49pp-SE4tfSSJsCeKbxPl-4K4PJj2qSlYMWBmHZHkeYOO1xpVfcfvYN3wIEvLArginNOyBxJj-iXn-fcJuzS9dVSvFRbTY-rPsPvdIOrBasQmwRyAFXajMtI8rKWzQhtz-u_-8fnAZFsXDZSMiiCynULavg41SAjUTrogOA9JccTLHDi0-eTG08o6g/w480-h640/june%202023-545.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Close to the lake we arrived at the sign showing the trail up to Wheeler Peak. That definitely was not in the plans for us that day! We could see plenty of snow ahead just on the way to Stella Lake.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6SdfNtMN3MXX7HFEmJ09PUcrxEDj6GYMypirk8rd2iOXrABb6NbxgJVXEUqSDMeyt-U7fig8THptLpNnut0rEhorbwky896dGCaF1RnjdC4XZQgnfCSI0qBM6GFiLTayE3HS0su8RpM7KiLhN17-b1IyXICN-gIMKkzw6uQaje3zDByKazhSuTftNLHB/s1200/june%202023-549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6SdfNtMN3MXX7HFEmJ09PUcrxEDj6GYMypirk8rd2iOXrABb6NbxgJVXEUqSDMeyt-U7fig8THptLpNnut0rEhorbwky896dGCaF1RnjdC4XZQgnfCSI0qBM6GFiLTayE3HS0su8RpM7KiLhN17-b1IyXICN-gIMKkzw6uQaje3zDByKazhSuTftNLHB/w640-h480/june%202023-549.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To my surprise, as we approached the lake, I saw a lot of open water.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxfaoMkFURg4dU-gP_blNNFM94i2X1jIGinByEMdF4GqQMhl9_013fnBkCcKKh2mfMm_cF_GI88ke8e3hROwSPPtCAhESERj4l0-e0ClV9Ex-dSpL3OswiCtO9IuWkJt60qIn_PMQqMj02PSHB5RnWyM01EPykIbyJEzNL_xalsyoxsMnB3VgEA3V9Fid/s1200/june%202023-555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxfaoMkFURg4dU-gP_blNNFM94i2X1jIGinByEMdF4GqQMhl9_013fnBkCcKKh2mfMm_cF_GI88ke8e3hROwSPPtCAhESERj4l0-e0ClV9Ex-dSpL3OswiCtO9IuWkJt60qIn_PMQqMj02PSHB5RnWyM01EPykIbyJEzNL_xalsyoxsMnB3VgEA3V9Fid/w640-h480/june%202023-555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The lake wasn't entirely snow and ice free, though. We went to the corner with the most ice and snapped a selfie.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUzzOqK8sOhhpH4NjwSuaDEOU9zxKaP897nkKMSPJCl6FEfI8Wpvh8oKVe5hkv8D9Hu2gL-mefiZ0_4AjOmebVPthya_4JkQQ_EfM5xTdpFdtm9WQDTjIpaZwD3trpUWtdOHIKo22J2ihU2JKPqMEOF2K-Hcpc-fwW7ITAyllRyRmoDU2xrOiAeaAwPjk/s1200/june%202023-560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUzzOqK8sOhhpH4NjwSuaDEOU9zxKaP897nkKMSPJCl6FEfI8Wpvh8oKVe5hkv8D9Hu2gL-mefiZ0_4AjOmebVPthya_4JkQQ_EfM5xTdpFdtm9WQDTjIpaZwD3trpUWtdOHIKo22J2ihU2JKPqMEOF2K-Hcpc-fwW7ITAyllRyRmoDU2xrOiAeaAwPjk/w640-h480/june%202023-560.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Desert Boy wasn't interested in a swim for some reason.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XDUNVTgH9QWDZFiYrCeArXoEmMOVDCEwXN_4HecuJygSaAfJSwza9iKwZNI1X5LAVp3yUJ1A98BWNV_obcrq-EYiQ_cET_eRH1QY-aNJp07ZSpobbwsd9EQ3dYbuva65sQrptq9qZOGa-D17035Qkjyc5CUzKC7w_jkl9mYDEVikNHIj4ulpWaYk-gKt/s1200/june%202023-564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XDUNVTgH9QWDZFiYrCeArXoEmMOVDCEwXN_4HecuJygSaAfJSwza9iKwZNI1X5LAVp3yUJ1A98BWNV_obcrq-EYiQ_cET_eRH1QY-aNJp07ZSpobbwsd9EQ3dYbuva65sQrptq9qZOGa-D17035Qkjyc5CUzKC7w_jkl9mYDEVikNHIj4ulpWaYk-gKt/w640-h480/june%202023-564.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of the snow had a pinkish tinge to it, an indication that watermelon algae was present. As the saying goes, "Don't eat the pink snow!" Okay, maybe it's a different color that the saying refers to. But it's still not a good idea to eat the pink snow, it may cause some digestive troubles.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbmQLHpj0BVMjvS4B3KmI4KfTYd35kk_FkGA-6-gmFdTP47bBJ0YI0QrkVGJIa-DkGnBuv3g2hJMhI7gy-gGnxmczlgS4CuuLOhJSPyZErH7-g7gbvVnH6jqanOqFuRAf-ub6TRsySxgzqOB-z9DUCmrem0xICWyGWWLHGpLZa_oVpDvfxZMjrN8vGmLa/s1200/june%202023-567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbmQLHpj0BVMjvS4B3KmI4KfTYd35kk_FkGA-6-gmFdTP47bBJ0YI0QrkVGJIa-DkGnBuv3g2hJMhI7gy-gGnxmczlgS4CuuLOhJSPyZErH7-g7gbvVnH6jqanOqFuRAf-ub6TRsySxgzqOB-z9DUCmrem0xICWyGWWLHGpLZa_oVpDvfxZMjrN8vGmLa/w480-h640/june%202023-567.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was just slightly enamored with the lake and had to take one more photo from this vantage point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteHdaS1sT8lw-qwr-h3BEY3xJf0E9GsnljidtwBdVmWAhmAxyKbU0hGHnnM--uV1QDwz96lVYwyLxAoS1kS7x8B99k0MjU_fbpgbMwcqIuZQOyJ3hTJe2VomzpQ-pIKkhlJNZOhZcvvpa3L-VDFAj17KKQcK9qxvuzzXQ0vDwVyx3sV-mMgvTU8rfsiZN/s1200/june%202023-576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteHdaS1sT8lw-qwr-h3BEY3xJf0E9GsnljidtwBdVmWAhmAxyKbU0hGHnnM--uV1QDwz96lVYwyLxAoS1kS7x8B99k0MjU_fbpgbMwcqIuZQOyJ3hTJe2VomzpQ-pIKkhlJNZOhZcvvpa3L-VDFAj17KKQcK9qxvuzzXQ0vDwVyx3sV-mMgvTU8rfsiZN/w640-h480/june%202023-576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As we walked around the lake, I spotted the viewing bench in the water. Desert Boy gamely jumped up on it for this humorous shot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSy4-23EvttqSJMXPjgu4lJ0ARwAo019NVUBvWTcNJqBdKb8WECJFdoTSpjABYbRPG32pXzL7a19uepedk3AIsisHQkIP0dz20jQJTom2BygglisWBjCgixkInK8uuFO6cipoImfG9puK27uq0XUHgmRLew7b5dhFizpLAl3Vu2KmBlfp8ejB1Rl03BnEo/s1200/june%202023-589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1200" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSy4-23EvttqSJMXPjgu4lJ0ARwAo019NVUBvWTcNJqBdKb8WECJFdoTSpjABYbRPG32pXzL7a19uepedk3AIsisHQkIP0dz20jQJTom2BygglisWBjCgixkInK8uuFO6cipoImfG9puK27uq0XUHgmRLew7b5dhFizpLAl3Vu2KmBlfp8ejB1Rl03BnEo/w640-h376/june%202023-589.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Desert Boy was wearing some new boots and was getting a blister. He found a tiny patch of ground and applied a bandaid.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_KFbQEZKrjqcSjYxNy1MMGWRV02IGgwe21pBpdeHFZomPhKOIxJN9m8UqhSkmpy6sYFV-2xHyHZL7b5Atqzq0RIHv_9RxznSBXS8-YXg0L7FwC-vqf1KDIA83llMoJVV0NcgDptA4wFcYc5hrMccZwwkcBBPk38EZFHpgNPfUh-wush6plC2eORnXK9N/s1200/june%202023-592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_KFbQEZKrjqcSjYxNy1MMGWRV02IGgwe21pBpdeHFZomPhKOIxJN9m8UqhSkmpy6sYFV-2xHyHZL7b5Atqzq0RIHv_9RxznSBXS8-YXg0L7FwC-vqf1KDIA83llMoJVV0NcgDptA4wFcYc5hrMccZwwkcBBPk38EZFHpgNPfUh-wush6plC2eORnXK9N/w640-h480/june%202023-592.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail between Stella and Teresa Lakes was hard to follow, and we got lost for a bit.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkixnOaXLPWl_QH1S1oKnUda_m15CTusyzE_5voChl7G3msdBcVk973I1dQYz3W069GZQ9izyalvamQtaKrLoH0Vw3JWG7TcOqqJsY6mmjjGAX-UKWt_BmejVdJGKEL1CCbZ4wzcdJ9qbs0MVs1tThi5Mi-8t0zA_wEl8I1kdBsjzTvsmEq2iFxTm7X8J/s1200/june%202023-594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkixnOaXLPWl_QH1S1oKnUda_m15CTusyzE_5voChl7G3msdBcVk973I1dQYz3W069GZQ9izyalvamQtaKrLoH0Vw3JWG7TcOqqJsY6mmjjGAX-UKWt_BmejVdJGKEL1CCbZ4wzcdJ9qbs0MVs1tThi5Mi-8t0zA_wEl8I1kdBsjzTvsmEq2iFxTm7X8J/w640-h480/june%202023-594.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But then we found our way, and soon were seeing Teresa Lake!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusQ5FmY7ZKWJoowjvTgBUpCl8evxbKlfS_aJa6DCh4GT1gx2Q4XqzMa0wXeapKh6XNtTOor9wEVX-wLycQMnd-wxuKu-DKRNW4sYo5luM151f94KwTDwshqsBbpjm2zEtkjy1dH4y1iiBlADpBfN-0rV_si0AySV4C7ii_vqnaU8JQ2ErDY9yvNfFmgw0/s1200/june%202023-598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusQ5FmY7ZKWJoowjvTgBUpCl8evxbKlfS_aJa6DCh4GT1gx2Q4XqzMa0wXeapKh6XNtTOor9wEVX-wLycQMnd-wxuKu-DKRNW4sYo5luM151f94KwTDwshqsBbpjm2zEtkjy1dH4y1iiBlADpBfN-0rV_si0AySV4C7ii_vqnaU8JQ2ErDY9yvNfFmgw0/w640-h480/june%202023-598.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The lake was really full.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLSYfW1mxaLfISazVi1Rq_jPqmVBn-e2D1MlC6ZpayW9mVKUmvxS-nFNmxm7MQplpDLhYHWskoel1Trwjr0JD7FzBZNk5zr8SNvUx87N7JebeklUnK7Sbm5Qf8mT-Gt4wm7fBH-uVj5j08EYsVHP5JMbr67Um5lSqR8iCpQlbfC08k57p5rfs5hZggwRd/s1200/june%202023-605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLSYfW1mxaLfISazVi1Rq_jPqmVBn-e2D1MlC6ZpayW9mVKUmvxS-nFNmxm7MQplpDLhYHWskoel1Trwjr0JD7FzBZNk5zr8SNvUx87N7JebeklUnK7Sbm5Qf8mT-Gt4wm7fBH-uVj5j08EYsVHP5JMbr67Um5lSqR8iCpQlbfC08k57p5rfs5hZggwRd/w640-h480/june%202023-605.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was intrigued by the ice layer near the lake's edge. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYgQpj9FRbeYktZLWoIK58OuhvGidBamBgxBTDrVl02jlu407p6lTMyzoRAof9fUlYRNQusk8YjgT75RZ36YafPu9n6grEjZZ5Fb-FDnD-LlpSs5vNPayCKkxKDUUOwVtL6569tceG-wdc97Wdv2SeMv9KeLTlZI-P6cddkyoPSxAZ_p_CadC8Wc5gfmQ/s1200/june%202023-610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYgQpj9FRbeYktZLWoIK58OuhvGidBamBgxBTDrVl02jlu407p6lTMyzoRAof9fUlYRNQusk8YjgT75RZ36YafPu9n6grEjZZ5Fb-FDnD-LlpSs5vNPayCKkxKDUUOwVtL6569tceG-wdc97Wdv2SeMv9KeLTlZI-P6cddkyoPSxAZ_p_CadC8Wc5gfmQ/w640-h480/june%202023-610.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Desert Boy was trying to kick off an "iceberg" and managed to plunge his foot into the lake.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU6sm-VLheaFGru_oPhdmewCtQJY4MH4rHMOCuzYDLUgkqh44WhGZIK7d8q-RLN0kFmOW7tAli_V91n3_M6iS1Fs-yHZQxofwJtGE2kP-UwTzhZEqGRfRTnlMnutSSj8yqU8KZPjBLwVxD7QFV3ZuywCJixMDtK_DQZQjyBwlzHLs9A6mHhd5Shj5NqZl/s1200/june%202023-622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU6sm-VLheaFGru_oPhdmewCtQJY4MH4rHMOCuzYDLUgkqh44WhGZIK7d8q-RLN0kFmOW7tAli_V91n3_M6iS1Fs-yHZQxofwJtGE2kP-UwTzhZEqGRfRTnlMnutSSj8yqU8KZPjBLwVxD7QFV3ZuywCJixMDtK_DQZQjyBwlzHLs9A6mHhd5Shj5NqZl/w640-h480/june%202023-622.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>He posed on another water-logged bench.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-57iQb--cAyDG-uCFWow6fhFJ1XkAGljcAYeF3PdZWXeWmomda4bRokZDghLXtN0B_zlf4SkvuNRaKliClTmuHaO3Ul7o42OEfJbXr4erhOVSsCOxAkLYhkKFrMxP4G-xVfZoiq0k4UVVZCWL6PSz5D-tJOvZlRrX8TDS7WlTMS0Em7uGCnMteQiEcJW/s1200/june%202023-627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-57iQb--cAyDG-uCFWow6fhFJ1XkAGljcAYeF3PdZWXeWmomda4bRokZDghLXtN0B_zlf4SkvuNRaKliClTmuHaO3Ul7o42OEfJbXr4erhOVSsCOxAkLYhkKFrMxP4G-xVfZoiq0k4UVVZCWL6PSz5D-tJOvZlRrX8TDS7WlTMS0Em7uGCnMteQiEcJW/w640-h480/june%202023-627.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As we left the lake, we found some deep snow. We met another hiker coming back from the Bristlecone Trail, who had turned around despite having microspikes because he felt it was too dangerous. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqTEWrMScynVsrk-68hptoRdRQFgv-hbW7cbYpJ_JE1GwWRxWuKMSjnI-QTK1HRslRoHNlhFUFCA24MsaBX8cyW47G1T4yvtzBhMPWqKppJhwxxRltGC4Gf_b0JLT_ujwvFIkO0kBrdx2Bn7ttzPdt9Slnn4_6njg2ZKDIOetIJ9Hude86UW5h6xwUEvB/s1200/june%202023-638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqTEWrMScynVsrk-68hptoRdRQFgv-hbW7cbYpJ_JE1GwWRxWuKMSjnI-QTK1HRslRoHNlhFUFCA24MsaBX8cyW47G1T4yvtzBhMPWqKppJhwxxRltGC4Gf_b0JLT_ujwvFIkO0kBrdx2Bn7ttzPdt9Slnn4_6njg2ZKDIOetIJ9Hude86UW5h6xwUEvB/w640-h480/june%202023-638.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This twisted tree is along the trail back to the parking lot, and looks extra cool surrounded by snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4eFDQDSE1RCV2kEE5Z2ATa_RPG6w4-O6uOG0vPpksP-3_R-bS0V69dZdwikYC6wJ-SmsYXi8Adfy6LORVugIHuoPnKBig34FjDKSbR9OKuS3Tn4p-Dqj5W3U5QoczPARolRayVjK7tdUgGWWLeus7HknPmFqljQDULOTUeaQ9nykh-U6_4fl5B992EOp/s1200/june%202023-645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4eFDQDSE1RCV2kEE5Z2ATa_RPG6w4-O6uOG0vPpksP-3_R-bS0V69dZdwikYC6wJ-SmsYXi8Adfy6LORVugIHuoPnKBig34FjDKSbR9OKuS3Tn4p-Dqj5W3U5QoczPARolRayVjK7tdUgGWWLeus7HknPmFqljQDULOTUeaQ9nykh-U6_4fl5B992EOp/w400-h300/june%202023-645.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was delighted when Desert Boy decided he liked hiking and wanted to go on another hike, up Bald Mountain. We started from the Summit trailhead. We did not find many flowers, despite it being the second part of June. A few snow buttercups lent a pop of color to the landscape. At this point, the clouds were just grazing the tops of the mountains.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihkHOAxwl7m_o8TvYJHhK3lrz65KBmk2PV4Zh_8BGPMuswx2avE5qSOxDOCyETPIfj5cGd9bUlrOLWT8cd_MMiQrZGqd9uC14OTHMcxz0GckUOOkFBeT5OsixP_sJeGGuy-bRC-qO272rwSkyIiUvOFWqqRa1W68CvVSN5kw6-CIzxxtZbRgEjRIRwq1M/s1200/june%202023-731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihkHOAxwl7m_o8TvYJHhK3lrz65KBmk2PV4Zh_8BGPMuswx2avE5qSOxDOCyETPIfj5cGd9bUlrOLWT8cd_MMiQrZGqd9uC14OTHMcxz0GckUOOkFBeT5OsixP_sJeGGuy-bRC-qO272rwSkyIiUvOFWqqRa1W68CvVSN5kw6-CIzxxtZbRgEjRIRwq1M/w640-h480/june%202023-731.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This might be a golden mantled ground squirrel. It was not very afraid of us.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ufFvfHR2VJfsnB3FI2xpSKuBSw6NiYL7TcNnwDGR6jscoN060c-Md4YrvF0SGn3-MZHqkBcOa2niVYxrnpLfYIATUFUcI9ZIQ9n1EK-IEEBuXbp3d7AIzDx0OOiCGST3qlksPrxq9Uucr119phYpDlQUoXjMoLe4KaszvDp1bs5BexoxbSQo3jXjftP9/s1200/june%202023-735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ufFvfHR2VJfsnB3FI2xpSKuBSw6NiYL7TcNnwDGR6jscoN060c-Md4YrvF0SGn3-MZHqkBcOa2niVYxrnpLfYIATUFUcI9ZIQ9n1EK-IEEBuXbp3d7AIzDx0OOiCGST3qlksPrxq9Uucr119phYpDlQUoXjMoLe4KaszvDp1bs5BexoxbSQo3jXjftP9/w640-h480/june%202023-735.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As we headed up Bald Mountain, we encountered lots of sun cups, or patterns in the snow that had melted out in roughly the shape of cups.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSWEOFSrOR-p5BQwU9AbJwgvqPP0nWTryuwep6PiUS8wsmGsOsHJuCJZRQvJjm87gK8gldd41IKce2Sspr88v2VnhfihQ-k1Nfoucuqjvqrr4H5_IWQkr5DyRCtdUDmGddeYYQwDH9BMpKo0Qx_VHviW5mquCv0HrMYawMX3hFQEQLaz3VKEQUV_ZbJvV/s1200/june%202023-763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSWEOFSrOR-p5BQwU9AbJwgvqPP0nWTryuwep6PiUS8wsmGsOsHJuCJZRQvJjm87gK8gldd41IKce2Sspr88v2VnhfihQ-k1Nfoucuqjvqrr4H5_IWQkr5DyRCtdUDmGddeYYQwDH9BMpKo0Qx_VHviW5mquCv0HrMYawMX3hFQEQLaz3VKEQUV_ZbJvV/w640-h480/june%202023-763.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In quite a few of them, we found this bug, which we've seen other times on the hike up to Wheeler Peak.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4lDxtxkEpVyZ4aoqlltVpt9qqVW2NTp0gEqK0_BTc8Mc-x11ZMjKq3uCkLmvI7ETLbRRNfr_ekTnHTZCmVKV6wmQp05SqA8BL4Y5HGAjFuCTbmqjAElNApKGdHd_zBZ2EYvdJldK6RSPxzEVYlSSmo0hnAjW3dUjnTDW9YKC14mG_9mRRZD9P17jSq04/s1200/june%202023-755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4lDxtxkEpVyZ4aoqlltVpt9qqVW2NTp0gEqK0_BTc8Mc-x11ZMjKq3uCkLmvI7ETLbRRNfr_ekTnHTZCmVKV6wmQp05SqA8BL4Y5HGAjFuCTbmqjAElNApKGdHd_zBZ2EYvdJldK6RSPxzEVYlSSmo0hnAjW3dUjnTDW9YKC14mG_9mRRZD9P17jSq04/w640-h480/june%202023-755.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To my surprise, we also saw a bunch of grasshoppers.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt9hqwXcAklUpfrMnriZSmSh1mQEpQ1yukuWVPA8T4QU96BeOVz34It8vbcgLSyV-l35A-SJK9IYsA3FI0Uesj8JByAVlyFYVmT3qRzA-8kqZ_WBmeTQt0skTDOVne6OtWLWe2YRL1pf6pcj9_InD5TZfGHyNK2phSHpttNCGKqr6kBTV2xoMMfvrrmLG/s1200/june%202023-756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt9hqwXcAklUpfrMnriZSmSh1mQEpQ1yukuWVPA8T4QU96BeOVz34It8vbcgLSyV-l35A-SJK9IYsA3FI0Uesj8JByAVlyFYVmT3qRzA-8kqZ_WBmeTQt0skTDOVne6OtWLWe2YRL1pf6pcj9_InD5TZfGHyNK2phSHpttNCGKqr6kBTV2xoMMfvrrmLG/w480-h640/june%202023-756.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>It was a windy day, and as we climbed higher, the wind got stronger. The clouds got lower. We decided it was time to turn around.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNEmiV1SEwCgwXI0ZwZr567S80gul3I3MBRwCvxutOLRch8KLt1VH9ZkOdeGGZSXwwtcGueizrjR9UOAy5aEzTDvQl5eWhAObwz4cOW0ibQdYuHx4ZS6T8GUEPMVSG3X-r-wzhpAj79DGa9DNgJuHw9vAu77sZCljnEdVqLbNuqnT3RXhTHdtb_86JhaW/s1200/june%202023-768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNEmiV1SEwCgwXI0ZwZr567S80gul3I3MBRwCvxutOLRch8KLt1VH9ZkOdeGGZSXwwtcGueizrjR9UOAy5aEzTDvQl5eWhAObwz4cOW0ibQdYuHx4ZS6T8GUEPMVSG3X-r-wzhpAj79DGa9DNgJuHw9vAu77sZCljnEdVqLbNuqnT3RXhTHdtb_86JhaW/w480-h640/june%202023-768.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>It was a lovely morning in beautiful scenery.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaizK2WbrK3vm0IiHVJHAb3zBuE6SygKFQfMYnp5itJU8KYnp2a4_fzTmyu-kKRtRCIlLHIvUZK6_P1NZxIDq5mkxjrazshaa9y-1IAKUXoi8xjJ2xf3rMaXMiBwjVhT7yBKLBMBWBxP0uycmfo8CDrSl9YAX0ywkFX5OC45jB079F64_M1NeaVTVsePcl/s1200/june%202023-784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaizK2WbrK3vm0IiHVJHAb3zBuE6SygKFQfMYnp5itJU8KYnp2a4_fzTmyu-kKRtRCIlLHIvUZK6_P1NZxIDq5mkxjrazshaa9y-1IAKUXoi8xjJ2xf3rMaXMiBwjVhT7yBKLBMBWBxP0uycmfo8CDrSl9YAX0ywkFX5OC45jB079F64_M1NeaVTVsePcl/w640-h480/june%202023-784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The aspen were just starting to leaf out. You can see which way the wind blows. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3DkL0dcw-rO760rAxhHhK-cAHBNVh3mmZArv74lcvYiINJwqliDlrMkq6aBbqQd4FqHZVIbp96-braVYqVJzWIZ7bL0T1aSb_soobhKcbaCd_265INPGsuGUIQn7rwtxvezi4xXTJI5WkE400JIq5mwRIvgPaho0f3YpJh8ZBWyr9rU0_EHfq9jPSj2P/s1200/june%202023-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3DkL0dcw-rO760rAxhHhK-cAHBNVh3mmZArv74lcvYiINJwqliDlrMkq6aBbqQd4FqHZVIbp96-braVYqVJzWIZ7bL0T1aSb_soobhKcbaCd_265INPGsuGUIQn7rwtxvezi4xXTJI5WkE400JIq5mwRIvgPaho0f3YpJh8ZBWyr9rU0_EHfq9jPSj2P/w640-h480/june%202023-800.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The top of the mountain is missing!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL_QpIctwMNLr6Tu9v8pc8ErOcqB5S71zyte43V_LbZizfw5XsK1HBYXpsfUpjEuW-NPH4QN7tmeG_dGzFWLtrhItSXdcO7juigZAx1RhdKcqAgC6KQ3WNaPZqbVFBTQ2Vccx5VP_Os5XnDUNO5ejlVLi9NWmx_36lN5pswO77tt4sdb4e7bsYg2cFB9v/s1200/june%202023-801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL_QpIctwMNLr6Tu9v8pc8ErOcqB5S71zyte43V_LbZizfw5XsK1HBYXpsfUpjEuW-NPH4QN7tmeG_dGzFWLtrhItSXdcO7juigZAx1RhdKcqAgC6KQ3WNaPZqbVFBTQ2Vccx5VP_Os5XnDUNO5ejlVLi9NWmx_36lN5pswO77tt4sdb4e7bsYg2cFB9v/w480-h640/june%202023-801.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's fun seeing everything with more snow on it than usual. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the time of this posting, mid-July, there is still a fair bit of snow above 10,000 feet. It's interesting to see how different things look this year, including plants flowering much later, and stream and lake levels higher than usual.</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-26952492781419800732023-07-08T07:22:00.002-07:002023-07-08T07:22:41.550-07:002023 SuperBloom in and near Great Basin National Park<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJzLhgKb32ptmVvtuQWlU8Z625Lu3OlMLs2ms_5O_M_ws1GdfJaHY9u1E8TduerASOLsGgjoi3KDhMRnVGYhCHmgYCnnLSj0XHseN2NXBvV7uw_3ef60_ayyXlb1yjRmd_998cGA64lcfOsofxOZkSPBK3_N9fhaP0idAQatSuwe71ZS_wcFhK8J894AK/s1200/balsamroot%20flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJzLhgKb32ptmVvtuQWlU8Z625Lu3OlMLs2ms_5O_M_ws1GdfJaHY9u1E8TduerASOLsGgjoi3KDhMRnVGYhCHmgYCnnLSj0XHseN2NXBvV7uw_3ef60_ayyXlb1yjRmd_998cGA64lcfOsofxOZkSPBK3_N9fhaP0idAQatSuwe71ZS_wcFhK8J894AK/w640-h480/balsamroot%20flowers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>With the amazing snow we had this past winter, we knew the wildflowers would be good. We just didn't know how good they would be! The Arrowleaf Balsamroot (<i>Balsamorhiza saggita</i>) was amazing up Baker Creek.<p></p><p>The contrast with the snow on the mountains made the colors pop even more!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw5YvTa26RJ9RKBA1xSfpwtKi3mx06GyEV2p_7hKV8C9d4XGV-ltH_5t_m2O0UJJJCdBdxgSC11z6VJuxh_8fqTvU4rh5ie1RWUgmv-upfrhtjNjxaHm7d3J0ILytkQYelU3l_hySKpjEteO_qTKoLVjItX6KNaybZSbEYgsB-R3IVumoRAUN6vIa0Gnd/s1200/Baker%20Creek%20superbloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw5YvTa26RJ9RKBA1xSfpwtKi3mx06GyEV2p_7hKV8C9d4XGV-ltH_5t_m2O0UJJJCdBdxgSC11z6VJuxh_8fqTvU4rh5ie1RWUgmv-upfrhtjNjxaHm7d3J0ILytkQYelU3l_hySKpjEteO_qTKoLVjItX6KNaybZSbEYgsB-R3IVumoRAUN6vIa0Gnd/w480-h640/Baker%20Creek%20superbloom.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I love seeing cactus bloom, as the delicate flowers make such an interesting contrast with the spiky spines. Here's <i>Pediocactus simpsonii</i>, and I have to admit that I know it by it's scientific name and not it's common name. But I looked up the common name for you, and here's what I found: <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">Simpson’s Footcactus, Mountain Ball Cactus, Simpson´s Hedgehog Cactus, Snowball Pediocactus. So there are plenty of common names to choose from!</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM78o1tYkZyJRu_KRbqLEPxNquvb8hdi8AVTWVf9Zpw8XIm7ANXxN7kTEs-fpU-JWr_ljq9KjaH4xB6Y_Q2DYyQ1J3rHjSK8xBO7G1m9J-gN6Ffckt36gyBXKvk8crpbs8BwMUJhXKzvhNnh8g_3TS0AWv7UENVqGWAmZqP5Ka23gaQuvzFNSaMfJD_y0Y/s1200/pediocactus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM78o1tYkZyJRu_KRbqLEPxNquvb8hdi8AVTWVf9Zpw8XIm7ANXxN7kTEs-fpU-JWr_ljq9KjaH4xB6Y_Q2DYyQ1J3rHjSK8xBO7G1m9J-gN6Ffckt36gyBXKvk8crpbs8BwMUJhXKzvhNnh8g_3TS0AWv7UENVqGWAmZqP5Ka23gaQuvzFNSaMfJD_y0Y/w480-h640/pediocactus.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Over in Spring Valley (and quite a few other places), the globemallow put on a spectacular show.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MEZ7ssfi5wLDetc7JaVB_5rQKutscoWdMQdVZ9zEL0ZdbW5dl9vKV5MqvaLViX3Phid3mRMc81q0eLOEWRjliGIE84wNZDuuvNjhgS1Bs47hDtsKjJw_xtr_9LgxlmEGv-gf_v-qRuNiFQdHOsQDlKbviB3RGXT0qrM1li0oWco0fwuXNm9631IG0LW8/s1200/globemallow%20spring%20valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MEZ7ssfi5wLDetc7JaVB_5rQKutscoWdMQdVZ9zEL0ZdbW5dl9vKV5MqvaLViX3Phid3mRMc81q0eLOEWRjliGIE84wNZDuuvNjhgS1Bs47hDtsKjJw_xtr_9LgxlmEGv-gf_v-qRuNiFQdHOsQDlKbviB3RGXT0qrM1li0oWco0fwuXNm9631IG0LW8/w480-h640/globemallow%20spring%20valley.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The bluebells are numerous and especially pretty after a rain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmYl6fj3JYQT8fPulyry9CrF7onOjnqtYYLk2q69S5lg81Hj_Xz2Xi42X2L5h5yEyzwnFjiWhqlGZFbtl84m06s-hK89LZdCUFGhgBvFLjojZpE-eEtm22nXVZ6hAmIt0ZYPxFtc03abcAiKcPGw0u8Q_5wzlSHW6MG3KI-pQ28i52KP3AExfDMAe_kr2/s1200/bluebells.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmYl6fj3JYQT8fPulyry9CrF7onOjnqtYYLk2q69S5lg81Hj_Xz2Xi42X2L5h5yEyzwnFjiWhqlGZFbtl84m06s-hK89LZdCUFGhgBvFLjojZpE-eEtm22nXVZ6hAmIt0ZYPxFtc03abcAiKcPGw0u8Q_5wzlSHW6MG3KI-pQ28i52KP3AExfDMAe_kr2/w640-h480/bluebells.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I think this is Engelmann''s Hedgehog Cactus (<i>Echinocereus engelmannii</i>). So beautiful on a cloudy day.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnwPbAOSMArFOWfOwBA_BsfsXXFtiokyFfctouXktQGEVw716p4VdJyjLNpBRQurWV4dHDDosLikw9T-fVsZyMHN3vyW6uVlMVZ88P7m2MtXllwhaOHPiNdtNCh8sozLYrW0DF8eq-1le0hhxdKyZ-QIknO6HKbHuKoT-hu9pX2gxOis1RBoznVKQpepa/s1200/cactus%20flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnwPbAOSMArFOWfOwBA_BsfsXXFtiokyFfctouXktQGEVw716p4VdJyjLNpBRQurWV4dHDDosLikw9T-fVsZyMHN3vyW6uVlMVZ88P7m2MtXllwhaOHPiNdtNCh8sozLYrW0DF8eq-1le0hhxdKyZ-QIknO6HKbHuKoT-hu9pX2gxOis1RBoznVKQpepa/w480-h640/cactus%20flowers.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The flowers are gorgeous.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZrkLV7PYf-VGFFbTc0BKJEHCW_zvm89-WZj1vb4vZ8sT1PqzXehdHW9LMfGPE_JKsfHNYw-8UM6ai1sZHE-eSxH6jbxhOVxF0lJtWtYHMSx1t_ojLoOxcjblgHAKLfRBhN_UTJfqE9iPTd4FzzaTCui1SfXs6egX9d_xwAi-mmGpCjWzbIBH7woHGxF_/s1200/cactus%20flowers-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZrkLV7PYf-VGFFbTc0BKJEHCW_zvm89-WZj1vb4vZ8sT1PqzXehdHW9LMfGPE_JKsfHNYw-8UM6ai1sZHE-eSxH6jbxhOVxF0lJtWtYHMSx1t_ojLoOxcjblgHAKLfRBhN_UTJfqE9iPTd4FzzaTCui1SfXs6egX9d_xwAi-mmGpCjWzbIBH7woHGxF_/w480-h640/cactus%20flowers-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The superbloom of Arrowleaf Balsamroot was also found in part of the burned area on the Osceola Ditch Trail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_wHt5fmuwIXDzZ0aWDH7JrLTN33Q_0H9-xkaK_JrZc-AiaI9LMp13u_eL3HyskGiCH-0dG6k76SbXCcgvUQGxN_cIIY6XRjIH8-s2PG2DMnEe6Tf8qOdsEHU1uI8DICmfcDDOQLgxO2YRcxWQ4yx6XkTpm7HSuqEOo2-zoRF7uQdDTgMQ4rZMiQzIvev/s1200/craig%20walking%20in%20arrowleaf%20balsamroot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_wHt5fmuwIXDzZ0aWDH7JrLTN33Q_0H9-xkaK_JrZc-AiaI9LMp13u_eL3HyskGiCH-0dG6k76SbXCcgvUQGxN_cIIY6XRjIH8-s2PG2DMnEe6Tf8qOdsEHU1uI8DICmfcDDOQLgxO2YRcxWQ4yx6XkTpm7HSuqEOo2-zoRF7uQdDTgMQ4rZMiQzIvev/w480-h640/craig%20walking%20in%20arrowleaf%20balsamroot.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Although it's so cool to look at the sea of color, I also like taking a closer look at individual flowers. I think this is a Hemipteran (true bug).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL81w3OhfGTnl4-VI9BinSaV2NqLfMmKtu9_BVhuinN5JenOJ9iGPBjhUlhhTFZ4pptLqb4PhtMJ4dbRKK5lNd9WK1wthDbjA4wREswiHfQ0s9AjYKHFCi6AM_jE9cKHBJ7T5WVADx1I1q-zjcYrhfFtCkTDY2c15pzsuA1xmzbG0qGjht7lBvt-iqfLVO/s1200/hemiptera%20flower.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL81w3OhfGTnl4-VI9BinSaV2NqLfMmKtu9_BVhuinN5JenOJ9iGPBjhUlhhTFZ4pptLqb4PhtMJ4dbRKK5lNd9WK1wthDbjA4wREswiHfQ0s9AjYKHFCi6AM_jE9cKHBJ7T5WVADx1I1q-zjcYrhfFtCkTDY2c15pzsuA1xmzbG0qGjht7lBvt-iqfLVO/w640-h480/hemiptera%20flower.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And here's a ladybug hiding out.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3ifVUNyuwvewA75ywOrKADjBNy2-GQAdy62OwHcyzeaPAVL6kUVyEkNKCsHiNt8kjxCy9D8Nf5OWc2FghSfEgzin2qwA7d6t_MMfrzAmlFAXy2MfspL1otG4dZY3f7c9TmcVuOpU2OrXEhHsadZWm9mto69oxEPPTZzzGjWpGy3prlN-PNWbiVu4JAQU/s1200/ladybug%20closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3ifVUNyuwvewA75ywOrKADjBNy2-GQAdy62OwHcyzeaPAVL6kUVyEkNKCsHiNt8kjxCy9D8Nf5OWc2FghSfEgzin2qwA7d6t_MMfrzAmlFAXy2MfspL1otG4dZY3f7c9TmcVuOpU2OrXEhHsadZWm9mto69oxEPPTZzzGjWpGy3prlN-PNWbiVu4JAQU/w480-h640/ladybug%20closeup.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've been wanting to take more Milky Way photos with flowers, but have been struggling with wind making the flowers blurry. Here are some Prickly Poppies with the Milky Way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj132-3j2Sx0fO212c56rOFaHKHmY_Ev0Rbw-6gx6rc1tFli4V3TNTmph6M9jQ7QEZfF7TnxJXu4FxK5-rT-UGr72ad5_0ytgrp0kXKirZA42ByGSt1i9goYp0p2U7eAN2EsB7RoN2agODJMxuXx7OKIEPX_oOwV91QN_Q5ptpd3cvwmzv_N6bCyCUfrJWP/s1200/prickly%20poppy%20and%20milky%20way.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1159" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj132-3j2Sx0fO212c56rOFaHKHmY_Ev0Rbw-6gx6rc1tFli4V3TNTmph6M9jQ7QEZfF7TnxJXu4FxK5-rT-UGr72ad5_0ytgrp0kXKirZA42ByGSt1i9goYp0p2U7eAN2EsB7RoN2agODJMxuXx7OKIEPX_oOwV91QN_Q5ptpd3cvwmzv_N6bCyCUfrJWP/w618-h640/prickly%20poppy%20and%20milky%20way.JPG" width="618" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And some Palmer's Penstemon with the Milky Way. Even though the photos aren't turning out how I want, it's still beautiful to observe the night sky in such gorgeous conditions.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVG4MR3mFKVv_k4Gr44kz2yOh_WGRhUGq-oaUBUNXTh11bh1XKWFP6EMQfZBU2tsrMbCei7sVWhpkQzn6Es0x9PuyQbG-e1qFveDkLPZTGWpRRGQ2F7sixQ5bkd7sd-Bo7rFy9tNBN9qwDaoY8s9WnyxQuauBlymcIFOV6VVye25srhpoDQKHue8Plmblg/s1200/parry's%20primrose%20and%20milky%20way.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVG4MR3mFKVv_k4Gr44kz2yOh_WGRhUGq-oaUBUNXTh11bh1XKWFP6EMQfZBU2tsrMbCei7sVWhpkQzn6Es0x9PuyQbG-e1qFveDkLPZTGWpRRGQ2F7sixQ5bkd7sd-Bo7rFy9tNBN9qwDaoY8s9WnyxQuauBlymcIFOV6VVye25srhpoDQKHue8Plmblg/w640-h426/parry's%20primrose%20and%20milky%20way.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A closeup of the Palmer's Penstemon, those sexy beasts!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxrNU3Al9F0wOuV6hjhHH34pQteVpvRQUma26e_sEJNnTYPNIlX-IzZA4H8lxeJhZNRdGRkNvoWFhIAKimaZJduFQcz0iZNYInaI-RSXsQZWYVN2y7BQT7XstPRpGM4dgAPNz-VlxjX9MVyge_DxCSPGka98zcuWCpZC2heY89LVpXfaaWqIJO_CrA-4-/s1200/palmer's%20penstemon.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxrNU3Al9F0wOuV6hjhHH34pQteVpvRQUma26e_sEJNnTYPNIlX-IzZA4H8lxeJhZNRdGRkNvoWFhIAKimaZJduFQcz0iZNYInaI-RSXsQZWYVN2y7BQT7XstPRpGM4dgAPNz-VlxjX9MVyge_DxCSPGka98zcuWCpZC2heY89LVpXfaaWqIJO_CrA-4-/w640-h480/palmer's%20penstemon.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Arrowleaf Balsamroot also decorated Strawberry Creek.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppsx0HSFzEu-QKD90FwVbBmLrEeQIKo54gIMkBb0s1uWMWYavATybIi8xj6mHiGDCEnupN1AjDIbDYr7wxA5P4cR9RfSAc2SNBnZp5WV__gNLhZgNNnhBNnLGCZKYVrbNZCirJuffLTocIEDrlrik5pvjZ3NIVhcyhQh1kDyJOgKoY0koD_m9DGOP8A9O/s1200/superbloom%20strawberry%20creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppsx0HSFzEu-QKD90FwVbBmLrEeQIKo54gIMkBb0s1uWMWYavATybIi8xj6mHiGDCEnupN1AjDIbDYr7wxA5P4cR9RfSAc2SNBnZp5WV__gNLhZgNNnhBNnLGCZKYVrbNZCirJuffLTocIEDrlrik5pvjZ3NIVhcyhQh1kDyJOgKoY0koD_m9DGOP8A9O/w640-h480/superbloom%20strawberry%20creek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A friend shared a Facebook post about an unusual flower in Spring Valley. I was intrigued and investigated and found it to be Toano Milkvetch, which has a limited distribution. Nevertheless, it was easy to find in 2023 along the sides of the highway!