Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain is a popular bike and horseback riding trail in Red Canyon.

It has many beautiful red-orange rock formation,

and pinnacles similar to those found in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Although it's dry land with relatively sparse vegetation, a lot of tree varieties grow there.

Limber Pine

Bristlecone Pine

Besides limber and bristlecone pines that grow on dry, windy passes at about 8000 feet, there are also Ponderosa and pinyon pine.

This Gray Jay, also known as a Camp Robber Jay, is resting on a limber pine in a high pass.  These birds are known for hovering around camps, looking for crumbs, sometimes snatching them right out of a person's hand.

In a spot with hitching rails, designed for riders to take a break, we found this tourist outhouse.  The lack of door seems a bit inconvenient.

The great views made our 9 mile round trip well worth the effort.  

Red Canyon Trail

In mid-May, we made a 2 day trip down to Red Canyon, near Bryce Canyon National Park, just in time to see new leaves on the aspens.

Almost a trail

Steve had a new trail mapped out.  It was clear on the topo maps, but mostly hidden by trees on Google Earth, so we weren't sure how it would go.  Much of the trail was invisible, but as long as the forest undergrowth was clear, we were able to go in the right direction.

We finally climbed above the forest and reached a plateau.

Up high, the few trees grew sideways, a sign of a persistent wind.  From the plateau we headed toward Casto Butte, then found a forest trail traveling around it and down the other side.

There were a few obstacles that required some workarounds.

Judd Spring

The horses were glad to reach Judd Spring for a cool drink.

We encountered a few spots where the trail was blocked, but we were able to find a way around.  

Looking back after passing all the timber and reaching a civilized two-track, we could see Casto Butte in the distance.  We had traveled up one side, around it, and down the other side for about a 20 mile ride.

Red Canyon

Last week, we went on an endurance ride starting in Red Canyon, Utah, west of Panguitch on Highway 12, and just a few miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park.  Both Bryce and Red Canyon are on the Paunsaungunt ("Home of the Beaver" in Paiute) Plateau.  Both Bryce and Red Canyons feature the orange-red limestone of the Claron formation and its fascinating spires, columns, and hoodoos.

The evening we arrived, it rained almost all night long.  We thought for sure the next day would be cold and damp with slick trails.
As it turned out, the rain stopped before morning, leaving a mist that hung over the  cliffs.  The riding conditions were fine.

Here we are, trotting through Casto Canyon, about midway through our first day.
Our second day was sunny, and the main feature of the ride was the spectacular Thunder Mountain Trail.  The trail is narrow and winding in places, and we shared it with a few mountain bikers.  Fortunately, our horses have seen a lot of bikes, so that wasn't a problem.

All along the way, we went around and through the orange-red hoodoos.

Limber Pine and Ponderosa Pine grow throughout the area.
Bristlecone Pine grow above 8000 feet in dolomite soil, usually on windy ridges. These slow-growing trees are poor competitors and tend to survive best in difficult conditions where other trees don't do well.  The needles can last up to 30 years before they are shed.

At the trail's high points, the views were spectacular.  

Above, you can see about 20 miles to the long ridge of the Aquarius Plateau, the top of the Colorado Grand Staircase of southern Utah.  Powell Point is at the end of the ridge to the right. A tall, scraggly Bristlecone Pine frames the photo on the left.
The vast expanse of open territory shows how much there is to explore.  I don't think we'll run out of trails any time soon.  

Travels in Southern Utah

We recently complete a 50 mile endurance competition starting at Mt. Carmel Junction and traversing the countryside surrounding Zion National Park.  The above photo is taken at Mineral Point, above a branch of the Virgin River.

Also in April, we traveled to canyon country just outside of Bryce National Park, riding trails through Casto and Losee Canyons.  The reddish hoodoos are typical of the area's famous Claron formation.

Note the tiny window in the red rock fin.

This streambed showed an abundance of small pockets created by erosion.  We found running water in one canyon, enough to provide a cool drink for the horses and a swimming hole for Daisy.

In front and to the left of Steve is a Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva.  At this latitude, we see them at 8000 feet or above, in high, windy, dry locations subject to cold winters, where they are best able to compete.  Bristlecones grow very slowly and some are estimated to be thousands of years old.  The needles can stay on the trees for up to 40 years.  The thickly needled branches resemble bottle brushes. The tree seems to prefer the dolomitic white colored soil shown above.  Limber pine and Ponderosa pine also grow in the higher areas.

  The views were impressive.

The weather was 60ish and sunny, with just enough wind to keep the horses cool.  We couldn't have ordered up a better day to explore these colorful, unique canyons.