High Country Autumn

We've ridden in the high country many times in the past month.  Fall is in the air, crisp and cool.  The leaves are starting to change.  And the hunters are out, so orange is our new favorite color.

The aspens on Tabby Mountain are turning gold.

And the maple leaves blush crimson.

The grass is still spring green, due to a rainy August.

The skies are moody, changing quickly from a clear blue to stormy gray.

On another gorgeous fall day, Daisy frolics in a pond along Rock Creek.

Without a yellow lab to disturb the water, a still lake reflects the scene.

Big Ridge Conquest

I was looking forward to a nice easy ride yesterday. We’d gone over 20 miles on Wednesday, and spent a long day in Salt Lake City on Thursday, so I figured we were deserving of a semi-rest day. So, when we left the house at 11:30 AM for Lower Stillwater Trailhead (along Rock Creek), I was sure our ride would be short.
Didn’t work out that way. 18 miles, 3900 feet elevation gain is no piece of cake.
Much of the 2-track/trail winds through aspens, then through a spruce forest higher up. Some parts are rocky, but many places are alluvial enough for trotting or cantering. A couple of troughs, a running creek, and Rock Lake provided ample water for Daisy and the horses. Daisy took a swim in a trough and had a refreshing dip in Rock Lake.

From the top, the 360 views of the Uintas were amazing, a nice reward for the uphill climb. The humans appreciated it. I'm not sure about Daisy and the horses. After 5 and a half hours in the saddle with an hour and half or so of breaks along the way, we returned to the trailer about 7:30PM, a long ride day.

The drive home was about 45 minutes, so we arrived just in time to cook up some frozen lasagna and collapse in front of the tube to watch Real Time with Bill Maher, my favorite show. Today, we get a rest. I insist.

Daisy's First Fish

Steve bought a tribal fishing license today and we took a little jaunt to Rock Creek.
We identified a black hawthorn bush/tree, thorns and all. I noticed it when it snagged me as I got out of the truck. Steve caught a few brown trout. Daisy learned what fish are. After exploring a couple of catches, she wasn’t that interested.

Back at home, we chilled out and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.