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxAssiZ3jhjVtVQK7hzY_ec5So_WRVJm8Pjx-M0nZmNRYcpgYxmE4_PecmekB6Rp8EYHUN0N7tNLCdOZbGEByr-RyskY3XUq7s6smQI1MMk_BXiQ5uLTHPwAeOYsFDMN6GQuU7wydtPb3Hb60oJz6KKK63kgAefj6MkiO53CKbyHT944okYCdGOD65-fG/s1200/toano%20milkvetch%20and%20wheeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxAssiZ3jhjVtVQK7hzY_ec5So_WRVJm8Pjx-M0nZmNRYcpgYxmE4_PecmekB6Rp8EYHUN0N7tNLCdOZbGEByr-RyskY3XUq7s6smQI1MMk_BXiQ5uLTHPwAeOYsFDMN6GQuU7wydtPb3Hb60oJz6KKK63kgAefj6MkiO53CKbyHT944okYCdGOD65-fG/w480-h640/toano%20milkvetch%20and%20wheeler.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Most milkvetch grows low to the ground, but Toano Milkvetch gets over a meter high!</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LlgtLQSAOtoMo1JBVuqD2B8azzPP3hAG-K9GsoZRxVrAoFuNQyeuA5tVepgGf3R0G4cDx7AP0ZVM2Zkni1t7GA5Bk5JbgMAU71H_QRt2P-u78kB1E67sIK9ZAqPUaM2kTwXSVpCnDle9FNMb2eb8SOuAirW-d3VlZbOZSrBYEkDqAysp4aC62Y-hLm5U/s1200/toano%20milkvetch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LlgtLQSAOtoMo1JBVuqD2B8azzPP3hAG-K9GsoZRxVrAoFuNQyeuA5tVepgGf3R0G4cDx7AP0ZVM2Zkni1t7GA5Bk5JbgMAU71H_QRt2P-u78kB1E67sIK9ZAqPUaM2kTwXSVpCnDle9FNMb2eb8SOuAirW-d3VlZbOZSrBYEkDqAysp4aC62Y-hLm5U/w480-h640/toano%20milkvetch.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I saw some in a different color and had to stop again!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5fH4uuvHLudX08OobTn84j3LoUMRls6cXApokVsqxLA6hhVo-zIsLLCxdnQS4cWqH3Hwahx8PfzjI4l8JzT7O6SkaFQ8MdLnE4N1Grv06tR_Y51LlXcl1lBvY9QujWfMO9Jg9rbW7juPD89x7-TEYfVoIWtYsS6WiuaJxO4QUMzv6-_EzANu788bQgJ/s1200/toano%20milkvetch-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5fH4uuvHLudX08OobTn84j3LoUMRls6cXApokVsqxLA6hhVo-zIsLLCxdnQS4cWqH3Hwahx8PfzjI4l8JzT7O6SkaFQ8MdLnE4N1Grv06tR_Y51LlXcl1lBvY9QujWfMO9Jg9rbW7juPD89x7-TEYfVoIWtYsS6WiuaJxO4QUMzv6-_EzANu788bQgJ/w480-h640/toano%20milkvetch-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The white verion of Toano Milkvetch! You can even see the highway in this photo.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXWzq-5BoWrVE6i3TipED8ntmy4u07pKr8yMTZbXdEOaPKQhY4gDpS6S1hgTeJ9lkatcOKqhXLsSIis_NVMgJqt5rhq6a1vysKDneHJ-u9DTE2LXdO3FYVM07tLRF-iW3Uizjr6w9NsnVQFJapR8NJhwozkvKBqSN2v0jobwRhePhk1V4TcFz_Tr2De8c/s1200/toano%20milkvetch%20and%20wheeler-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXWzq-5BoWrVE6i3TipED8ntmy4u07pKr8yMTZbXdEOaPKQhY4gDpS6S1hgTeJ9lkatcOKqhXLsSIis_NVMgJqt5rhq6a1vysKDneHJ-u9DTE2LXdO3FYVM07tLRF-iW3Uizjr6w9NsnVQFJapR8NJhwozkvKBqSN2v0jobwRhePhk1V4TcFz_Tr2De8c/w480-h640/toano%20milkvetch%20and%20wheeler-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Prickly Pear Cactus (<i>Opuntia polycantha</i>) has been flowering well this year.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqV_vScMzwzXXK-Q94Ijg2t3tebeOtUY7j0AxZPWB-M3M17MjHaDoE7Mka19UuYjx84759heuBH5fhSc7dWqupdkJh9KnU2ACckLrGzuttcju75ohoWcnjtLKak_VHm_AKkp7_2XDxHKso5um8-Ycxph8SupUy3SlPTTaJnak7J9pGXXdw4p07eBELQPU/s1200/yellow%20pricklypear-677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqV_vScMzwzXXK-Q94Ijg2t3tebeOtUY7j0AxZPWB-M3M17MjHaDoE7Mka19UuYjx84759heuBH5fhSc7dWqupdkJh9KnU2ACckLrGzuttcju75ohoWcnjtLKak_VHm_AKkp7_2XDxHKso5um8-Ycxph8SupUy3SlPTTaJnak7J9pGXXdw4p07eBELQPU/w640-h480/yellow%20pricklypear-677.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Up in the meadow in South Fork Baker Creek, the shooting stars are amazing in early July.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh050LXpYGoc_rZbjcLmh70GFBJML2mWfrSel0lBjlUM1JEBJ0vTHFa56Fcj4fxQQuE5P6gHjO3mo1_759jxiew2y9tV9PTb0dX6PUY1kwp0HYAmhqktwvgl8bcov3D_uL5SU9pu0kifNJx4s5SWY5iZM31ptX0Ti_QwJvidOy6Gd4q8HQi8FWhd6YrruCr/s1200/PXL_20230704_173331923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh050LXpYGoc_rZbjcLmh70GFBJML2mWfrSel0lBjlUM1JEBJ0vTHFa56Fcj4fxQQuE5P6gHjO3mo1_759jxiew2y9tV9PTb0dX6PUY1kwp0HYAmhqktwvgl8bcov3D_uL5SU9pu0kifNJx4s5SWY5iZM31ptX0Ti_QwJvidOy6Gd4q8HQi8FWhd6YrruCr/w482-h640/PXL_20230704_173331923.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>They are such delicate flowers. It sure would be fun to be lying next to the shooting stars and look up into the night sky and see a real shooting star. (Of course, they grow in kind of wet soils, so maybe this is better off as a dream than reality.)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c5oTpA7g-PHdphs-SkjlgBtKTqppxbbTIuA_CAYLrtEKH-HRiW2t0A7Pgq96i5BlVVfZboR7WvyigPONS6hzN44XyASL6oAtLqva47n6n02J3GEnhwaI5cslbFjnQ0yqVTy77uzShicspsYdBfXGbRHT4ioRmgdgxoM6x08vCnm9L4rgfIgO2N0uqSzh/s1200/shooting%20star.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c5oTpA7g-PHdphs-SkjlgBtKTqppxbbTIuA_CAYLrtEKH-HRiW2t0A7Pgq96i5BlVVfZboR7WvyigPONS6hzN44XyASL6oAtLqva47n6n02J3GEnhwaI5cslbFjnQ0yqVTy77uzShicspsYdBfXGbRHT4ioRmgdgxoM6x08vCnm9L4rgfIgO2N0uqSzh/w482-h640/shooting%20star.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Groundsels are blooming well, but what really caught my attention were the aphids, the oval dark insects on the plant. They are true bugs (Hemiptera), and I'm organizing t<a href="https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/nature/great-basin-bioblitz.htm" target="_blank">he Hemiptera BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park August 15-17,</a> so paying extra attention to them. About 5,000 species of aphids are known, with several hundred recognized as pests. Some are specialists, only feeding on one species of plant, while others are generalists. What I find is cool is that the aphids such sap out of the plant, making honeydew. Ants have a mutualist relationship with the aphids, climbing up the plant to suck the honeydew (free lunch!) and protecting the aphids from predators. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1vcXh6sVuRyghtCXozrIm7FVPX6tMPAXR8TsYH8lpLmdvhcgKKKW19tWNpamCqNIad-wrUsPJyDPRsz2bKp2R_gGyWu_sUaHc83BT6VcOdMQEsX_9ti4_fwpYpQldYEzGXXAHoRHx461t6nRE4ikDq-Gtrf65fZ8k5sL1u2RYaNHhvqWgUNBJZz6pPVs/s1200/aphids%20and%20ants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1vcXh6sVuRyghtCXozrIm7FVPX6tMPAXR8TsYH8lpLmdvhcgKKKW19tWNpamCqNIad-wrUsPJyDPRsz2bKp2R_gGyWu_sUaHc83BT6VcOdMQEsX_9ti4_fwpYpQldYEzGXXAHoRHx461t6nRE4ikDq-Gtrf65fZ8k5sL1u2RYaNHhvqWgUNBJZz6pPVs/w482-h640/aphids%20and%20ants.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><p>One more superbloom photo to close out this post. I am trying to put more of my flower and insect photos on <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/home" target="_blank">iNaturalist</a>, especially since the timing of some of these flowers is so late this year. It's great to record the phenology (timing) of the plants so we know how they can vary. I hope you have been able to see some beautiful flowers this summer!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0KMEAjqOhaoCg4fGDMZTSCNYbCA_CEYPcw0CsRqJ6r9CSN_Ppy0DcbCypVER3_8x852hiYVkYiI3Mkqh6XuepBr6Vex-0RsKouL-QDNcx6UKAo4hNzW2r0nuOlUX6IFEbXGwaY9oDeefarg3p1Y2Tn8Q-Th_jel8axeI8n17ODu16D6EQ35LI7wAfwmu/s1200/sunnier%20superbloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="961" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0KMEAjqOhaoCg4fGDMZTSCNYbCA_CEYPcw0CsRqJ6r9CSN_Ppy0DcbCypVER3_8x852hiYVkYiI3Mkqh6XuepBr6Vex-0RsKouL-QDNcx6UKAo4hNzW2r0nuOlUX6IFEbXGwaY9oDeefarg3p1Y2Tn8Q-Th_jel8axeI8n17ODu16D6EQ35LI7wAfwmu/w512-h640/sunnier%20superbloom.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-38379967622919854982023-06-06T05:50:00.004-07:002023-06-06T05:56:30.951-07:00Osceola Ditch Hike 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF0-qsOYkgcCRQkEI5qgDZtHRfeDR-AYhrZV7ieicoMaNYIV1KEutKwQABvDrQ0X2HqM0AHhqZTqD8jPE11qOomMsENtKyKieSE10kqMFPP2ZFFOR-u2xz1M7fLB6eKaGQAywPAtc7hvZ1XMX9HRu_SbP9R3eDnap1wskgyD9DqtSDKf2M2un3Aw_ZA/s1200/PXL_20230528_142923475.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF0-qsOYkgcCRQkEI5qgDZtHRfeDR-AYhrZV7ieicoMaNYIV1KEutKwQABvDrQ0X2HqM0AHhqZTqD8jPE11qOomMsENtKyKieSE10kqMFPP2ZFFOR-u2xz1M7fLB6eKaGQAywPAtc7hvZ1XMX9HRu_SbP9R3eDnap1wskgyD9DqtSDKf2M2un3Aw_ZA/w640-h480/PXL_20230528_142923475.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>With the high country closed due to snow and some roads washed out (like Lexington and Snake Creek), hiking options are a little more limited. There are still fantastic options, like the Osceola Ditch Trail, a five-mile long trail from the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive to Strawberry Creek in Great Basin National Park. </div><div><br /></div><div>Expect to get your feet wet on the 1/3-mile access trail if you're doing it early in the season. The water will soon dry up, but for now, it crosses the trail and flows on the trail in places.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvHbesZL5bulZ-R-fNsN1PSad0BvCEIAc_yA9POdbvwWWKWr-qcTdw8zIjGfuXKwHj7uhR-baMBgXlppMgrTlfwK3RhhlpLrUBKHkMRsXTeDmeF2KKUiyiCJPm_4MhevIXKl8LxAko-dWA8C0GVf_WKOPyWPb-IvN5RnEWChXGl6WCT6FyCkapNcWww/s1200/PXL_20230528_143124529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvHbesZL5bulZ-R-fNsN1PSad0BvCEIAc_yA9POdbvwWWKWr-qcTdw8zIjGfuXKwHj7uhR-baMBgXlppMgrTlfwK3RhhlpLrUBKHkMRsXTeDmeF2KKUiyiCJPm_4MhevIXKl8LxAko-dWA8C0GVf_WKOPyWPb-IvN5RnEWChXGl6WCT6FyCkapNcWww/w480-h640/PXL_20230528_143124529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Many flowers abound, like these hanging bluebells.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtZerDVWooFbUPx0innZ8Zqq6WtSOs8INPCmc1KD4y-d8sxMsew4CqTk0rTfe5UGAnUy05xSL-38rkrr7aNtExsFdhr_Ljs43CpRJpF9QA_zFJoOy-QctB5BhD7BmH89CxZYlg5-pdLHlIvbggv2YkqrycW5IDnJIJXZtorDZhbbIzTkQZqfPPaXRKQ/s1200/PXL_20230528_143712549.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtZerDVWooFbUPx0innZ8Zqq6WtSOs8INPCmc1KD4y-d8sxMsew4CqTk0rTfe5UGAnUy05xSL-38rkrr7aNtExsFdhr_Ljs43CpRJpF9QA_zFJoOy-QctB5BhD7BmH89CxZYlg5-pdLHlIvbggv2YkqrycW5IDnJIJXZtorDZhbbIzTkQZqfPPaXRKQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230528_143712549.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There's more info when you reach the ditch about why such a long ditch was built for so little water. The main answer: for gold mining. However, the ditch didn't work out so well, so stopped being used in 1905.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYkmgC73zXgD2inADphD3GtqQXE3TiaNf7GxmSqN9pQ2IsI06o5LJXIdO1CrsqAdnlDp0DyHh2-jo-iSP-641WZENWZL7li8xt_0H-t0BKuREg1No9tHOY6fAHFcJjNrjeufMZqhzGY9DzZouSv1-oviK1q8d6dX0bq-c-QvjSyO7iwK2KFriE72sA/s1200/PXL_20230528_144532388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYkmgC73zXgD2inADphD3GtqQXE3TiaNf7GxmSqN9pQ2IsI06o5LJXIdO1CrsqAdnlDp0DyHh2-jo-iSP-641WZENWZL7li8xt_0H-t0BKuREg1No9tHOY6fAHFcJjNrjeufMZqhzGY9DzZouSv1-oviK1q8d6dX0bq-c-QvjSyO7iwK2KFriE72sA/w640-h480/PXL_20230528_144532388.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Much of the ditch can still be seen more than 100 years later. You can travel along five miles of it to Strawberry Creek, which my husband and I did this past weekend.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4aUxIlDGGHkIEjrwk8Oh3Pd2HHnQXsUihzmiGbBGoNj1ehbjsnrBWluG3tzgj1KbwEk3VFiDeRV3ZeZBiyoUJa6NojvetEI2EU149Y6x8lIGHydi3F4gLtSnkCs9qVBazAUuonY27sPtXb2aKXx7X1QnfH9WQI538rWtVbDpSFGI5iZLadFr9lVGaQ/s1200/PXL_20230528_144554098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4aUxIlDGGHkIEjrwk8Oh3Pd2HHnQXsUihzmiGbBGoNj1ehbjsnrBWluG3tzgj1KbwEk3VFiDeRV3ZeZBiyoUJa6NojvetEI2EU149Y6x8lIGHydi3F4gLtSnkCs9qVBazAUuonY27sPtXb2aKXx7X1QnfH9WQI538rWtVbDpSFGI5iZLadFr9lVGaQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230528_144554098.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Sections of the route are very rocky. Obviously that wouldn't hold water so well.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJih-xaQW1aB2RaMjLmWDU58OBsn9RuHQe4hEK8z4MqdeEVrcjQfLLQePyTHZXKRNLMftSBgTHYwkuEUsbQQuEAbeWEkY8Yg-GzB6vWpJIsmWLediA1XEuF7eI86n0O5EKIWlhYLhaouIogDML8oQ4aYjw_0KYku0sW9Rlfkq_C_JB5X2RHrI_9vjDDA/s1200/PXL_20230528_144823206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJih-xaQW1aB2RaMjLmWDU58OBsn9RuHQe4hEK8z4MqdeEVrcjQfLLQePyTHZXKRNLMftSBgTHYwkuEUsbQQuEAbeWEkY8Yg-GzB6vWpJIsmWLediA1XEuF7eI86n0O5EKIWlhYLhaouIogDML8oQ4aYjw_0KYku0sW9Rlfkq_C_JB5X2RHrI_9vjDDA/w640-h480/PXL_20230528_144823206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So little viaducts made of wood were built to cross the talus. Amazingly, some of it still exists.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlfoSMw6o0-tRorJo2QFPPXPUKqA4YmlHS6FW1kh95WEqZHvDYLkeYh3cE3ULrxExqmC4VZ4Ah3EAZdvrr6NMr80BWL0C19jJIUuq_bofxLW50IDpXiWd9xUJRooB9DbJ-Big_go4S_tMFlx_dszA_xq3SOdI0iREOif-KQ1-rgr-cJ4Bn4VuZZ4aZQ/s1200/PXL_20230528_153216926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlfoSMw6o0-tRorJo2QFPPXPUKqA4YmlHS6FW1kh95WEqZHvDYLkeYh3cE3ULrxExqmC4VZ4Ah3EAZdvrr6NMr80BWL0C19jJIUuq_bofxLW50IDpXiWd9xUJRooB9DbJ-Big_go4S_tMFlx_dszA_xq3SOdI0iREOif-KQ1-rgr-cJ4Bn4VuZZ4aZQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230528_153216926.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Although it's tempting to just go fast, I really enjoy taking the time to look at some flowers, like these woodland stars.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1wA4QIvXPowBgnsUMW7eoxw6m0jwl7RCfR8OP6g5Iri-A8TOzRsicQoOfkgZp3d8GTcDNT4gPDE7fatbzsWRnSp0FWOr0UZnc2kO68h7yXwrP18dojfmeQwUI1XNgOtvdPnlzg-EvgVKnz3npOcCMfCw506f3L1Bn8ASCOCAnETdEwC8lPq0F-AQMQ/s1200/PXL_20230528_145814487.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1wA4QIvXPowBgnsUMW7eoxw6m0jwl7RCfR8OP6g5Iri-A8TOzRsicQoOfkgZp3d8GTcDNT4gPDE7fatbzsWRnSp0FWOr0UZnc2kO68h7yXwrP18dojfmeQwUI1XNgOtvdPnlzg-EvgVKnz3npOcCMfCw506f3L1Bn8ASCOCAnETdEwC8lPq0F-AQMQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230528_145814487.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Two types of yellow violets grow in the Park; these are Nuttall's violets.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSIviKKtPEl4u3hbmZMYDK_SGP2uvtkSyX2IcNaNXUdG2O3I4BaeSkyz9M07vM9oJw7lf0hmRXjwnCGt0rUTJABwNhfJWWnWewLhq4xmnca1Z-qkrEKYaZrPBlXruEs4_aLshFSXt-vGquSGxk0fm3kMMtqMaG4L3asviGrpVHiiNhV7BvyGxDaCxTA/s1200/PXL_20230528_150947603.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSIviKKtPEl4u3hbmZMYDK_SGP2uvtkSyX2IcNaNXUdG2O3I4BaeSkyz9M07vM9oJw7lf0hmRXjwnCGt0rUTJABwNhfJWWnWewLhq4xmnca1Z-qkrEKYaZrPBlXruEs4_aLshFSXt-vGquSGxk0fm3kMMtqMaG4L3asviGrpVHiiNhV7BvyGxDaCxTA/w480-h640/PXL_20230528_150947603.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of the trail is very easy to follow, with mountain mahogany nearly making a tunnel over the trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7zfR7iGhVD-h50UtXfElaQhvv6C4x6urpLAdamDnpGSSmJvN9hAz3uDv_yREnUj12ioYH71CuAVkl2Yp11ZqL2vEa5S7Y5SESBJF6pil5EOUNUEOHnFhDDPeZQST8s009g7w9f6uwPTuqX0v3dDcvaBpJ-empIboShji5WSC5knG2Pri4NBLq6uR9w/s1200/PXL_20230528_152758541.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7zfR7iGhVD-h50UtXfElaQhvv6C4x6urpLAdamDnpGSSmJvN9hAz3uDv_yREnUj12ioYH71CuAVkl2Yp11ZqL2vEa5S7Y5SESBJF6pil5EOUNUEOHnFhDDPeZQST8s009g7w9f6uwPTuqX0v3dDcvaBpJ-empIboShji5WSC5knG2Pri4NBLq6uR9w/w640-h480/PXL_20230528_152758541.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>About a mile away is Mill Creek. A log provides a bridge across the small stream.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIEKmmKuyZYPxSTnd-itzgBGPoJ5nHpk--bQggFnvbbf6jBv5TZ31NtqII8rCyuNae5efdmUhToosOBshjdUDWgQif8tXKB33RsFUnPx7MZyhVNzazXStNWr8K6j9t3wP6uMGbEayXdCdHkFX4tfyNYO2xBbqmqtK1YsHC4K-b7NhPg-kJZVnn_-rgQ/s1200/mill%20creek.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIEKmmKuyZYPxSTnd-itzgBGPoJ5nHpk--bQggFnvbbf6jBv5TZ31NtqII8rCyuNae5efdmUhToosOBshjdUDWgQif8tXKB33RsFUnPx7MZyhVNzazXStNWr8K6j9t3wP6uMGbEayXdCdHkFX4tfyNYO2xBbqmqtK1YsHC4K-b7NhPg-kJZVnn_-rgQ/w640-h480/mill%20creek.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then the trail heads north and recent trail crews have made it super nice. If you turn and look back, you get a glimpse of snow-covered Doso Doyabi.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEo1CvQMJe3Y9axDg8vlMxvFNEih9UopHLGSVAiPQcVN5D54f8deGAP4pwqo5qbc9yKtFRllvXP6QCTPmEyG2A2PrtYCxlA6hxVZJa11nT7zE-LUrJtVRRxwy6dCbRwpGx7-m6q0044NULBovWPaaDLJkxoxz-FwzXzv2itL3zklbo5gb7wVrAaIOQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_150238355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEo1CvQMJe3Y9axDg8vlMxvFNEih9UopHLGSVAiPQcVN5D54f8deGAP4pwqo5qbc9yKtFRllvXP6QCTPmEyG2A2PrtYCxlA6hxVZJa11nT7zE-LUrJtVRRxwy6dCbRwpGx7-m6q0044NULBovWPaaDLJkxoxz-FwzXzv2itL3zklbo5gb7wVrAaIOQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_150238355.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I really enjoyed this very twisted tree.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3Y7j44EsSWCIfdXajtX7lgFFu-UhSn-P-l9PMz2g8UfFsMystDohF_zUa8_bgTdHJo9y2cdnVBHsRBlhJWlZs6f02HEKkAq_joQRsw1N4FpB0oOfIWgnEeDfkR0aElZNNIyUkf5sMBpAVLicuQGskcYXOkAsk86JP5WSSzor0C1cMVBI0MXnelHG5g/s1200/PXL_20230604_150442112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3Y7j44EsSWCIfdXajtX7lgFFu-UhSn-P-l9PMz2g8UfFsMystDohF_zUa8_bgTdHJo9y2cdnVBHsRBlhJWlZs6f02HEKkAq_joQRsw1N4FpB0oOfIWgnEeDfkR0aElZNNIyUkf5sMBpAVLicuQGskcYXOkAsk86JP5WSSzor0C1cMVBI0MXnelHG5g/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_150442112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>About a mile from Mill Creek, yellow flowers start appearing, Arrowleaf Balsamroot.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH4pSNbFi5eVAo1_STOuNEp7m4tGBA_2Fe8wva6Ij6-__n7FM5-ahSlDYnQB-KI7ybb1kThfYYoGAtpQ0qz7hSJweoIeoJJevFNS26PwUl_bwixEA_5_fximUzuorVjk76hh56C1jFB9h7NxHzkVswssotxMKPTdO3ih849HztIHhsYrdZhdvVHwvnQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_151214894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH4pSNbFi5eVAo1_STOuNEp7m4tGBA_2Fe8wva6Ij6-__n7FM5-ahSlDYnQB-KI7ybb1kThfYYoGAtpQ0qz7hSJweoIeoJJevFNS26PwUl_bwixEA_5_fximUzuorVjk76hh56C1jFB9h7NxHzkVswssotxMKPTdO3ih849HztIHhsYrdZhdvVHwvnQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_151214894.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before long, they are everywhere! They seem to have proliferated in the burned area.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircleOOBJN6dnwxBqSLkKpuzFhkHyTPx8vjGZcXKBcLrCrxqLTdw3hjtNdbCf1OclJDRRseABBVxF4IXI9GQ3hhyboV1Y025ScjERYhl5pEvIdYb63viSkP7JV_czfbZIWLCqqu4gJksMslXwppDEsEdWbv-3tgn0KE1n-MSYXJCzXVJykOVNz57RQ0g/s1200/PXL_20230604_151904190.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircleOOBJN6dnwxBqSLkKpuzFhkHyTPx8vjGZcXKBcLrCrxqLTdw3hjtNdbCf1OclJDRRseABBVxF4IXI9GQ3hhyboV1Y025ScjERYhl5pEvIdYb63viSkP7JV_czfbZIWLCqqu4gJksMslXwppDEsEdWbv-3tgn0KE1n-MSYXJCzXVJykOVNz57RQ0g/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_151904190.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They cover the trail, too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeypCeJ61zKnKQMIOrZMORu03Y_EFHoAKjldc6FInuUyvMXaE7UVpfDZM0m3J02-DCHmsVOV-pNknucmb4OO_ERx8fUPyOORTgIU5ifUeyT7pspLHTphmysSnfuxZa2TwkrkVKkfn4xKrKHFsEhc8I3CWmVuYMUUnd1NTF-TSF5m_a4UfbYzp74HFsw/s1200/PXL_20230604_151955426.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeypCeJ61zKnKQMIOrZMORu03Y_EFHoAKjldc6FInuUyvMXaE7UVpfDZM0m3J02-DCHmsVOV-pNknucmb4OO_ERx8fUPyOORTgIU5ifUeyT7pspLHTphmysSnfuxZa2TwkrkVKkfn4xKrKHFsEhc8I3CWmVuYMUUnd1NTF-TSF5m_a4UfbYzp74HFsw/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_151955426.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then it's time to round the corner and head into Strawberry Creek watershed. The snow-capped Schell Creek mountains are in the distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HijE29kmUgXWKLGD9U4Q3pH_AidAzZ_fr6c4g0daDu75ScTw3nEvKtAYz98IlkJcv0kUzGZRefZc329q0EEPN_9DcRSY_3K09Nl9CveR_BC31-0nwDph_Li14EftwFQIOH2JgKMxLN3N4jvF1DzA3L4_vfvUp4bo7VtaG4yjBqdmzxOu-1BQsXdYTQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_152422314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HijE29kmUgXWKLGD9U4Q3pH_AidAzZ_fr6c4g0daDu75ScTw3nEvKtAYz98IlkJcv0kUzGZRefZc329q0EEPN_9DcRSY_3K09Nl9CveR_BC31-0nwDph_Li14EftwFQIOH2JgKMxLN3N4jvF1DzA3L4_vfvUp4bo7VtaG4yjBqdmzxOu-1BQsXdYTQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_152422314.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's a stark difference rounding the mountain. The balsamroot disappears. There are lots of penstemon and some lupine, but they haven't bloomed yet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrEIXO09dcXOKEd5N8KtIP23jj3f1ShIxzqk8wqtG_Metrjc8SROSOH2extBD0yi-h-olA_CD8vhmpGYm_Me3_QJCU7qP9LyQQpY90_L9rYAtNUHZ84_MG1AER3p7Mo8XVyAzzzWt7QlFAyh1h1LUrsLlpiMC2BLvL429cUcWO0vzUXForWcTyk1t7g/s1200/PXL_20230604_153104823.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrEIXO09dcXOKEd5N8KtIP23jj3f1ShIxzqk8wqtG_Metrjc8SROSOH2extBD0yi-h-olA_CD8vhmpGYm_Me3_QJCU7qP9LyQQpY90_L9rYAtNUHZ84_MG1AER3p7Mo8XVyAzzzWt7QlFAyh1h1LUrsLlpiMC2BLvL429cUcWO0vzUXForWcTyk1t7g/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_153104823.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's easy to see the Strawberry Creek road at the bottom of the drainage and the North Snake Range to the north.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-o7p05rdBwkCoIZT5H2gMmmOGWgDc1McT9-_a8pZJWe2xuMxm4aVhSL_iQuf8-TlRX-q55MIhGNJHx6i-wyXI4HliJkbxXkNHGk8GJFcenJCnMsGe0uij1xbUOQp7yZN0S8y_sSFTEpQcLJvgqWar6Im166ZgCKau6HbdHylqyag7hbprB1mLQMpfQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_153136654.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-o7p05rdBwkCoIZT5H2gMmmOGWgDc1McT9-_a8pZJWe2xuMxm4aVhSL_iQuf8-TlRX-q55MIhGNJHx6i-wyXI4HliJkbxXkNHGk8GJFcenJCnMsGe0uij1xbUOQp7yZN0S8y_sSFTEpQcLJvgqWar6Im166ZgCKau6HbdHylqyag7hbprB1mLQMpfQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_153136654.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are splashes of color on more-easterly facing slopes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnUSulGDxkw9yWSIawjm1cf2nmiLZPLGRodI1i-9pVguccbuzq5tPVMkamjqJ8QKZTpXJ2FoC4taFZz-LZvUrckFUhCvitFu0KJxO3Vw94BOsewPXmxVM9zHyD6SoBHPMUEevxnQjnGJ-Au0Kht-wNIrL36BiWsQB1yHBsHrfc3bzPeP1y9mSxdGm_A/s1200/PXL_20230604_153300744.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnUSulGDxkw9yWSIawjm1cf2nmiLZPLGRodI1i-9pVguccbuzq5tPVMkamjqJ8QKZTpXJ2FoC4taFZz-LZvUrckFUhCvitFu0KJxO3Vw94BOsewPXmxVM9zHyD6SoBHPMUEevxnQjnGJ-Au0Kht-wNIrL36BiWsQB1yHBsHrfc3bzPeP1y9mSxdGm_A/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_153300744.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This distinctive-looking tree still stands.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncALXet4uVb77ZgFGVTIn61rjkbsnAfNC90V66bPhjwnlHZNUvonq8TvCLRJrOys0bJBEkvvKsWILhcfbfv_MfPVBMV8EJg85yFqFrX-tAApRnYogAlS4V52omGbZq9--g4GbGtOrIpPa6syGlw8Xxk6my1HhPl-BSwO7q2OjSm4GFGmuiRnUMCzMNw/s1200/PXL_20230604_153601947.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncALXet4uVb77ZgFGVTIn61rjkbsnAfNC90V66bPhjwnlHZNUvonq8TvCLRJrOys0bJBEkvvKsWILhcfbfv_MfPVBMV8EJg85yFqFrX-tAApRnYogAlS4V52omGbZq9--g4GbGtOrIpPa6syGlw8Xxk6my1HhPl-BSwO7q2OjSm4GFGmuiRnUMCzMNw/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_153601947.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Parts of the trail are very rocky. There's not much shade, so going early in the morning or later in the evening may be more comfortable. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gZ9ByvVv5HtYJfBHnYGg4ikMib3BpMmQVjN-uslxQzN1qxWj0XaS5ehiKaiSsAidieGhS1xrFU-uCAjlJyQ0sfLjpvfzbKuN3Hb5_eQDM9fd3PZNa9BUsSwOap-YHFmvmvSJJ-7Kk33NLqp6ZpDBPEvZU5W2Y1d2FBl4VEVYcE77ip5HvX9zrXnXiA/s1200/PXL_20230604_153732206.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gZ9ByvVv5HtYJfBHnYGg4ikMib3BpMmQVjN-uslxQzN1qxWj0XaS5ehiKaiSsAidieGhS1xrFU-uCAjlJyQ0sfLjpvfzbKuN3Hb5_eQDM9fd3PZNa9BUsSwOap-YHFmvmvSJJ-7Kk33NLqp6ZpDBPEvZU5W2Y1d2FBl4VEVYcE77ip5HvX9zrXnXiA/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_153732206.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And although at times the landscape can seem monochromatic, there are pops of color here and there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt5lpXRduFoID_vzAGKIS2ZsFKnLpler3gpYOMdGlIIr40YO_48PRDo3fhDe4LyMCUYFA-i1iPzxqbkSr0NoREA1Ao89L20cbmd0IAtF9QWO9CNbzoWiqcv1le4W1gL2qvxEPOt7J2q7QYfxemlPQ6gkpvgnfsq18FJ00JhMtR6V8VaSNYihVU0caKQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_153929634.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt5lpXRduFoID_vzAGKIS2ZsFKnLpler3gpYOMdGlIIr40YO_48PRDo3fhDe4LyMCUYFA-i1iPzxqbkSr0NoREA1Ao89L20cbmd0IAtF9QWO9CNbzoWiqcv1le4W1gL2qvxEPOt7J2q7QYfxemlPQ6gkpvgnfsq18FJ00JhMtR6V8VaSNYihVU0caKQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_153929634.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I looked across the canyon, I saw the rocky area next to the creek where some marmots live. When you're down there it seems really big, but from this perspective, it's quite small.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFB4F6AMJ2lv8kjQexnnA5yE-g4veU-3mVBACWChJwaEoiX32rhBtFxlSCjzQ-Ev2sI7r5eoQlz1ibZPWoiJfclTzIah7tPVL_8USPU6BxN5fmG_u-hpXHiL1WKFkS6d1q4QTsPHDbqZ9Y7JjsZEjoL1LSBssNjYblaq0l81wR6HWcoDhJBSf2G9beGw/s1200/PXL_20230604_154001733.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFB4F6AMJ2lv8kjQexnnA5yE-g4veU-3mVBACWChJwaEoiX32rhBtFxlSCjzQ-Ev2sI7r5eoQlz1ibZPWoiJfclTzIah7tPVL_8USPU6BxN5fmG_u-hpXHiL1WKFkS6d1q4QTsPHDbqZ9Y7JjsZEjoL1LSBssNjYblaq0l81wR6HWcoDhJBSf2G9beGw/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_154001733.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We kept walking and came to a big obstacle--a huge gully! Apparently it washed out in 2021 in a flash flood.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVv48nqepXJV6ReushDC4BdyARScoTHwYp9RrAEzunDrguA09uSrvVq4L1BkoBBPWF5t-zcCDzTwpuNOixCOH67DoYFrEuZ7nghHk2GnJL1jFCYOx0VcYK2wthRnKzPCJRO_kUokNQ3y-vlKjpiE2RzqcYflTDcahIQM3wP-vgi61bdafIVkqnKb_1eQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_154351117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVv48nqepXJV6ReushDC4BdyARScoTHwYp9RrAEzunDrguA09uSrvVq4L1BkoBBPWF5t-zcCDzTwpuNOixCOH67DoYFrEuZ7nghHk2GnJL1jFCYOx0VcYK2wthRnKzPCJRO_kUokNQ3y-vlKjpiE2RzqcYflTDcahIQM3wP-vgi61bdafIVkqnKb_1eQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_154351117.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We had to find a way to get across, which involved scrambling on some steep banks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywDlsGNc1GbzTQOCOkTBwnkBMMD7EtpF2gAt345lOKc2_vEbZl86L2wmDH60pg3X0VLcxgWl4u1UOplCjMZfJ3kgv2Xu-WU8vOwBgM_Pl0vK4WWwq1aAabgCyZj0nfvS09Hdeai44ZSNPcbIsxEJCvMyOZA-qeaEcnfKb98dR7INELe9RUjENjfJd-Q/s1200/PXL_20230604_154502137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywDlsGNc1GbzTQOCOkTBwnkBMMD7EtpF2gAt345lOKc2_vEbZl86L2wmDH60pg3X0VLcxgWl4u1UOplCjMZfJ3kgv2Xu-WU8vOwBgM_Pl0vK4WWwq1aAabgCyZj0nfvS09Hdeai44ZSNPcbIsxEJCvMyOZA-qeaEcnfKb98dR7INELe9RUjENjfJd-Q/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_154502137.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then we realized there was a second gully, and no good way to go straight across, so we went down to where the two gullies met.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4X7z_qZ0GaGOWjEyOSpNsSZsA0DbRMqn_esr3_RxBs1ct_oVg9vnWIxYn4oHTomFTTVw6DWI50fZIs704C5Q-f829hhtv83NNV0aoNOS_2AjzUZ7-UxVFs3I3bHLm7uVJYcQfjbw_1ce98VcZY6fQusYN2NAtIfsEOodaupcidWBEesHtqO4juwsGCA/s1200/PXL_20230604_154709356.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4X7z_qZ0GaGOWjEyOSpNsSZsA0DbRMqn_esr3_RxBs1ct_oVg9vnWIxYn4oHTomFTTVw6DWI50fZIs704C5Q-f829hhtv83NNV0aoNOS_2AjzUZ7-UxVFs3I3bHLm7uVJYcQfjbw_1ce98VcZY6fQusYN2NAtIfsEOodaupcidWBEesHtqO4juwsGCA/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_154709356.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>From there we could scramble out of the massive gully.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV41OX8QToyFLPC8Z1p9Uz5Wpykbm9Ie1OFCfzp1csPwv19JUPE_kTvvRseQ_zIwxMXf7sanpsPx7rycX_yCQJpkX_pwnH1rjlK9tLSJc9vIzPiX4isFaEwzPK61em9m0yrjsNvVnbKY9G5yPy8rZ7Ksvr04Ny1DaPQ2EQLp2-SzquXNBh20qVmvvrw/s1200/PXL_20230604_154724346.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV41OX8QToyFLPC8Z1p9Uz5Wpykbm9Ie1OFCfzp1csPwv19JUPE_kTvvRseQ_zIwxMXf7sanpsPx7rycX_yCQJpkX_pwnH1rjlK9tLSJc9vIzPiX4isFaEwzPK61em9m0yrjsNvVnbKY9G5yPy8rZ7Ksvr04Ny1DaPQ2EQLp2-SzquXNBh20qVmvvrw/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_154724346.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a view upstream.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaG8qMGTq2-qui5MwIs1S20iLk7W3a6ZgwjouJ4PK5Isyc-jSXCZWeQJJEG29dJ9N7xatZSBllK5rXtssRCKaNFC1-Otm8OdXcWO5Z7MaWXYtRAKJ6rZ6us-QV-SPB3tfiJFv6WvGEmbj1xstPrL7LL_OvfOVv8ZKLBFQ5JqxwB7DS1Ur9s8on2Q9ew/s1200/PXL_20230604_154826873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaG8qMGTq2-qui5MwIs1S20iLk7W3a6ZgwjouJ4PK5Isyc-jSXCZWeQJJEG29dJ9N7xatZSBllK5rXtssRCKaNFC1-Otm8OdXcWO5Z7MaWXYtRAKJ6rZ6us-QV-SPB3tfiJFv6WvGEmbj1xstPrL7LL_OvfOVv8ZKLBFQ5JqxwB7DS1Ur9s8on2Q9ew/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_154826873.