July 20, 2009

Strawberry Fields Forever

If you like seeing so many wildflowers that your camera trigger finger wears out and your eyes experience color fatigue, visit the vast area north of Strawberry Reservoir in mid-July.
We drove over last Thursday (about an hour and a half trip from home) and stayed overnight so we could ride the trails two days in a row.
The horses had ample grass available at our campsite. Even there, the flowers had taken over the old two-track and fire pit.
Steve uses a single hobble to tie Boss to a drag log durinig grazing time. That way, Boss can move around but won't go far. Mischief just wanders nearby. He won't leave his more dominant friend. Both wear big cowbells so we can locate them easily if they meander out of sight. At night, we tie both horses to a high line while we sleep in our gooseneck trailer, so that we can be confident they'll still be there in the morning. (Ever heard the old saying, "Good judgment comes from bad experience"? Yes, we learned to take all of these precautions due to a little mishap that led to the horses having a 3 week unsupervised vacation in the mountains back in 2006. But that's a tale for another day.)From a trailhead at 8200 feet(2500 m) to the summit of our rides at 10,400 feet (3200 m) in altitude, the variety and sheer volume of wildflowers were amazing.
This trough, supplied by a natural spring, was put there by ranchers who hold a cattle grazing allottment on the mountain. Daisy and the horses were pleased to take advantage of it. The trough is surrounded by wildflowers, gooseberry bushes and a lovely woods for shade.
The long distance sights were a visual feast as well:
Above are views to the west toward the Wasatch Range.
This photo looks to the south, showing Strawberry Reservoir in the distance.
Different wildflowers will be blooming in August, and in late September, the aspens will turn gold.
"Lord willing and the creek don't rise" (as the old saying goes), we shall return!

For more views from around the world, click here.

36 comments:

  1. You and Mischief in a wildflower mountain paradise ... love the dreamy quality of photo #5! It's also fascinating to hear how you look after the horses while camping out overnight, with it being necessary to only tie Boss at times. Another worthy adventure surrounded by majestic terrain rising to the clouds!

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  2. Wow, that is a whole lotta wildflowers! What a gorgeous place to camp and ride.

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  3. What a wonderful trip. I love all the wildflowers and beautiful vistas.
    You lost your horses for 3 weeks??? I can't imagine how upset you were....like losing a child.

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  4. Hi
    Extremely enjoyable photographs of the country side and the wild flowers & the strawberry fields. Also liked pictures of the camp sites, the horses & Daisy. You are really having great adventures!
    Have a great Day
    Ram

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  5. Ah, I forgot all about the horses' vacation. That is so amazing that you ever found them! I like the new header pic, gorgeous.

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  6. Gorgeous and serene, such a lovely look into your time there!

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  7. Fantastic shots! And what a gorgeous place! Love hearing about your travels, envy your time with the horses and Daisy and being able to soak up the beauty all around you! Have a great week, Janie! And a pat for Daisy and the horses!

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  8. Lovely county side shots!
    I wish to take a deep breathe here and now.

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  9. What a gorgeous setting for a long ride! Looks like a lot of fun!

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  10. You got some great shots. I love the wildflowers and also the wide views of the mountains and I always love to see your beautiful horses. Now I'll be singing strawberry fields forever all day, ha.

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  11. These are great trails! The wild flowers are so abundant. You always have great places to show us.

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  12. Love the wild flowers and how romantic to ride horses throught this beautiful area
    Good judgment comes from bad experience Note that down Great saying

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  13. Thats a story I want to hear!

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  14. Oh my goodness this is beautiful country! Such a delight to see all the wildflowers. Your trail ride looks amazing!
    Sherry

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  15. This is one of those Wow posts, a real wow factor. Beautiful pictures and a very memorable trip.

    CJ xx

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  16. Beautiful photos, Janie. Mischief and Boss are two lucky horses, even if they don't get their own vacations anymore!

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  17. I have the Beatles song playing on the ipod now thanks. Such beautiful images and the dof on the first is sublime.

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  18. I wonder how you good leave such a gorgeous place even for a short time. Your photos are simply magnificent. Thanks for taking us along on your ride through this beautiful area.

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  19. I love your life, Janie! What a passion to go exploring such beautiful sceneries! Thanks for sharing them with us!!

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  20. The fields are amazingly beautiful -- makes me want to get out of the house and start exploring.

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  21. I can live in your world Janie! Beautiful and abundant nature over there! Some great lessons to pick up from your story too!

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  22. beautiful vista's. I love the old two track and firepit expression. We camped in one of those over the 4th. The flowers were pretty there as well, though not as pretty as they were last year.

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  23. Wow, what a bunch of great shots! I'm always so amazed seeing how much different our worlds are.

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  24. I so enjoy your posts each week - thank you for taking us along on your rides!

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  25. I haven't been on a horse in a million years! Great shots.

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  26. Okay there are 27 comments ahead of me but I still had to say... Love the new header. I learned to waterski at Strawberry. I am also amazed at the bounty of wild flowers brought by the wet spring. Some of those seeds/bulbs must have been waiting for years for just the right conditions to bloom. Thanks for the superb post!

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  27. Truely dream coutry! Visions one can only imagine! Breathtakingly beautiful scenery and the horses in the photos...perfect!! What a wonderful life you live!

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  28. Thanks for sharing this fun outing. I loved all of the pics. I just learned last week at a Toastmasters meeting what a high line was. It must be fun camping with the horses.

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  29. Janie, this is one of the most spectacular rides yet. The seas of wildflowers are like a painting. And I thought we had a variety. Daisy is such an adorable ham. I do hope you'll share the "how they got away" horse story someday soon.

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  30. So Many different wild flowers and they are very pretty, a nice natural place, must be lovely riding the trails and just wandering through the flowers. We love to go Caravanning too, its so peaceful getting away from the crowd and back to nature.

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  31. I am truly glad for you that you can enjoy both this grandeur and beauty. My heart won't take altitudes above 2,000m and for somone who has always loved alpine flora this is quite a restriction. I so enjoy your pictures and rides. Thank you.

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  32. Janie: I do love the wild flowers of the mountains. They can certainly put on a show.

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  33. It's always a treat to come here and see my beloved Wasatch Mountains! That first photo is outstanding!

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  34. Your world looks lovely, and your description of it serves as the icing! I have always been dreaming of living 'outdoor'. Wonder when!
    (Also were we to drive for 1.5 hours from home, we'd still find ourselves amidst dense traffic and concrete jungles)

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