Hill and Dale

A new favorite ride is a loop from the Strawberry River turnoff, following Willow Creek, then Co-op Creek, with cross country game trails in between. 

We see plenty of healthy aspen groves with a mix of old and new trees. The horses enjoy the tall grass that grows in the groves.

Sometimes they bare their teeth to avoid the prickles and bite off a thistle flower for dessert.

We have views of Strawberry Reservoir,

and an occasional glimpse of Timpanogas in the Wasatch Range.

The lush valley shown above was formed from a series of silted-in beaver dams. 

Along Co-op Creek, many beaver dams remain active.  This beaver lodge has fresh sticks on top with greenery still intact.  The beaver have been busy.

Mountain Signals

Every year, we ride in the Reader Creek drainage at least once.  John Reader grazed sheep in the area in the early 1900's.  Thus, the name.

The delicate elephant head wildflower blooms along the creek.

Steve played mountain man for a group of Boy Scouts, donning his bobcat hide headgear for the kids.  Boss snorted at the outfit.  He prefers the cowboy look.

Our destination was Taylor Lake, named after Rex Taylor, the first person to stock the lake with fish.  At the time, clueless fishermen thought this was a great idea, but long term, stocking non-native trout has led to loss of amphibian populations in what were once naturally fishless lakes, and to the loss of 95% of the native Colorado River Cutthroat numbers in the Uinta range. 

The Boy Scouts were involved in a signaling project.  Daisy liked watching and drooling for lunch scraps while mirrors flashed in the sun.

If you look closely, you may see the answering signal flash being sent from a few miles below.

We rode to 11,500 feet.  A large rock cairn marks the trail.  We were within sight of the rocky 12,600 ft. pass leading to Painter and Gilbert Basin, jewels of the Hight Uinta Wilderness Area.