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After getting across, we had a steep bushwhack to get back up on the trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDrm8m-nPiDoEMPDSpQevqC6SYbx6A784WrIPsj8VE4J4pf8_Fv5xwa7znmgrWkpMrglQpSnaJyHkc9r-n-M4fq7f1EG4FnSweweBWDr3FQbIsJF2a1grqAjZvmXb7YU9bRXZ-e5SMfCSxP1LyYpuquRaAGl-f2g44y9NFvoLmwGYwLSWfTsEL9IPNw/s1200/PXL_20230604_154950468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDrm8m-nPiDoEMPDSpQevqC6SYbx6A784WrIPsj8VE4J4pf8_Fv5xwa7znmgrWkpMrglQpSnaJyHkc9r-n-M4fq7f1EG4FnSweweBWDr3FQbIsJF2a1grqAjZvmXb7YU9bRXZ-e5SMfCSxP1LyYpuquRaAGl-f2g44y9NFvoLmwGYwLSWfTsEL9IPNw/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_154950468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a view of the second gully after we had gotten back on the trail. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ktz11acdaw_Laa-X_hfnMb-J0HNqfZOjp4DKl2Mr-mBQz8TBWvHPcancMSrYJoKMvfsQVVgkeSVaXKqXot-uyjt66MlDT0NJb_Rvat22riesMFj6pqb4vxCbkab80GqOJNo-R1APyiCmJtP6x5Abc1DnugB0lGfeXUQEVJkP1vWP1u0EyVOFzyuPAg/s1200/PXL_20230604_155046479.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ktz11acdaw_Laa-X_hfnMb-J0HNqfZOjp4DKl2Mr-mBQz8TBWvHPcancMSrYJoKMvfsQVVgkeSVaXKqXot-uyjt66MlDT0NJb_Rvat22riesMFj6pqb4vxCbkab80GqOJNo-R1APyiCmJtP6x5Abc1DnugB0lGfeXUQEVJkP1vWP1u0EyVOFzyuPAg/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_155046479.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We continued along, finding the trail a little overgrown with chokecherry, grasses, and forbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0VqCP4yW1e4mfUV3eK9yyP6vhqpqYlmLQlTYxOldXsRsLvXSpzzaZajBYvCik-bVwzOcph1yx5O_LaBRClCX33VM0iBvevJpqOl-0YA24ADL2LJmt-r8T0oBqcfU7WNFUGRt1YBijDHYRana2IdfwPCEoRejEMdfJ03q1l6zBqX0VQLCvD7fhxqOBQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_155925589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0VqCP4yW1e4mfUV3eK9yyP6vhqpqYlmLQlTYxOldXsRsLvXSpzzaZajBYvCik-bVwzOcph1yx5O_LaBRClCX33VM0iBvevJpqOl-0YA24ADL2LJmt-r8T0oBqcfU7WNFUGRt1YBijDHYRana2IdfwPCEoRejEMdfJ03q1l6zBqX0VQLCvD7fhxqOBQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_155925589.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then we came to another huge obstacle, a big rockslide ahead of us. I was fascinated by how high above the trail level the rocks were.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMkziD8YWbXeTN4iPEyH-v09GSdT1U-gfEBhTaWibrPtbIJNwkLDDL-zwz7vWMTt_PY0gkrZQ7vL0xp79vHPacoYI53DYFjH-q-kBLnzr7-c3SZookEPcxxot9mQh0pY4Lkdeey4r9B5-iN2OVY9KYaqSBgoUnrr_jpZssA-nyiU31Ie1vVTdX6dfbQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_160400960.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMkziD8YWbXeTN4iPEyH-v09GSdT1U-gfEBhTaWibrPtbIJNwkLDDL-zwz7vWMTt_PY0gkrZQ7vL0xp79vHPacoYI53DYFjH-q-kBLnzr7-c3SZookEPcxxot9mQh0pY4Lkdeey4r9B5-iN2OVY9KYaqSBgoUnrr_jpZssA-nyiU31Ie1vVTdX6dfbQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_160400960.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The rocky area was massive.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkus6jlu6LCcUzjwVf3gT4Y-44yA-kzrPH58QfOY-VqDKA_Mm5LkDFELRlMIipfb1TaHOvpZ6cGXJ_ek5RvB3ZTDbTVclgQhs9bVoEJd8G839wbfxV3MGZYGkLfiLFFlf9fTouDtEW1Om15qpcUSycsrAo5BqVy67e7wEjHtbfdR4WGwTmn8phAm5aeQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_160501534.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkus6jlu6LCcUzjwVf3gT4Y-44yA-kzrPH58QfOY-VqDKA_Mm5LkDFELRlMIipfb1TaHOvpZ6cGXJ_ek5RvB3ZTDbTVclgQhs9bVoEJd8G839wbfxV3MGZYGkLfiLFFlf9fTouDtEW1Om15qpcUSycsrAo5BqVy67e7wEjHtbfdR4WGwTmn8phAm5aeQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_160501534.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This spot was fortunately easier to cross and even had a mini-waterfall! It was here we saw a flash of color and spotted a Lewis's Woodpecker! What a treat! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs0ptK5Vd5if4KsWTWyswoWaYDfRqfDi5ii5uOTNNKXAd3Xugw4-SyOc0kgP8_jH3F9Us-nK7Z4eC0HFvvBW8HRjteJY5j9irJOBpDUk39FUWTXGU-WcFzw5krp0JwuOIekGHL8DRLW53DLa4oACuMrg-3wu5590IINTjuPOFrLxQ7XpomD3K6256eQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_160555787.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs0ptK5Vd5if4KsWTWyswoWaYDfRqfDi5ii5uOTNNKXAd3Xugw4-SyOc0kgP8_jH3F9Us-nK7Z4eC0HFvvBW8HRjteJY5j9irJOBpDUk39FUWTXGU-WcFzw5krp0JwuOIekGHL8DRLW53DLa4oACuMrg-3wu5590IINTjuPOFrLxQ7XpomD3K6256eQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_160555787.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As we continued on the trail, I turned around and saw where the rocks had come from, higher up in the burned area where there's still snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0ISvvxLOYDeAt2jjijt5d-HIyfiiONjg6eGqsYX_pgAfP91pwViVljbaVDRec7aU6Y9meLNH4sGt1xsmxKzXl1rv3U6WkqwADUOkI03A4ooqOjNISu4JkdgyuroakQ93LAggTkZ3FvpdtwFEeNJ2y0fx24ub3m5W4JEN8JR7pvXDdI5X3K4RC3xYcw/s1200/PXL_20230604_160948476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0ISvvxLOYDeAt2jjijt5d-HIyfiiONjg6eGqsYX_pgAfP91pwViVljbaVDRec7aU6Y9meLNH4sGt1xsmxKzXl1rv3U6WkqwADUOkI03A4ooqOjNISu4JkdgyuroakQ93LAggTkZ3FvpdtwFEeNJ2y0fx24ub3m5W4JEN8JR7pvXDdI5X3K4RC3xYcw/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_160948476.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trail is super fun at this point, curving with the mountains, and changing vegetation as the aspect changes. It's sunny and green and then you turn and it's back to mountain mahogany.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKYBMwS7zwKkrrI452OkJ5-EgspLBiOT45cEp92hd6rVbGWcyU7ymDcJaXelRfmea_R1RGI5mBYgRyBTvSsp17st0gYKkA3W4WoQn5tnBi0s9B6Bi7btAiK6dVLu_UddcDAlk_ShqgHhploPU9GfhYTjp593ggGnjWkLaaF3owLA9OOrK9Yzu_Gfqrg/s1200/PXL_20230604_161128485.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKYBMwS7zwKkrrI452OkJ5-EgspLBiOT45cEp92hd6rVbGWcyU7ymDcJaXelRfmea_R1RGI5mBYgRyBTvSsp17st0gYKkA3W4WoQn5tnBi0s9B6Bi7btAiK6dVLu_UddcDAlk_ShqgHhploPU9GfhYTjp593ggGnjWkLaaF3owLA9OOrK9Yzu_Gfqrg/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_161128485.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We also found more little streams to cross.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixi4ar3ISYN40p1NS_R6AoQ3axLPRgwGPPVFjAdiU-RXonkZnv-xV4EjiOMM9_P2XruazZkVoRjpKL5UppLASvyZp_quROgB7TxxVC4dGfQQ9MQnqVRHRHK_HyAouLEJUt--dX8klawVkuayA_vptB9CsJqemLJRcOs-eaLsIBL_8HAW3OU2Rl2ZnFmg/s1200/PXL_20230604_161229795.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixi4ar3ISYN40p1NS_R6AoQ3axLPRgwGPPVFjAdiU-RXonkZnv-xV4EjiOMM9_P2XruazZkVoRjpKL5UppLASvyZp_quROgB7TxxVC4dGfQQ9MQnqVRHRHK_HyAouLEJUt--dX8klawVkuayA_vptB9CsJqemLJRcOs-eaLsIBL_8HAW3OU2Rl2ZnFmg/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_161229795.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We still had one big obstacle, a huge snowpatch that always lingers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLsX5r8AAI9QMFnqYd902lQSQbJZQa8wlhGgyDkE0jdPcXBLdIkBx01dkBD8lhw_WLTGpAwvXGR2YiepcvZZPU4p4-0ccW_70V2iX53CuIq45LLOgPkAa-mlV8_Up_qMi9A6yuf-lhED_E7lg5lWyIJQQ2oT9ZIOjryBxjbi5_w-hGJjQG8QBTTIHlA/s1200/PXL_20230604_161511088.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLsX5r8AAI9QMFnqYd902lQSQbJZQa8wlhGgyDkE0jdPcXBLdIkBx01dkBD8lhw_WLTGpAwvXGR2YiepcvZZPU4p4-0ccW_70V2iX53CuIq45LLOgPkAa-mlV8_Up_qMi9A6yuf-lhED_E7lg5lWyIJQQ2oT9ZIOjryBxjbi5_w-hGJjQG8QBTTIHlA/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_161511088.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I had my husband go first so I could get a photo with scale. It was certainly larger than either one of us remembered! It even featured a little bit of watermelon snow, or pink algae on the snow. They say don't eat yellow snow. Don't eat pink snow either!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KsdBSpTQ-qmF0GyZr1LJx9LrUWb-iaXivMEymGcJd5ikrTU5JD_0dSx54cnJp76q3Xy7Yr3_Tk8UYZAcbLlLWBLVOBR1dyG2MTdQAR4v8LF0qB1_uhnbUEhNPPotgJas8cpUTzDjt6TlnkuKXR-ZXgkcIVT9xN19RvDws1P44UBolqZg-Q92Fa2RsQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_161534989.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KsdBSpTQ-qmF0GyZr1LJx9LrUWb-iaXivMEymGcJd5ikrTU5JD_0dSx54cnJp76q3Xy7Yr3_Tk8UYZAcbLlLWBLVOBR1dyG2MTdQAR4v8LF0qB1_uhnbUEhNPPotgJas8cpUTzDjt6TlnkuKXR-ZXgkcIVT9xN19RvDws1P44UBolqZg-Q92Fa2RsQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_161534989.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Soon after the snow we took the cut-off trail to the Strawberry Creek trailhead. The trail had recently been worked on and was lovely.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVVpj4nd2jrJ5RQ_4Avn2qLKnaKqlM8p_19W6eao3WUx8NQ5BOloSTPL3IG9sY_QW5W9A-rrP6QsJCC3cV9eDesqOIHAutao0tYUvCVId1HPZIfvxdKxYuHoa7GF_1XOKVYJ6OdVLnqaMWUTghYxJx5TOGK2UYSBbZ4gjtI6VxSc1K-ZhVigjrKxpyQ/s1200/PXL_20230604_161930484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVVpj4nd2jrJ5RQ_4Avn2qLKnaKqlM8p_19W6eao3WUx8NQ5BOloSTPL3IG9sY_QW5W9A-rrP6QsJCC3cV9eDesqOIHAutao0tYUvCVId1HPZIfvxdKxYuHoa7GF_1XOKVYJ6OdVLnqaMWUTghYxJx5TOGK2UYSBbZ4gjtI6VxSc1K-ZhVigjrKxpyQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_161930484.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Although most of the area burned, an aspen still lives by the trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqp1iyuvBpx1cIXQg-_wkMATSajSmOi5W2-Qbmm8bRwE31j7zoFfS3XLFUEwycMvh7bI7D_rt9dI0XM4F2b_MEBf1rFKZ9FQZId-AlncZHIZ1BKm_aM2W_7nCR5vFQAZFouz78MIoaoHDfeWjss02BTieH9F1C7dA9i6uze0hG7jTq1afQUWgwlyGJXA/s1200/PXL_20230604_162304042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqp1iyuvBpx1cIXQg-_wkMATSajSmOi5W2-Qbmm8bRwE31j7zoFfS3XLFUEwycMvh7bI7D_rt9dI0XM4F2b_MEBf1rFKZ9FQZId-AlncZHIZ1BKm_aM2W_7nCR5vFQAZFouz78MIoaoHDfeWjss02BTieH9F1C7dA9i6uze0hG7jTq1afQUWgwlyGJXA/w480-h640/PXL_20230604_162304042.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is a gorgeous hike, although one should be prepared for the washouts, as they certainly make for an extra challenge. I had worn water sandals expecting that the trail was going to be very wet. It was only really wet at the beginning on the access trail, the wet spots along the ditch had dried up, and the creek crossings can be done without much difficulty. So boots are definitely the better footwear choice.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrTK9e9HwJ8HeaDKlxBvUSIAkGoeMX3z7BJ_RcxXuSYfnhcc3rjjeCr79FPNkGHkiHdPhNJ8Eu7aasuDfZSQXQYaZBY3ZooKu1dWzgSRg4pbqzt71rSsAd3gi-AMQ9MsiNwZLuOfaOKpXN3wcC0wRIgJXPj6bpDgeiRGUefqYuEqAB8DmDAjH7SDyBw/s1200/PXL_20230604_162314824.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrTK9e9HwJ8HeaDKlxBvUSIAkGoeMX3z7BJ_RcxXuSYfnhcc3rjjeCr79FPNkGHkiHdPhNJ8Eu7aasuDfZSQXQYaZBY3ZooKu1dWzgSRg4pbqzt71rSsAd3gi-AMQ9MsiNwZLuOfaOKpXN3wcC0wRIgJXPj6bpDgeiRGUefqYuEqAB8DmDAjH7SDyBw/w640-h480/PXL_20230604_162314824.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We took a selfie at the trailhead.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUUXO1xOHZoamzh4V1UyYxjEytbyWLX0s2v_bo64TXiwyefGBi6dW5io9zeleFoTSnyeAii8-8O3JxYccZvqfTwgKgBJiMO1nDsrYvdDo73Ey1raRki3fkZgMFoOUtfDgQh5YUIYIeW72xI8ajs5FKgYR9JQt4awxvv9tArFXrP-ORem-aPj3C5Rkug/s1200/PXL_20230604_163027374.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUUXO1xOHZoamzh4V1UyYxjEytbyWLX0s2v_bo64TXiwyefGBi6dW5io9zeleFoTSnyeAii8-8O3JxYccZvqfTwgKgBJiMO1nDsrYvdDo73Ey1raRki3fkZgMFoOUtfDgQh5YUIYIeW72xI8ajs5FKgYR9JQt4awxvv9tArFXrP-ORem-aPj3C5Rkug/s320/PXL_20230604_163027374.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And I can't end this post without showing what's just up the sage steppe trail: a field of arrowleaf balsamroot! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcYdzOxZkbP73MYUROP8Nc3Sbb3NjmlkPyP-kSoZld7973af3ndZoq3glx5Tk5oJu6o0hQU1U1KGTNdje6dF5mVdAZeVrBAvTBYT2nu8udRmspYZ-RHVpqTx9H8FA64_m_Wu_i08RskNKMwTASJJqhD6aHtRiqVPsypjWWo3NAuyHdtD2927rLNGH-w/s1200/superbloom%20strawberry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcYdzOxZkbP73MYUROP8Nc3Sbb3NjmlkPyP-kSoZld7973af3ndZoq3glx5Tk5oJu6o0hQU1U1KGTNdje6dF5mVdAZeVrBAvTBYT2nu8udRmspYZ-RHVpqTx9H8FA64_m_Wu_i08RskNKMwTASJJqhD6aHtRiqVPsypjWWo3NAuyHdtD2927rLNGH-w/w480-h640/superbloom%20strawberry.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2019/06/osceola-and-upper-strawberry-trails.html" target="_blank">I last did the whole trail in June 2019, and you can see an account of it here, as well as photos of what it looked like before the flash flood</a>.</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-79863879773651368572023-05-28T12:11:00.002-07:002023-05-28T12:11:48.381-07:00Bird Crazy<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf-g4LH_OsO8UYJjf5FmSoyB8CjDG-UZimirCRVqx-71jltTIFlrXrLCH5YGBLSPigBK93wPo02XOU_S6QWPqKmcQUywy8tnyx335cIPf-MaHVEEDf5YDxSThBj0Uh-Yjta8iwnKHmrnJwYBpKiifEFpd9EqaAA16bKqwy8o-hAOUL_Ir_EZkQIkfaw/s1024/16-GMB_9815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf-g4LH_OsO8UYJjf5FmSoyB8CjDG-UZimirCRVqx-71jltTIFlrXrLCH5YGBLSPigBK93wPo02XOU_S6QWPqKmcQUywy8tnyx335cIPf-MaHVEEDf5YDxSThBj0Uh-Yjta8iwnKHmrnJwYBpKiifEFpd9EqaAA16bKqwy8o-hAOUL_Ir_EZkQIkfaw/w640-h426/16-GMB_9815.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>May means it's spring migration time so we are seeing bonus birds! Here's a Snowy Egret flying over a ranch pond. With the longer days, I'm not getting as much sleep, as I want to see birds, and the best times to photograph them are early morning and evening. It's worth it, though, because each time I see a pretty bird or listen to a beautiful bird song, my heart does a little pitter patter. </p><p>Today I went out on the Osceola Ditch Trail in Great Basin National Park to do some birding. I only see about 20% of the birds that I hear, which means I have to learn their bird songs well. One bird that has a distinctive high-pitched song is the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. I actually saw it today, including the ruby crown!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZvpdLGYHwZtlAqBtVObsZnzv56_-xMsgmhCC07YXZZkhn-ZqiZyuhcK6tJID11DtYk7pnfbX5K5c5usn4g7iKkuwMSNGzRAef3bXncW9p1Ef0-jSkHg5OtEj7kmcGwp-Q5pF23YtATQpv8cCgc70AG_gh_L3KjKXz9raAPnGQjplBzd2KuQqpBcg1A/s853/21-ruby-crowned%20kinglet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="853" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZvpdLGYHwZtlAqBtVObsZnzv56_-xMsgmhCC07YXZZkhn-ZqiZyuhcK6tJID11DtYk7pnfbX5K5c5usn4g7iKkuwMSNGzRAef3bXncW9p1Ef0-jSkHg5OtEj7kmcGwp-Q5pF23YtATQpv8cCgc70AG_gh_L3KjKXz9raAPnGQjplBzd2KuQqpBcg1A/w640-h426/21-ruby-crowned%20kinglet.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Birding is something I continue to learn. I saw this little flycatcher, but am not entirely sure which one it is. It was singing "Sweet-pea." My best guess is a Hammond's Flycatcher. (If you know, please comment!)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7M1Q12sUhWEpoXCs_-a00OjDQHiwl1GApgC_RdXpI-8O8yNGwZubI8cvjbiQgwDtxJ0iq-Xq6DegmG7uCNOeIhKeow8U3gtmPAVqiC4cOXaYR_PqKRoN3iqo_WPJiboUTtPky2mQ9J7P3geRAKBsIBBw1tqbmf0k6133PVJEK81gXmWW5Us2fh_t5A/s1024/20-GMB_9832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="682" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7M1Q12sUhWEpoXCs_-a00OjDQHiwl1GApgC_RdXpI-8O8yNGwZubI8cvjbiQgwDtxJ0iq-Xq6DegmG7uCNOeIhKeow8U3gtmPAVqiC4cOXaYR_PqKRoN3iqo_WPJiboUTtPky2mQ9J7P3geRAKBsIBBw1tqbmf0k6133PVJEK81gXmWW5Us2fh_t5A/w426-h640/20-GMB_9832.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlrhTa2xDYZP1eQLUORWbNIZ3HOmFME2JFczqJK4vjAYiIdstUUDewxiCl1uMbr0gFJZBRazTP-9DWDo_mmNquqY9Aub4rfBiC8PxkzYCccrzasTV-72U-lZDDfwuB70cFrVHpF_rHCtt7AiYJ7yUKslfs2WIOTkbuLIHJ8ZZ-vyZ88NpzlOyT9Zd8A/s1024/19-GMB_9831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This Western Tanager sat still long enough for me to snap a photo.</div><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlrhTa2xDYZP1eQLUORWbNIZ3HOmFME2JFczqJK4vjAYiIdstUUDewxiCl1uMbr0gFJZBRazTP-9DWDo_mmNquqY9Aub4rfBiC8PxkzYCccrzasTV-72U-lZDDfwuB70cFrVHpF_rHCtt7AiYJ7yUKslfs2WIOTkbuLIHJ8ZZ-vyZ88NpzlOyT9Zd8A/w640-h428/19-GMB_9831.JPG" width="640" /></div><div><br /></div>Closer to home, the owlets have left the nest, but are still in the neighborhood. They're so fluffy!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzI6qMfcNLo67_O2IHzHWzoj3BdxS2rZ6CfvAQ81BrZ5mF0pxICU7kmZL8ky4KjBgUVtAIHeU7M0iPeYwiY2O1WL1oDrvAdv4hpt58Sy0uTn3p5Xop9SGrrTWJoHisTmntC9HcpoiPpzuy_SYCIIjXx3qURdlb_dVCqfMcrh12dJtrGHJA4fswvZ0cQ/s1024/17-GMB_9824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzI6qMfcNLo67_O2IHzHWzoj3BdxS2rZ6CfvAQ81BrZ5mF0pxICU7kmZL8ky4KjBgUVtAIHeU7M0iPeYwiY2O1WL1oDrvAdv4hpt58Sy0uTn3p5Xop9SGrrTWJoHisTmntC9HcpoiPpzuy_SYCIIjXx3qURdlb_dVCqfMcrh12dJtrGHJA4fswvZ0cQ/w640-h428/17-GMB_9824.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I do take photos of more than birds! Here are some deer that like the easy life, hanging out in the alfalfa fields.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlH2TINS59W1KTIsoOp7B310Vw4xEX1RNGwbGndEOO9KDYOrL3IIqAIOiICLdaNhrn7T7HTMLDvPSvwtUwY2m8zRUjATpHAmDCe9I6xkU1VxxWLGgcYVwJlTJt4hHWExu5RzLGiXvs6kZL2P_QRZNf68aqpMYQ73TvuTAKksY2Z_Jq2-Y_NxO4-zyFQ/s1024/15-GMB_9806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlH2TINS59W1KTIsoOp7B310Vw4xEX1RNGwbGndEOO9KDYOrL3IIqAIOiICLdaNhrn7T7HTMLDvPSvwtUwY2m8zRUjATpHAmDCe9I6xkU1VxxWLGgcYVwJlTJt4hHWExu5RzLGiXvs6kZL2P_QRZNf68aqpMYQ73TvuTAKksY2Z_Jq2-Y_NxO4-zyFQ/w640-h426/15-GMB_9806.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a fun bird, the Long-billed Curlew. I thought it was extra fun to get it with the bill open.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-lKATNfBJej806kpp3HDU_94z3M8Wpozb7F6tDMllYDQ0BF_Uaz6RQlhqNikurAl85kFQVflrr1VsMY3X5yfDWaSudHIjVdfppcSFZW7kPDCaPIPCQzUNaDsbEypMWqLG0H6CL7yWd1dEsq6NXxaE6HinLioOKDEDr9Hlmez0rjc4ii3cZP3PW8w9Q/s1024/13-GMB_9795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1024" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-lKATNfBJej806kpp3HDU_94z3M8Wpozb7F6tDMllYDQ0BF_Uaz6RQlhqNikurAl85kFQVflrr1VsMY3X5yfDWaSudHIjVdfppcSFZW7kPDCaPIPCQzUNaDsbEypMWqLG0H6CL7yWd1dEsq6NXxaE6HinLioOKDEDr9Hlmez0rjc4ii3cZP3PW8w9Q/w640-h408/13-GMB_9795.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I found a Burrowing Owl in the same location as last summer. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7j0qqwPgMgbGkHWJP_G--xSeBwTvCINrEsOeInDE6Z1B1T-VgGhRbo5Ma2et_CAACUxYMNZHX-04tea4KOCf0_j8U53TFVPc6_3raL9g00YLngd5ieYQpEX56juk4pl_q2sI6kCAtkYGH8YfpzSsjyUTAmRIPFWp2T0n-DkVpEeElElBty4WVg4lfQ/s961/12-burrowing%20owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="961" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7j0qqwPgMgbGkHWJP_G--xSeBwTvCINrEsOeInDE6Z1B1T-VgGhRbo5Ma2et_CAACUxYMNZHX-04tea4KOCf0_j8U53TFVPc6_3raL9g00YLngd5ieYQpEX56juk4pl_q2sI6kCAtkYGH8YfpzSsjyUTAmRIPFWp2T0n-DkVpEeElElBty4WVg4lfQ/w640-h428/12-burrowing%20owl.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The sleepy owlet look.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhKfBHZrIJkK0g8Z84fc3gNoglDT5AYIgtNDvzw-XeuL8c7cSFbt99Wwc_7cL5GeHMaorJjPrHMwzWBD3yYFnZzvZ5w361F5Jg5P3uV82CCeRFkAZIIoUgDijZNK-vD4xtJx2YdSVTqdSFWL6kiW4fbaQAkq5aRWqeP0CmCvMf6U8m8j0lNW84eq75A/s1024/11-GMB_9770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1003" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhKfBHZrIJkK0g8Z84fc3gNoglDT5AYIgtNDvzw-XeuL8c7cSFbt99Wwc_7cL5GeHMaorJjPrHMwzWBD3yYFnZzvZ5w361F5Jg5P3uV82CCeRFkAZIIoUgDijZNK-vD4xtJx2YdSVTqdSFWL6kiW4fbaQAkq5aRWqeP0CmCvMf6U8m8j0lNW84eq75A/w626-h640/11-GMB_9770.JPG" width="626" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's another migratory bird, an Osprey, in our backyard. That makes Backyard Bird #42 for the year for us.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EJLASXF_5m1qvcPxgPIOhfupHMAlarEcl80ZYhdi7s0osPAlF-Eum9zCDF-GHvBAp-iM89DWYgvKA1ooArj7gcockrV8wBe0WnssRJDh33dcFl-7MYPWwXcYgetdnG4qS9vaoRpUhK5Aa2ojRCZn3sr7lp_0EYp3sUwzv9YMzCG-MUShHDQcTlSSCg/s1024/10-GMB_9767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1024" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EJLASXF_5m1qvcPxgPIOhfupHMAlarEcl80ZYhdi7s0osPAlF-Eum9zCDF-GHvBAp-iM89DWYgvKA1ooArj7gcockrV8wBe0WnssRJDh33dcFl-7MYPWwXcYgetdnG4qS9vaoRpUhK5Aa2ojRCZn3sr7lp_0EYp3sUwzv9YMzCG-MUShHDQcTlSSCg/w640-h496/10-GMB_9767.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's not easy to get a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow sitting still! They are usually up in the air, flying acrobatically.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCnIeOeMuDSaR5KwTIjRD3Y_bqXZ0Ezj8sYZ7CiT62vexsbndh3JHYOb5e_mRberNd-5Z6UmQ9RpID-5eYO6Uu4ZgVLHG_mm-CiKd62AXbZJshjEyk67gF9uxz0KKRguz-5G9Tt50do9FM_4rJcVViFrjG4DFJJiu_W07TFx5g3J6hYKJWqiH2tYdow/s1024/08-northern%20rough-winged%20swallow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1010" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCnIeOeMuDSaR5KwTIjRD3Y_bqXZ0Ezj8sYZ7CiT62vexsbndh3JHYOb5e_mRberNd-5Z6UmQ9RpID-5eYO6Uu4ZgVLHG_mm-CiKd62AXbZJshjEyk67gF9uxz0KKRguz-5G9Tt50do9FM_4rJcVViFrjG4DFJJiu_W07TFx5g3J6hYKJWqiH2tYdow/w632-h640/08-northern%20rough-winged%20swallow.JPG" width="632" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At a nearby reservoir, I enjoyed watching how the adult Canada Geese kept their necks low to reduce their profile as they shepherded their goslings across the water. They popped them up to take a look around, and I pressed the shutter.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lzmtET0OmHhp1S6MINlKqP-pMarat1k6Yi54bSiAsvEv54ijzEoBHTdBgWQ-TaRlw7tHmnMxhrI1EEWf7pQ0f2hquyjpNoeKU1cydGjCK_PzGvqW5oWKZaVowtRzqEcGIiNsVDXagkk3JWHN-WAGc1aTamnVMoopzZ6yWzHUk7pzdBta6htBSHNVzA/s1024/07-Canada%20geese.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1024" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lzmtET0OmHhp1S6MINlKqP-pMarat1k6Yi54bSiAsvEv54ijzEoBHTdBgWQ-TaRlw7tHmnMxhrI1EEWf7pQ0f2hquyjpNoeKU1cydGjCK_PzGvqW5oWKZaVowtRzqEcGIiNsVDXagkk3JWHN-WAGc1aTamnVMoopzZ6yWzHUk7pzdBta6htBSHNVzA/w640-h386/07-Canada%20geese.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At my niece's house I marveled at three types of grosbeaks. Here's an Evening Grosbeak.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNGz2cUugDX92i5roWCFV_kopTazs89eUtfhKa04Cio1Oy42ujj756RUVYGTXVqEo98knG2Il3so-Nih5uOe1xgfzQJ3e0nMbJgYnCdJKTDc2jYSNDgzX0QA0vi8qFSTSiPOxBrVJYnSjAxKgqnYLZlQrQkAHyHujhXuqsgRIN0-40jRK9Gy3vsk6OA/s1024/06-not%20sure.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1024" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNGz2cUugDX92i5roWCFV_kopTazs89eUtfhKa04Cio1Oy42ujj756RUVYGTXVqEo98knG2Il3so-Nih5uOe1xgfzQJ3e0nMbJgYnCdJKTDc2jYSNDgzX0QA0vi8qFSTSiPOxBrVJYnSjAxKgqnYLZlQrQkAHyHujhXuqsgRIN0-40jRK9Gy3vsk6OA/w640-h558/06-not%20sure.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A female Black-Headed Grosbeak.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcycJ3QpaaJvWa9-JNJZq-1h1zVSAiZADGjuC6pbtsrVUwM3RuhvblXSjA_OlF8Hr_n_Sn2z4YqwpA43y7_wTYA_QjzI244YOsdbMBKCH-LFsMPAsCvUFZ8LQzWhaa9xSBjhfxVZ4XZ45fiWVpKHo5Fg-2Aqmcw4AheHX9K4ww3XdMDEhAyMUhMONE4A/s1024/05-female%20evening%20grosbeak-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="842" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcycJ3QpaaJvWa9-JNJZq-1h1zVSAiZADGjuC6pbtsrVUwM3RuhvblXSjA_OlF8Hr_n_Sn2z4YqwpA43y7_wTYA_QjzI244YOsdbMBKCH-LFsMPAsCvUFZ8LQzWhaa9xSBjhfxVZ4XZ45fiWVpKHo5Fg-2Aqmcw4AheHX9K4ww3XdMDEhAyMUhMONE4A/w526-h640/05-female%20evening%20grosbeak-002.JPG" width="526" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And the biggest surprise, a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Her feeder is a big attractant!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKrJS9MzTWrgALRo8HHqTnFR5RA9bWvJy09MBxOPggEjAf4ogtZvIPtI2IqiMgs4KzoQ31qMbEMjQQkH20IGOzGDQY5B04N-8Uz_tVS4IuQJfzA2_nljft2_9frlq1Np_UngcmNr0ecIGGCloZC8KibhZMqhdVxG9zJgm6OVgpm-y2yTlc-z91N71zg/s1024/04-male%20rose-breasted%20grosbeak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKrJS9MzTWrgALRo8HHqTnFR5RA9bWvJy09MBxOPggEjAf4ogtZvIPtI2IqiMgs4KzoQ31qMbEMjQQkH20IGOzGDQY5B04N-8Uz_tVS4IuQJfzA2_nljft2_9frlq1Np_UngcmNr0ecIGGCloZC8KibhZMqhdVxG9zJgm6OVgpm-y2yTlc-z91N71zg/w640-h512/04-male%20rose-breasted%20grosbeak.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This Red-Tailed Hawk looks beautiful and ferocious at the same time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjZo8Ghn6s99ROCqp34_pR5ZNxbMQNpHFE2P_Wg8gDGx_QBQ78Bt2j-9Z8NhwN1NM0264Ds1K6U6i9um8NV8taL6iCTG8dHWeagEf67cHnn3AJn7dba0FmubDrjBk5VxMlYbm_TNgNjsgJY0fbuW-Jv0QrPgpBxMCrbA3TMn9MO1y6XIZWxFbMHwUQg/s1024/03-GMB_9707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1024" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjZo8Ghn6s99ROCqp34_pR5ZNxbMQNpHFE2P_Wg8gDGx_QBQ78Bt2j-9Z8NhwN1NM0264Ds1K6U6i9um8NV8taL6iCTG8dHWeagEf67cHnn3AJn7dba0FmubDrjBk5VxMlYbm_TNgNjsgJY0fbuW-Jv0QrPgpBxMCrbA3TMn9MO1y6XIZWxFbMHwUQg/w640-h464/03-GMB_9707.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another surprise bird that's been hanging around for a couple weeks is this Great-Tailed Grackle. It's kind of noisy. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY8EQjjT6uDjxnzI5LJKi_ba7o2n3OvoXDspeWHnNjb45mb-41AJ7ZQ__ICnmR-NDVMWfmYUPqtc2GYE6S_wsYU7bWu4ii7CjPlwp2pqRF3ZGbz3Iuang4PXXsz0YF4PQ-bUuM6vm63Ziwv9xIcvIyPwCt767rT2UJaF1mJITBDf1VzNqvIkLbVO9MA/s1024/2-great-tailed%20grackle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY8EQjjT6uDjxnzI5LJKi_ba7o2n3OvoXDspeWHnNjb45mb-41AJ7ZQ__ICnmR-NDVMWfmYUPqtc2GYE6S_wsYU7bWu4ii7CjPlwp2pqRF3ZGbz3Iuang4PXXsz0YF4PQ-bUuM6vm63Ziwv9xIcvIyPwCt767rT2UJaF1mJITBDf1VzNqvIkLbVO9MA/w640-h512/2-great-tailed%20grackle.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The melodious Bewick's Wren paused long enough for me to get a photo.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jZcwr_p1XFgdBkXwQMwRFcoT4uQPEWq83WlHC-rdBC75MFp3ryLlxbYasdHJZSHftbI4ox-boIVd_WwOqssybH5bv5-m4NhaRQMp_bV-NK7Xp23GLqg1WIcThL_gKJYQaqyvJjF1iEyt8PyFR5gHZbFLiOEhZBX2wdBWFuQXIoq__RE_2dVnXSuqyQ/s1024/02-bewick's%20wren.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1024" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jZcwr_p1XFgdBkXwQMwRFcoT4uQPEWq83WlHC-rdBC75MFp3ryLlxbYasdHJZSHftbI4ox-boIVd_WwOqssybH5bv5-m4NhaRQMp_bV-NK7Xp23GLqg1WIcThL_gKJYQaqyvJjF1iEyt8PyFR5gHZbFLiOEhZBX2wdBWFuQXIoq__RE_2dVnXSuqyQ/w640-h462/02-bewick's%20wren.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">I didn't even identify this White-Throated Sparrow until I got a closer look with a cropped photo.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCj1IITAyjiSZldBDjrcxapFtCpvElMH3qL2c7k6SORz15nDC5mtzNlfddRROzUhLNY0TbYJF7JO_2b53dn1eB2Cz2rFkONqTE7-0FXi3swRhG6sOwwlUiwbpk1eo1Xol2CEjVbpMXM2JiXLCMU1Ee4SfrGrLqrbNoRioy3lEuIgMfOO7aMp6nvRlJUA/s1024/01-white-throated%20sparrow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1024" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCj1IITAyjiSZldBDjrcxapFtCpvElMH3qL2c7k6SORz15nDC5mtzNlfddRROzUhLNY0TbYJF7JO_2b53dn1eB2Cz2rFkONqTE7-0FXi3swRhG6sOwwlUiwbpk1eo1Xol2CEjVbpMXM2JiXLCMU1Ee4SfrGrLqrbNoRioy3lEuIgMfOO7aMp6nvRlJUA/w640-h412/01-white-throated%20sparrow.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And to close, back to the Great Horned Owlets, definitely a high point of the spring birding season!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBULghs9z5MW_9BBYQAl6Y7QESFxNIf2AQ7bcr6OwmXIa8rBtJcmxW9opCWcSR_lfGdBCrlF7u0PaDDrP7YqEXGdhaoTAxCpE2ss5IxC63MA0vMkZKLH0WbhzSniWzsJxi_u5jc6BC5ly5n7XVNeE9LNK9IffjNg71qnXFl0dG4lMVlJ7z4yCm-vl5g/s1024/1-GMB_9620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBULghs9z5MW_9BBYQAl6Y7QESFxNIf2AQ7bcr6OwmXIa8rBtJcmxW9opCWcSR_lfGdBCrlF7u0PaDDrP7YqEXGdhaoTAxCpE2ss5IxC63MA0vMkZKLH0WbhzSniWzsJxi_u5jc6BC5ly5n7XVNeE9LNK9IffjNg71qnXFl0dG4lMVlJ7z4yCm-vl5g/w512-h640/1-GMB_9620.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br />What birds have you been enjoying?<p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-55614150055114276362023-05-06T06:26:00.003-07:002023-05-06T06:26:31.118-07:00The Wet Look for Lehman Caves<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55GQJXdVyKmYLjKbPunBaKtRgUSX74rdHdxT2XOgc9SRSzcuY54FXaw1xI-Cs460Vjp_RLoiQpIvLA0fYpkpN-q2vkJJLdO-HEM36kWxQ_JB32BUCpWCEnaMUK5hXkJ7KYhBcXLjmdOqavRiNm1q_K1ymeg1z0COERtdw4Lvbfiz2K44bH74HLjd4Q/s1024/matthew%20looking%20at%20spouter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55GQJXdVyKmYLjKbPunBaKtRgUSX74rdHdxT2XOgc9SRSzcuY54FXaw1xI-Cs460Vjp_RLoiQpIvLA0fYpkpN-q2vkJJLdO-HEM36kWxQ_JB32BUCpWCEnaMUK5hXkJ7KYhBcXLjmdOqavRiNm1q_K1ymeg1z0COERtdw4Lvbfiz2K44bH74HLjd4Q/w640-h480/matthew%20looking%20at%20spouter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>With the big snowpack this year, we knew it was going to get wet in Lehman Caves. Extra wet. Wet enough to make strange things happen. Like water spouting out of formations and the ceiling (above), and bubbles at the end of soda straws (below).<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V6OB5zPjHWyP5-sJNC4klBpaNZOTUfo6adb1Kb2FrIUoKfAGoZ8B49IbptM0IVVpWFai0ZU08TP9Fq4AK0a1QUHAl1WnNvXuDTfiJfwMQyvxHFhFtnW6LC7RmBmvO7w3jjCQHqQhzZDJ43nYK5Vg3QDi7MV8OXsUieCL4wZTRyJck7pMgXc1GOVCpA/s1024/bubble-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V6OB5zPjHWyP5-sJNC4klBpaNZOTUfo6adb1Kb2FrIUoKfAGoZ8B49IbptM0IVVpWFai0ZU08TP9Fq4AK0a1QUHAl1WnNvXuDTfiJfwMQyvxHFhFtnW6LC7RmBmvO7w3jjCQHqQhzZDJ43nYK5Vg3QDi7MV8OXsUieCL4wZTRyJck7pMgXc1GOVCpA/w640-h480/bubble-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The Lodge Room is the main place these phenomena occur in the cave. We think the bubbles might be the way that turnip stalactites formed. There are well over 1,000 of them in the cave, and two were dated to particularly wet periods above ground.<p></p><p>The spouters always make me laugh. That's not a technical term, but it sure describes them well.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM9rjs7Dm5QVl3rxKsKiI40QiRUNwTkuiVzgc7hVt2JkKF1z5h2D2U3J-4kGmjSN2fmI8JVWC8VPNoN897oaIuRk_DUztJ5U1gUkO4mZyQp3bEfJhpd0PoSMQ4D-N8iY75AtEBuN5yh8O8m3o4jmlqwz3RrWmi3n3ZgZX0SlE6pPSPTBreuE8zJxb-Q/s1024/PXL_20230314_180753245~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM9rjs7Dm5QVl3rxKsKiI40QiRUNwTkuiVzgc7hVt2JkKF1z5h2D2U3J-4kGmjSN2fmI8JVWC8VPNoN897oaIuRk_DUztJ5U1gUkO4mZyQp3bEfJhpd0PoSMQ4D-N8iY75AtEBuN5yh8O8m3o4jmlqwz3RrWmi3n3ZgZX0SlE6pPSPTBreuE8zJxb-Q/w480-h640/PXL_20230314_180753245~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><p>The pools in the Lodge Room filled. This is an area that past Lint Camps have focused on for restoration, finding the natural cave floor under debris that was brought in to make it a dancing floor in the early 1900s through Prohibition. You could still dance in there today, but you can also see the beautiful pools--when there is enough water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFmDULkdn0glWMoRwyobojW3oS184Gfm8VhIFGKIkyeHUf0Cn67Ye-mJp2oZ7LIYVgZicosLPsuXEhmB6QkW-r2176vu_E5FiOtX08Tsnil04qP7N0kNSNjmMjgXvL1SAOj7q0pf0L8CZzkHCQPFu1GKnosVp6ayyXxMOFmyyYY8x7JinHMBo5atPkw/s1024/Lodge%20Room%20pools%20filled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFmDULkdn0glWMoRwyobojW3oS184Gfm8VhIFGKIkyeHUf0Cn67Ye-mJp2oZ7LIYVgZicosLPsuXEhmB6QkW-r2176vu_E5FiOtX08Tsnil04qP7N0kNSNjmMjgXvL1SAOj7q0pf0L8CZzkHCQPFu1GKnosVp6ayyXxMOFmyyYY8x7JinHMBo5atPkw/w480-h640/Lodge%20Room%20pools%20filled.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Queen's Bathtub also filled up. This is an ephemeral pool, only wet for the spring and summer seasons.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIcly3g876AoPsJV6yfWVLbJEe1M90O6JrCyNUtRPBz0T1xi2xntNGD0GN_TiCRSHrsyfL_sRH1Ihqo0iXvsRieWC7fhIgLQknYOfpsDI29RpPHNRkvppXXJE-67VxC8QNbmg4TPN1vHExoXUho__wp_2XIJ8Nh5HiPywvH65dVdmPzA3crSMotiRvA/s1024/PXL_20230319_233920926~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIcly3g876AoPsJV6yfWVLbJEe1M90O6JrCyNUtRPBz0T1xi2xntNGD0GN_TiCRSHrsyfL_sRH1Ihqo0iXvsRieWC7fhIgLQknYOfpsDI29RpPHNRkvppXXJE-67VxC8QNbmg4TPN1vHExoXUho__wp_2XIJ8Nh5HiPywvH65dVdmPzA3crSMotiRvA/w480-h640/PXL_20230319_233920926~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Nearby, the King's Bathtub also filled. In fact, it got so high that water was on the trail for a couple weeks, and maintenance even pumped some out so that people wouldn't have to walk through a bunch of 50 degree water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfxwN6C-VB60O-nF49AZ4y3moKywKrSZgvKFYZL-VFCsaFoAuqeB2YQe4str5HCb93aOfNQ7MnzXehfjTK06wXKWoHu1sBmbrkYeH1oUMhFqRCz4l2QwbwZaWNHSzyYM1vnpFpYmd9EnO9KOE0dRCj71F4s2nF5JzxeC_UYsziMSuiK55GVORAfFeIQ/s1024/PXL_20230319_233855684~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfxwN6C-VB60O-nF49AZ4y3moKywKrSZgvKFYZL-VFCsaFoAuqeB2YQe4str5HCb93aOfNQ7MnzXehfjTK06wXKWoHu1sBmbrkYeH1oUMhFqRCz4l2QwbwZaWNHSzyYM1vnpFpYmd9EnO9KOE0dRCj71F4s2nF5JzxeC_UYsziMSuiK55GVORAfFeIQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230319_233855684~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Back to bubbles. I started a project quantifying the drip rates of the bubbles. It was more interesting than I expected, with rates varying from day to day. I even found some bubbles that disappeared and then reappeared.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V0rKuPEQAI8_8E0tnw0qzqSGDRPQDBs0ZhBMdVJUBrDJQwrGTQ_U2cIioJIGXGnA7QdA_Js8r8u8lApPCoJ1QAfzqUyt7WC8JZfnzMJ9nc3iDbsfVUuVMZCw-uOUDO3teabYbevTCBXOxFVIUNpDojfZrHRUuktGolTDKYxvC5NcuG3Z7NvtMPYTvw/s1024/PXL_20230411_213549001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V0rKuPEQAI8_8E0tnw0qzqSGDRPQDBs0ZhBMdVJUBrDJQwrGTQ_U2cIioJIGXGnA7QdA_Js8r8u8lApPCoJ1QAfzqUyt7WC8JZfnzMJ9nc3iDbsfVUuVMZCw-uOUDO3teabYbevTCBXOxFVIUNpDojfZrHRUuktGolTDKYxvC5NcuG3Z7NvtMPYTvw/w640-h480/PXL_20230411_213549001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the Lodge Room I found 15 bubbles.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HtzvzgZ6KAJKBDSI8SkhiiBERtuchbMGoAbMHRdAMNnTwK77Yx7px0xE_GF8yU-or69meEpvuHiuxS5TvaJFkq_oa1eDdiprNVLhK-wsMw8HJl7p6x_N_VT66jPY36wceNvYYvrdGr86w7rcznHyw0Ke3O2-UcKd-amJd7_u80rT4wP23QRPoLXuIw/s1024/PXL_20230413_163121358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HtzvzgZ6KAJKBDSI8SkhiiBERtuchbMGoAbMHRdAMNnTwK77Yx7px0xE_GF8yU-or69meEpvuHiuxS5TvaJFkq_oa1eDdiprNVLhK-wsMw8HJl7p6x_N_VT66jPY36wceNvYYvrdGr86w7rcznHyw0Ke3O2-UcKd-amJd7_u80rT4wP23QRPoLXuIw/w640-h480/PXL_20230413_163121358.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>They are fascinating to watch.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnngkyY_Kq0GulEj08835uDyLb6jFcxNLMKxq7SRY7Ul0g6BZ5wF0uRVjMBDfRhn8KTBV9weg1zScDSptNoz0vSAMHHN7xh1N0lVM-eH2n_Bip1WdhB4VbZjXScuaRPb2_DU3GVtNfdZxR9MCvQv48TRADen7c-l0f7K8GH9otj7jj2yCwc_upleZLA/s1024/PXL_20230414_220356566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnngkyY_Kq0GulEj08835uDyLb6jFcxNLMKxq7SRY7Ul0g6BZ5wF0uRVjMBDfRhn8KTBV9weg1zScDSptNoz0vSAMHHN7xh1N0lVM-eH2n_Bip1WdhB4VbZjXScuaRPb2_DU3GVtNfdZxR9MCvQv48TRADen7c-l0f7K8GH9otj7jj2yCwc_upleZLA/w640-h480/PXL_20230414_220356566.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even the Panama Canal flooded! </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzDdKQeiv8X5vdrSLnfBNF_JRCgWLgLaJ8Ksr2JBQuaeUrtd3WBoXQew_z05LULFsphIngc9LVe8YlDkQGs0o5zDyTatTWjacnFsvkINdWRzIH9UA6idnDuCnpH24z0VsZLXDNPB4_CpqoLoAtbO-vh82uh_R0-jPu7RHoJEzRjJBnI0K-PZUsRBXhg/s1024/flooded%20panama%20canal.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzDdKQeiv8X5vdrSLnfBNF_JRCgWLgLaJ8Ksr2JBQuaeUrtd3WBoXQew_z05LULFsphIngc9LVe8YlDkQGs0o5zDyTatTWjacnFsvkINdWRzIH9UA6idnDuCnpH24z0VsZLXDNPB4_CpqoLoAtbO-vh82uh_R0-jPu7RHoJEzRjJBnI0K-PZUsRBXhg/w480-h640/flooded%20panama%20canal.NIGHT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A couple weeks after the Lodge Room was getting wet, the Cypress Swamp started getting wet. It was actually looking swampy!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7z6-_9ateXOUGi7QOrU8gwEGfJR5Fs645vsAIxA3XTKXyJWCvwPXgTKkbtLcGVXs2qUkb2Q3XH800HLrgmEL9O-oDgsGC2ZSCsK9des10_2l7bVC1qUgTXIxygdHrs_AHvf_Q2qRwQO5cKsipiN-tF8J_JgK1nxR2OuFqBQ5xe6UKg2-KwCDpIVwMQ/s1024/cypress%20swamp%203-16.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7z6-_9ateXOUGi7QOrU8gwEGfJR5Fs645vsAIxA3XTKXyJWCvwPXgTKkbtLcGVXs2qUkb2Q3XH800HLrgmEL9O-oDgsGC2ZSCsK9des10_2l7bVC1qUgTXIxygdHrs_AHvf_Q2qRwQO5cKsipiN-tF8J_JgK1nxR2OuFqBQ5xe6UKg2-KwCDpIVwMQ/w480-h640/cypress%20swamp%203-16.NIGHT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The water rose to the point where the rimstone pools were overtopping.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBW3zIfy6baTcgL84XCaqPtnScS7Ly-gc-XPsGE01V-XZw8j0TWKoPfgMldmyS4g-lJGP1uG2arxrA8BFjHzAdgIwb_368MTzfshKS0f6RgXU7h7Y2lF3kA8P94AXanXzc4KYb4HB4gURYBujo8QdIk8U1hbDK3Jw0YwHg-um5QfVWhzrbTEKCgO-HAA/s1024/cypress%20swamp%203-23.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBW3zIfy6baTcgL84XCaqPtnScS7Ly-gc-XPsGE01V-XZw8j0TWKoPfgMldmyS4g-lJGP1uG2arxrA8BFjHzAdgIwb_368MTzfshKS0f6RgXU7h7Y2lF3kA8P94AXanXzc4KYb4HB4gURYBujo8QdIk8U1hbDK3Jw0YwHg-um5QfVWhzrbTEKCgO-HAA/w480-h640/cypress%20swamp%203-23.NIGHT.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Cypress Swamp is so pretty with all the reflections! For a few days, it felt like it was raining in this room.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzLUKcHZU7Vpwy8kU-B5ro2EBWIKdluksxHSk-2_bCsHtOVFZXpUOqoRXxTIPrTkizQ60cvH1C5V4HZ3QtMcAbuK0hL5mrfUv0I6Hpg0WE50vbv9Lwr3M6_SzHTtfvYeyzOtgdo9b7BHhTUMJ58MT-oAXFhxM7QEv9hhYp-UA2QAKTVggA8a5WkNHHg/s1024/cypress%20swamp.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzLUKcHZU7Vpwy8kU-B5ro2EBWIKdluksxHSk-2_bCsHtOVFZXpUOqoRXxTIPrTkizQ60cvH1C5V4HZ3QtMcAbuK0hL5mrfUv0I6Hpg0WE50vbv9Lwr3M6_SzHTtfvYeyzOtgdo9b7BHhTUMJ58MT-oAXFhxM7QEv9hhYp-UA2QAKTVggA8a5WkNHHg/w640-h480/cypress%20swamp.NIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUL5Foqms-cone6VUqHbu4gRPJYphjFCCfrzkpqsAWjVY_qigH4rB8YrzctczrFZjkzAlrNsTMJ71rYWduGoJsa6JZt96Tr0RwpT5lqqqp13ZMpYWT40vj2_1OulKcsNS6gtacYmqsnfkrpPzLnIZB51Z9z12ry2G1vzECvp1CBOKQrRvpHlZ1OTTfw/s1024/PXL_20230319_234625148.NIGHT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUL5Foqms-cone6VUqHbu4gRPJYphjFCCfrzkpqsAWjVY_qigH4rB8YrzctczrFZjkzAlrNsTMJ71rYWduGoJsa6JZt96Tr0RwpT5lqqqp13ZMpYWT40vj2_1OulKcsNS6gtacYmqsnfkrpPzLnIZB51Z9z12ry2G1vzECvp1CBOKQrRvpHlZ1OTTfw/w480-h640/PXL_20230319_234625148.NIGHT~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>But the Lake Room, just around the corner, stayed stubbornly dry. What was going on?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKZzhs9nQ1pjJ8M32_mpbxECaW9uq3xR42v-NbB6cUxOqatk_9Z1WV88J4xblWsihlUBX0QEXbDR7MSrZsDW0MD3U1M-uhYfFR17aDZ8eyndST_dvjPMvftYARKYk4JfBnXMTHY08JWm2QpTWc9SNwHEHhQ0SXBB_ebNksjDzd3blDXSJWXZpwpeG4w/s1024/dry%20lake%20room%204-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKZzhs9nQ1pjJ8M32_mpbxECaW9uq3xR42v-NbB6cUxOqatk_9Z1WV88J4xblWsihlUBX0QEXbDR7MSrZsDW0MD3U1M-uhYfFR17aDZ8eyndST_dvjPMvftYARKYk4JfBnXMTHY08JWm2QpTWc9SNwHEHhQ0SXBB_ebNksjDzd3blDXSJWXZpwpeG4w/w640-h480/dry%20lake%20room%204-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Finally the Lake Room flooded, weeks after the Cypress Swamp was wet.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYwAlr1zeS_XI9EEUkmMobqqj2fB619K7o26NxRtZo-f8U1RV3XvzJkaat252Rv-th4FVFf-9eJhGDPTval8W2qxtrCPDaEVhYIf8fYyu8OBSizAgf5s6ku7reUZ-KkVJI7Ev8dqkpCm3WPnekhzF9nu8i8JdMl9ikLPQuahqVVBqw4XfO-gZCax65Q/s1024/Lake%20room%20flooded%204-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYwAlr1zeS_XI9EEUkmMobqqj2fB619K7o26NxRtZo-f8U1RV3XvzJkaat252Rv-th4FVFf-9eJhGDPTval8W2qxtrCPDaEVhYIf8fYyu8OBSizAgf5s6ku7reUZ-KkVJI7Ev8dqkpCm3WPnekhzF9nu8i8JdMl9ikLPQuahqVVBqw4XfO-gZCax65Q/w640-h480/Lake%20room%20flooded%204-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Another spot that was fun to watch was the Wishing Well in the Grand Palace. It started out with a paltry pool.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtvSqvscmO6Qqzt2p8VLe4GpVNzwZ9YFwI4bIEX5FWtnPwETs0D9PZWDBYXRmNSol2doKAYg4_SDUhqlEHmFPtUW_Yy0x8u-UO02nG1H1mcDSXiJCFGl7h-sfaO06kAjnPdz6fPB4M-JhT9_LuxVQeaUWODWbScSxLS6OblOwYdcezlmxhQTas-Q-xQ/s1024/wishing%20well%202023-03-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtvSqvscmO6Qqzt2p8VLe4GpVNzwZ9YFwI4bIEX5FWtnPwETs0D9PZWDBYXRmNSol2doKAYg4_SDUhqlEHmFPtUW_Yy0x8u-UO02nG1H1mcDSXiJCFGl7h-sfaO06kAjnPdz6fPB4M-JhT9_LuxVQeaUWODWbScSxLS6OblOwYdcezlmxhQTas-Q-xQ/w480-h640/wishing%20well%202023-03-14.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But not to fear, it started getting wetter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtjMqYyf7Wgd01CrL1dlGQ3_iD0cN6x0eWZTLc-4ZvaeVqZJxMkwylcOApY8MpUrAoxlq6KX4uqKrytIxbzosy7zV6uX2x78BJgYfoB_vb17pbLSkJ8MYZtDapfu85E0LML8baz4vFV_Z9uq5N0QMsa_SabXjCVEpTeR3jxaUpVXEHK2X7IVgqdUPOg/s1024/Wishing%20Well%202023-03-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtjMqYyf7Wgd01CrL1dlGQ3_iD0cN6x0eWZTLc-4ZvaeVqZJxMkwylcOApY8MpUrAoxlq6KX4uqKrytIxbzosy7zV6uX2x78BJgYfoB_vb17pbLSkJ8MYZtDapfu85E0LML8baz4vFV_Z9uq5N0QMsa_SabXjCVEpTeR3jxaUpVXEHK2X7IVgqdUPOg/w480-h640/Wishing%20Well%202023-03-20.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And even wetter!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIiO2R7tdqWin_GkvuhQgqqWvV39NV6xjiYG6qRxxNG6RMZ7V4EEIO9NkNmLxnXH4bt3kCnCoJaf8056w4MILP4EFQbnWJhnMqtI-FAxXdlHXW58K_MCATp_czp52WgcH54Pe6uyvceEWuWG1IK-AmIJrXDdjZRvumqCvw_RUf0QxZcWHg2QGC9X9Vg/s1024/wishing%20well%204-10-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIiO2R7tdqWin_GkvuhQgqqWvV39NV6xjiYG6qRxxNG6RMZ7V4EEIO9NkNmLxnXH4bt3kCnCoJaf8056w4MILP4EFQbnWJhnMqtI-FAxXdlHXW58K_MCATp_czp52WgcH54Pe6uyvceEWuWG1IK-AmIJrXDdjZRvumqCvw_RUf0QxZcWHg2QGC9X9Vg/w480-h640/wishing%20well%204-10-23.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><p>Back to bubbles, I'm transfixed by them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-LP6Cenmu8AxECTN2hMSTZNIgcqo47PHuVcijwe_sm486qUX6SyOuOVHeLcNe9CDwfUvFo-NGGbFgc29Ev-VRAOOE02on9sbY6BkD7RHGmcLqx-5P0da7B7u0-JsVvBeD6v6trS7iwExq1xvTm6bn_-uemhHIQkZBDHPFzqHljMszYpBIBU78IOypg/s1024/bubble-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-LP6Cenmu8AxECTN2hMSTZNIgcqo47PHuVcijwe_sm486qUX6SyOuOVHeLcNe9CDwfUvFo-NGGbFgc29Ev-VRAOOE02on9sbY6BkD7RHGmcLqx-5P0da7B7u0-JsVvBeD6v6trS7iwExq1xvTm6bn_-uemhHIQkZBDHPFzqHljMszYpBIBU78IOypg/s320/bubble-001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLVLu19NptJPz_ig7PSZt3McqesgRYCDtB5reIqDFsmfjBq7rBY6V-8wHqo5zbdECyAbSE1BR8JQcQ0nTSpTZUZjK1y2y-NqVwhf2ZiBUWwCDhhJJyuiqIJHjvDObzjB30M7D22I4q4b_wsVVuJjJEc59sVxW6pHET4661u_Q0BmD-f6T2GC_WXqXAQ/s1024/bubble-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLVLu19NptJPz_ig7PSZt3McqesgRYCDtB5reIqDFsmfjBq7rBY6V-8wHqo5zbdECyAbSE1BR8JQcQ0nTSpTZUZjK1y2y-NqVwhf2ZiBUWwCDhhJJyuiqIJHjvDObzjB30M7D22I4q4b_wsVVuJjJEc59sVxW6pHET4661u_Q0BmD-f6T2GC_WXqXAQ/s320/bubble-002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And a video, to see how mesmerizing they are as they drip.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXaec_ATE_cGFLxYSES5ZKiV7NTA8oZRZutHQIvvbi41OnX4-GucL9HXbta6uyQQkXwJsrLuB_1a3wS1JJhA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cave is drying up in some parts, as the snow above ground is completely melted. A lot of it will stay wet for weeks and months. I think some of the formations we see in the cave, like turnip stalactites and cave shields likely formed when it was a much wetter climate above ground. We might not get to enjoy baby turnips and shields, but at least we do get to appreciate the results of past climates. This extra moisture this year has us thinking about all the changes the cave has experienced over millions of years. Wow!</div><br />Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-10415868701324456942023-04-16T16:36:00.003-07:002023-04-16T16:36:09.789-07:00Skiing to Stella Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkn-w9m0vm5rP6BHtDXTAPdzuAMzFkpdcdwo3FJOXdh33LkoGkNd6es7GNi3q3PXJ1hBkBAdHxPbhZ0U32e2-10NrGmc3WZLh56yLu-nsArTT7GFEphUKyAsX8d6AD19bFeB8x8I_RMVf1pu4S6XSugaHVTX0VnhiIxSPYF-WgzsDwyrgCKa4U5sZ0A/s1600/01-entrance%20to%20great%20basin%20national%20park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkn-w9m0vm5rP6BHtDXTAPdzuAMzFkpdcdwo3FJOXdh33LkoGkNd6es7GNi3q3PXJ1hBkBAdHxPbhZ0U32e2-10NrGmc3WZLh56yLu-nsArTT7GFEphUKyAsX8d6AD19bFeB8x8I_RMVf1pu4S6XSugaHVTX0VnhiIxSPYF-WgzsDwyrgCKa4U5sZ0A/w640-h332/01-entrance%20to%20great%20basin%20national%20park.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As it became more apparent that the winter of 2022-23 was special for the frequent storms and large amount of snow, I wanted to head up to document what was happening in the Wheeler Peak Campground. Located at nearly 10,000 feet elevation, it's a gorgeous campground. In the winter, the only way to access it is via the Lehman Creek Trail, about 4 miles long starting at Upper Lehman Campground, or the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, about 9 miles starting at Upper Lehman Campground. There was almost no snow at the Great Basin National Park entrance (above). <div><br /></div><div>I opted for the shorter route. At first I thought I was going to snowshoe, but two days of fresh snow followed by cold temps made me decide to switch to my cross country skis, with skins on the bottom for traction. There was a lot of snow in the campground on April 5th, at about 7600 ft elevation.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizARxnr2FDz5A62EkiO2NmtHTd0_1mZeH5KZOS93y8uAmqgV6lBkUFHw2ONfHEc9dLvdE7cuGbrGvuqb1xdG2dfzwlikNktsuP0jmG5xaL5a9bv4aAdVzCqg4Xuo746ctudvCkGMvUfqzX2kneuY9iq2vhYmbPAxevyR7oDI3njgLbbynJCOdrv0Fszg/s1600/02-interpretive%20signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizARxnr2FDz5A62EkiO2NmtHTd0_1mZeH5KZOS93y8uAmqgV6lBkUFHw2ONfHEc9dLvdE7cuGbrGvuqb1xdG2dfzwlikNktsuP0jmG5xaL5a9bv4aAdVzCqg4Xuo746ctudvCkGMvUfqzX2kneuY9iq2vhYmbPAxevyR7oDI3njgLbbynJCOdrv0Fszg/s320/02-interpretive%20signs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trailhead is located about 5-10 minute ski into the campground. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mJekOvXyC8wtNwCRUdUoXXD5FMXSr3GPxElCM4IAzKFU69bArwEs1TnUIHZb_w58Qdx_FNkrxpup7nxBIbzXEoRODijjK6ZuHbutZip8gvHd0NS7Dt5PTGv4n4gZ7z0W7U6lKWp1CZxZhGrdwLk8jdSvZGZ4D5t14lsVgFGhh-5gi6v2Ahe_RNs4nw/s1600/03-trailhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mJekOvXyC8wtNwCRUdUoXXD5FMXSr3GPxElCM4IAzKFU69bArwEs1TnUIHZb_w58Qdx_FNkrxpup7nxBIbzXEoRODijjK6ZuHbutZip8gvHd0NS7Dt5PTGv4n4gZ7z0W7U6lKWp1CZxZhGrdwLk8jdSvZGZ4D5t14lsVgFGhh-5gi6v2Ahe_RNs4nw/w640-h480/03-trailhead.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The next sign is for Osceola Ditch, a ditch made in the late 1800s to transport water from creeks around the mountain to the mining town of Osceola to process gold. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWa9ajG7VaviJ7lxeATET8jZWxqz-VgWG8woBBvR4gU03NHnP_55y8TutWJNTXFvmjRUKKL9QYJW8jCgqk__8_vfJ2-Zhsvm5j9mIOkrNTT3UecvjJCs3EkhywZbTZHxL81fYKmshlH9oG95NtohTSrkN3mD08--nXROW1-v36xpFR6L8SA0jp3KGGg/s1600/04-osceola%20ditch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWa9ajG7VaviJ7lxeATET8jZWxqz-VgWG8woBBvR4gU03NHnP_55y8TutWJNTXFvmjRUKKL9QYJW8jCgqk__8_vfJ2-Zhsvm5j9mIOkrNTT3UecvjJCs3EkhywZbTZHxL81fYKmshlH9oG95NtohTSrkN3mD08--nXROW1-v36xpFR6L8SA0jp3KGGg/w640-h480/04-osceola%20ditch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I admired some Douglas fir pinecones.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMo9dw6ecQARnlYbFh_GQ_nL1d6tj1t2D9VFE_OeJAr_DA0kE9tYADfyv0T-pCedcKAtl-K64Z1nhBh-nJmlo5iQ5ALZ2eEJLL9RN6BBte3fj2EvCSnxpKluQuiVwMz7lJs-otQSEVTHVJnSN77zFp5-5UaIxKsqqsYIDm0T0BPG1i5s6rVgg0wvC3Q/s1600/05-douglas%20fir%20cones-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMo9dw6ecQARnlYbFh_GQ_nL1d6tj1t2D9VFE_OeJAr_DA0kE9tYADfyv0T-pCedcKAtl-K64Z1nhBh-nJmlo5iQ5ALZ2eEJLL9RN6BBte3fj2EvCSnxpKluQuiVwMz7lJs-otQSEVTHVJnSN77zFp5-5UaIxKsqqsYIDm0T0BPG1i5s6rVgg0wvC3Q/w480-h640/05-douglas%20fir%20cones-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When I got to the big meadow, about half way up, it started snowing me, even though it was sunny on the mountains.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NsjawXowUB_xg3_rPLOsJE4tcmDgvCYPxr0gLl57FlEJSF9HhOQ-MbqUu6K4litgnZziHuKm1R8oaIze7hfyTk_OhXmyTNf-JHTVbmLZ_Z_yfb3Sh9IgsxfIYrokbzCq88PHtzqZKJVbALpAxzL0swO-VWO0sy9HVgtNAwULlfYUp5CChCYX7xEB8Q/s1600/06-big%20meadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NsjawXowUB_xg3_rPLOsJE4tcmDgvCYPxr0gLl57FlEJSF9HhOQ-MbqUu6K4litgnZziHuKm1R8oaIze7hfyTk_OhXmyTNf-JHTVbmLZ_Z_yfb3Sh9IgsxfIYrokbzCq88PHtzqZKJVbALpAxzL0swO-VWO0sy9HVgtNAwULlfYUp5CChCYX7xEB8Q/w640-h480/06-big%20meadow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I smiled anyway, it was so good to be outside for the day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNnlhk0kVUo96qC4rQCsGU8XOr5Vd62CJb4BtCGLJh2TTrAhyqR47aUszM-b3nNJXG0uu7WN2gXxFefu2Acj5H78kB2mTki07HreKzqIZFp_SjOPqrK7CCrbazRuM6VvZyInfIlP43K_I7ErnXZqQGe5vDr7WJjROtonoWdRpN0ziul-o_Gp7Et85Fg/s1600/07-big%20meadow-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNnlhk0kVUo96qC4rQCsGU8XOr5Vd62CJb4BtCGLJh2TTrAhyqR47aUszM-b3nNJXG0uu7WN2gXxFefu2Acj5H78kB2mTki07HreKzqIZFp_SjOPqrK7CCrbazRuM6VvZyInfIlP43K_I7ErnXZqQGe5vDr7WJjROtonoWdRpN0ziul-o_Gp7Et85Fg/w640-h480/07-big%20meadow-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>By now the tracks had lessened from a stampede to a single ski track, made the day before. I was extremely grateful for these tracks, as the flagging up the trail ended soon after the meadow, and the trail location was not at all evident.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUaNOsbaKKCn3Wi2zZDs-I4hK4VVkQM4ol_DnPgZ-6yAZGpyNPip356g08tIw2Ml-vfwGacaYHDUu7U3PuOupqYPI1ARuSwllfxwq3KduQE0AM_VLTt6El7PBdmQx6jTgqz2zEDxJYLYzYTt0oGmGE70B8gnDsdFg9VyR7DtVQW7T2mVig1fVs7Lw3g/s1600/08-not%20much%20trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUaNOsbaKKCn3Wi2zZDs-I4hK4VVkQM4ol_DnPgZ-6yAZGpyNPip356g08tIw2Ml-vfwGacaYHDUu7U3PuOupqYPI1ARuSwllfxwq3KduQE0AM_VLTt6El7PBdmQx6jTgqz2zEDxJYLYzYTt0oGmGE70B8gnDsdFg9VyR7DtVQW7T2mVig1fVs7Lw3g/w480-h640/08-not%20much%20trail.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I headed higher, the snow got deeper. Here's some on a log.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3xZC3sXGptFG5b4HUp6k_srdnwtbMXnw9oLLggws2Vqk3QmkNQ3bPgoa8hKsgtQklYIh2otraZIFFYaMcjkM3o1r_s9K89CF3Kh4kM8JBxHC33E3ibdag2UF11wWlkws1rvS2VFN7qSW1OX5JHh7KuUAMHEYclO9zVSo55rIdm_mSIJchHAoFvKUpA/s1600/09-log.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3xZC3sXGptFG5b4HUp6k_srdnwtbMXnw9oLLggws2Vqk3QmkNQ3bPgoa8hKsgtQklYIh2otraZIFFYaMcjkM3o1r_s9K89CF3Kh4kM8JBxHC33E3ibdag2UF11wWlkws1rvS2VFN7qSW1OX5JHh7KuUAMHEYclO9zVSo55rIdm_mSIJchHAoFvKUpA/w640-h480/09-log.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was amazed that the skiers had managed to find this narrow bridge over a spring. The layers of snow were fascinating.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3z5XJiWTzUolJ9Z1Y3CRyIVWKfWQX6ht79ATiCYcBXkAotPWXlDRty5asVzJ47JNW4DHaNertXTpIv0tv3WUnkqcSYfAzp7kbc3JXeIAyl7mrOWBxEAaYBFTj6JJX3AgMA9ltgvH8doqX-BbJ3QPGrV-im96D6yHDMkSKPz9sWM0y84WqNmRHD1HZg/s1600/10-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3z5XJiWTzUolJ9Z1Y3CRyIVWKfWQX6ht79ATiCYcBXkAotPWXlDRty5asVzJ47JNW4DHaNertXTpIv0tv3WUnkqcSYfAzp7kbc3JXeIAyl7mrOWBxEAaYBFTj6JJX3AgMA9ltgvH8doqX-BbJ3QPGrV-im96D6yHDMkSKPz9sWM0y84WqNmRHD1HZg/w640-h480/10-bridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before too long, I was getting awesome views of Wheeler Peak behind snow-covered trees.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzfrCvIEqucID5Hqa9g-PWT0FE-zjBAXF4UISrNGbK5CKtePSUwhL8IEUoQ9jmSY7r93EkDqo9HJeoPEZHcbgw9DCGPjzpOGQQSuImxMLbqXxhwthn14nw5KsuFfKmrcG129xg7t93UwVXrEDL_zlCDWM6-ZWBfil4A0L2LjumOqxpmK885w_OLyKhg/s1600/11-PXL_20230405_174350013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzfrCvIEqucID5Hqa9g-PWT0FE-zjBAXF4UISrNGbK5CKtePSUwhL8IEUoQ9jmSY7r93EkDqo9HJeoPEZHcbgw9DCGPjzpOGQQSuImxMLbqXxhwthn14nw5KsuFfKmrcG129xg7t93UwVXrEDL_zlCDWM6-ZWBfil4A0L2LjumOqxpmK885w_OLyKhg/w640-h480/11-PXL_20230405_174350013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then, before I knew it, I saw a little bit of a building. Wait, what? It turned out I was in the campground. But all the campsites were so snow covered I didn't know it. And there were no signs or roads to be seen. But I could just make out the top of an outhouse.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsUiERQipRbQgQv_HXh-p-3A1xnkxgd4GulY1P08TSeHVdfBw_Lw-IVV8ZLcaS6jDsnPBlrBw_76DHb9g_QGK6lUTq-cKcZQVeMaCV_H94MRThPgpuTiafQeoOLMhO4574no89_5qeVVVw2uOPIBuNbDt4qKQEpr9d-l3GEBucMN5E5MPchWm8TqQQA/s1600/12-bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsUiERQipRbQgQv_HXh-p-3A1xnkxgd4GulY1P08TSeHVdfBw_Lw-IVV8ZLcaS6jDsnPBlrBw_76DHb9g_QGK6lUTq-cKcZQVeMaCV_H94MRThPgpuTiafQeoOLMhO4574no89_5qeVVVw2uOPIBuNbDt4qKQEpr9d-l3GEBucMN5E5MPchWm8TqQQA/w640-h480/12-bathroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I looked harder, I could make out one of the roads. You see it, right?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI9i5p81yBR2cczhlkh6lKQ851_vDk0DxNNJKU_R3F9yrQOUXMsNMeYc2kHKyEH0CrxjeJz_jhAbAqFrnlxVgYCzponHmt2Nsr_V7eNcKaIhnUkeXthYrH7NfrxieKLFomzgKSHW4TVedmKKqAIM9JY5oiESF37l1ECbZxWMXGilywiPwbu6ItwQrSg/s1600/13-campground%20road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI9i5p81yBR2cczhlkh6lKQ851_vDk0DxNNJKU_R3F9yrQOUXMsNMeYc2kHKyEH0CrxjeJz_jhAbAqFrnlxVgYCzponHmt2Nsr_V7eNcKaIhnUkeXthYrH7NfrxieKLFomzgKSHW4TVedmKKqAIM9JY5oiESF37l1ECbZxWMXGilywiPwbu6ItwQrSg/w480-h640/13-campground%20road.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Up near the Bristlecone trailhead I saw the kiosk with the intepretive signs.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogX7vuuJJtCYa8tmJyPJAq_EFtbnT1gGdZWFuesYHW8KOA3VvyrYibgIWQDAhiH-RTkQiY7GPBeSFYnugGgIy7vF0PAuY-RwpSs531pBSYAx8ieAyfNjSkROO-3-2RgxnqE2RHk8-2u8YRWpWvhPbZmoFyuVkjve0EDp19Urw9Ppg0wcWi4bz5cyIdQ/s1600/14-PXL_20230405_183217677~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogX7vuuJJtCYa8tmJyPJAq_EFtbnT1gGdZWFuesYHW8KOA3VvyrYibgIWQDAhiH-RTkQiY7GPBeSFYnugGgIy7vF0PAuY-RwpSs531pBSYAx8ieAyfNjSkROO-3-2RgxnqE2RHk8-2u8YRWpWvhPbZmoFyuVkjve0EDp19Urw9Ppg0wcWi4bz5cyIdQ/w640-h480/14-PXL_20230405_183217677~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made my way past the bathrooms and sat down for lunch. It was a lovely view. (It took about three hours to get here.)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0aqj8QZVRTM-MYACo7sqX6-qgPK2Yn7XH9ezWUKoowOBPjXBjUTAV5v8_jGFuau8LwpULHQJEXl7dLMw8YBPAwPjd9DUqb1sVCt73VPRvXgMPsdSwBuUgQAtPUyENetpMskQ5Ok9Q_xF4yaA_QRpbKMdgmI19zqU8tQG6fmf_TRjidChGuP0Gx2Fcw/s1600/15-parking%20lot-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0aqj8QZVRTM-MYACo7sqX6-qgPK2Yn7XH9ezWUKoowOBPjXBjUTAV5v8_jGFuau8LwpULHQJEXl7dLMw8YBPAwPjd9DUqb1sVCt73VPRvXgMPsdSwBuUgQAtPUyENetpMskQ5Ok9Q_xF4yaA_QRpbKMdgmI19zqU8tQG6fmf_TRjidChGuP0Gx2Fcw/w640-h480/15-parking%20lot-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the trailhead sign for the bristlecones and alpine lakes trails. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlhgYS6dnCrXsX901n2Y9uRStamScE7pHzZBwF4Slj8INFDBV89jzeEucnxedLqV6UbaFVVkJKPQhaTT5Gww__a50GQoZOGLb2nAorVxqjvobR4DnBppaeFC9uJbbuI9HNgrggT5n7yvyxlT9xI0DLOIvy7qTt7blDC--5MNlWTkaKN15T4HIZ345BA/s1600/16-trailhead-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlhgYS6dnCrXsX901n2Y9uRStamScE7pHzZBwF4Slj8INFDBV89jzeEucnxedLqV6UbaFVVkJKPQhaTT5Gww__a50GQoZOGLb2nAorVxqjvobR4DnBppaeFC9uJbbuI9HNgrggT5n7yvyxlT9xI0DLOIvy7qTt7blDC--5MNlWTkaKN15T4HIZ345BA/w480-h640/16-trailhead-001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I still had energy and food, so I decided to continue on. The skiers the pervious day had turned around here, so now I had to break trail through about a foot of fresh powder. It was hard work. I came across the water treatment building.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYPydSUU_vU6pABZFhbkM4Z2Ap_XhZu-pyBuSz1HowRekEGzXh-hiL8YZxZum5ef3hnmJexBdb0ntGfZzDaJGoMO0Y_eHy73YshNy-T08HltMExmA9Xq6NJW_0RFPl5NO9quIUZI873MqT2Ap4JdJylMXWO4GQAscujPcE9bGrRc82fS6Kl55SZTF9A/s1600/17-water%20treatment%20building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYPydSUU_vU6pABZFhbkM4Z2Ap_XhZu-pyBuSz1HowRekEGzXh-hiL8YZxZum5ef3hnmJexBdb0ntGfZzDaJGoMO0Y_eHy73YshNy-T08HltMExmA9Xq6NJW_0RFPl5NO9quIUZI873MqT2Ap4JdJylMXWO4GQAscujPcE9bGrRc82fS6Kl55SZTF9A/w480-h640/17-water%20treatment%20building.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I spotted the NevCan installation, which measures weather. The camera here stopped working in December, but there's another <a href="https://phenocam.nau.edu/webcam/sites/nevcanspg4a/" target="_blank">one near Mt. Washington</a> that I follow regularly to see just how much snow there is.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fFLh5KdUzVryck3KMfdQttUf_hvv1OEEwhknJwnFTQsbozRNzc18DkAy2SN4au5bfdBI2JokEFFEij1DeT4CwKMaviAzt3kwHSNKie-6SivJoC8pMVfIcI-ZgpkB6sN9Piv1f80ospTN1NkovhUkl9pWGLv6YCsXvxOAc6UFeC3C_X2Qx5JDOBGomw/s1600/18-nevcan%20site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fFLh5KdUzVryck3KMfdQttUf_hvv1OEEwhknJwnFTQsbozRNzc18DkAy2SN4au5bfdBI2JokEFFEij1DeT4CwKMaviAzt3kwHSNKie-6SivJoC8pMVfIcI-ZgpkB6sN9Piv1f80ospTN1NkovhUkl9pWGLv6YCsXvxOAc6UFeC3C_X2Qx5JDOBGomw/w480-h640/18-nevcan%20site.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I came to the <a href="https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/nwcc/site?sitenum=1147" target="_blank">Snotel site</a>, which was measuring about 107 inches that day. Wow! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2MyTampkz06Yunro-eKVfVJx7j9QEp4HTYyuP1HJkdEXO3qpYZboKWsrAyNnYFgCAjfisr3PyNhIMrZXHn6Ob_N2ugyg4avEN7J-soLXOH8_dIKYWH8g3xFBl-fP9rmlFQpuJPfIyb3TAXSXf8a7ylWdbr8nDTPwOx-RNFgLWniWEjyGasuhxnJ_5g/s1600/19-snotel%20site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2MyTampkz06Yunro-eKVfVJx7j9QEp4HTYyuP1HJkdEXO3qpYZboKWsrAyNnYFgCAjfisr3PyNhIMrZXHn6Ob_N2ugyg4avEN7J-soLXOH8_dIKYWH8g3xFBl-fP9rmlFQpuJPfIyb3TAXSXf8a7ylWdbr8nDTPwOx-RNFgLWniWEjyGasuhxnJ_5g/w640-h480/19-snotel%20site.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>From there I headed in the direction of Stella Lake, using the Gaia app on my phone to help me. I eventually came upon a trail marker--about waist high!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tr3CI7R9phlW-tdK0N2q_Tj7CgvvhIBjq8n2JcDhbsKHDeik-ImcBqv8fEoPmYohdofWyRfAmx3JRf84fAHVA5SAiWZVLl2FMfhva_EpKGz93Y21r0wNwfl1vx3XWvHksrMYJyYv4UDYyvlFMWY2OK1VNY65bHqR16kGge8-l7xzJug4NTV5j-5iUA/s1600/20-trail%20marker-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tr3CI7R9phlW-tdK0N2q_Tj7CgvvhIBjq8n2JcDhbsKHDeik-ImcBqv8fEoPmYohdofWyRfAmx3JRf84fAHVA5SAiWZVLl2FMfhva_EpKGz93Y21r0wNwfl1vx3XWvHksrMYJyYv4UDYyvlFMWY2OK1VNY65bHqR16kGge8-l7xzJug4NTV5j-5iUA/w640-h480/20-trail%20marker-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a trail marker about knee high. These are usually way over my head.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QiC7qCRxgfbpklWLXapAcoiLOr_hwKxF3uJRGq0H9ai7Wb7NbBj9OemSp6JbRaFmPhepZahLYeH05UlLPj4D2QEUkbQuCjQe60y299fAExfvpTVyDxNGHv3EEW6QLvyon-vtOlvt-KUQIDYBbupogFAPSxrVWMrwB4NUvd0kPQkeITpxjx19MXUXRA/s1600/21-another%20trail%20marker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QiC7qCRxgfbpklWLXapAcoiLOr_hwKxF3uJRGq0H9ai7Wb7NbBj9OemSp6JbRaFmPhepZahLYeH05UlLPj4D2QEUkbQuCjQe60y299fAExfvpTVyDxNGHv3EEW6QLvyon-vtOlvt-KUQIDYBbupogFAPSxrVWMrwB4NUvd0kPQkeITpxjx19MXUXRA/w640-h480/21-another%20trail%20marker.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was strange sking so high up the trees.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGixgkVemmrPX5MaZWta0FnRKA8Ief1dU7xNJ-lMfs_vADTVnoaov5GmMCG3EeOoi8Gd_c3s17Fx2eMfPbjQkWikSV3ZtoEOFfhqQVMBl3O5D1bjB0K6bhEm0fC0AXZWL5bQMgXa-jah1ZPqvUV7jjeaeIEu0yFzzmLve5F7Wnb1mgKZ0yLFWyQtjag/s1600/22-trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGixgkVemmrPX5MaZWta0FnRKA8Ief1dU7xNJ-lMfs_vADTVnoaov5GmMCG3EeOoi8Gd_c3s17Fx2eMfPbjQkWikSV3ZtoEOFfhqQVMBl3O5D1bjB0K6bhEm0fC0AXZWL5bQMgXa-jah1ZPqvUV7jjeaeIEu0yFzzmLve5F7Wnb1mgKZ0yLFWyQtjag/w480-h640/22-trail.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I approached Stella Lake, it got so white. The big meadow in front of it was totally snow-covered.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGl3HOuagkyPy8-lv49pVxpjBEwscdU6eUuApoxiLyr2sEH0y7jXTOiWxlzjMsBsqBBZDyGFCmOLoFjB6bFuT4dPG4ml4E5BJcCSMt_cZMwQmZJIPWXHHYeP-aRsjfb5iElUmiPPAb_zTJneJ4MuNbmCdLy5mtFQoeK9j83k19hAiBVY-YAP0oJ2Uyg/s1600/23-so%20white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGl3HOuagkyPy8-lv49pVxpjBEwscdU6eUuApoxiLyr2sEH0y7jXTOiWxlzjMsBsqBBZDyGFCmOLoFjB6bFuT4dPG4ml4E5BJcCSMt_cZMwQmZJIPWXHHYeP-aRsjfb5iElUmiPPAb_zTJneJ4MuNbmCdLy5mtFQoeK9j83k19hAiBVY-YAP0oJ2Uyg/w640-h480/23-so%20white.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then I was there! Stella Lake isn't too impressive with all the snow. But the mountain sure is!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVUUoMek5KgR6n8WeN7swUXd8iuS_2gRVTrzpVk_jViaulLkgW3CBkTkPr24Kb8HmV1qw4zRFySsqQ-WZ0V_UYVyAuHRdKNeF7daWJthAQvn9zyucq_Kbvic2giZXTMfU1ysja5s_0hRY8YibYBazTEgvph7nv7Air9iFlVhdDeyDEf8adQLCeJq8rQ/s1600/25-selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVUUoMek5KgR6n8WeN7swUXd8iuS_2gRVTrzpVk_jViaulLkgW3CBkTkPr24Kb8HmV1qw4zRFySsqQ-WZ0V_UYVyAuHRdKNeF7daWJthAQvn9zyucq_Kbvic2giZXTMfU1ysja5s_0hRY8YibYBazTEgvph7nv7Air9iFlVhdDeyDEf8adQLCeJq8rQ/w640-h480/25-selfie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I skied out onto the lake to enjoy a different view and just for the fun of it. Then I took another nice break.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZxD5N8MlZSCO7D2GdPEwBqx8a_FPFj1pXHqYF98zYMEaXmh0SphxiliU4omu91Y9ITsDfqf7nt1cREoIK6nDggCttgYnbZkSssDMxhwBfOMH0qim6yyTD_8ZQUJgXPS6ziNEVAzQyHY8wRZFlY0-W0b1t-B-MIHHFhQz7HOLCuznAcG3J6C0JsMUYw/s1600/26-stella%20lake%20with%20ski%20trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZxD5N8MlZSCO7D2GdPEwBqx8a_FPFj1pXHqYF98zYMEaXmh0SphxiliU4omu91Y9ITsDfqf7nt1cREoIK6nDggCttgYnbZkSssDMxhwBfOMH0qim6yyTD_8ZQUJgXPS6ziNEVAzQyHY8wRZFlY0-W0b1t-B-MIHHFhQz7HOLCuznAcG3J6C0JsMUYw/w640-h480/26-stella%20lake%20with%20ski%20trail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Eventually it was time to head back down. I took the skins off my skis as with so much fresh powder, I had plenty of braking power.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiOtGM2ZMnj9AJLxk5pCBqw_vKXysgOWNW1QsVonEraHZPdMUbbzdz7sdfBUKcUWXrcY0FAjcQZ_rgeWNq9DqtS3jkTbX3bxS17ryvw0uuxKUIKCGEn9BR_68JWzqi5UjtGM-oZqOCqS1chubVa96OKPkfF7mOQcWSzdvtQaTUlenaVa8BBALFJJjyQ/s1600/27-heading%20back%20down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiOtGM2ZMnj9AJLxk5pCBqw_vKXysgOWNW1QsVonEraHZPdMUbbzdz7sdfBUKcUWXrcY0FAjcQZ_rgeWNq9DqtS3jkTbX3bxS17ryvw0uuxKUIKCGEn9BR_68JWzqi5UjtGM-oZqOCqS1chubVa96OKPkfF7mOQcWSzdvtQaTUlenaVa8BBALFJJjyQ/w640-h480/27-heading%20back%20down.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was gorgeous.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wTafmzIF8r9z0VcDuWej-A_J-3NCxsN5fO5mEincBRkUG0ppxydCjcp3lui6T6dLLUiY6B3RY2IOFTmYzACWRNtvhfoWIppTJOr-qmZtJ8WnvtgB1dY79NVitT5DNSVTR_MFlmgO5HFkr3lvBL7B25iLqisflnWS5RKazIiuYef6rpxbYHwDabF7XA/s1600/28-beautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wTafmzIF8r9z0VcDuWej-A_J-3NCxsN5fO5mEincBRkUG0ppxydCjcp3lui6T6dLLUiY6B3RY2IOFTmYzACWRNtvhfoWIppTJOr-qmZtJ8WnvtgB1dY79NVitT5DNSVTR_MFlmgO5HFkr3lvBL7B25iLqisflnWS5RKazIiuYef6rpxbYHwDabF7XA/w640-h480/28-beautiful.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I took a slightly different route through the campground, admiring another campsite.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjPx0pvSjnHEdTYIqI1mXRjdTKRuhQutIRjAaCchlLAzPJTsaSn_9fhKX4aq-Xrs59MjIipxs0L4gKa9bijlDe5sWN-hLai_V0gSFlHXivv93NmL7q5lBjIgwpkTaoeQEefoTksVJw4qJRUl80SFCGtqRc9gR0fZOBJcjR1Oz-Hn5X2jTeBABc_LPXA/s1600/29-campsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjPx0pvSjnHEdTYIqI1mXRjdTKRuhQutIRjAaCchlLAzPJTsaSn_9fhKX4aq-Xrs59MjIipxs0L4gKa9bijlDe5sWN-hLai_V0gSFlHXivv93NmL7q5lBjIgwpkTaoeQEefoTksVJw4qJRUl80SFCGtqRc9gR0fZOBJcjR1Oz-Hn5X2jTeBABc_LPXA/w480-h640/29-campsite.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And another snow-covered bathroom.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikSSPRiBKcLiTFhEgd3m04aXMNE1MwPeJokFapMUN4APwRGIqgJNGLahVrNISRlkjcurozy502w87CGUKp2iNsdNEb0a-t6MSjXyKkLJIT2ic2ECBHCBMnOMHI3RjerKEV2px2TUbsPF4JxMZcMosZAHYFShV1i0Ll724Ewju3d1KzzdX-ZlHw4_R0Q/s1600/30-bathroom-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1230" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikSSPRiBKcLiTFhEgd3m04aXMNE1MwPeJokFapMUN4APwRGIqgJNGLahVrNISRlkjcurozy502w87CGUKp2iNsdNEb0a-t6MSjXyKkLJIT2ic2ECBHCBMnOMHI3RjerKEV2px2TUbsPF4JxMZcMosZAHYFShV1i0Ll724Ewju3d1KzzdX-ZlHw4_R0Q/w492-h640/30-bathroom-002.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I encountered seven people on my way down, including three who were spending the night at the campground. They pulled a sled, which made for a very fast trail. I put the skins back on, and then when the trail narrowed near Osceola Ditch, switched to snow shoes for a bit. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-emuIGxV2gGijzcoU2NJBn-UvcfGzMRRLXX9JfJX7-IYKUBOswSHa7h9_vy5vVTMsQ8i6n5gjwsTyvj58-iiQt3qKK9ESmfBqdjkGhBYFres_T79SNohG3VamdcCIz_se-FSbbjoJiQKpqSDmHT_I74yYKFpVuqLxM9pb2JOBYr3noqZwGxAU2RqjSQ/s1600/32-carrying%20sled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-emuIGxV2gGijzcoU2NJBn-UvcfGzMRRLXX9JfJX7-IYKUBOswSHa7h9_vy5vVTMsQ8i6n5gjwsTyvj58-iiQt3qKK9ESmfBqdjkGhBYFres_T79SNohG3VamdcCIz_se-FSbbjoJiQKpqSDmHT_I74yYKFpVuqLxM9pb2JOBYr3noqZwGxAU2RqjSQ/w640-h410/32-carrying%20sled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a truly wonderful day out in the backcountry.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HNAO2y-62bzw50o9f7ndiwQ7Fa--G15gaZ0ouMbTOwJ7l2pZlIRgl20VZ0GGq4cJYtMgCW9bA0WB7jEp3_ZwLX9TbomD6ZEspgx8cAoiPiVwNykLVON6CaHWf1J-zCKOJ6cOX-7DRjZeX4VyFlclntGMi5E2HApF6PgBokTyPdPXPGIkBlYMtaJuaQ/s1600/31-snowy%20peaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HNAO2y-62bzw50o9f7ndiwQ7Fa--G15gaZ0ouMbTOwJ7l2pZlIRgl20VZ0GGq4cJYtMgCW9bA0WB7jEp3_ZwLX9TbomD6ZEspgx8cAoiPiVwNykLVON6CaHWf1J-zCKOJ6cOX-7DRjZeX4VyFlclntGMi5E2HApF6PgBokTyPdPXPGIkBlYMtaJuaQ/w640-h480/31-snowy%20peaks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Now we'll have the fun of seeing how all that snow melts!</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-81736310997952152402023-04-10T07:15:00.002-07:002023-04-10T07:15:45.546-07:002023 April First Snow Survey<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7npHoLCKUPljuHDb3ZTQMiLGsPFRO0wyufCScaxfylZPefUvITvXQsobNuU6dEFluEymZutSfwDmFqHoynfKgf2hp9IguqJPtmodiowuheih110d-XkhwH8GIYVbh7OZNOL6AhPQuWRoUe45NLMgCdRlmdrgyjgj0NCFKWBUhPwSXEQZL7xEwbTGSg/s1200/01-PXL_20230330_153506216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7npHoLCKUPljuHDb3ZTQMiLGsPFRO0wyufCScaxfylZPefUvITvXQsobNuU6dEFluEymZutSfwDmFqHoynfKgf2hp9IguqJPtmodiowuheih110d-XkhwH8GIYVbh7OZNOL6AhPQuWRoUe45NLMgCdRlmdrgyjgj0NCFKWBUhPwSXEQZL7xEwbTGSg/w640-h480/01-PXL_20230330_153506216.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>One of the winter field activities I enjoy helping with is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) snow survey. It's been done in Baker Creek since 1942. You can see some of my previous posts about it in <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2011/03/snow-survey.html" target="_blank">2011</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2012/02/snow-survey.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2013/02/snow-survey-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2014/05/snow-survey-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2015/03/first-2015-snow-survey.html" target="_blank">2015 (March)</a>, <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2015/04/second-2015-snow-survey.html" target="_blank">2015</a> (April), <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2016/03/march-1-2016-baker-creek-snow-survey.html" target="_blank">2016</a>, and <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2019/03/baker-creek-snow-survey-2019.html" target="_blank"> 2019</a>, </p><p>Thankfully Great Basin National park maintenance was able to plow to the Baker Creek Campground, where we found conditions pictured above.</p><p>We put on our skis and started up. Often we see marmots at the end of March, but not this year!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs3dChCkUsQTsppwMMFNMUxPThNxW5HL8ZSytyECvRQWy0mObs48-uXW2wA8GNwZVR5XVK2UP2U_jJDfkYZLEVpD8Ep8ALYa-XITtahsgK7ujCAqznGDF-gLuoOGwEqPsHWbvbTJTfkSc6jVSTFGCRzt4Yq8Vj4IniKp5DtNN8n4QFaFJTuXpWmFj5g/s1200/02-PXL_20230330_153840585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs3dChCkUsQTsppwMMFNMUxPThNxW5HL8ZSytyECvRQWy0mObs48-uXW2wA8GNwZVR5XVK2UP2U_jJDfkYZLEVpD8Ep8ALYa-XITtahsgK7ujCAqznGDF-gLuoOGwEqPsHWbvbTJTfkSc6jVSTFGCRzt4Yq8Vj4IniKp5DtNN8n4QFaFJTuXpWmFj5g/w640-h480/02-PXL_20230330_153840585.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Three of us were headed up to 9500 feet for this snow survey.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0vnASvv56NrWCkluUgBfZirOS0Y84ULfW9fHT-1hEF5QmDnIhtiQDRDkr9S_EuD98WU2CdUgJARgbw1rl8t8rYIsh9wpLURmG4aGkZm47ZXBrzDt0w5swmaV9zjUBRobgX_BT6cBhp7Uj7EZpOsGp1wfiDGWoijnYK9il6MkqQPMv5w8sFbvPjy45A/s1200/03-PXL_20230330_154610840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0vnASvv56NrWCkluUgBfZirOS0Y84ULfW9fHT-1hEF5QmDnIhtiQDRDkr9S_EuD98WU2CdUgJARgbw1rl8t8rYIsh9wpLURmG4aGkZm47ZXBrzDt0w5swmaV9zjUBRobgX_BT6cBhp7Uj7EZpOsGp1wfiDGWoijnYK9il6MkqQPMv5w8sFbvPjy45A/w640-h480/03-PXL_20230330_154610840.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>At the Baker Creek trailhead, we found the outhouse about half buried in snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gZl74MQjn3z5nZJ6RtXYwjcnkzt4NlxkUqLHj3PKfS4TwnD3W3RQkTKFQzsTq-U4t3L5YPyGLHmhmY2CHKyfb_En653T9NdMTfGMNBb2XDhLCeAEw0vf0aI81zxfZsYyVDjMoiPUIJBRLUm5m8n0d40TXuVA4UHR9FLUbwJ_kZqVDHB0a6BID4LhDQ/s1200/04-PXL_20230330_155749954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gZl74MQjn3z5nZJ6RtXYwjcnkzt4NlxkUqLHj3PKfS4TwnD3W3RQkTKFQzsTq-U4t3L5YPyGLHmhmY2CHKyfb_En653T9NdMTfGMNBb2XDhLCeAEw0vf0aI81zxfZsYyVDjMoiPUIJBRLUm5m8n0d40TXuVA4UHR9FLUbwJ_kZqVDHB0a6BID4LhDQ/w640-h480/04-PXL_20230330_155749954.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The route to the first snow survey was covered in snow, with not even any bushes showing. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa7aJoq2uEj2GtYtAd_PmCpyw_U1kVORJlwbh2zo55MvcFjqRE6y7HRrjtjU511rLToEnP5ca_SlA1JqL5S8ItjMhVr6mStmR9Hp1LMHMv-XXI196ezj-LUi55ZMoL94EoezeKZTUVBo6phxcexvnkNAPSnt75aKFcdMx7IB8drcmbqiQkFb3RnhxhA/s1200/05-PXL_20230330_161012263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa7aJoq2uEj2GtYtAd_PmCpyw_U1kVORJlwbh2zo55MvcFjqRE6y7HRrjtjU511rLToEnP5ca_SlA1JqL5S8ItjMhVr6mStmR9Hp1LMHMv-XXI196ezj-LUi55ZMoL94EoezeKZTUVBo6phxcexvnkNAPSnt75aKFcdMx7IB8drcmbqiQkFb3RnhxhA/w640-h480/05-PXL_20230330_161012263.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Contrast that with the view of the 2014 snow survey, where we had to figure out a way around all the sagebrush and rabbitbrush. The 8000 foot elevation sign was prominently showing.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK95UXEYCUABXvjApefeJoXBLp3o_Z3bsyjtxVX2No8OvRqTAXebALQipCk9AqOrj3UH41BzqjwiiEJhgBe_DrKWjEPQOMyHSUQaiZuqVAzdHU8goCsIsOPICPjdLkFxF9_ZC6DZwOJe_XCjgTuvntFtDHh06rgPXa1ZeDODDl4_hYN2zjZBGnYssFqg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK95UXEYCUABXvjApefeJoXBLp3o_Z3bsyjtxVX2No8OvRqTAXebALQipCk9AqOrj3UH41BzqjwiiEJhgBe_DrKWjEPQOMyHSUQaiZuqVAzdHU8goCsIsOPICPjdLkFxF9_ZC6DZwOJe_XCjgTuvntFtDHh06rgPXa1ZeDODDl4_hYN2zjZBGnYssFqg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p><p><br />We measured the snow at the first site and found we were standing at the top of the snow survey signs.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpuvlfIcf8dLwSDAY4eANGgP-xbCJyuBLdu2RnYfDS28-zwYei6oCaHYTcZ4-JJokIiunK_kkAY0pIkJfLOWF0iveQ4jYHsRRNflrpNjVoQhbBS2WRmwN3uiXqjbr_pYpAomReJCDkIUxWuVzC5a-0fdEKYduXFNo69ZSUqJaqNqvQ2IxFbMFo20zRQ/s1200/06-PXL_20230330_162749899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpuvlfIcf8dLwSDAY4eANGgP-xbCJyuBLdu2RnYfDS28-zwYei6oCaHYTcZ4-JJokIiunK_kkAY0pIkJfLOWF0iveQ4jYHsRRNflrpNjVoQhbBS2WRmwN3uiXqjbr_pYpAomReJCDkIUxWuVzC5a-0fdEKYduXFNo69ZSUqJaqNqvQ2IxFbMFo20zRQ/w640-h480/06-PXL_20230330_162749899.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>That's in big contrast to 2015, where there was bare ground at some of the signs!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhATpAPpLkiRf3YLVYHrDu1RpkdtyzjfxsIDHkJE7ONbDNghfgmvA8QtQj8U9FO3MFPnHmAJp0-266nA6c5QcwghREJswipy6mEYD4h6DWOktc3bfx1qv_f_-sDziedAXL_f4LPKqNTbBAP2las7_pSqCmweTKS4bRlkaU-tFwmgA8DM-KYpgbYTPYCYA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhATpAPpLkiRf3YLVYHrDu1RpkdtyzjfxsIDHkJE7ONbDNghfgmvA8QtQj8U9FO3MFPnHmAJp0-266nA6c5QcwghREJswipy6mEYD4h6DWOktc3bfx1qv_f_-sDziedAXL_f4LPKqNTbBAP2las7_pSqCmweTKS4bRlkaU-tFwmgA8DM-KYpgbYTPYCYA=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></p><p>For much of our ski, we were high up next to the trees. We skied right over most obstacles, but did find a few things a challenge.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpUki2qMxmHZil3hlxlk9_I2-GZE8V-WuDzuURAdKGoq6QttarbQGqYef_BZwOqvLf4gKlTad90o5gL5OrfrG8hYH9NL4z09aIPWC2HzoOEsb4mO3RFOKrzbsgQcifdN_W2CH2fHvUjGJFhOL_lsS4Trb1ZdeHUcvSHbN7YlMMKntA5jBwkY-yRjdyQ/s1200/07-PXL_20230330_173909014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpUki2qMxmHZil3hlxlk9_I2-GZE8V-WuDzuURAdKGoq6QttarbQGqYef_BZwOqvLf4gKlTad90o5gL5OrfrG8hYH9NL4z09aIPWC2HzoOEsb4mO3RFOKrzbsgQcifdN_W2CH2fHvUjGJFhOL_lsS4Trb1ZdeHUcvSHbN7YlMMKntA5jBwkY-yRjdyQ/w480-h640/07-PXL_20230330_173909014.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p>We marveled at how the aspen inscriptions were partially covered in snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHG5AmWVLe8qFuU8FJ6aQehv6MhEg8JAeyYAqVD34uq_tfDWdxrEMlKc3-m_FlWbOF4o1hCZzvkY0ka5Zw5UhyvMHgzC9If9feRYEORUsYeYTtfJ2MNcGUkeizkBaOSUms71lz0SwFIoq7PUbzALMogSJZSBrcPkeVEqdkoliUKOj48SMKGDnzFFjnA/s1200/08-PXL_20230330_180428145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHG5AmWVLe8qFuU8FJ6aQehv6MhEg8JAeyYAqVD34uq_tfDWdxrEMlKc3-m_FlWbOF4o1hCZzvkY0ka5Zw5UhyvMHgzC9If9feRYEORUsYeYTtfJ2MNcGUkeizkBaOSUms71lz0SwFIoq7PUbzALMogSJZSBrcPkeVEqdkoliUKOj48SMKGDnzFFjnA/w640-h480/08-PXL_20230330_180428145.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">At the second site we used four sections of snow tube. Each section is 30 inches long. We had one measurement over 90 inches! Yikes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaJAcbq0_O2deNILkuyGX3p-MuD-cJ3EFtD6M7oPejt_NjS1OKPvVx0flzh6RJy_RCA-QznQT-IrEbSehX26Y1oQk_O3gInv4xGxxcKqBmJSV2wNy00kmUHU58EMNsj7Jt0-vuXtcG5GZAZGxgEc1aleKq5OkwtbQNkIi4CKdseqAbx0-fZQONIUM_A/s1200/10-PXL_20230330_185731859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaJAcbq0_O2deNILkuyGX3p-MuD-cJ3EFtD6M7oPejt_NjS1OKPvVx0flzh6RJy_RCA-QznQT-IrEbSehX26Y1oQk_O3gInv4xGxxcKqBmJSV2wNy00kmUHU58EMNsj7Jt0-vuXtcG5GZAZGxgEc1aleKq5OkwtbQNkIi4CKdseqAbx0-fZQONIUM_A/w640-h480/10-PXL_20230330_185731859.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Weighing the tube took some balance. The snow tubes are calibrated so that when you weigh the tube and subtract the tare (the weight of the empty tube), you get the Snow Water Equivalent, or the amount of water that is covering the ground if all the snow was suddenly to melt. We measured over two feet at the second site, at 9200 feet. We found that the snow depth was the highest ever measured, beating a 1952 record, and the Snow Water Equivalent was the second highest in the 81-year record.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJdW4ArUqOyeCwv5PyDel_2VbcnYvq68nVegZAMf6tEZt3jqxruA4yDfJh_fAczMbvP3znFQFWjilNmFzlEeHqTWC0PWMF6E0uKlbCQno3yjG4nZWCm0ZLv8I32RFzFDY5KwcSxGYXrAZ2JagW9KorsEGRO_165tgQL2b_xkft7qx-nvIgCZTtpy4vA/s1200/11-PXL_20230330_185858713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJdW4ArUqOyeCwv5PyDel_2VbcnYvq68nVegZAMf6tEZt3jqxruA4yDfJh_fAczMbvP3znFQFWjilNmFzlEeHqTWC0PWMF6E0uKlbCQno3yjG4nZWCm0ZLv8I32RFzFDY5KwcSxGYXrAZ2JagW9KorsEGRO_165tgQL2b_xkft7qx-nvIgCZTtpy4vA/w640-h480/11-PXL_20230330_185858713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We were at the top of the snow marker! We had to get a shot of all of us up there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldEM3ccINOHSUaLBZDCGXbZMero2L-rlfmwIoXR48Nc4W8QdrhMc14pipEGnf9lxlsHI6rrYmwFecUNWqN8alxc068esSNu_zPHmQ_bQ9JncknX7AhnHukmLxilS0VD6BhmFglq8rFEEGjSUdK2H5zRr1H1NpHjN9vq5KBbxtlHtLkcOQzImwg18Tbg/s1200/12-PXL_20230330_192420141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldEM3ccINOHSUaLBZDCGXbZMero2L-rlfmwIoXR48Nc4W8QdrhMc14pipEGnf9lxlsHI6rrYmwFecUNWqN8alxc068esSNu_zPHmQ_bQ9JncknX7AhnHukmLxilS0VD6BhmFglq8rFEEGjSUdK2H5zRr1H1NpHjN9vq5KBbxtlHtLkcOQzImwg18Tbg/w640-h480/12-PXL_20230330_192420141.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here's a view of the same sign in 2014.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV0jOIfIvc9yA5CJhbLnmXJa9OWlu2kHjrWve9T-3r_92Kithj6PfxOP1RL6NFIxiAi2w5JEfx2H0Jsxk3SMcRW4RYmCege3xolPMB6r9Cxv_LRvqcBRcQgo_VWB48thIV5DIk4nN3Z27qYcn0SXs6WoQEokxEHqHGu_G3o5lKlLHNq53Bk9CwGlNrsg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV0jOIfIvc9yA5CJhbLnmXJa9OWlu2kHjrWve9T-3r_92Kithj6PfxOP1RL6NFIxiAi2w5JEfx2H0Jsxk3SMcRW4RYmCege3xolPMB6r9Cxv_LRvqcBRcQgo_VWB48thIV5DIk4nN3Z27qYcn0SXs6WoQEokxEHqHGu_G3o5lKlLHNq53Bk9CwGlNrsg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p>We continued up to the third site, and I marveled that we could neither see nor hear Baker Creek. It was so covered in snow. The photo below is where a spring starts on the hillside and flows into the creek. No sign of it either.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6MHKxy-ir7cCFhhz_Z_pGI59duersB_kcGza6gjZ-hrSm-A5YH-lSy3jT-Hv9y6aU3LlowWtv2LmK53Uw5VdADKz6kEdAqsUfRJcEWOAdRgOwbVnWk69W2stZtLFongMhSzhxQ3GPaiTPb6TlQ5fFNNslMfbKxTJDhcAYQPfcTmBHopvO8GmBwFv8w/s1200/13-PXL_20230330_194004032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6MHKxy-ir7cCFhhz_Z_pGI59duersB_kcGza6gjZ-hrSm-A5YH-lSy3jT-Hv9y6aU3LlowWtv2LmK53Uw5VdADKz6kEdAqsUfRJcEWOAdRgOwbVnWk69W2stZtLFongMhSzhxQ3GPaiTPb6TlQ5fFNNslMfbKxTJDhcAYQPfcTmBHopvO8GmBwFv8w/w640-h480/13-PXL_20230330_194004032.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>Meg was also delighted for such an epic ski day. It was sunny and mostly calm.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZI65fMGxTjWiOA47sz7R4l4lFkCmgriG9QL2V8_aTtreVRnljLqut8DRqHJwODreRWrAKC4-mxB48vFRqwaswWH_u8wavbTFaHyVbMdSB8yzZRCLH0Q7P1B_aoozjnDUeEDi8yeWAd-xNFD0EzRILlLInZBh4s1fKbt5x8VoTognXezVi0U1R9agiOw/s1200/14-PXL_20230330_194009230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZI65fMGxTjWiOA47sz7R4l4lFkCmgriG9QL2V8_aTtreVRnljLqut8DRqHJwODreRWrAKC4-mxB48vFRqwaswWH_u8wavbTFaHyVbMdSB8yzZRCLH0Q7P1B_aoozjnDUeEDi8yeWAd-xNFD0EzRILlLInZBh4s1fKbt5x8VoTognXezVi0U1R9agiOw/w480-h640/14-PXL_20230330_194009230.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In places the snow was piled high on branches.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B46EKk4hHrq6hYhZ3wOuxyBvgFbZnIL3T7dB4LOQx99S1iAi7BZikBfE-wqEnGutJCh70QNgvjBNJc_kXirEHlSyYT9QelRVLR7htqfLsaiBiOwwXhpC77qj1GC-9JquoAXrFU9iqsCnt9ii_jjzZHTRVbOGDp6UIfLdd4J5Vlmasp_hXuB0k_Nojw/s1200/15-PXL_20230330_194201719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B46EKk4hHrq6hYhZ3wOuxyBvgFbZnIL3T7dB4LOQx99S1iAi7BZikBfE-wqEnGutJCh70QNgvjBNJc_kXirEHlSyYT9QelRVLR7htqfLsaiBiOwwXhpC77qj1GC-9JquoAXrFU9iqsCnt9ii_jjzZHTRVbOGDp6UIfLdd4J5Vlmasp_hXuB0k_Nojw/w480-h640/15-PXL_20230330_194201719.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We were wearing avalanche beacons, just in case. The only place where we've seen evidence of an avalanche is in this aspen area.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl8R6uRs8F401hTyBLkD_OycS7p8gsNI9Ms_WzGg2kw6aQPwL6uGvM_wguGl-ZAvCTN9TvnF1FqYsw1qPEyrDVy_ZDy24SFwiiRh5DXq3KTceAou6OBbv6PGjirsQ7QpbMiCsKUrc9a-vAz7sHK1lNEcFPx6AquYWITDNY849Jv2suGJ8wXwqmRAVDQ/s1200/17-PXL_20230330_195037380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl8R6uRs8F401hTyBLkD_OycS7p8gsNI9Ms_WzGg2kw6aQPwL6uGvM_wguGl-ZAvCTN9TvnF1FqYsw1qPEyrDVy_ZDy24SFwiiRh5DXq3KTceAou6OBbv6PGjirsQ7QpbMiCsKUrc9a-vAz7sHK1lNEcFPx6AquYWITDNY849Jv2suGJ8wXwqmRAVDQ/w640-h480/17-PXL_20230330_195037380.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In 2005, the avalanche came down the chute, across the creek, and up on the other side. We kept moving.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJVz4393NTsNZKSsFov7Fo2qcS79TtGSxc81P2FANY19dhp-GUAVDhE53ZGfrSr0jN2vD7M_P76MfSdDPuySVr2_BMHjLGk7EDJe2Qx5_6wgQTOvB8Ibd_Q5OuvBAkRIppoWHZF9xox1-exv5e46P7bHFqyTxtFRVvy-ZMH78-eomgBA1ud-o4_6mzg/s1200/18-PXL_20230330_195405695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJVz4393NTsNZKSsFov7Fo2qcS79TtGSxc81P2FANY19dhp-GUAVDhE53ZGfrSr0jN2vD7M_P76MfSdDPuySVr2_BMHjLGk7EDJe2Qx5_6wgQTOvB8Ibd_Q5OuvBAkRIppoWHZF9xox1-exv5e46P7bHFqyTxtFRVvy-ZMH78-eomgBA1ud-o4_6mzg/w480-h640/18-PXL_20230330_195405695.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As we approached the third site, I again marveled at how covered the springs were.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_01NPQE-gNj8Q0o0zr7HqYCWbb1ibWoa-iVbgnD7X3g3cUFkPbwspZJzk7CBYH5TaMpykV36Ma8FH7UFiFHdrcGVfgsxpr4XUe6GD4co78yPADyeWY5A-Rx6cPY7mTs6Dr1mGx1_hsKB2u8KTuy4yiqMx9UI5u730_tnniL8tq2YyL2Me0wH2DUwiyA/s1200/19-PXL_20230330_195615448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_01NPQE-gNj8Q0o0zr7HqYCWbb1ibWoa-iVbgnD7X3g3cUFkPbwspZJzk7CBYH5TaMpykV36Ma8FH7UFiFHdrcGVfgsxpr4XUe6GD4co78yPADyeWY5A-Rx6cPY7mTs6Dr1mGx1_hsKB2u8KTuy4yiqMx9UI5u730_tnniL8tq2YyL2Me0wH2DUwiyA/w480-h640/19-PXL_20230330_195615448.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>An indentation was all that showed where the spring brook ran.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrhO_m45QJ-MLUqqPFKiFGdKkHFIb0ywYibIWNFFQPPhzxMj2ISAT0tj6XCtxzVQen8Yec9-vmxbhZ0f131os7F5JKyiISBfAa_BdLgbcL0CcSg21hS52GrnK6kvke-eDxheCtCCswzhwOt_iRjxrDOePeC5sH6n1GS-IltXfTTSeFOF_01JArjQbPA/s1200/20-PXL_20230330_200145442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrhO_m45QJ-MLUqqPFKiFGdKkHFIb0ywYibIWNFFQPPhzxMj2ISAT0tj6XCtxzVQen8Yec9-vmxbhZ0f131os7F5JKyiISBfAa_BdLgbcL0CcSg21hS52GrnK6kvke-eDxheCtCCswzhwOt_iRjxrDOePeC5sH6n1GS-IltXfTTSeFOF_01JArjQbPA/w640-h480/20-PXL_20230330_200145442.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We got to the third site and found the sign just sticking out of the snow!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsDnVyVSDBIUoeV92Lu-qZgS6AnlJfz_CFMOlQ4bQFcqcsMGTaXjlTxk0gG2U_4vURdmmJ99rc0kR9tVJkScCpCriXSjT1pr0dtlALKSQTJyfqB2MIcl4zoKp93ZbJssK0Q0XgUzekkQBJ4YAjI5DvSvNQwiNADQ8LUt7DQ4BU4n0YCATJ5JIjQJEA/s1200/21-PXL_20230330_200459008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsDnVyVSDBIUoeV92Lu-qZgS6AnlJfz_CFMOlQ4bQFcqcsMGTaXjlTxk0gG2U_4vURdmmJ99rc0kR9tVJkScCpCriXSjT1pr0dtlALKSQTJyfqB2MIcl4zoKp93ZbJssK0Q0XgUzekkQBJ4YAjI5DvSvNQwiNADQ8LUt7DQ4BU4n0YCATJ5JIjQJEA/w640-h480/21-PXL_20230330_200459008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This relaxed pose ended up in the NRCS Snow Report!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAFQg2fFvOHRPlMrL-yGRS74SjZ4d0C9jbkr5-wUBpqelYOqoa4p7sAy0dJ8xRMnJ5cTnCE5jbLMcTmqSsHq8SyS_65mMcOjRA10OwMfldLwDiNYLGS1uPGAFMpTDkEXTlQkUSgHoIDbpXNR3yDTwts1xqxJgfvMAJ35q8yFK7kd3msFp0W71_WoPAA/s1200/22-PXL_20230330_201549640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAFQg2fFvOHRPlMrL-yGRS74SjZ4d0C9jbkr5-wUBpqelYOqoa4p7sAy0dJ8xRMnJ5cTnCE5jbLMcTmqSsHq8SyS_65mMcOjRA10OwMfldLwDiNYLGS1uPGAFMpTDkEXTlQkUSgHoIDbpXNR3yDTwts1xqxJgfvMAJ35q8yFK7kd3msFp0W71_WoPAA/w480-h640/22-PXL_20230330_201549640.jpg" width="480" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a>For contrast, here's the same sign in 2015.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEide_If67Wo0beaqvPixR8OJnDB7TeTr8pGMt9doAH0XR5vOvBCrSHZSU-XEja-6aBGPm93EIrKrcP3OCeMK14jz-UR0pqgy9Hu7HVJZaHeOj6T-exeW76aj3Dho8lzrVfQUmikJbzjCy69X6spth031-36eWkOforncxLCAS_oqthA7C0BDyfeKqow_w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEide_If67Wo0beaqvPixR8OJnDB7TeTr8pGMt9doAH0XR5vOvBCrSHZSU-XEja-6aBGPm93EIrKrcP3OCeMK14jz-UR0pqgy9Hu7HVJZaHeOj6T-exeW76aj3Dho8lzrVfQUmikJbzjCy69X6spth031-36eWkOforncxLCAS_oqthA7C0BDyfeKqow_w=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We started out by taring the tube, or weighing the empty snow tube.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UpCxlsw5BYbvo_dZePGc1MapzdprsmG2VwsOlsgBjJqlEpQCwZLCDd4X1Mzv5D4AJbPX7neyZ8Zd-0dQ0wYDsPSchkz_1Y6EqmxxGxYQ_vh-dGatYtoVxlb_vanwG8FEG6thQ5YGxdeg5iSWCns5FulHyvdNPnH2tOlVOobvk4FMZa5REfs4cZNChw/s1200/23-PXL_20230330_202706280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UpCxlsw5BYbvo_dZePGc1MapzdprsmG2VwsOlsgBjJqlEpQCwZLCDd4X1Mzv5D4AJbPX7neyZ8Zd-0dQ0wYDsPSchkz_1Y6EqmxxGxYQ_vh-dGatYtoVxlb_vanwG8FEG6thQ5YGxdeg5iSWCns5FulHyvdNPnH2tOlVOobvk4FMZa5REfs4cZNChw/w640-h480/23-PXL_20230330_202706280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And when the ten-foot long pole (120 inches) was put down into the snow, this is all that remained above the snow. Yikes! It turned out to be another snow depth record and third highest SWE record.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7eUVIUKw8rIJS1uGG995RDpzNQHcyNUoaS799exH3uA_vEZORPm9dcHMZlQEYD7ztIOsccIb6vhBRmi6HtqVzYX9g8oYyFJ3axhP5ZCU2xcC4na-I4O1ukY640r8N-SZuJHcs8_r9zyUGMJzcVyWldfB_vHdhParlGHrjw-ePbDthMtD846MZ-WSxQ/s1200/24-PXL_20230330_203046574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7eUVIUKw8rIJS1uGG995RDpzNQHcyNUoaS799exH3uA_vEZORPm9dcHMZlQEYD7ztIOsccIb6vhBRmi6HtqVzYX9g8oYyFJ3axhP5ZCU2xcC4na-I4O1ukY640r8N-SZuJHcs8_r9zyUGMJzcVyWldfB_vHdhParlGHrjw-ePbDthMtD846MZ-WSxQ/w640-h480/24-PXL_20230330_203046574.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We couldn't even see the orange aerial marker, it was completely buried (photo below from 2014).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEGx3vuXO5q_xJDO4WkVtjwOWj3ZGBfs0izqPYv1nNZBm9Vw2qwAP5Jm2oj-sQ9sfGyp6F5HkUmjM6v3LdoqkTTvYLWgf0iYrMUxhxYK_0IHe8j4Lg__iJwxEdRj1DqdKzPG-PxAWQuiXPWwuOb3a5sWF61bTIcxlrYQezNYN9pv54SAwT9WdhMOQ7LA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEGx3vuXO5q_xJDO4WkVtjwOWj3ZGBfs0izqPYv1nNZBm9Vw2qwAP5Jm2oj-sQ9sfGyp6F5HkUmjM6v3LdoqkTTvYLWgf0iYrMUxhxYK_0IHe8j4Lg__iJwxEdRj1DqdKzPG-PxAWQuiXPWwuOb3a5sWF61bTIcxlrYQezNYN9pv54SAwT9WdhMOQ7LA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />The ski down was easier than most years, as there were very few obstacles. We didn't have to take off our skis to get over snow-free patches.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxduDydZcfu45TJL0PTYYgVJ6vlVirx1kWkNIUlv4dmreZ6lVesg4vjYRb26WSo2DDCTNyKrrXUT-XkHOEOtvd6ESbDUBm1e-AN7gwy3OXt9XP2kvKynPWXo_mYbfwaqRLP2zIOyDEIq9Le2-248FbWI1GPneuVYRC-Owj7Ib0HUGkGW3u8GW3W0rdpA/s1200/25-PXL_20230330_212437632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxduDydZcfu45TJL0PTYYgVJ6vlVirx1kWkNIUlv4dmreZ6lVesg4vjYRb26WSo2DDCTNyKrrXUT-XkHOEOtvd6ESbDUBm1e-AN7gwy3OXt9XP2kvKynPWXo_mYbfwaqRLP2zIOyDEIq9Le2-248FbWI1GPneuVYRC-Owj7Ib0HUGkGW3u8GW3W0rdpA/w480-h640/25-PXL_20230330_212437632.jpg" width="480" /></a></p>It was a treat to see what truly epic snow conditions on the mountain are. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hdRhH6eWXm8WDTLENgHhx5w4CXBJghsng7MbCv-LliE7JEbNIwKATLiYTy2o2xSHsj9yv_0kxjPndVRNgg7igfcnIJa0K_r90by0D1Q05Qopw8LQwjkLhFyc2HyZAic3N4Md72GNwQcwfQ07Lu19pD4CwRiu2DBocsUwCMHJ4VgZGOdw-Nxns-Hdwg/s1200/26-PXL_20230330_215414610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hdRhH6eWXm8WDTLENgHhx5w4CXBJghsng7MbCv-LliE7JEbNIwKATLiYTy2o2xSHsj9yv_0kxjPndVRNgg7igfcnIJa0K_r90by0D1Q05Qopw8LQwjkLhFyc2HyZAic3N4Md72GNwQcwfQ07Lu19pD4CwRiu2DBocsUwCMHJ4VgZGOdw-Nxns-Hdwg/w480-h640/26-PXL_20230330_215414610.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The data we collected are synthesized into the NRCS Water Supply Outlook Report. You can find that and lots more on the <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/quicklinks/states/nevada/" target="_blank">NRCS Nevada Snow Page</a>.</div><p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-52312372882057222982023-03-30T20:59:00.005-07:002023-03-30T20:59:31.704-07:002023 Backyard Owls - Nesting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Mwx03bZp89Lgcco1Gq4Seb-D3x4D1LaYXIwlCxK9wvFn6TbCaM8z9hbW_gnLq6srmUy3nQOtThGCUoTNcIcSvZf8Ne3bwhm_A8UH1jZ_--qfVEj9k5t3d2e12sfS5zNMrG5tdzaPAr8tUNWUYgY6ev4tmy5F0sjGIXzrNkFd6gJo21K-p-VN7MZM1w/s1200/1-owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1200" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Mwx03bZp89Lgcco1Gq4Seb-D3x4D1LaYXIwlCxK9wvFn6TbCaM8z9hbW_gnLq6srmUy3nQOtThGCUoTNcIcSvZf8Ne3bwhm_A8UH1jZ_--qfVEj9k5t3d2e12sfS5zNMrG5tdzaPAr8tUNWUYgY6ev4tmy5F0sjGIXzrNkFd6gJo21K-p-VN7MZM1w/w640-h452/1-owl.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In January we started hearing regular hooting in the yard. The Great Horned Owls were back, and they were courting! Hooray! We kept a close eye on them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also installed a camera above the nest. Desert Boy climbed up and screwed it into the tree.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3C8Nd0LAMz3mV2_foYPI5zvYK5E0Ghj8eugQbLN-lKmsbd8IaF4EbQd2V5eG46_3D--sufMcRbnkDidwLXzQL4txsV8SFARuczM3uPCYnOZhLrxzTHZq3uQBfSrxnjXgxuMdAkG1aVYR4AC62ylSy2WzckegBuCBDHLJjsPrhxH71ZEupz230W9-Nw/s1200/1-GMB_8700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3C8Nd0LAMz3mV2_foYPI5zvYK5E0Ghj8eugQbLN-lKmsbd8IaF4EbQd2V5eG46_3D--sufMcRbnkDidwLXzQL4txsV8SFARuczM3uPCYnOZhLrxzTHZq3uQBfSrxnjXgxuMdAkG1aVYR4AC62ylSy2WzckegBuCBDHLJjsPrhxH71ZEupz230W9-Nw/w426-h640/1-GMB_8700.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61mUzNRGASxSkguJplXV3gjq1dm9y74C9Ry7Fm6i0IMTwlV63l5--60yQmwudBi-LvdJXPQp1adS1yln5SKFY68v-v--ImWjAp_U2hMBTXCQzi-5YkBPEFZZULaMollRJ1bg9S0eJNaWycZJAq-s7JgtuT59hKuyVMKW938vthPm8TBn9dfV63zL0pQ/s1200/2-GMB_8701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1200" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61mUzNRGASxSkguJplXV3gjq1dm9y74C9Ry7Fm6i0IMTwlV63l5--60yQmwudBi-LvdJXPQp1adS1yln5SKFY68v-v--ImWjAp_U2hMBTXCQzi-5YkBPEFZZULaMollRJ1bg9S0eJNaWycZJAq-s7JgtuT59hKuyVMKW938vthPm8TBn9dfV63zL0pQ/w640-h420/2-GMB_8701.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On February 19th, there was nothing in the nest. But soon after the Mama Owl came in. We watched her peck at the wood. <div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxN2D34JgJpbo4tYbPZhpOB5RSparEVHIo00yxnonebaC3-p6tjG_mIAiNkg9ZtuZrkdIeaDM3mbKgIq6reJg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>She sat there and we thought maybe she was sitting on an egg, but then she left and there was nothing.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBvOJfrZ92cpaTM0uxk5CH66E8VRtTZBkvyS0GbLcS2RqZMaYRm1sr66vvnk5ZUpzFH9gifO1-t28D8gG4cOIiZ1-zBukoVzjBYPA6fn3zf3bDTvN7HigjsCs_R86CcepDRzyLOocae4N4Qg1vREi01FC1sHryECDJsCZPwyGlzlEQekrLs2Z3feWaA/s1200/01-20230219_0753%20no%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBvOJfrZ92cpaTM0uxk5CH66E8VRtTZBkvyS0GbLcS2RqZMaYRm1sr66vvnk5ZUpzFH9gifO1-t28D8gG4cOIiZ1-zBukoVzjBYPA6fn3zf3bDTvN7HigjsCs_R86CcepDRzyLOocae4N4Qg1vREi01FC1sHryECDJsCZPwyGlzlEQekrLs2Z3feWaA/w640-h360/01-20230219_0753%20no%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On February 22nd, she was sitting on the nest--in the snow! Certainly there was something under her now!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5_2e1Vx_RkfC-uHDhmWwfBnMfPCufNJODLrGBvIn9n24jfrcFtMiy9IPeD2GI5A1vHaUBv4tk5kFcdiyd9VHA1KebRmkDyCMIaZ6aDy9qEAJ3EXkMxsEw3U8X3zBGkL_hq9HZlI9Kkv6Qp2-2BW0DaxIjvoHKBjToyT2rLZt4sWnABZeFuHmGUyRhQ/s640/02-20230222_1255%20owl%20in%20snowy%20nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5_2e1Vx_RkfC-uHDhmWwfBnMfPCufNJODLrGBvIn9n24jfrcFtMiy9IPeD2GI5A1vHaUBv4tk5kFcdiyd9VHA1KebRmkDyCMIaZ6aDy9qEAJ3EXkMxsEw3U8X3zBGkL_hq9HZlI9Kkv6Qp2-2BW0DaxIjvoHKBjToyT2rLZt4sWnABZeFuHmGUyRhQ/w640-h360/02-20230222_1255%20owl%20in%20snowy%20nest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On February 23rd, she left the nest and we could see two eggs! And a bunch of feathers under the eggs.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdZ63ISBcG1G_ir2swkmh9gMW71PNYy7ze3E-24NVtx_MIj2ZvMy1fxqYYlTgGO3KzjWn0kpm5bfjuv6jFwt1fJNQ54aWkl8-nQYSBUFijAtit3kEeNx4F8Ov6Y0rWiMoilqaoncdfyVD-iffE2afvIwiA4rlM4NnbOciHQKB1eYPkla4uOiMoCs9rA/s1200/03-20230223_1739%202%20eggs%20and%20owl%20feathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdZ63ISBcG1G_ir2swkmh9gMW71PNYy7ze3E-24NVtx_MIj2ZvMy1fxqYYlTgGO3KzjWn0kpm5bfjuv6jFwt1fJNQ54aWkl8-nQYSBUFijAtit3kEeNx4F8Ov6Y0rWiMoilqaoncdfyVD-iffE2afvIwiA4rlM4NnbOciHQKB1eYPkla4uOiMoCs9rA/w640-h360/03-20230223_1739%202%20eggs%20and%20owl%20feathers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On February 26th, we saw three eggs! This mama owl was being ambitious.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WYKkaq7Mh8Yayq--QtrM3eJ13iLghKCLLMmMryfE2cFw2me_S6qMARCZ8JnxicLq_PjUsZAPbkSG40V_ySAifmFut6zJ3edUs-saTMxwXbYZfifBRrXQZn3riEfbXDMwwPuBeIkrrnCGZR75dAHeLAS3OqdsmE2no_Y31zZmJoIDow5Wiu0ZSUuzcA/s1200/04-20230226_0533%203%20eggs-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WYKkaq7Mh8Yayq--QtrM3eJ13iLghKCLLMmMryfE2cFw2me_S6qMARCZ8JnxicLq_PjUsZAPbkSG40V_ySAifmFut6zJ3edUs-saTMxwXbYZfifBRrXQZn3riEfbXDMwwPuBeIkrrnCGZR75dAHeLAS3OqdsmE2no_Y31zZmJoIDow5Wiu0ZSUuzcA/w640-h360/04-20230226_0533%203%20eggs-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We set the camera for motion detection and the kids and I get alerts on our phones when there's movement. Here's Mama Owl turning eggs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6HQRdoX__NHpAnmlGPvY6Q31-UXE3dxf8BjGxSchWZiU8HOyhA1dK9AHGSPYcSZa16eHL8w5K0BiZXxkG6NjBw_9PyeTHVgbXCcv8hs0xi9taEOKB-IPZeYjKhY-0CvNCbD9x9GGj4VEW2-E6MKnlYdQa-2jWoqSYzOTzjffNxJLAZ9oK782ecbApA/s1200/05-20230227_1111%20owl%20head%20down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6HQRdoX__NHpAnmlGPvY6Q31-UXE3dxf8BjGxSchWZiU8HOyhA1dK9AHGSPYcSZa16eHL8w5K0BiZXxkG6NjBw_9PyeTHVgbXCcv8hs0xi9taEOKB-IPZeYjKhY-0CvNCbD9x9GGj4VEW2-E6MKnlYdQa-2jWoqSYzOTzjffNxJLAZ9oK782ecbApA/w640-h360/05-20230227_1111%20owl%20head%20down.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then on March 1st we saw Mama Owl and four eggs! Wowza! Most commonly Great Horned Owls raise two owlets, but the clutch size can be 1-4. Four seems like a lot of owlets for this tiny nest!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSGiqZNkn9NjzEe1PpJuUo7FCkVP9hK1MSFHKweMoo8Vftr6QJeAh8cOrJ6EnwSOFSM6OAYjMraAPoiXxkOwavEJkQhO6ln0M4E7mblTsTl20LVdne6dCYEKIqiT-VdPqDrBSyn-m3-E7xzG7vFY1xhRbZ_9evCsPy-WbUM5tq31_6b76yofZLZB0EQ/s1200/06-20230301_0538%20owl%20and%204%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSGiqZNkn9NjzEe1PpJuUo7FCkVP9hK1MSFHKweMoo8Vftr6QJeAh8cOrJ6EnwSOFSM6OAYjMraAPoiXxkOwavEJkQhO6ln0M4E7mblTsTl20LVdne6dCYEKIqiT-VdPqDrBSyn-m3-E7xzG7vFY1xhRbZ_9evCsPy-WbUM5tq31_6b76yofZLZB0EQ/w640-h360/06-20230301_0538%20owl%20and%204%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It snowed a bunch that day, and I was concerned when I saw the eggs with snow in the nest.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIMLanLLNfaZSjDqIf_O2mbwim_3r9xIHm1zQzqkQ5VxBJcP4jY14IqyR5IZkEzHQtVqtwtohZ0pogK6XMKGwWxDu_odpZDKOjCzkn5ZtSxR_RZxfBJIfgMkg4hq4vWcFXCJ7CVcBGFeChw8CXljMwDg9uGyNOvFImA0_e5G9pYZIpkDh8XwYNij4Pg/s1200/07-20230301_1756%204%20eggs%20surrounded%20by%20snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIMLanLLNfaZSjDqIf_O2mbwim_3r9xIHm1zQzqkQ5VxBJcP4jY14IqyR5IZkEzHQtVqtwtohZ0pogK6XMKGwWxDu_odpZDKOjCzkn5ZtSxR_RZxfBJIfgMkg4hq4vWcFXCJ7CVcBGFeChw8CXljMwDg9uGyNOvFImA0_e5G9pYZIpkDh8XwYNij4Pg/w640-h360/07-20230301_1756%204%20eggs%20surrounded%20by%20snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mama Owl seemed fine, and continued sitting on the eggs.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNmStimnSq5h6otp8KqCv4u01cRbM_IWmYmX46qiuKxJyeXTb7QUbuvSQ4YYvi0QmQ1StEVr1A5ZLzU--amaQUrNNCpuS2R2Res1vcxNE18BCf6oDILdkGQd4b6EzZDGLPs6shCpsznw0hpZMVtli0-C4i5jpRctFz5hmbdptKRsk6Aruv6gkSPHzJQ/s640/08-20230303_1625%20owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNmStimnSq5h6otp8KqCv4u01cRbM_IWmYmX46qiuKxJyeXTb7QUbuvSQ4YYvi0QmQ1StEVr1A5ZLzU--amaQUrNNCpuS2R2Res1vcxNE18BCf6oDILdkGQd4b6EzZDGLPs6shCpsznw0hpZMVtli0-C4i5jpRctFz5hmbdptKRsk6Aruv6gkSPHzJQ/w640-h360/08-20230303_1625%20owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When the moon is bright, it looks like the eggs glow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5RpgrUDYkHgr9as2yjFewxiQh8BhavfVc7qiVqgCd5O6ZW8rgWuRPoo9Fpyi6SAFgX0MXtZiV2vHOYmGM3-RSYDv4KEiCZ0vJyXRql9yD4Mub-ONLMEQ4Drwkuxp6eW-gHImb5GwKgjaeKwF7UAQrf4XYxZPqNMR0nsSQbXKPWwrjOvduhclbWlYMQ/s1200/09-20230304_0220%204%20eggs%20glowing%20in%20moonlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5RpgrUDYkHgr9as2yjFewxiQh8BhavfVc7qiVqgCd5O6ZW8rgWuRPoo9Fpyi6SAFgX0MXtZiV2vHOYmGM3-RSYDv4KEiCZ0vJyXRql9yD4Mub-ONLMEQ4Drwkuxp6eW-gHImb5GwKgjaeKwF7UAQrf4XYxZPqNMR0nsSQbXKPWwrjOvduhclbWlYMQ/w640-h360/09-20230304_0220%204%20eggs%20glowing%20in%20moonlight.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The camera for the most part is silent, but when it's switching at dawn and dusk it makes a little noise. The owl notices.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT78JmxtoVNlm_jJHOUBQPkZezYnp-ZieY3MfYmfZN2yU41G-su7fUNeIg8acwhSLEPuacRqnom4vc1J-mEbdBrXuMl_YZaDbmnMTTqPfLhDEd3w4fpRT1BazeL6eMQGPw2Ctetzh86QM2RbmJj8bxPacK_IN-nYE-2ZYZgjz9KXQYp8J-aj948G3iww/s640/10-20230305_1748%20owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT78JmxtoVNlm_jJHOUBQPkZezYnp-ZieY3MfYmfZN2yU41G-su7fUNeIg8acwhSLEPuacRqnom4vc1J-mEbdBrXuMl_YZaDbmnMTTqPfLhDEd3w4fpRT1BazeL6eMQGPw2Ctetzh86QM2RbmJj8bxPacK_IN-nYE-2ZYZgjz9KXQYp8J-aj948G3iww/w640-h360/10-20230305_1748%20owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I really like the glimpses of the eggs under the owl.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYLQnC3U94Kal5QZShLbjO91NEJOhLXciUFWetvYAr5GOS1Tz8AqMVse1lnChptLCPDQJwt1sTyT42WcuSyOUwPdQQ3mPQ6Fa4PK89mOxbvtMzuNi0DdpJ0xDDKSyOpKgWvRGIfKqpIjd9VeNS2k86nnF2uNWrNKXiH-CoklKMrZ5W3gveu5Stj_CFA/s640/11-20230305_1758%20owl%20and%204%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYLQnC3U94Kal5QZShLbjO91NEJOhLXciUFWetvYAr5GOS1Tz8AqMVse1lnChptLCPDQJwt1sTyT42WcuSyOUwPdQQ3mPQ6Fa4PK89mOxbvtMzuNi0DdpJ0xDDKSyOpKgWvRGIfKqpIjd9VeNS2k86nnF2uNWrNKXiH-CoklKMrZ5W3gveu5Stj_CFA/w640-h360/11-20230305_1758%20owl%20and%204%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On March sixth, we got quite a snowstorm. Here's Mama Owl almost buried in snow at 5:33 a.m.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriVt6OL_GoTiT06r6nGYT70pVh9vU9NpfRNClH0BAhaVVyBc2zk9AILuIHObmSr0GBVj_-iDRVKixNTAFreflJFTusm_IrdbZUap_2Vx_kRz73-DLpjrMCnPi0TveGjt58G2MeN66PY2RQm2aUFBKEGKW94ivem3-0IXdToM-SS8G6h5Kja5wBWZI3A/s640/12-20230306_0533%20owl%20in%20snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriVt6OL_GoTiT06r6nGYT70pVh9vU9NpfRNClH0BAhaVVyBc2zk9AILuIHObmSr0GBVj_-iDRVKixNTAFreflJFTusm_IrdbZUap_2Vx_kRz73-DLpjrMCnPi0TveGjt58G2MeN66PY2RQm2aUFBKEGKW94ivem3-0IXdToM-SS8G6h5Kja5wBWZI3A/w640-h360/12-20230306_0533%20owl%20in%20snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At 6:06 am, she's completely buried!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguleZ0b1ZGAGh1xTDHo1ihtF2AHr9fYEYJ4clv6Sje-EjCHQf7P-kbsfKsp0O61uEpHjAKsxWGdjzCuhcD3J-OR5P8ZXE2ParN7VSDT8r1GtgBRbdTzf5tz7ISl-oyhT9uKWo1J5mqzrVkZjvZ9TFcE58VJgPwqiYhEb0ae5HCrzs30WJJv6U2eGGi3Q/s640/13-20230306_0643%20snowy%20owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguleZ0b1ZGAGh1xTDHo1ihtF2AHr9fYEYJ4clv6Sje-EjCHQf7P-kbsfKsp0O61uEpHjAKsxWGdjzCuhcD3J-OR5P8ZXE2ParN7VSDT8r1GtgBRbdTzf5tz7ISl-oyhT9uKWo1J5mqzrVkZjvZ9TFcE58VJgPwqiYhEb0ae5HCrzs30WJJv6U2eGGi3Q/w640-h360/13-20230306_0643%20snowy%20owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxGLzmWodwsesqWr2jJe8-iBQR-NBjKAilHqzBJZhVHiGrpRJ1YT8eQoA9ndcRWfpt00QurCCg7J9D4pzqS-g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Fortunately the snow melted relatively quickly. I've been surprised how often Mama Owl leaves the nest. The eggs are in a different position each time, so she's clearly coming back in between. Here's 3-9-23 at 1:20 a.m.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB4nMFYw5kt7gBabxMAiQYI7g8O2_h3lIO8mV6hh3ogDydr0aBkMcFqbIJmJj9vwby-69anJf4pg6oieqo6IvxgOV0GwjaPFQVZbGNp8FELfyAjW3GCgmQCHYyVJLStGKh7tNXVo4ZhGumm5C80IjPdrhoa8_Td2tDc2VG24GGsdo2vgNXBFFiAulVw/s1200/14-20230309_0120%204%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB4nMFYw5kt7gBabxMAiQYI7g8O2_h3lIO8mV6hh3ogDydr0aBkMcFqbIJmJj9vwby-69anJf4pg6oieqo6IvxgOV0GwjaPFQVZbGNp8FELfyAjW3GCgmQCHYyVJLStGKh7tNXVo4ZhGumm5C80IjPdrhoa8_Td2tDc2VG24GGsdo2vgNXBFFiAulVw/w640-h360/14-20230309_0120%204%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then that evening.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrCKMyjaK3CuMnS_Be8Z1EvXFXZoasb7FL2ETuDWyOHXD_uosFwgkzpLQtNEBozRhIH1j9CSmS33hxzEmR0EQ0Hm9wB8LVAe7tqThOR1l-48mI73C2XG8MavARe3Wm6CQsi_i_1sfUCGU4beG6AcPnGpeBKXBIS2lyMHTzjuCndhVCiKRxK53rzqShg/s1200/15-20230309_1805%204%20glowing%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrCKMyjaK3CuMnS_Be8Z1EvXFXZoasb7FL2ETuDWyOHXD_uosFwgkzpLQtNEBozRhIH1j9CSmS33hxzEmR0EQ0Hm9wB8LVAe7tqThOR1l-48mI73C2XG8MavARe3Wm6CQsi_i_1sfUCGU4beG6AcPnGpeBKXBIS2lyMHTzjuCndhVCiKRxK53rzqShg/w640-h360/15-20230309_1805%204%20glowing%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzsjutlGvLGA04V34Qx3fczW0u9TJgYIiK47pnsmCOhq2zQ2P4FV9OmEP4YEvY5pObN33_dkJ6qzH1gzBf6oFjv1JWZOUGA3LRkD7O5JP5BXtIK5iUIjfsivRrGfTtHrMORv7nfJmE6ftlU13k58DxngWOtq3vpdqnaZPs6ODodYSiwNA-C3IIHgomw/s1200/16-20230309_0238%204%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzsjutlGvLGA04V34Qx3fczW0u9TJgYIiK47pnsmCOhq2zQ2P4FV9OmEP4YEvY5pObN33_dkJ6qzH1gzBf6oFjv1JWZOUGA3LRkD7O5JP5BXtIK5iUIjfsivRrGfTtHrMORv7nfJmE6ftlU13k58DxngWOtq3vpdqnaZPs6ODodYSiwNA-C3IIHgomw/w640-h360/16-20230309_0238%204%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYta0CNIQ0rgRAroQAXvMz-3UyOv2v9v7jCWlqyn_6HzYxphE6uV0q_sL13_xBytskHCO2WgOJHoDegQZlt7x5opyUAKRDybL7Fb_xf9vIi55izq602S8VMdVkODeOd1xfkyzXbsB3yiM4FXF2b75vhgKngBjP1Vj7wGdVHGLhqfmiJZu9nTbkVJ8Hvg/s1200/17-20230310_0143%204%20eggs-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYta0CNIQ0rgRAroQAXvMz-3UyOv2v9v7jCWlqyn_6HzYxphE6uV0q_sL13_xBytskHCO2WgOJHoDegQZlt7x5opyUAKRDybL7Fb_xf9vIi55izq602S8VMdVkODeOd1xfkyzXbsB3yiM4FXF2b75vhgKngBjP1Vj7wGdVHGLhqfmiJZu9nTbkVJ8Hvg/w640-h360/17-20230310_0143%204%20eggs-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1Jx-ar8PwK4t_aimHOzB_-NLDtIn6bpEULXVufRq5d_C67VXlimwGK2f8nE9XCqfeLJZCexyl6nZwueKGu94cEqAONN_nz7ji1PQaYtwCejGpVz3vF2kSP9uTIECrg-_leJmK8lJ4vIIEtB-q7wWvJ69GZpRpaDRqjjoFCjRCN1GeQwgXEbtjcoHHA/s640/18-20230310_0528%204%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1Jx-ar8PwK4t_aimHOzB_-NLDtIn6bpEULXVufRq5d_C67VXlimwGK2f8nE9XCqfeLJZCexyl6nZwueKGu94cEqAONN_nz7ji1PQaYtwCejGpVz3vF2kSP9uTIECrg-_leJmK8lJ4vIIEtB-q7wWvJ69GZpRpaDRqjjoFCjRCN1GeQwgXEbtjcoHHA/w640-h360/18-20230310_0528%204%20eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not often, but once in a while we could watch Mama Owl come and go.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFZ2MlHBZqfLnuBp8HbEEwa_RcCKrjEQCgri06QVsdHdCnW6Nz8h_6q1xdJkf3DvaoEqIGjtLlgjit-pvpHEC8jtxPJr75u3rz4KpJkXPag2vYAVhcyAiuSYj_O0JqddRge-GVGFDfAoAIz3dAx1xRE-UDMnS1QevG8PxZSO3-oqy2J_L7_2LxvNQrA/s1200/19-20230311_1644%20owl%20talon%20and%20wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFZ2MlHBZqfLnuBp8HbEEwa_RcCKrjEQCgri06QVsdHdCnW6Nz8h_6q1xdJkf3DvaoEqIGjtLlgjit-pvpHEC8jtxPJr75u3rz4KpJkXPag2vYAVhcyAiuSYj_O0JqddRge-GVGFDfAoAIz3dAx1xRE-UDMnS1QevG8PxZSO3-oqy2J_L7_2LxvNQrA/w640-h360/19-20230311_1644%20owl%20talon%20and%20wings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsUojq2NdTNNtyg9jdO7mUyE8hn9w_OzHX3z_2XT2-3mo7ShEgHXlapBVMnYOkMGxCZV9bM-PLY6W6FvGsgw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am continually amazed how patient she is. Here she is in really windy conditions.</div></div><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzkpc7HkGAmdHgCYn4X_COY0qLKMB9l_UG0O_4WlRL6s0fzoabHIG9yknKkoFdvSlpAdKS79Ktpz8cLVKUmdA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>Papa Owl is often nearby. Here are some photos of him. He usually starts singing to Mama Owl about 6:05 a.m. They continue hooting to each other for 5-10 minutes. Then it starts getting light.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9vnvOaq1zcjnKJFohSCb-zNywCkwhPbLVyRuc-pycZ8LrcyAySXdoV58XFu7nOXutI9rVr5p2NTZHeSmV7mhdORZTYMMuS2aibzUVEwL1MFXyZSW1tQBOTMzjtM7n08I6DQ30yFqG2uW1lbxjWFarC9E4wqN3QRPr-5lmHLdCeV0LwMf7nVCJbYpTA/s1200/1-GMB_8721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9vnvOaq1zcjnKJFohSCb-zNywCkwhPbLVyRuc-pycZ8LrcyAySXdoV58XFu7nOXutI9rVr5p2NTZHeSmV7mhdORZTYMMuS2aibzUVEwL1MFXyZSW1tQBOTMzjtM7n08I6DQ30yFqG2uW1lbxjWFarC9E4wqN3QRPr-5lmHLdCeV0LwMf7nVCJbYpTA/w640-h426/1-GMB_8721.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvTo5fT9dtRVfZ2I2Oht6n3DlelBO-aFGY0Ey4t43gFudpU45nED6UggQUaDvR7e9M_fR_f2DeP7aGl4kCGb5LME7gSZY6JArLBU3TnVrk79jIn3i0XJVr-J_qNFfW_Q4AvCOgcHZYzvriiyOXU4K8a-OKq4_FXhX1KSHUfCPnBlw7uHJoebglqE9Hg/s1200/1-GMB_8770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvTo5fT9dtRVfZ2I2Oht6n3DlelBO-aFGY0Ey4t43gFudpU45nED6UggQUaDvR7e9M_fR_f2DeP7aGl4kCGb5LME7gSZY6JArLBU3TnVrk79jIn3i0XJVr-J_qNFfW_Q4AvCOgcHZYzvriiyOXU4K8a-OKq4_FXhX1KSHUfCPnBlw7uHJoebglqE9Hg/w640-h426/1-GMB_8770.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6AqiDairbaquOZ0h2GLKR8OdhLA49SDLt8sRIlIY91d5AN_xQNj9IEqbQ7hZ1jw9gRU3bRtfDk3zQevUvnK9NKRhqcnI9-RFT8BCob0JmAd6ePVzIQHQ9KrBGy5-DPldwGwVL9-pm_sJqLcNoWoaEkVBEjtWgpWzv8tqdzmmRurcRfvWhG6P5s6shg/s1200/2-GMB_8772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6AqiDairbaquOZ0h2GLKR8OdhLA49SDLt8sRIlIY91d5AN_xQNj9IEqbQ7hZ1jw9gRU3bRtfDk3zQevUvnK9NKRhqcnI9-RFT8BCob0JmAd6ePVzIQHQ9KrBGy5-DPldwGwVL9-pm_sJqLcNoWoaEkVBEjtWgpWzv8tqdzmmRurcRfvWhG6P5s6shg/w640-h426/2-GMB_8772.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuFqT97iVMvaSKtPQZLD4He-kTnDu91LbU_G-z0g8SY-n_SBeS4-ahvHPFchzfwjDMlqDFrucq8zEUWwPh18_weTo1sBmQ9x1V-w-W4d1eE3Sv9X4Wf9b1z9ISQbwcLqykzEwByJx7nWDaApXD91-hdzGjCw8ywgzi54PEmshGoXU_sb_b0I_kiqv2Q/s1200/3-GMB_8773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuFqT97iVMvaSKtPQZLD4He-kTnDu91LbU_G-z0g8SY-n_SBeS4-ahvHPFchzfwjDMlqDFrucq8zEUWwPh18_weTo1sBmQ9x1V-w-W4d1eE3Sv9X4Wf9b1z9ISQbwcLqykzEwByJx7nWDaApXD91-hdzGjCw8ywgzi54PEmshGoXU_sb_b0I_kiqv2Q/w640-h426/3-GMB_8773.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was curious what they've been eating. There are plenty of owl pellets in the vicinity. Here are a few.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xXeW8LvX1vv0Kw6Aq9DpM3Ccf93NnjgYVkWNPcPHwgUp0r1Ffc_owUgcGj_LYGleANjIEOND_ZLdAiac_JfAGkaBHD4egEb7QEFONxmmkPw2d2Xbo1s76W3G1xARK6HVO19UspEsycle8K-1mkRIqYu0_94sdLul4UUEznbs77VhkiJak8SyLnbCBQ/s1200/1-PXL_20230326_232228800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xXeW8LvX1vv0Kw6Aq9DpM3Ccf93NnjgYVkWNPcPHwgUp0r1Ffc_owUgcGj_LYGleANjIEOND_ZLdAiac_JfAGkaBHD4egEb7QEFONxmmkPw2d2Xbo1s76W3G1xARK6HVO19UspEsycle8K-1mkRIqYu0_94sdLul4UUEznbs77VhkiJak8SyLnbCBQ/w640-h480/1-PXL_20230326_232228800.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA_r4FeHJ3ZFTEAKz_a5nXNhx1H7NuKLcZVxFRwc7u2YeLSGSquzDuupImCWgb_8nUPcAw_of8WZfyhmkCu85t4mhZ9Ch3L_-PCVfdOYrCgwrTZIftvm6jc2ttH3ilh_Rm2Koyr3S87CqNpWiJlgfk3ZIZib23AXTPTAQY_QgiSU8-6XHLr9fa7IxCw/s1200/2-PXL_20230326_232317899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA_r4FeHJ3ZFTEAKz_a5nXNhx1H7NuKLcZVxFRwc7u2YeLSGSquzDuupImCWgb_8nUPcAw_of8WZfyhmkCu85t4mhZ9Ch3L_-PCVfdOYrCgwrTZIftvm6jc2ttH3ilh_Rm2Koyr3S87CqNpWiJlgfk3ZIZib23AXTPTAQY_QgiSU8-6XHLr9fa7IxCw/w640-h480/2-PXL_20230326_232317899.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolnVMI26EO1gaoGI3ZiFZBe-hp98xEifOzfcCpWsZ5NjP1Do3FjuOx5TsK--IpZAcShPpXGkcTvoU3xp8yMZeLgj3qmZM6ps1KqGuO4L2h3UnkjGu71tQB1C3vDOp4MdKbLtSia2PQCdli59_oi5a1Wlo3Ex6AuDR3FyaGuuzpRcIp6bistcb6KYyiA/s1200/3-PXL_20230326_232507701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolnVMI26EO1gaoGI3ZiFZBe-hp98xEifOzfcCpWsZ5NjP1Do3FjuOx5TsK--IpZAcShPpXGkcTvoU3xp8yMZeLgj3qmZM6ps1KqGuO4L2h3UnkjGu71tQB1C3vDOp4MdKbLtSia2PQCdli59_oi5a1Wlo3Ex6AuDR3FyaGuuzpRcIp6bistcb6KYyiA/w480-h640/3-PXL_20230326_232507701.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>We're anxiously awaiting the appearance of owlets. They are so cute. From the camera, it looks like there were two eggs and a blob on 3/238/23. Hopefully we'll get a better photo soon to see what's happening and the camera battery will hold out longer.<p></p></div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-49595990055181255422023-03-26T21:17:00.003-07:002023-03-26T21:17:49.379-07:00March Ski to Mather Overlook, Great Basin National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nFCVJzbAI4TspdSBPSuoKGBBhXDOFEA41nW3U_mw_rXScPmg4ONTswlLyPp8ususHUuTfMI5pCvKwkWWmnzdHYrI3kdvMCqeHSjRMjM9wfr7kos5DM1xtNtcBUa1ybL6OYAoiqTrFNgnNdlZTKgM5WalIEy8eLbqgJBUB7ucNpsrOHql46O3MCoGmw/s1200/01-ski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nFCVJzbAI4TspdSBPSuoKGBBhXDOFEA41nW3U_mw_rXScPmg4ONTswlLyPp8ususHUuTfMI5pCvKwkWWmnzdHYrI3kdvMCqeHSjRMjM9wfr7kos5DM1xtNtcBUa1ybL6OYAoiqTrFNgnNdlZTKgM5WalIEy8eLbqgJBUB7ucNpsrOHql46O3MCoGmw/w640-h480/01-ski.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The weather forecast was for calm and cold. So why not head out for a cross country ski, especially since the <a href="https://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/search?q=snow+survey" target="_blank">snow survey</a> is coming up and I needed to acclimate better to the higher elevations. <div><br /></div><div>I went to the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive in Great Basin National Park and parked at the winter closure, at Upper Lehman Campground. There were a ton of tracks at the start of the road, but before too long, the tracks diminished, and then I was following a lovely ski track.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5mlLJRqVyfcDE9AQ3mhJr6wQI--Qi849nDkaYoitlWMXJQ3WeFJMzyluGPfuHHGVKP8ntHlcYV2piGzcNUhTjl28Ud6AOt-8Y74azCJXZuiW1ScL7coUAqK9nUbP00TuU9GSNWGckdqfiyKX6gNAxYELf7bHgG5KxNC4jSRUjPSitp1mo7kBsTEIZQ/s1200/02-PXL_20230326_152101134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5mlLJRqVyfcDE9AQ3mhJr6wQI--Qi849nDkaYoitlWMXJQ3WeFJMzyluGPfuHHGVKP8ntHlcYV2piGzcNUhTjl28Ud6AOt-8Y74azCJXZuiW1ScL7coUAqK9nUbP00TuU9GSNWGckdqfiyKX6gNAxYELf7bHgG5KxNC4jSRUjPSitp1mo7kBsTEIZQ/w640-h480/02-PXL_20230326_152101134.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There had been a lot of looking around at the Osceola Ditch trailhead. I still had energy, so I decided to push on. The snow was deep enough to nearly cover the sign that said exhibit ahead, but the other signs were mostly above the snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdnUGWQAY6ejZW8WPZXM5BRs2ZxU2l9u8bXTQ4MnvpKcVZt8EL4XyfdmQl8jFFBJO85tmO5mkxj2gb8tHUnLOV1isAa_MLWKun7vMsoaAY-Z2McHI19ka3GIppwk1swraWBPDPdF4RIaoshRjE7AlmjmKwSAS4k7RVmScXsqbcnICVGlHwWtz9p8G8w/s1200/03-osceola%20ditch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdnUGWQAY6ejZW8WPZXM5BRs2ZxU2l9u8bXTQ4MnvpKcVZt8EL4XyfdmQl8jFFBJO85tmO5mkxj2gb8tHUnLOV1isAa_MLWKun7vMsoaAY-Z2McHI19ka3GIppwk1swraWBPDPdF4RIaoshRjE7AlmjmKwSAS4k7RVmScXsqbcnICVGlHwWtz9p8G8w/w640-h480/03-osceola%20ditch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the big U-bend above 8500 feet elevation, I found a nice view of the North Snake Range and Mt. Moriah.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVdrCInlK9jJ0ZWiofA8mcbKWvqHk2iHEfNGTMcAwkZWZYzWzspaVN9Ch1fglS4w50jCCliPRy82qtFxVtoajqkqLL3ZIzL234TJq0GxGiImCgAuEoZvXfbEsBl82pzTpZ7T64QYkeLdxfzp0MGTCRAfB61NOrbRpSHFm_3jXKKzLi-5suEJFNg-o9A/s1200/04-mt%20moriah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVdrCInlK9jJ0ZWiofA8mcbKWvqHk2iHEfNGTMcAwkZWZYzWzspaVN9Ch1fglS4w50jCCliPRy82qtFxVtoajqkqLL3ZIzL234TJq0GxGiImCgAuEoZvXfbEsBl82pzTpZ7T64QYkeLdxfzp0MGTCRAfB61NOrbRpSHFm_3jXKKzLi-5suEJFNg-o9A/w480-h640/04-mt%20moriah.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Around the curve, the snow had drifted on the road, making little hillocks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopz8WgdxvM5L5cFYd9e1dw16lUFHXh9ZW97PFcXkXf8zbw1wwzorri_zBFzKPvyuClifg5NGJAzhzOvW6l3RKA3IFGEVxIGWLTq0OwwuzOcdZnTrxfiAy15p5v-doCAyb7sdgGfvPK4ZC-YE0-wRSqPbsn6XrPovp5MBwdYLqGJgyk_k7DWhmZkTR-A/s1200/05-drifted%20road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1200" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopz8WgdxvM5L5cFYd9e1dw16lUFHXh9ZW97PFcXkXf8zbw1wwzorri_zBFzKPvyuClifg5NGJAzhzOvW6l3RKA3IFGEVxIGWLTq0OwwuzOcdZnTrxfiAy15p5v-doCAyb7sdgGfvPK4ZC-YE0-wRSqPbsn6XrPovp5MBwdYLqGJgyk_k7DWhmZkTR-A/w640-h398/05-drifted%20road.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On the last big hill going up to Mather Overlook, I realized I couldn't even see the road posts. That snow is deep!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaTtt6MIzru3BvDGSzyecsGynXkfOtc27t7kwesb4n4_0aPxLysDwY_sSGSY4LHrtRiPInCzMvCitJrAToParlFTZqzOO5dT8Al1lZ4ihcblyrFgeLqBsLdSX7z_5pA9Y-KwPI1BalyufpqnDB8RsIoiLOjctOEYD7CfEzKk_ZDKUVxie_STFaBM2qQ/s1200/06-PXL_20230326_165633669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaTtt6MIzru3BvDGSzyecsGynXkfOtc27t7kwesb4n4_0aPxLysDwY_sSGSY4LHrtRiPInCzMvCitJrAToParlFTZqzOO5dT8Al1lZ4ihcblyrFgeLqBsLdSX7z_5pA9Y-KwPI1BalyufpqnDB8RsIoiLOjctOEYD7CfEzKk_ZDKUVxie_STFaBM2qQ/w480-h640/06-PXL_20230326_165633669.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love this view of the mountain! In summer I like to photograph it with the flowers blooming on the side of the road. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUEaND0yQ-bu34ZteOujKK0f065fUAGFb-zEba4MyZLzKO21q0VcXsZGnh-PRNUPL9NSfBbGWNyH1HP0kAjyxKun7Ckl--1f5bxOxZtbbz1KWN09liJXjwJVd_tRKlcCxuCtrZBZc05E-4TG1khfbisI_FzSdlGrUujquqCpywmBKpjUw3BPz1_LE5g/s1200/07-PXL_20230326_171443951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUEaND0yQ-bu34ZteOujKK0f065fUAGFb-zEba4MyZLzKO21q0VcXsZGnh-PRNUPL9NSfBbGWNyH1HP0kAjyxKun7Ckl--1f5bxOxZtbbz1KWN09liJXjwJVd_tRKlcCxuCtrZBZc05E-4TG1khfbisI_FzSdlGrUujquqCpywmBKpjUw3BPz1_LE5g/w640-h480/07-PXL_20230326_171443951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I checked out the mountain and saw that parts were very windblown.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7QfZqiyUUYD2LIQ0xDA7vhWOptaMY-VVq_LQgAf-PDMyLMXk8xfnVWWZwMOA9P-281sM3U0JvHY2ygYgrDLG_-GI0bYF7IgwSJYrW_19a9p_3pCT3W7YoqbAsYRiWgVg8M8iwTQ7WRIKjON-MpZ8tsdsgyN0jZiHfqE0PWAXAaB0WbF4KNUZPjsNig/s1200/08-mountain%20closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7QfZqiyUUYD2LIQ0xDA7vhWOptaMY-VVq_LQgAf-PDMyLMXk8xfnVWWZwMOA9P-281sM3U0JvHY2ygYgrDLG_-GI0bYF7IgwSJYrW_19a9p_3pCT3W7YoqbAsYRiWgVg8M8iwTQ7WRIKjON-MpZ8tsdsgyN0jZiHfqE0PWAXAaB0WbF4KNUZPjsNig/w640-h480/08-mountain%20closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the Mather Overlook turnoff, I was breaking trail. Fresh tracks!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQR_x3ZJvfKrvuIwiYMf5C8btpCSUm_-ZmjcdpY1V4vRCKasDITFzPqtOarwbUVyOldobaaDgKxsU9gvVnT784qfjVt9Wi0s6_XMkY3XB5E3_zqrm4f6z3yAMrr_ANLVwPV42Pmw7RCGNuJP1rsrGEpcpfmsvR9xO8wHKsmBMGvsVEy8-bmRcJ0ltLfQ/s1200/09-mather%20overlook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQR_x3ZJvfKrvuIwiYMf5C8btpCSUm_-ZmjcdpY1V4vRCKasDITFzPqtOarwbUVyOldobaaDgKxsU9gvVnT784qfjVt9Wi0s6_XMkY3XB5E3_zqrm4f6z3yAMrr_ANLVwPV42Pmw7RCGNuJP1rsrGEpcpfmsvR9xO8wHKsmBMGvsVEy8-bmRcJ0ltLfQ/w640-h480/09-mather%20overlook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I approached the overlook, I saw just the top of the outhouse. Was it really as buried as it looked?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPwN3GOjlYWHh1h0mo4XZ63RmEUsu3gaYYn_ucu1f9A7TXcovYp_cUmeWfCT8bLMm3NP0G_Cwys58dwHQe9-NolfAJcZaXDrVYOaaUmGrvTbjkFOe4_DKXXPcxfdS1gLHx55oe-wxctJweKew2kf3YuXXQ87HIx_n83uH7eGozzFAwotdSkLEX8ICQ/s1200/10-getting%20closer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPwN3GOjlYWHh1h0mo4XZ63RmEUsu3gaYYn_ucu1f9A7TXcovYp_cUmeWfCT8bLMm3NP0G_Cwys58dwHQe9-NolfAJcZaXDrVYOaaUmGrvTbjkFOe4_DKXXPcxfdS1gLHx55oe-wxctJweKew2kf3YuXXQ87HIx_n83uH7eGozzFAwotdSkLEX8ICQ/w640-h480/10-getting%20closer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Why, yes, it was! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwgCrIoJy91LuME7qK1244EMM-1qW_cUOJvHUORli2TnLtvYHbEqFetP19Sg51OksP8ADZBSVm3S2bYocV9DBiya0KyIWBOXxd758Q4rAHXOPpb4ifkGolBIg1YR-azw8cq_crcYl3vxeyYlgbOAFAvKr2G2epongXBPBDen4aIagZGIOgsCDGEOoEA/s1200/11-buried%20outhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwgCrIoJy91LuME7qK1244EMM-1qW_cUOJvHUORli2TnLtvYHbEqFetP19Sg51OksP8ADZBSVm3S2bYocV9DBiya0KyIWBOXxd758Q4rAHXOPpb4ifkGolBIg1YR-azw8cq_crcYl3vxeyYlgbOAFAvKr2G2epongXBPBDen4aIagZGIOgsCDGEOoEA/w640-h480/11-buried%20outhouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was surprised to see some rabbit tracks. And in the background, Bald Mountain looked so nice and snowy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFiipr73xVrPjpPKvTBnT61pEh1qCqJPfAPpAwWcUVO8kvcf0AYlj2xlnG0scJTo-bjZH7sk7b7cL246G_LOXCbnKQGu1YSWo9sBcAgiLFTD8N-U4UZUN-NdOmrg6uXvJHgD1tMYIQl_hdpL30eAhOWTdvvOsMdZU4o1WTGzIjcPW1vi88KYVrz-LdA/s1200/12-bald%20mountain,%20rabbit%20tracks,%20outhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1033" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFiipr73xVrPjpPKvTBnT61pEh1qCqJPfAPpAwWcUVO8kvcf0AYlj2xlnG0scJTo-bjZH7sk7b7cL246G_LOXCbnKQGu1YSWo9sBcAgiLFTD8N-U4UZUN-NdOmrg6uXvJHgD1tMYIQl_hdpL30eAhOWTdvvOsMdZU4o1WTGzIjcPW1vi88KYVrz-LdA/w550-h640/12-bald%20mountain,%20rabbit%20tracks,%20outhouse.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I put my phone on the outhouse roof, put on the ten-second timer, and skied out for a photo.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZITd1GA3PK7bC1js_xRrDHFbmOgVtq-g_R73yovmMy1wDpDs3OGx7fTfaq85shocypyHzXGYJNzE13rYuvzRv0FkosMkkMCvxuDmk8zhWwJwssgoEgfRJBn4UbKNeO65tSxkSf_-xPG-Yte8yNTsEF4nNPCzoSSxUzzxmnhFGgciTA0BvxNQQ1m0HPw/s1200/13-gretchen%20at%20mather%20overlook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1200" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZITd1GA3PK7bC1js_xRrDHFbmOgVtq-g_R73yovmMy1wDpDs3OGx7fTfaq85shocypyHzXGYJNzE13rYuvzRv0FkosMkkMCvxuDmk8zhWwJwssgoEgfRJBn4UbKNeO65tSxkSf_-xPG-Yte8yNTsEF4nNPCzoSSxUzzxmnhFGgciTA0BvxNQQ1m0HPw/w640-h424/13-gretchen%20at%20mather%20overlook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a view of the deck and telescopes. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5UT34ClD-0YPj6E2E0olfI6aaBl8cltlrJ_uBiKoF214MgJf5xqWJblXhIhilBx5Tf9PjJAN5UKm5A-kH0D2IM1eT79WmEXX_xjr42Ij3SFSRrJNT2XsFKhsYrsxVsJ5h4S_kR7Wsfie7S4JZ4ZH_RnJNgsZOaDsYTHJOobMFXrbG3U2KZ8Sr-od3A/s1200/14-deck%20and%20telescopes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5UT34ClD-0YPj6E2E0olfI6aaBl8cltlrJ_uBiKoF214MgJf5xqWJblXhIhilBx5Tf9PjJAN5UKm5A-kH0D2IM1eT79WmEXX_xjr42Ij3SFSRrJNT2XsFKhsYrsxVsJ5h4S_kR7Wsfie7S4JZ4ZH_RnJNgsZOaDsYTHJOobMFXrbG3U2KZ8Sr-od3A/w640-h480/14-deck%20and%20telescopes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was having a marvelous time. But the clouds were moving in and I hadn't packed a lunch, so I knew I'd have to head back down before too long. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1IY7h0psg5npJOGJ3Pe1PP0ocgYcWFcFLgMeSrjs_Y_S6CzFTNUMgFCJINAnlay5ggPy1mFzq1AyUNpCuNkV5RwRFcZxQYVt_P_wC3pgGhV5VW4N3wpfnE2befJSI9KaDJRcPH8kXuOCj5lDCW339yQgzcZFcuLUhBkxqpfEmpcCST68yYexW-oOAg/s1200/15-yes!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1IY7h0psg5npJOGJ3Pe1PP0ocgYcWFcFLgMeSrjs_Y_S6CzFTNUMgFCJINAnlay5ggPy1mFzq1AyUNpCuNkV5RwRFcZxQYVt_P_wC3pgGhV5VW4N3wpfnE2befJSI9KaDJRcPH8kXuOCj5lDCW339yQgzcZFcuLUhBkxqpfEmpcCST68yYexW-oOAg/w640-h480/15-yes!.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Wheeler Peak looks nice and imposing. There was a big rock (labeled monolith in the photo) that I don't really remember from before. Definitely suspicious. :)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUolze6iJFAE901XY60zbcE-IDPnRgKz_HiHJiCoHRNDKg_cu2s4ht5X5GuZHO95BhO6gjBivhC1b1vmtdMxqahNeA14y_R4NAJyUw6xharIwlXk_Uvmq5lEPibjFBLvlejCixQdS_Ey0oTZdfwHaQgCwJvzRCWx-gVFBID06fFEX6rDfju6Mz0E-QsQ/s1200/16-PXL_20230326_173610223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1200" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUolze6iJFAE901XY60zbcE-IDPnRgKz_HiHJiCoHRNDKg_cu2s4ht5X5GuZHO95BhO6gjBivhC1b1vmtdMxqahNeA14y_R4NAJyUw6xharIwlXk_Uvmq5lEPibjFBLvlejCixQdS_Ey0oTZdfwHaQgCwJvzRCWx-gVFBID06fFEX6rDfju6Mz0E-QsQ/w640-h374/16-PXL_20230326_173610223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>More views of snowy Doso Doyabi.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9jIrSArtCz95E1DdWfHJ4w72ElWSVevgCi-rs5Xom-z_E4Ix4OPQ_grdWdEPjAOb9SIwQlcWTCZaCz5mBol33plagMI-RAePSOD_cNumwfwWCzXBo8khvIwj9fWCN9U9RkmAk70LK0io5PyRESeYTVRl5FsT0QbDErxzQBAFPdH2dmLpK-e4Ypxo9w/s1200/17-chutes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9jIrSArtCz95E1DdWfHJ4w72ElWSVevgCi-rs5Xom-z_E4Ix4OPQ_grdWdEPjAOb9SIwQlcWTCZaCz5mBol33plagMI-RAePSOD_cNumwfwWCzXBo8khvIwj9fWCN9U9RkmAk70LK0io5PyRESeYTVRl5FsT0QbDErxzQBAFPdH2dmLpK-e4Ypxo9w/w640-h480/17-chutes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>View of the outhouse from the other side.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsbtfMr8V1XzchHgoAdY60_4_mum-MT4kN40RKq9HSJWZNWK1Hbd5UYMaU2gfFn2TxpqFPg3iU7YQTW4FUJtbhqMR0RIGkvDERJJHFrgI6eGxf-1i8GPgmjSEkpBC_YckRZPfVCQ9m-TkP5TxJXLjJyobDqMOIDjjOBPlOBMLGupqvjGcZMp7KloDKw/s1200/18-outhouse%20looking%20back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsbtfMr8V1XzchHgoAdY60_4_mum-MT4kN40RKq9HSJWZNWK1Hbd5UYMaU2gfFn2TxpqFPg3iU7YQTW4FUJtbhqMR0RIGkvDERJJHFrgI6eGxf-1i8GPgmjSEkpBC_YckRZPfVCQ9m-TkP5TxJXLjJyobDqMOIDjjOBPlOBMLGupqvjGcZMp7KloDKw/w640-h480/18-outhouse%20looking%20back.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The nearby signs were windblown and exposed. The sign "An Icy Landscape" seems especially apropos in the winter.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvJsRzX3Nx6I7X6Oimk0Jxb8K5yio3GpfQjNemP64xzgJ-sQlJHF04JQh_Rv9YcX-qkcAnufme_ZLSOfMWfeqMBxWyJTk0kKypuXcjElq9hKcrPniWdJid1RRssIF94BqhTM-VrKRAjyAg3F4LuN1Hsr2E1s_-Dyghu6hMvt0ND3ICsn6kLdBWYpX9A/s1200/19-an%20icy%20landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvJsRzX3Nx6I7X6Oimk0Jxb8K5yio3GpfQjNemP64xzgJ-sQlJHF04JQh_Rv9YcX-qkcAnufme_ZLSOfMWfeqMBxWyJTk0kKypuXcjElq9hKcrPniWdJid1RRssIF94BqhTM-VrKRAjyAg3F4LuN1Hsr2E1s_-Dyghu6hMvt0ND3ICsn6kLdBWYpX9A/w640-h480/19-an%20icy%20landscape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This was my longest ski all winter, and it felt so good. It took about three hours to go up, with stops for photos and snacks. Going down was less than two hours, including several falls because the snow got super fast in places. There was good powder on the north facing slopes, but on the other places it was crusty and faster than I liked at times. The fastest section was Mather Overlook to Osceola Ditch, then it was much mellower and easier, and at times I even had to shuffle. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbBcD17DL1a2MiO5IVwXymXl-64Pff3jZjxjtYb0f0QyERIyOj5E5aN_iXDYf-GEzT1x4s0aA_1g2isuhoG8IrQqLjMQ9NmybdSvWBGeM5Vla-u3pCyXMm8G2o7T7m6lV28_BowAQdSQ3Cv9hWF2q6Oeq7aLdTaQSnFY1ldomYW4fiPtOXd9yTzcipw/s1200/20-what%20a%20great%20ski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbBcD17DL1a2MiO5IVwXymXl-64Pff3jZjxjtYb0f0QyERIyOj5E5aN_iXDYf-GEzT1x4s0aA_1g2isuhoG8IrQqLjMQ9NmybdSvWBGeM5Vla-u3pCyXMm8G2o7T7m6lV28_BowAQdSQ3Cv9hWF2q6Oeq7aLdTaQSnFY1ldomYW4fiPtOXd9yTzcipw/w480-h640/20-what%20a%20great%20ski.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>If winter is going to last (seemingly) forever this winter, I figure I might as well get out and enjoy it. It's so much more fun when I can go play in it. </div><div>p.s. Thanks so much to whomever made the nice tracks the day before, they helped a bunch.</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-20502851860514417852023-03-16T08:05:00.001-07:002023-03-16T08:05:11.615-07:00So Snowy! Part 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWvqkdZnVopZMmEnkB9JPMdyIrL-JS6pj7TP3fZg2XTbZvi6jriuTCN7E_D3785w_lByjdkK0tEQlkuZAN7LhtZtW_cA9_hYixC92E2GZIoBbSxUgo5__MKKzEV9-hxIpRFZzrbuGkx-Ioy1gXcOkyP54jg2Cui3lYXSfMq-9UvUpHaU1LpxQsQkEfQ/s1600/PXL_20230117_152028245.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWvqkdZnVopZMmEnkB9JPMdyIrL-JS6pj7TP3fZg2XTbZvi6jriuTCN7E_D3785w_lByjdkK0tEQlkuZAN7LhtZtW_cA9_hYixC92E2GZIoBbSxUgo5__MKKzEV9-hxIpRFZzrbuGkx-Ioy1gXcOkyP54jg2Cui3lYXSfMq-9UvUpHaU1LpxQsQkEfQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230117_152028245.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As snow continued to fall, we invited others to learn how to cross-country ski. Here is Desert Girl encouraging a friend.<p></p><p>The snow didn't keep Desert Girl from riding her bike to go to chores. Finn likes the snow a lot.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpQGmETWmjr8f1D3Wb9jLmaxh0djs4pqMijmPoz7E3pUlou4c86lpdOoeQZr9k6HIXhrC8wwHrJaHR9DbEvPB4X1Puh8IsFGezjxF2bM9wonGT_lW2rqZ_mO8NnSUQJa1ZW1N5UHY9aehZnjfgZDnQKowi2sTCbmab6koR8EaHJ0SGtZ947SZJPfmLw/s1600/PXL_20230116_192542001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpQGmETWmjr8f1D3Wb9jLmaxh0djs4pqMijmPoz7E3pUlou4c86lpdOoeQZr9k6HIXhrC8wwHrJaHR9DbEvPB4X1Puh8IsFGezjxF2bM9wonGT_lW2rqZ_mO8NnSUQJa1ZW1N5UHY9aehZnjfgZDnQKowi2sTCbmab6koR8EaHJ0SGtZ947SZJPfmLw/w640-h480/PXL_20230116_192542001.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On one particularly heavy snow, I asked Desert Boy to go with me skiing from the house. It's rare we have enough snow to cover the rocks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdWwBM9G2TEGgdFcSgYRavgw4XUerQCmguYM_AL9yVoGH098NmWqhs_gJPRfVJuy2p6pW2AuTAEsPbRMIVHeXZN9K9e8Q4lAIMWCRS3PPkAxs_Ad1RuqJkNIejDMXeAESJsJEo---rD7rvkHqoaLlX1Mzs2p6eUAzv1peAUYS3PWqIH_0yfOQ5T983A/s1600/PXL_20230117_152845715.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdWwBM9G2TEGgdFcSgYRavgw4XUerQCmguYM_AL9yVoGH098NmWqhs_gJPRfVJuy2p6pW2AuTAEsPbRMIVHeXZN9K9e8Q4lAIMWCRS3PPkAxs_Ad1RuqJkNIejDMXeAESJsJEo---rD7rvkHqoaLlX1Mzs2p6eUAzv1peAUYS3PWqIH_0yfOQ5T983A/w640-h480/PXL_20230117_152845715.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Picnic tables provided a good example of just how much snow fell.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK60eB2BXacoHhs-QlwhQ0-yETT57pphuFSQ6-Dg0iV1JZNT1ZDMhHkfjO1Al_qMwWgt1m9hqCc8guLx9GAxBrZaSDLhUzm6tvj3fqnu6O3buYbZzjIH55jymWAvcAlG--gcjNxtWq9-MDyXqnsgSQJEEp62KZKrlyB8KcDol4BuUykWaE7QmmDPPAg/s1600/PXL_20230117_155602560.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK60eB2BXacoHhs-QlwhQ0-yETT57pphuFSQ6-Dg0iV1JZNT1ZDMhHkfjO1Al_qMwWgt1m9hqCc8guLx9GAxBrZaSDLhUzm6tvj3fqnu6O3buYbZzjIH55jymWAvcAlG--gcjNxtWq9-MDyXqnsgSQJEEp62KZKrlyB8KcDol4BuUykWaE7QmmDPPAg/w640-h480/PXL_20230117_155602560.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In fact, we got so much snow it made part of a tree topple over the settling pond. Desert Boy and a friend couldn't resist climbing on it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T7iwiyOIJ5mjsuAZ2mcAdqzEjjz1HXN-zMNeT5W7H1WXlYP5NRIHYxRUDfXFsXpQQFGXgIs0UgfnxHjxQ20kV68byUlB0URNxDYmlZae0p6Fcupbr9d0H7nBGoW7WiXH7ri8R_IN8dWkq8LEDAG-9NM4gCcUD7NAaqqiUIYtCv4NJzoYQI1RDvCBkw/s1600/PXL_20230127_003146604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T7iwiyOIJ5mjsuAZ2mcAdqzEjjz1HXN-zMNeT5W7H1WXlYP5NRIHYxRUDfXFsXpQQFGXgIs0UgfnxHjxQ20kV68byUlB0URNxDYmlZae0p6Fcupbr9d0H7nBGoW7WiXH7ri8R_IN8dWkq8LEDAG-9NM4gCcUD7NAaqqiUIYtCv4NJzoYQI1RDvCBkw/w640-h480/PXL_20230127_003146604.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>The Frisco Charcoal Ovens were even adorned with snow.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCM6hssFekkYnyP6546S3hw9crMc6cN8KNvK-WKJvPhrPmRxcSMN-6xRcjQXUiAJU9kc0imTWB_LROM_6PHJF1um1sYisAMpyzcJQmzYNvH9graNRscBMDJr8yqc9Pm_kFpVSduG4mmd6tDxXOn7x0nJAv4e_bv_FP1dld9eOEQwTcbHryQJW3R1TYg/s1600/Frisco%20Charcoal%20Ovens-002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCM6hssFekkYnyP6546S3hw9crMc6cN8KNvK-WKJvPhrPmRxcSMN-6xRcjQXUiAJU9kc0imTWB_LROM_6PHJF1um1sYisAMpyzcJQmzYNvH9graNRscBMDJr8yqc9Pm_kFpVSduG4mmd6tDxXOn7x0nJAv4e_bv_FP1dld9eOEQwTcbHryQJW3R1TYg/w640-h426/Frisco%20Charcoal%20Ovens-002.JPG" width="640" /></a><p></p><p>With snow coming every few days, it was time to get more people out cross-country skiing. We decided to take on the Scenic Drive. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s0z9aPzeCnMQpaP_RsZxNbciHOecgaKbhyq6Sr_7oXMaUdiSXdWJ-4zriaHtdLAkw7lc_q9u61pxmJ7lxHf8mMH46sNKhXbrGndrcozNWr_VyUkQAUwouJjIFBptw4QLT5sucvts6hxDpxNh7hTPxebRhcjbIylN8d3grcM39b0BwsRZ4qrhj7Sa4Q/s1600/PXL_20230130_205225538.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s0z9aPzeCnMQpaP_RsZxNbciHOecgaKbhyq6Sr_7oXMaUdiSXdWJ-4zriaHtdLAkw7lc_q9u61pxmJ7lxHf8mMH46sNKhXbrGndrcozNWr_VyUkQAUwouJjIFBptw4QLT5sucvts6hxDpxNh7hTPxebRhcjbIylN8d3grcM39b0BwsRZ4qrhj7Sa4Q/w640-h480/PXL_20230130_205225538.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Conditions were ideal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGIcx5-R5U_Hnbd4-WlSTPWEWn3xpS18KWdrufR_FhccdO3bGrLJ4oZSFTYvqHH6WOctQ0Xa--Y2HbZQuxnLsz8yzY7Gzwu54nfTQVUQRZsp0hkaqf7Sp0ouLT3spm-KAtrdeh0-zhUYcE6ZPwYJWcCTuqEfoxng810c_oJwkJm8sav2IHXbHYmM-SQ/s1600/cross-country%20skiing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGIcx5-R5U_Hnbd4-WlSTPWEWn3xpS18KWdrufR_FhccdO3bGrLJ4oZSFTYvqHH6WOctQ0Xa--Y2HbZQuxnLsz8yzY7Gzwu54nfTQVUQRZsp0hkaqf7Sp0ouLT3spm-KAtrdeh0-zhUYcE6ZPwYJWcCTuqEfoxng810c_oJwkJm8sav2IHXbHYmM-SQ/w640-h480/cross-country%20skiing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7t0JhF6x4C8vavEUJbH87-MEtd5J7Xo6Icd2nx84sR_s6dTsPkOgHxizJUwvsPOZDhfCoMoWd5hDeUTDeCPf_nR3yfd4TMirrVa85bOzyde6v6qtMr0FQt8jzLlLdo8juhUqFe5gc7n2aF41i7DiaC0sInZ0xv7cOfLGS6vFJJwQO1SVGFrvlDN7pA/s1600/PXL_20230130_210118786.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7t0JhF6x4C8vavEUJbH87-MEtd5J7Xo6Icd2nx84sR_s6dTsPkOgHxizJUwvsPOZDhfCoMoWd5hDeUTDeCPf_nR3yfd4TMirrVa85bOzyde6v6qtMr0FQt8jzLlLdo8juhUqFe5gc7n2aF41i7DiaC0sInZ0xv7cOfLGS6vFJJwQO1SVGFrvlDN7pA/w480-h640/PXL_20230130_210118786.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As in previous storms, everything was coated white.<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7avdVp99cV0ttTpEs8yfH4GsLyJ7jy053jBKbEr_fSrIA8J3DAxr4bmMqNbN2Qd0Rf7Of9jWZwcGVI25HCb9W_yK57OGqjb4tsNyO1qEt2F1zmWgNegu51vjqPwYdPJz0WKAkcWIVRirA3ThAHWk_dfOjGByYSQhRR_adVY9-i-cVeYYBl_C8v9zZaQ/s1600/PXL_20230130_211259164.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7avdVp99cV0ttTpEs8yfH4GsLyJ7jy053jBKbEr_fSrIA8J3DAxr4bmMqNbN2Qd0Rf7Of9jWZwcGVI25HCb9W_yK57OGqjb4tsNyO1qEt2F1zmWgNegu51vjqPwYdPJz0WKAkcWIVRirA3ThAHWk_dfOjGByYSQhRR_adVY9-i-cVeYYBl_C8v9zZaQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230130_211259164.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Getting a group photo is harder than you think when you only have 10 seconds to get into place!<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIs-IFMf4L0SMxDXgfuG3vLPtwGK9ii4RCsn_Y-PAHmppD7nLQwkREItRQ0oQbTI7Tf4ZTd7PL_B87Bz-5tgbV7hyoHTJfOuCfZmM0H5ZlE3pLgCaTJYSSyChcShokS7JjGPgIDGADfqKGlnlYdbdFSAgEGOSk7P-XzH7hq59EmNWhlAAg8PRPB_xCA/s1600/PXL_20230130_215203111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIs-IFMf4L0SMxDXgfuG3vLPtwGK9ii4RCsn_Y-PAHmppD7nLQwkREItRQ0oQbTI7Tf4ZTd7PL_B87Bz-5tgbV7hyoHTJfOuCfZmM0H5ZlE3pLgCaTJYSSyChcShokS7JjGPgIDGADfqKGlnlYdbdFSAgEGOSk7P-XzH7hq59EmNWhlAAg8PRPB_xCA/w640-h480/PXL_20230130_215203111.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Even the Great Basin Visitor Center sign in Baker got a load of snow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_w5lfuhN-LZ-nDF9UBpqekCEeeFMbE4hLqh_lXlvz5LZE0i77xbU-rNukP1G2xv-JNndt-KxLuwBfDDzS8n2CrJz10yV4Y10Xbf-uVa-URiovLU01rj_J-4nmWQMFB5hE9G64WNxjTFhmg20DT9S38btMLuTxZp2zM0y1lkATdjpY28u_PRrbmCP0Q/s1600/PXL_20230117_160627276.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_w5lfuhN-LZ-nDF9UBpqekCEeeFMbE4hLqh_lXlvz5LZE0i77xbU-rNukP1G2xv-JNndt-KxLuwBfDDzS8n2CrJz10yV4Y10Xbf-uVa-URiovLU01rj_J-4nmWQMFB5hE9G64WNxjTFhmg20DT9S38btMLuTxZp2zM0y1lkATdjpY28u_PRrbmCP0Q/w640-h480/PXL_20230117_160627276.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Occasionally I do air quality measurements, which includes measuring the snow that fell int he last week. In this case, the bucket was not only full, it was overflowing!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo58sC7VHBQHLBFbSj_XufOsO03fxegZDaOfv6fDYxqp92hngNxc07UK0cF920rYNxthiAqUuW1pE4WUsivE7OofX2Or72fzXDo3344eg-0nSJ6AHmuEtAGgoE2RN7YEDQygGOwcoDyvG23PFgYC-nQO-00qunJnYvtixfFj7LJ2EnmMqr_WXxdqRQow/s1600/PXL_20230117_171704047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo58sC7VHBQHLBFbSj_XufOsO03fxegZDaOfv6fDYxqp92hngNxc07UK0cF920rYNxthiAqUuW1pE4WUsivE7OofX2Or72fzXDo3344eg-0nSJ6AHmuEtAGgoE2RN7YEDQygGOwcoDyvG23PFgYC-nQO-00qunJnYvtixfFj7LJ2EnmMqr_WXxdqRQow/w640-h480/PXL_20230117_171704047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Snow on picnic tables is getting higher!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFgutkX5zppsSoDQnybojbY-sQc1qPOInWHOJjWyia_QcShIgAjwSsLhpx08eMthrM19XBAMD0kkTVqOui4WjrSl4dTkM4n-RU8mwohZgGVRyctYHKVxtQGE5dGIdKTCme9DX1GpliF8-0lksrCuX-vF_rW-pI92MTZTPz1qtiVW0H0CKxYGP7iIyUw/s1600/PXL_20230119_165349215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFgutkX5zppsSoDQnybojbY-sQc1qPOInWHOJjWyia_QcShIgAjwSsLhpx08eMthrM19XBAMD0kkTVqOui4WjrSl4dTkM4n-RU8mwohZgGVRyctYHKVxtQGE5dGIdKTCme9DX1GpliF8-0lksrCuX-vF_rW-pI92MTZTPz1qtiVW0H0CKxYGP7iIyUw/w480-h640/PXL_20230119_165349215.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>More snow means more time to go out skiing. The garbage cans in Grey Cliffs are nearly covered with snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNjltHfS8KKobtFS0JR45jjxNrBolZd5OIfEYqfRE1cMCwLIlSeUJTAqQEX8GM048IMuvO7OS8o351PgznQ2YU83395xNeH7a_LeRR6fS6bdkuHxlvqSErv0RiRSYdpfNjFT-O-efX-ahv038mXPgnKUak6rQhCcMNE0v72umfMzjdI1oH46oQV2E-g/s1600/PXL_20230128_172511581.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNjltHfS8KKobtFS0JR45jjxNrBolZd5OIfEYqfRE1cMCwLIlSeUJTAqQEX8GM048IMuvO7OS8o351PgznQ2YU83395xNeH7a_LeRR6fS6bdkuHxlvqSErv0RiRSYdpfNjFT-O-efX-ahv038mXPgnKUak6rQhCcMNE0v72umfMzjdI1oH46oQV2E-g/w640-h480/PXL_20230128_172511581.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Skiing through the trees is extra fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1oo6h1s-jju1tAwShBSL2NJYPtD8DHl8_PnXp1kcfAA9Il7eUpestcmDu7rfJ-UU9ZGqGc4DpKJlMqdtgt481bTcAC6gHwDV3qzIMJNnP2aJxA16cF4HkG10lSvBycN6hrkDAZPRmzbT8gLN7_LQRj6MSC2LVqvR_81MWjuhdpyzC_Lgm3xdQprJLQ/s1600/PXL_20230131_213841169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1oo6h1s-jju1tAwShBSL2NJYPtD8DHl8_PnXp1kcfAA9Il7eUpestcmDu7rfJ-UU9ZGqGc4DpKJlMqdtgt481bTcAC6gHwDV3qzIMJNnP2aJxA16cF4HkG10lSvBycN6hrkDAZPRmzbT8gLN7_LQRj6MSC2LVqvR_81MWjuhdpyzC_Lgm3xdQprJLQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230131_213841169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then came the idea: why not try a full moon cross-country ski? A few hardy souls decided to give it a try.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W0B6WJ5kgvgJCYZdO963DmDwELI3Z_rHnRJhXFPfUaE9K-Ase_KKdpstXFCscTCW6SP_JwSgT4cdt88-EeJi7oAeM5gDvj0Hg_ab9P2R6xVxoUQO3O5RyaOdJcCh1SP-wZbHwyniile3lHqYgHNAaJKzR8kY6EltVPrU5s0vU68rAp6DTIQi0soy9w/s1600/PXL_20230206_024424878.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W0B6WJ5kgvgJCYZdO963DmDwELI3Z_rHnRJhXFPfUaE9K-Ase_KKdpstXFCscTCW6SP_JwSgT4cdt88-EeJi7oAeM5gDvj0Hg_ab9P2R6xVxoUQO3O5RyaOdJcCh1SP-wZbHwyniile3lHqYgHNAaJKzR8kY6EltVPrU5s0vU68rAp6DTIQi0soy9w/w640-h480/PXL_20230206_024424878.NIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>With long exposure, it was remarkably bright outside. We didn't even need to use headlamps.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKucaApNnDIDSLgZXHVQx5unYNmFAW5IRkDPwtr8A13XQwBdfYxuw8lqEqev60bKksEw7yxeTibuzqcR0WXx8XXN9MiJwaI6iyBDmry_wFDScOD3BL0M5Dph2VuC-3hL9CgarmI4mluV_I1LEKgQQNfRC7Qq7y-xC_mFEC9khwsQ81oPjU7OZ4tIFYWg/s1600/PXL_20230206_031402596.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKucaApNnDIDSLgZXHVQx5unYNmFAW5IRkDPwtr8A13XQwBdfYxuw8lqEqev60bKksEw7yxeTibuzqcR0WXx8XXN9MiJwaI6iyBDmry_wFDScOD3BL0M5Dph2VuC-3hL9CgarmI4mluV_I1LEKgQQNfRC7Qq7y-xC_mFEC9khwsQ81oPjU7OZ4tIFYWg/w640-h480/PXL_20230206_031402596.NIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was great fun.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0xs-Rzy2mfOhDfmaq1DIoykWv7W8onJOVnnyWkSRYtnaXKiQgRnMImQHWm57JwP-JJl0UrfBoD9UpVU_YFD0JfhXcZEeoo0GklDiZOcAtExzGyQxizWGfSf4jLYqKrLeKghGZSevzF1ubrQTsfDCOyfmn-qpHslPq9882YMgXe4IK2PV29fLmIK8cA/s1600/night%20skiing.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0xs-Rzy2mfOhDfmaq1DIoykWv7W8onJOVnnyWkSRYtnaXKiQgRnMImQHWm57JwP-JJl0UrfBoD9UpVU_YFD0JfhXcZEeoo0GklDiZOcAtExzGyQxizWGfSf4jLYqKrLeKghGZSevzF1ubrQTsfDCOyfmn-qpHslPq9882YMgXe4IK2PV29fLmIK8cA/w480-h640/night%20skiing.NIGHT.jpg" width="480" /></a></p>As snow persisted, I tried skiing other places. Here's the Snake Creek park entrance. Untracked and over a foot deep.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW8ivLyk9F5TOmfbY40Zt6R7auop5tW3Qxlg1rWrKmBG5aUKmSW_zNLpCACjT8CYp3oqFDMujsf8Yp04QugNL7diiVjXEkUJKJ1Z3emyz1GNL1Y96MM3G-LRLRxY64SVk1kfvgYdtWu2iYOMu7re_v9kowKEY89Wypp-liPf23nekpmkveqPYjOMsqQ/s1600/PXL_20230217_191024057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW8ivLyk9F5TOmfbY40Zt6R7auop5tW3Qxlg1rWrKmBG5aUKmSW_zNLpCACjT8CYp3oqFDMujsf8Yp04QugNL7diiVjXEkUJKJ1Z3emyz1GNL1Y96MM3G-LRLRxY64SVk1kfvgYdtWu2iYOMu7re_v9kowKEY89Wypp-liPf23nekpmkveqPYjOMsqQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230217_191024057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I decided to try the Timber Creek-Pole Canyon loop, something that had always seemed too difficult. But with all the time I had spent on skis this winter, it seemed the time was right. I put skins on my skis and went up to the Baker Creek trailhead, where the elevation 8000 feet was nearly buried.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl1NxdN721674spE391Xz0XJGKJ47Z6eQZ6XuzahLgC9nYsW-k65S50nmyjmz_ETKi0SkobGjHANKgWeHQkcxHSS0BF40tPtCaNQoORgK1AcE5Fenp-sZuwWm8N-72OWtkbS7xlJROAY5rezgx2EHnsnM4n_MbpSx86bPuPnu1XqFW-95Tg8sE8Z41g/s1600/PXL_20230218_155215307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl1NxdN721674spE391Xz0XJGKJ47Z6eQZ6XuzahLgC9nYsW-k65S50nmyjmz_ETKi0SkobGjHANKgWeHQkcxHSS0BF40tPtCaNQoORgK1AcE5Fenp-sZuwWm8N-72OWtkbS7xlJROAY5rezgx2EHnsnM4n_MbpSx86bPuPnu1XqFW-95Tg8sE8Z41g/w640-h480/PXL_20230218_155215307.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Baker Creek was not totally iced over.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLVFvuOuXxgusLL2fgr1k2Y1lO_qvhCftSTK9ZNThiWxH_GWhKVIOqPr0zVV7hVftVQ4zdic0U3TAa4xfY4RMKc3mAO-7Suv-RwLVuzC2JGvgF-zCjHJL7xP8ry8l6lziEOwUI_b2J1vhlCUmupivzPFA8ZIYCnKYAsfFHYyF3HQad-LQKdjjSdJIgA/s1600/PXL_20230218_155711031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLVFvuOuXxgusLL2fgr1k2Y1lO_qvhCftSTK9ZNThiWxH_GWhKVIOqPr0zVV7hVftVQ4zdic0U3TAa4xfY4RMKc3mAO-7Suv-RwLVuzC2JGvgF-zCjHJL7xP8ry8l6lziEOwUI_b2J1vhlCUmupivzPFA8ZIYCnKYAsfFHYyF3HQad-LQKdjjSdJIgA/w480-h640/PXL_20230218_155711031.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There were some tracks on the trail.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafYV2nRQw6c6tFTIjSYmkuqoeoeb5YTGbYZ7tpa37dUP4XtXIdMGDELf35byjSkw3ygtbS_jFYQKBQeo84Z0h6m8io1HbL-KyMc34hSiuunHmc6Tz-OagF5GovB10Zw_7p9KCDDrvs_bsR0u80oa3o7A18QARWJZahUCDSwonLiMiHZQOv14Xi0S7Lw/s1600/PXL_20230218_155730989.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafYV2nRQw6c6tFTIjSYmkuqoeoeb5YTGbYZ7tpa37dUP4XtXIdMGDELf35byjSkw3ygtbS_jFYQKBQeo84Z0h6m8io1HbL-KyMc34hSiuunHmc6Tz-OagF5GovB10Zw_7p9KCDDrvs_bsR0u80oa3o7A18QARWJZahUCDSwonLiMiHZQOv14Xi0S7Lw/w640-h480/PXL_20230218_155730989.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But once I got further up Timber Creek, I made first tracks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGO-065z5_InVJUD7oSIjrScfrvsWg_QKv2EO-wkA-2MeZtxUtEhFNHCqSsUtA9ofBMzOQA8KJ9FK5_h5Qjxbz-3ZGfEveG-jEo_SrzgXfmq9IddfGKnB4-HgOnbjJUv1WfrqcK1ztbQaksSzCl-9R6I3FhSbuyuZYAbFpWJEdLFmd2O6w4oyVk_L3g/s1600/PXL_20230218_162653457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGO-065z5_InVJUD7oSIjrScfrvsWg_QKv2EO-wkA-2MeZtxUtEhFNHCqSsUtA9ofBMzOQA8KJ9FK5_h5Qjxbz-3ZGfEveG-jEo_SrzgXfmq9IddfGKnB4-HgOnbjJUv1WfrqcK1ztbQaksSzCl-9R6I3FhSbuyuZYAbFpWJEdLFmd2O6w4oyVk_L3g/w480-h640/PXL_20230218_162653457.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>View from the saddle between Timber and Pole Canyon. I'm looking at Doso Doyabi and Wheeler Peak. Going down the other side was an adventure in route finding, as the trail is not marked for winter use. I eventually weaved my way down to the valley.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaL1C9n9MmaRFY9rmb0LFpxqw9hBMls-kpQwWbjCs8PA993AMxCkHHSzjFqBudBONUCTpYPDQWHFYYTwkWAj8cS6LnHrOABglk3JMR9_eDwcSjENYZu98WR_2QAe6iq5usUrgWkq6z59EurGAK_GvM74NqGwOyqdG9gw-5zcD7TsNJV52qZD2shVlTA/s1600/PXL_20230218_164131400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaL1C9n9MmaRFY9rmb0LFpxqw9hBMls-kpQwWbjCs8PA993AMxCkHHSzjFqBudBONUCTpYPDQWHFYYTwkWAj8cS6LnHrOABglk3JMR9_eDwcSjENYZu98WR_2QAe6iq5usUrgWkq6z59EurGAK_GvM74NqGwOyqdG9gw-5zcD7TsNJV52qZD2shVlTA/w480-h640/PXL_20230218_164131400.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then I went back into the aspen-white fir forest.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJKJeFb-uwX9WnWdLCyC6OBfeM4qxSlMkajAS945DjsvA60gy1HwSdinuswi1WHkoLMhY9Buc0fIpWFNZGngPlzftSV5vLEqon6V7VZsvIzqzaUMt4P83dhUOZhBkKX0KvBduQZjRxPtSiI2E9mAxXI3hpk3k4WsfiZkst6lODJqss4V3RAhFDv6smw/s1600/PXL_20230218_175147025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJKJeFb-uwX9WnWdLCyC6OBfeM4qxSlMkajAS945DjsvA60gy1HwSdinuswi1WHkoLMhY9Buc0fIpWFNZGngPlzftSV5vLEqon6V7VZsvIzqzaUMt4P83dhUOZhBkKX0KvBduQZjRxPtSiI2E9mAxXI3hpk3k4WsfiZkst6lODJqss4V3RAhFDv6smw/w480-h640/PXL_20230218_175147025.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a lovely day for a ski.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5GJojILlccj854-ZBg1biSrtiwMDayQosxq8fFc-_ebwLMQm0knLLNSLxGDuiMQZhqYf8JUSvBkxDJ7ORaksRGXlXb_kTu6r_drweA3KdZPrOMi-ODkrl7sir1onji5GblN_uQqibLo09Qi2m3K_34opQIUsFMR88qT7cRPT91QTTMq3gJ9FBxxe4Q/s1600/PXL_20230218_175158695.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5GJojILlccj854-ZBg1biSrtiwMDayQosxq8fFc-_ebwLMQm0knLLNSLxGDuiMQZhqYf8JUSvBkxDJ7ORaksRGXlXb_kTu6r_drweA3KdZPrOMi-ODkrl7sir1onji5GblN_uQqibLo09Qi2m3K_34opQIUsFMR88qT7cRPT91QTTMq3gJ9FBxxe4Q/w480-h640/PXL_20230218_175158695.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the Pole Canyon Bridge, the creek was completely frozen over--and nearly at the level of the bridge.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdXNuWK_VWX91ZGrHmTMr27ZKOm2rsb7sAf0lFXLoBxrIYHoejwhohxBdNKqfQnGAwE6R4F9WoL21q69UOANLn1SMW3KFw6ALoWUMORzHHY_MVofGSgtA_8YNaRIvhvgX-BFT7ZIDwXqtHPeoKj3P2Qmi9XoEIubBzRKwRnxI-c0y08J9N450TCYJtg/s1600/PXL_20230218_182623359.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdXNuWK_VWX91ZGrHmTMr27ZKOm2rsb7sAf0lFXLoBxrIYHoejwhohxBdNKqfQnGAwE6R4F9WoL21q69UOANLn1SMW3KFw6ALoWUMORzHHY_MVofGSgtA_8YNaRIvhvgX-BFT7ZIDwXqtHPeoKj3P2Qmi9XoEIubBzRKwRnxI-c0y08J9N450TCYJtg/w640-h480/PXL_20230218_182623359.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I decided it would be good to get the whole family cross-country skiing. We left one vehicle at Grey Cliffs and went up to the Baker Creek trailhead. Then we headed down the campground trail. It was deep and slick in spots.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9mNpjGka4STEBzvHjeGOd4DRN-gdShwnZ9KM7q8J6Y2pHnPGjtDoF7H762j0JQZs8N6rKaK4wy_oFAzu47bG_fIJSJ2gYhaJN2MzbWiCnfTXDBbktizfR2ix7SOUShk4TL9skMIfF8tfLcopEMAwCyfzmQKia-HhF7yjTEwY8Q61yfhZZSxqPfEbmA/s1600/PXL_20230219_170822652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9mNpjGka4STEBzvHjeGOd4DRN-gdShwnZ9KM7q8J6Y2pHnPGjtDoF7H762j0JQZs8N6rKaK4wy_oFAzu47bG_fIJSJ2gYhaJN2MzbWiCnfTXDBbktizfR2ix7SOUShk4TL9skMIfF8tfLcopEMAwCyfzmQKia-HhF7yjTEwY8Q61yfhZZSxqPfEbmA/w480-h640/PXL_20230219_170822652.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The kids grumbled (they seem to do that a lot as teenagers), but conditions were great.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aQz3CAFc4TFIhglMvXxTvFPTOUcBlNxCwsZLbX7SmuBsEdO-ROEaIUzi_F5l3A5tiWw1wbI44A4pNHBRA5Ia-yImBwz9MAIkc9KaZkt8kNWmDZGDbxq6A4cXnTIimCX9xyuHcjC6PdCOeWAkfpaZ0XUbu-4tJ87R87R7tXv-p-4MTfbab7teUW9zcg/s1600/PXL_20230219_171944094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aQz3CAFc4TFIhglMvXxTvFPTOUcBlNxCwsZLbX7SmuBsEdO-ROEaIUzi_F5l3A5tiWw1wbI44A4pNHBRA5Ia-yImBwz9MAIkc9KaZkt8kNWmDZGDbxq6A4cXnTIimCX9xyuHcjC6PdCOeWAkfpaZ0XUbu-4tJ87R87R7tXv-p-4MTfbab7teUW9zcg/w640-h480/PXL_20230219_171944094.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Cross-country skiing can be so peaceful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFjhT_4jJWiM7_1Z5qdiS6p7HV0e4gaRzndp-UIern1zPRibQ9j6PAtDtSsUi-eMBXdfI_4wBg8UZP1mEBDHnHOfW49kr4sU3yuyQbO52MdHLZV6_65I_pMZib3T-KAOyAnfTV1Gdz-vud-NGEBdOuPiobcRxJ9MSn5gLOBwKgdfRQOi1i1oco-0nfw/s1600/PXL_20230219_174132904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFjhT_4jJWiM7_1Z5qdiS6p7HV0e4gaRzndp-UIern1zPRibQ9j6PAtDtSsUi-eMBXdfI_4wBg8UZP1mEBDHnHOfW49kr4sU3yuyQbO52MdHLZV6_65I_pMZib3T-KAOyAnfTV1Gdz-vud-NGEBdOuPiobcRxJ9MSn5gLOBwKgdfRQOi1i1oco-0nfw/w480-h640/PXL_20230219_174132904.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Well, we still have more snow in the forecast. It's been warming up and feeling like spring in the valley, but up on the mountain it still feels like winter. I think we'll have this snow around for a while!<p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-74457940861617862322023-03-12T19:52:00.004-07:002023-03-12T19:52:57.744-07:00So Snowy! Part 1<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sGSrlks8L7Usomh_B7ukwSCPGGbPiaSi-H4p-LB35ZMvEj3lBL3kaJky7mp8QUuRZv7v_m68MCDbrt67oRFj2BvM0DPnQ3qC_42rKSyu2jo7WoBl35lBggztXGc969SNIKIKSs70jJskL2FIGL_9jEwIpHk-XXVzFHpWA8FZBaLFYYx0_RiOVeSxQA/s1600/PXL_20221110_235056581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sGSrlks8L7Usomh_B7ukwSCPGGbPiaSi-H4p-LB35ZMvEj3lBL3kaJky7mp8QUuRZv7v_m68MCDbrt67oRFj2BvM0DPnQ3qC_42rKSyu2jo7WoBl35lBggztXGc969SNIKIKSs70jJskL2FIGL_9jEwIpHk-XXVzFHpWA8FZBaLFYYx0_RiOVeSxQA/w640-h480/PXL_20221110_235056581.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It's been an amazingly snowy winter in the Great Basin. I thought I'd take a look at my snow photos for the winter and showcase some of this frigid wonder. Here's a photo of the west side of Wheeler Peak taken in November 2022. It already sports a nice cape of white.<p></p><p>At times the kids think they are too old for sledding. But once they're doing it, they love it!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7Blvy4nM1UMxunOSwMYCiHYm4iEvKOTIbwe5Dnm7nToWyswQ5b2gobKinxNKM149erzz2bE51d3ixdNJTuUayWgItF51EuJpvxBhHtvsYXJFYj1Yzajm7W15yEm_KnslGEUDj3hCwT3aCK7CKFZbvEtziLLoS7tEbA3vbkBgR8Y6NCHnoStshQbcbA/s1600/PXL_20221111_212017187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7Blvy4nM1UMxunOSwMYCiHYm4iEvKOTIbwe5Dnm7nToWyswQ5b2gobKinxNKM149erzz2bE51d3ixdNJTuUayWgItF51EuJpvxBhHtvsYXJFYj1Yzajm7W15yEm_KnslGEUDj3hCwT3aCK7CKFZbvEtziLLoS7tEbA3vbkBgR8Y6NCHnoStshQbcbA/w480-h640/PXL_20221111_212017187.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In December, the Upper Lehman Campground in Great Basin National Park had enough snow that someone built a snowman!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlwq0k6qzwTVemI1WAxb-bXvXFdExVrIE8Jb5pTQ20X2dDzGtlKp6MXLDprmVXLTBO3bDVOampUU9SDZ60AiYOcHMRFUUnhYGY28W5yR0Fk-CoNOFMR6aLw31cQVsGtGaGmXcKmj-oGL-dTVr_KD-wXEfFV21RRfYWjInGrSFlMcELZ__TPENXlO60A/s1600/PXL_20221213_161820922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlwq0k6qzwTVemI1WAxb-bXvXFdExVrIE8Jb5pTQ20X2dDzGtlKp6MXLDprmVXLTBO3bDVOampUU9SDZ60AiYOcHMRFUUnhYGY28W5yR0Fk-CoNOFMR6aLw31cQVsGtGaGmXcKmj-oGL-dTVr_KD-wXEfFV21RRfYWjInGrSFlMcELZ__TPENXlO60A/w640-h480/PXL_20221213_161820922.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On January 1st, we got a big snowstorm, coating the trees and electrical wires. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFqkfPWhlYpS-US4afMcR17MuMPKDIfWheJbpA4r6ZMXez1oyfz1ld-v6X-AXVYaIKeNEuGAKMrQ8YkgV3bYam4tEjWS-VU0AQ2DkPbKTQLR1WLT5sQqGpuHQLIQkf9jMRrkMrfKU0HBKqUqLvZPOTVwwsWnzObqJ6xcb0_YoPDsYlB7R3xiLIFVQPw/s1600/January%201st%20snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFqkfPWhlYpS-US4afMcR17MuMPKDIfWheJbpA4r6ZMXez1oyfz1ld-v6X-AXVYaIKeNEuGAKMrQ8YkgV3bYam4tEjWS-VU0AQ2DkPbKTQLR1WLT5sQqGpuHQLIQkf9jMRrkMrfKU0HBKqUqLvZPOTVwwsWnzObqJ6xcb0_YoPDsYlB7R3xiLIFVQPw/w640-h480/January%201st%20snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Everything was white, including this old cart.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpU_-onmWuTlpIPGjWsyPAzJFtfjn_dVf4ww5NBhSo6U3o4O8G58-lFJ0Mli0oHAz3yXcVTGkVnIGDPjq1qsfE6XWloiXE0yNHL_KEBroeXRMFmGa44FIC9l7h-fwtFIto8IpetX3Qg3SG_xJBxVoS6cd0A1IyCSDn0it2-upX5Yj76NKEr65B8JLMA/s1600/Barbara's%20favorite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpU_-onmWuTlpIPGjWsyPAzJFtfjn_dVf4ww5NBhSo6U3o4O8G58-lFJ0Mli0oHAz3yXcVTGkVnIGDPjq1qsfE6XWloiXE0yNHL_KEBroeXRMFmGa44FIC9l7h-fwtFIto8IpetX3Qg3SG_xJBxVoS6cd0A1IyCSDn0it2-upX5Yj76NKEr65B8JLMA/w640-h480/Barbara's%20favorite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Desert Boy, Finn and I went for a walk. The sky and ground matched.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgiHFoVYAw4qbKBxNcGSL6Tns5GwR2TPZRTHrZFQfyq7MsT2mOrIN8q2ELMTJ0N51e1vYJvaITyRnsedwUMoBwHuhnOngTDgoQPNqn2g3UV_UeuaIImUxtytQ8zGe84gWU9VdBBqJyYRYkgv7qbWNz8GA3j4SMQR4waRY9vGaAC7wnzgbC431DpGAKA/s1600/PXL_20230101_162621664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgiHFoVYAw4qbKBxNcGSL6Tns5GwR2TPZRTHrZFQfyq7MsT2mOrIN8q2ELMTJ0N51e1vYJvaITyRnsedwUMoBwHuhnOngTDgoQPNqn2g3UV_UeuaIImUxtytQ8zGe84gWU9VdBBqJyYRYkgv7qbWNz8GA3j4SMQR4waRY9vGaAC7wnzgbC431DpGAKA/w640-h480/PXL_20230101_162621664.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We had no idea that this was just the beginning of much, much more snow. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9b8Ygp-8c7Io2hxzihVnGpl46G4b9ob4dho1iG5WamppcaeMz45Ry_5wW5C_LC1X7Wt4CSkrgCkALl0HVI_7j1JQPRtriRcIQ6gTUleGXfRC3IKenaPRg76tHQk7K8TMECD6YB9-FP_xtVK1PORtW6qveL1582FngwaPy7lVW-PskNWTfTqDmaGCQ/s1600/PXL_20230101_163207403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9b8Ygp-8c7Io2hxzihVnGpl46G4b9ob4dho1iG5WamppcaeMz45Ry_5wW5C_LC1X7Wt4CSkrgCkALl0HVI_7j1JQPRtriRcIQ6gTUleGXfRC3IKenaPRg76tHQk7K8TMECD6YB9-FP_xtVK1PORtW6qveL1582FngwaPy7lVW-PskNWTfTqDmaGCQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230101_163207403.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p>I couldn't resist a couple artistic photos.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_kPk-IXucIGhDK7wtErF6SkFPr-jUcKm4RbDF8-oLfYJx_Dse0x3SvSyUb9xObdov6FkUhVE-53PyNqsJFdAgg4bciNdwxEeG67EBzIrdYrksCHoS7T6E5zQYFmYtYxvFAg9lg1Ii770f7ejsx_2Ct21akfPepVVjnf6bbDIHVhC9nV8iaVESC9C0w/s1600/PXL_20230101_164432725.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_kPk-IXucIGhDK7wtErF6SkFPr-jUcKm4RbDF8-oLfYJx_Dse0x3SvSyUb9xObdov6FkUhVE-53PyNqsJFdAgg4bciNdwxEeG67EBzIrdYrksCHoS7T6E5zQYFmYtYxvFAg9lg1Ii770f7ejsx_2Ct21akfPepVVjnf6bbDIHVhC9nV8iaVESC9C0w/w640-h480/PXL_20230101_164432725.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The abundant snow made the netting over the chicken pen collapse. The chickens still came out where they could keep their feet dry.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2fdHMY88w3pHPghPOWNTsn3W6-aCdJrHuWCXbU2uZ2ciNnCEeo0TFEVdf2fyxVb5yUMBWSRCtpqnFn_A-TWgDkhh7LGjSOHiOm7teUFbBh11pqHfh_PLTwSr9SvizBqbASz14Os85NgpOU643uXuICAR2_ZiVD2ij_14vaUuvGxL3R0AGT8MxvHFmg/s1600/PXL_20230101_164611381.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2fdHMY88w3pHPghPOWNTsn3W6-aCdJrHuWCXbU2uZ2ciNnCEeo0TFEVdf2fyxVb5yUMBWSRCtpqnFn_A-TWgDkhh7LGjSOHiOm7teUFbBh11pqHfh_PLTwSr9SvizBqbASz14Os85NgpOU643uXuICAR2_ZiVD2ij_14vaUuvGxL3R0AGT8MxvHFmg/w640-h480/PXL_20230101_164611381.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>We went up to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center and found even more snow, although the handicapped walk has heaters in it so it was free of snow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4MKSf2SQNGQomHGsadXmgQ7iZFN_Gjr1JSVe1KrvxzWJOHuDPu7SBlblXVUQ_lSKT7nz_KlbtSmiT-BhHGHGq8D0G86aTBgWubLUVQ377CZKbdRj74Jn8hfM0Tkd5QlMHW9KiFqquCw8YvYLe0Yt3JJyYDzqnm-MncgQpLqocxZHR5UcGMV_kYLZsQ/s1600/PXL_20230101_182059674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4MKSf2SQNGQomHGsadXmgQ7iZFN_Gjr1JSVe1KrvxzWJOHuDPu7SBlblXVUQ_lSKT7nz_KlbtSmiT-BhHGHGq8D0G86aTBgWubLUVQ377CZKbdRj74Jn8hfM0Tkd5QlMHW9KiFqquCw8YvYLe0Yt3JJyYDzqnm-MncgQpLqocxZHR5UcGMV_kYLZsQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230101_182059674.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>If you looked through the telescopes, you could see more snow!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVe9hP2mhoe_E36_4W0H-x8zUfC8HFYFBybBB1kmHMf_Ea20wpmcYBBcVOK5w-DhiZNFnLEyJswOGPMN-R19WaOwbAG9E9OsrXsr8TidZ8Wck3ivUc0wKocyMqWlcs0UUIdjYPfQmJi0VaYhzSDJD8gOJOzPK9ARnYmtUg8pMPHOb6_rYTAEBBTQToA/s1600/PXL_20230101_182201625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVe9hP2mhoe_E36_4W0H-x8zUfC8HFYFBybBB1kmHMf_Ea20wpmcYBBcVOK5w-DhiZNFnLEyJswOGPMN-R19WaOwbAG9E9OsrXsr8TidZ8Wck3ivUc0wKocyMqWlcs0UUIdjYPfQmJi0VaYhzSDJD8gOJOzPK9ARnYmtUg8pMPHOb6_rYTAEBBTQToA/w640-h480/PXL_20230101_182201625.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>I couldn't resist skiing up the Scenic Drive, where I saw white carpeting everything.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI_zD0AVdB9pmVBIghgIS-IVb3GLLedubLePHkSA0KnW4D0-dlGHOOPPVubLVYPhxHf5mKlWmzcL2jW-0InlwXL77PmVJu6NiRwSyAGfW9uu1iAYgq0iHfYmdqCROiMGqM_53eu_30pNvM1Q4xXbvy6M3t15nrXiJOsizLEoI4ZvsK2_r4gCv9hghOQ/s1600/PXL_20230102_173104449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI_zD0AVdB9pmVBIghgIS-IVb3GLLedubLePHkSA0KnW4D0-dlGHOOPPVubLVYPhxHf5mKlWmzcL2jW-0InlwXL77PmVJu6NiRwSyAGfW9uu1iAYgq0iHfYmdqCROiMGqM_53eu_30pNvM1Q4xXbvy6M3t15nrXiJOsizLEoI4ZvsK2_r4gCv9hghOQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230102_173104449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The pinyon pines looked very different than in summer!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YWZgv53NOOIJpsAliOaf8noyPZnVfRIhPSiPFiH2bBsWAMS0JuKQOspgX5vpmYzegzkLiTamPyJix8CXGnnoXXHh-won2rpLpke_M7uB4C5HS26g90R0Js5oAdJvCQyvuM4ZmjnSG07H5q90bg8eIS--XOYOoopW0SzRanZ4uOTuxgtZewiJfkbbFA/s1600/PXL_20230102_173238652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YWZgv53NOOIJpsAliOaf8noyPZnVfRIhPSiPFiH2bBsWAMS0JuKQOspgX5vpmYzegzkLiTamPyJix8CXGnnoXXHh-won2rpLpke_M7uB4C5HS26g90R0Js5oAdJvCQyvuM4ZmjnSG07H5q90bg8eIS--XOYOoopW0SzRanZ4uOTuxgtZewiJfkbbFA/w480-h640/PXL_20230102_173238652.jpg" width="480" /></a></p>Untracked snow!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28codxlKntfVWJaCDRZNfJHmivqpt60zKvKi13CyXdkoySkJZ8jXUAU0ZsZiH8RN8yAnZcOb2R2MNh09kTPNxQZLSFaZ2vLNOLisZ3AANPTlxg7iCTViq8YU2aZ_QCuQscnzgbdSEAuEasRG8lKnlBtRLa23j4yW6v4ZIIZhxqbc27swfCBXRbvKjHA/s1600/PXL_20230102_180102013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28codxlKntfVWJaCDRZNfJHmivqpt60zKvKi13CyXdkoySkJZ8jXUAU0ZsZiH8RN8yAnZcOb2R2MNh09kTPNxQZLSFaZ2vLNOLisZ3AANPTlxg7iCTViq8YU2aZ_QCuQscnzgbdSEAuEasRG8lKnlBtRLa23j4yW6v4ZIIZhxqbc27swfCBXRbvKjHA/w640-h480/PXL_20230102_180102013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We could even go sledding at a lower elevation site. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfRB7N5uMePPot5XfxTKw2kk3Eh0SnbN27atD3jUbIkak_dZO4NzuUHs2Wjrd3tsjuy8ykCVC8tUg13F2XnU5rNT-hO9Hx8tHh056DdXWeEbVQtAHImMF0IBL8U-5FamHNxY5lyz4muEeYufn5sXYoyDxf2_9ReSXokFKhAswCKTWdv15LAxA9NBxOA/s1600/PXL_20230102_211143576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfRB7N5uMePPot5XfxTKw2kk3Eh0SnbN27atD3jUbIkak_dZO4NzuUHs2Wjrd3tsjuy8ykCVC8tUg13F2XnU5rNT-hO9Hx8tHh056DdXWeEbVQtAHImMF0IBL8U-5FamHNxY5lyz4muEeYufn5sXYoyDxf2_9ReSXokFKhAswCKTWdv15LAxA9NBxOA/w640-h480/PXL_20230102_211143576.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>This two-track road has been transformed.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJRDQuS2lsAZdL3drQWGXLxic_q5y2Kxw-bFAw7X_grsBQ1ewr2xzA-rzoJNeOpNT3nePhIdcE5KXU9iw52fsu2_S6jeTrWHAHr06n7vR7OLVLHHgvKVLCNSa_yaQe1gU3WLytwJGf-z1HqhItTlw25-uoLqitaM-CDkam1Xj1KpC6JnXxQj0NlSlyQ/s1600/PXL_20230102_212332820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJRDQuS2lsAZdL3drQWGXLxic_q5y2Kxw-bFAw7X_grsBQ1ewr2xzA-rzoJNeOpNT3nePhIdcE5KXU9iw52fsu2_S6jeTrWHAHr06n7vR7OLVLHHgvKVLCNSa_yaQe1gU3WLytwJGf-z1HqhItTlw25-uoLqitaM-CDkam1Xj1KpC6JnXxQj0NlSlyQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230102_212332820.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p>I took Desert Boy skiing another day up the Scenic Drive. It might not be his favorite activity, but he's good at it. And the views are always amazing.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lzXXoTHPDVvu1lRfZMeYiCFkI60oAnFEVLOwxICpbmAoInUkTBFCoH_8MgzSKpeFXjYEmCXjHqdibHWE8lJLMDBwQpjth9g5wWEHvyxOc9jlaI_wVjGk4hQuMcGx4atXDMT_EYnFYAuS9QZBU1RovbuAyKqNjeyeECOh_InD8_jVv6QwulS1dmeAGQ/s1600/PXL_20230107_171300006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lzXXoTHPDVvu1lRfZMeYiCFkI60oAnFEVLOwxICpbmAoInUkTBFCoH_8MgzSKpeFXjYEmCXjHqdibHWE8lJLMDBwQpjth9g5wWEHvyxOc9jlaI_wVjGk4hQuMcGx4atXDMT_EYnFYAuS9QZBU1RovbuAyKqNjeyeECOh_InD8_jVv6QwulS1dmeAGQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230107_171300006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The Winter Raptor Route up Spring Valley involved very snowy roads.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5WyjbNibyySetXh_G6uMPKOZ-9D3XXzpkAnF1XJ4r3tjIgXg9sZcrocp7vQgsn27KuNr5ThTnmf0mOLYnmPBmBbYGf2GT9G96UtakPGKQTUpwfVjeXSpRmZxvpUAPGUv5rnkjYnttPCuVP9W4jpEhn5Zz53h8YGFAf9D9-2oU0B7CvnKXuqiidR8Ww/s1600/PXL_20230113_184657979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5WyjbNibyySetXh_G6uMPKOZ-9D3XXzpkAnF1XJ4r3tjIgXg9sZcrocp7vQgsn27KuNr5ThTnmf0mOLYnmPBmBbYGf2GT9G96UtakPGKQTUpwfVjeXSpRmZxvpUAPGUv5rnkjYnttPCuVP9W4jpEhn5Zz53h8YGFAf9D9-2oU0B7CvnKXuqiidR8Ww/w640-h480/PXL_20230113_184657979.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>From far in the north we could look at the distance Wheeler Peak under a cloudy sky.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc4r9jsN-N7FmkLNJgMcc6DNvOkEWoJoGTe4TcEp8G9dhIj2NsTitLXoOgHm82ziIqMPLerGhB7Bn-KXMKVjcbdnz7wKLQD7hyTHn6kYg2OUk-P4gkW7M1I-0TACe39262WQ2-Zbi4ZUDMb59cAYahFctI1NKissmwF3qAkyqYzWtkTnKFpcHh_Uo8g/s1600/PXL_20230113_191317038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc4r9jsN-N7FmkLNJgMcc6DNvOkEWoJoGTe4TcEp8G9dhIj2NsTitLXoOgHm82ziIqMPLerGhB7Bn-KXMKVjcbdnz7wKLQD7hyTHn6kYg2OUk-P4gkW7M1I-0TACe39262WQ2-Zbi4ZUDMb59cAYahFctI1NKissmwF3qAkyqYzWtkTnKFpcHh_Uo8g/w640-h480/PXL_20230113_191317038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>In January of every year is the Ely Birkebiener cross-country ski race. The trail was nicely groomed.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9blShpuX9VBvWe9Xx0AeSASETb811zcugJMZkYcpKlZO8nrDY1QNQ8-RorLg9TRuo-1TH3sFoY2HMe7VEanVkhILTT7OoNcNKhHlVgvPSmi7D2pqh9fM8jdLQhWv5qUVfyQqjwY61ILOYb9KCajNrKmZo5KsVZwLU2S-laYPSoGhwBQ2TkmUbbDhl6w/s1600/PXL_20230114_163641725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9blShpuX9VBvWe9Xx0AeSASETb811zcugJMZkYcpKlZO8nrDY1QNQ8-RorLg9TRuo-1TH3sFoY2HMe7VEanVkhILTT7OoNcNKhHlVgvPSmi7D2pqh9fM8jdLQhWv5qUVfyQqjwY61ILOYb9KCajNrKmZo5KsVZwLU2S-laYPSoGhwBQ2TkmUbbDhl6w/w480-h640/PXL_20230114_163641725.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I did the long (4.2 mile) race and Desert Girl did the short (1.5 mile) race. I was happy to finish faster than last year. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRivAcFgMOfT8kDVdqdW-jU23z1V8FxRCanE2h08yBtsloZZgCUhWnmQFRsT1iWGnUOPUbwot52mSB9DVhmgVI3yu09wdVvpChfvHUTsMNYIzTywU_EvPmozTiFDn2XFfLdALLAiiBN9E_lkML4q_i1WyD6ix43pfmoIDSb4Rbo4U_Jgngiw6XjZvi4w/s1600/birkebeiner%20gretchen%20and%20emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRivAcFgMOfT8kDVdqdW-jU23z1V8FxRCanE2h08yBtsloZZgCUhWnmQFRsT1iWGnUOPUbwot52mSB9DVhmgVI3yu09wdVvpChfvHUTsMNYIzTywU_EvPmozTiFDn2XFfLdALLAiiBN9E_lkML4q_i1WyD6ix43pfmoIDSb4Rbo4U_Jgngiw6XjZvi4w/w640-h480/birkebeiner%20gretchen%20and%20emma.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>Desert Girl finished first overall for her race!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSpVPd_UyXxP8KtQCJQ6Dhkrqx0yhqTYcO_ga43-sW0BQA2fc3zGLk2M3ZAb6HyouCAuo-KjfcLsuXy65f-4AvwHt46_lnwrQ_I5jyGglA_0EMbsc9bERsbZqYvZXsvqqpsXRnlImJYqTtzhBr-nW4LYWMMe1TsCiTtz2bVvjHwPKB0RY48GtYJ5K-w/s1600/PXL_20230114_173857109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSpVPd_UyXxP8KtQCJQ6Dhkrqx0yhqTYcO_ga43-sW0BQA2fc3zGLk2M3ZAb6HyouCAuo-KjfcLsuXy65f-4AvwHt46_lnwrQ_I5jyGglA_0EMbsc9bERsbZqYvZXsvqqpsXRnlImJYqTtzhBr-nW4LYWMMe1TsCiTtz2bVvjHwPKB0RY48GtYJ5K-w/w640-h480/PXL_20230114_173857109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>She won a cool award.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hOtVv9WyVEJkqVU9qCgbGPSVT2JajK7QqqOgr8x-ti3lfnjzwholEhGxQ-dyNp5pqR5E0dRw5YYxzQWT7qTk-uPST7gEV85fWSVWOf-o-ETq4Rvau7JMoiP65Ktt0NbPVK3qJGlzjWosH3FdSDm7L-z-YA3YUSWSXOPafjWNvrluVAWRzT-FchTiFw/s1600/PXL_20230114_173934659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hOtVv9WyVEJkqVU9qCgbGPSVT2JajK7QqqOgr8x-ti3lfnjzwholEhGxQ-dyNp5pqR5E0dRw5YYxzQWT7qTk-uPST7gEV85fWSVWOf-o-ETq4Rvau7JMoiP65Ktt0NbPVK3qJGlzjWosH3FdSDm7L-z-YA3YUSWSXOPafjWNvrluVAWRzT-FchTiFw/w480-h640/PXL_20230114_173934659.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had wonderful snow for the race--but much more was to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>To be continued</i></div><p></p>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670419199327567458.post-12501057061696309342023-01-27T10:00:00.001-08:002023-01-27T10:00:16.135-08:00Birdwatching - the Hobby You Can Do Anywhere<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzcpRqmsuznOiHTih231y5dvs-k4yH_TwhB_5PxLymcUncqV_wpM2bSOYmF2Nmmel5s-DI-8JJql3TlTt54QQhLMMwNX6WdRyCG971WTHbfwr5bsnDpE4ofGQKBc_IbA9EgtoxNj2VZxhPWGFd1zahVn8orAf3aOVBvM1cnRzV5uLfLTaPDI1zB8hIQ/s1200/sandhill%20cranes%20in%20snow-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1200" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzcpRqmsuznOiHTih231y5dvs-k4yH_TwhB_5PxLymcUncqV_wpM2bSOYmF2Nmmel5s-DI-8JJql3TlTt54QQhLMMwNX6WdRyCG971WTHbfwr5bsnDpE4ofGQKBc_IbA9EgtoxNj2VZxhPWGFd1zahVn8orAf3aOVBvM1cnRzV5uLfLTaPDI1zB8hIQ/w640-h434/sandhill%20cranes%20in%20snow-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandhill Cranes practicing a mating dance--or just trying to look cool? Although with something hanging out of your beak, you might not look as cool as you think.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We kept a Backyard Birdlist for 2022 and saw or heard 40 different species in our yard. The two previous years we had gotten to 45 species-Covid helped with that, as we were home more. I still feel pretty good about the 2022 total. </p><p>For 2023, we're up to 16 species so far. The species I'm most excited about so far is the Bald Eagle that was flying overhead. </p><p>I didn't take as many photos of birds in 2022 as some years, but I certainly have some. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlezwdn-sXURVTEnxNKQANjSmymapZpMmYuNCihtkoZ_qF87qVkJXC9sqhFGxKVHcD6oxiiZ2wDYxHQl7p5AnOnUgHXgvP61qfQhBrBMiFAceHcIOibKtaISwVS4MF8SRgwJJ3sFxpPO4f2IAcUqOX14nBi-MUpNOkOGSyKtReTJRcwT2LGDlk8CnSeA/s1200/white%20turkey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlezwdn-sXURVTEnxNKQANjSmymapZpMmYuNCihtkoZ_qF87qVkJXC9sqhFGxKVHcD6oxiiZ2wDYxHQl7p5AnOnUgHXgvP61qfQhBrBMiFAceHcIOibKtaISwVS4MF8SRgwJJ3sFxpPO4f2IAcUqOX14nBi-MUpNOkOGSyKtReTJRcwT2LGDlk8CnSeA/w640-h426/white%20turkey.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elusive white turkey. Wait! It turns out there were three spotted in the area this past year. One in the Lehman Creek drainage (this one), one in the Snake Creek drainage, and one near Rudolph Canyon that was later seen carried away by a raptor. The white is good for camoflauge in the winter, but not so good the rest of the year!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmkGsuh3sgnUAl8DUZTfVMR2TWiigKX025r2PwSOaGYMXf9pCOwO_ehucUTyxj5YCVY9v2HnfX18vhk30i0QV0S9EhEnW2pExp0l8W1Y6G4QEeK710rDZ4meXyVlnmKFTNUNogJtpuKjBWNmFR78xvRLg9I09TuafatucgTNV5gxOQNsBBfsNppLtQg/s1200/chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmkGsuh3sgnUAl8DUZTfVMR2TWiigKX025r2PwSOaGYMXf9pCOwO_ehucUTyxj5YCVY9v2HnfX18vhk30i0QV0S9EhEnW2pExp0l8W1Y6G4QEeK710rDZ4meXyVlnmKFTNUNogJtpuKjBWNmFR78xvRLg9I09TuafatucgTNV5gxOQNsBBfsNppLtQg/w640-h480/chickens.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love having chickens--or my mini dinosaurs, as I sometimes call them. They have fun personalities and definitely know when I'm around and talk to me. Here are three of the seven we currently have. The overhead netting on their run is currently down due to snow collapse, so they are more vulnerable to Cooper's and Sharp Shinned Hawks invading. Once it stops snowing long enough, I'll put it back up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LL5frAHy3johf0NX0dRbq3jJsLJ1FHFNWsHsP2-bPhGWa28ui0HpKrXzhsp4A7PK23RsnxJUOw6y3WjXMMvLjQN8_zMVlsfC-KEvsseDuzPXi-q-jg15dacWnvIxM-GsUwcY9JkmPgpi_97dEcSbhvUpsfEfIHA9iLimH-KLA5_Wm_L_ZLQlp58IMQ/s1200/burrowing%20owls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1200" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LL5frAHy3johf0NX0dRbq3jJsLJ1FHFNWsHsP2-bPhGWa28ui0HpKrXzhsp4A7PK23RsnxJUOw6y3WjXMMvLjQN8_zMVlsfC-KEvsseDuzPXi-q-jg15dacWnvIxM-GsUwcY9JkmPgpi_97dEcSbhvUpsfEfIHA9iLimH-KLA5_Wm_L_ZLQlp58IMQ/w640-h346/burrowing%20owls.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some burrowing owls! These are just the coolest birds.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zp8kMSh0d2vcqXpbZEvx2HNmYxyzdQkB1BoZY3rYDuWIXx3FpFj7HkXBp3rvqhTNqUUlFmOCxYg_NVTKULLK_dIjvU_bJYsyA527BzRm7zaJYUfIHkR_dlduKpB_-t9bXyKRtnfmg0OnLiKXwTMPNZPPKV_vOW-zECcUjpPqiIjRKzYMOo02301zgg/s1117/golden%20eagle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1117" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zp8kMSh0d2vcqXpbZEvx2HNmYxyzdQkB1BoZY3rYDuWIXx3FpFj7HkXBp3rvqhTNqUUlFmOCxYg_NVTKULLK_dIjvU_bJYsyA527BzRm7zaJYUfIHkR_dlduKpB_-t9bXyKRtnfmg0OnLiKXwTMPNZPPKV_vOW-zECcUjpPqiIjRKzYMOo02301zgg/w640-h484/golden%20eagle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A surprise Golden Eagle when we were backpacking up North Schell Peak near Ely, Nevada.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iv4gVrsufm5XckYPhnJWI4BxPxtRhgUcNd6Fk8v4-LVywfoH8iAH70uCqhRmvD4yftmxx1n34AED8ZDFCBVVpSpL1Dn81j-PR67nF7A_cLf1-0RrjaArR4AMU0XmUdIQd8q1NHZe624qLa2zYSUXLkhNrIPNOD7K3rQdEjb8OENaHU_HUWmm5OnMPw/s1200/california%20quail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1200" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iv4gVrsufm5XckYPhnJWI4BxPxtRhgUcNd6Fk8v4-LVywfoH8iAH70uCqhRmvD4yftmxx1n34AED8ZDFCBVVpSpL1Dn81j-PR67nF7A_cLf1-0RrjaArR4AMU0XmUdIQd8q1NHZe624qLa2zYSUXLkhNrIPNOD7K3rQdEjb8OENaHU_HUWmm5OnMPw/w640-h532/california%20quail.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A California quail seen in Ely during a Christmas Bird Count. There was a large flock of them, and I'm wondering if one of the nearby residents is raising a free-ranging herd, as I've never seen that many. They are adorable!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAtHorzrD_yFGhSu-Y__fQKWhkOjG46XFm5mKVSQktIw3O0RW8NYPOacPZ20OnkJiQPtXuw4srGDdMjbqE7Op3u0KunnDowPct88Pvb_GAJWC0ywr7CEAjdTxkYh_sNSXxbie12poJ20F7CrXX3ILljRVlBfWpvWMsZAUM0J49vYpi0kAHgZKSJK4wg/s1200/PXL_20221214_171534607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAtHorzrD_yFGhSu-Y__fQKWhkOjG46XFm5mKVSQktIw3O0RW8NYPOacPZ20OnkJiQPtXuw4srGDdMjbqE7Op3u0KunnDowPct88Pvb_GAJWC0ywr7CEAjdTxkYh_sNSXxbie12poJ20F7CrXX3ILljRVlBfWpvWMsZAUM0J49vYpi0kAHgZKSJK4wg/w640-h480/PXL_20221214_171534607.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My companions for part of the day on the Snake Valley Christmas Bird Count. You're never too early to start birding! Wait, you can't see birds because you're facing your mom? You can still hear them. LOL<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq93KOB93y67XMDa3prmDyghGvMl0usszgGE4hBosdFY0ajiPyy-FgY3-o-oLFhAbmyAC8qB-ICZdn5yOmHYrbxvednGlX42ePbf3NTkjFVuHFYE44dEDp0r3b-Jq50G1ntzENNPYwJDEu4pbIJyUceirjCDK9Bjah5w8zvmuCq0wQ_mZ798H8b37w0w/s1200/prairie%20falcon%20on%20power%20pole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq93KOB93y67XMDa3prmDyghGvMl0usszgGE4hBosdFY0ajiPyy-FgY3-o-oLFhAbmyAC8qB-ICZdn5yOmHYrbxvednGlX42ePbf3NTkjFVuHFYE44dEDp0r3b-Jq50G1ntzENNPYwJDEu4pbIJyUceirjCDK9Bjah5w8zvmuCq0wQ_mZ798H8b37w0w/w512-h640/prairie%20falcon%20on%20power%20pole.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie falcon on a power pole. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyI_58ZteRxgNdCQx3zs03uiDETybDOYduXGxEvMpPH02ULidOYMG0f0SfP2mzOJOuK6EoXuluuqe1FboT-nIvZckwA9ZiOiTRNKZx68F3VLJgZSbacxSpl5R-hYLmEj-wbVuFN1LGBbKLxYAOfP76LZ7wBPywkvGyxIsWQ4kma_4sWYavv0N1KzcaA/s745/hawk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyI_58ZteRxgNdCQx3zs03uiDETybDOYduXGxEvMpPH02ULidOYMG0f0SfP2mzOJOuK6EoXuluuqe1FboT-nIvZckwA9ZiOiTRNKZx68F3VLJgZSbacxSpl5R-hYLmEj-wbVuFN1LGBbKLxYAOfP76LZ7wBPywkvGyxIsWQ4kma_4sWYavv0N1KzcaA/w548-h640/hawk.JPG" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hawk looks so demure. Just wait until it gets hungry!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ivyvFDWBcpYr481kaeThGvEWqwh8SOpbyEIFYiZCYXQK91aTFV5yffdBfya6o9floyqXtZqqFhNBk1q2HGpNxX_9l2x7WxqApukB9UY7e01cYreRQSnXQH39deWVzYFiOx8g58Z84Ka9-bzY4lm18YKlj4J-kUR0WyEnjgrNUeCAIqriWXEqN94tPw/s1200/golden%20eagle-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1200" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ivyvFDWBcpYr481kaeThGvEWqwh8SOpbyEIFYiZCYXQK91aTFV5yffdBfya6o9floyqXtZqqFhNBk1q2HGpNxX_9l2x7WxqApukB9UY7e01cYreRQSnXQH39deWVzYFiOx8g58Z84Ka9-bzY4lm18YKlj4J-kUR0WyEnjgrNUeCAIqriWXEqN94tPw/w640-h548/golden%20eagle-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mature Golden eagle. They sure are big birds!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And now the best for last: the Great Horned Owls that nest in our backyard.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JrgFEbYAEPWs75pgDdgtYuXhuOn7alKs1ltN5xIKHQltgGrpHBn-P3fohgR-2_-tdZCaVm7MyTrxX0ZJuSk_82nJO2rcuxuhVzMdaxs6U4isz3ynQ25OHA4gRTGTJ9ZK5m4kkSiGr4MJ_Z2nfR7FZth6rxg8wy5Ju64DxDU0IJ98n9nH80ONDKujmg/s1200/snowy%20owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1200" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JrgFEbYAEPWs75pgDdgtYuXhuOn7alKs1ltN5xIKHQltgGrpHBn-P3fohgR-2_-tdZCaVm7MyTrxX0ZJuSk_82nJO2rcuxuhVzMdaxs6U4isz3ynQ25OHA4gRTGTJ9ZK5m4kkSiGr4MJ_Z2nfR7FZth6rxg8wy5Ju64DxDU0IJ98n9nH80ONDKujmg/w640-h462/snowy%20owl.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama owl after a snowstorm, incubating her eggs and ignoring all the snow on her. Based on photos, it looks like she started nesting between February 15th and 23rd, 2022.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSeDEc0_pDSQrfGX1y8um_GFTp7pDOlVan7Nkx1CLtpdy4ujWu4lXE9Ih18lo3CRF9IhEul5bb3YDXekCfqICIqm09jQEsx_JEfxA0vmseueMJn--Rrp2aRgNj2T9_ZeTrtl-fstfrrVBxi4H8mWTuIbeuhGiRy5DhF4DGXgNLSXcRmokTrdykYskYQ/s1200/owlets%204-29-22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1200" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSeDEc0_pDSQrfGX1y8um_GFTp7pDOlVan7Nkx1CLtpdy4ujWu4lXE9Ih18lo3CRF9IhEul5bb3YDXekCfqICIqm09jQEsx_JEfxA0vmseueMJn--Rrp2aRgNj2T9_ZeTrtl-fstfrrVBxi4H8mWTuIbeuhGiRy5DhF4DGXgNLSXcRmokTrdykYskYQ/w640-h606/owlets%204-29-22.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before too long, fuzzy owlets peeked up from the nest in the crotch of the tree. To our great surprise, there were three owlets!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfJERYJCGtOwK4rrVajstkaHPKhMwBMWacWXqTAuawC6Z3f0-k8nlYOkNpm-xezjxuDythBzGI8KTC0XzkZ4JqxcONmL8o7iQbFur5-mQ1LDkx-NzCazVs0dZqAqI69wBL3B_9-zB48ZKAVuSxLQhIthBTb_JNUh-Mhc_OtY7RzRiSzllqrvNF0zcSA/s1200/3%20owlets%20and%20mama%20owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfJERYJCGtOwK4rrVajstkaHPKhMwBMWacWXqTAuawC6Z3f0-k8nlYOkNpm-xezjxuDythBzGI8KTC0XzkZ4JqxcONmL8o7iQbFur5-mQ1LDkx-NzCazVs0dZqAqI69wBL3B_9-zB48ZKAVuSxLQhIthBTb_JNUh-Mhc_OtY7RzRiSzllqrvNF0zcSA/w494-h640/3%20owlets%20and%20mama%20owl.JPG" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a tight fit for all of them in the tree, but they managed it. It appeared to us that the parent owls successfully fledged all three owlets. Way to go!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p></div><div>I'm hearing the mama and papa owls hoot outside the window every evening. I'm wondering if they will pick the same nest again this year? I hope so, as I sure enjoy watching them. </div><div><br /></div><div>I plan to continue birdwatching into the foreseeable future. Everywhere I go, there are birds (even in caves we find bird bones, sometimes of species that are now extinct). </div><div><br /></div><div>One last story about birds--when I was in Hungary in May, I heard a distinctive <i>cuckoo</i>. What?? Where's the cuckoo clock? Nowhere, it was a real cuckoo bird I was hearing. I was so amazed. I was familiar with cuckoo clocks, but never had given thought to the bird that influenced it. Now anytime I hear the sound of a cuckoo, I think of camping out in Hungary and the bird that surprised me so much!</div>Desert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09620590624490393921noreply@blogger.com1