I have to start this post with the good news (there isn’t any bad): Two of our ponds finally got dug out! The work was done before the snow the weekend before last, but the dozer just left this past weekend. I think the ponds look fabulous, and they’re both deeper (much deeper!) and can’t help but provide more water sources for the horses next spring! I wish I could remember the contractor’s name; I’d thank him right here on the blog – thank you, contractor! Your work will provide a direct benefit to the horses! And thanks to BLM for starting the process rolling by securing the funds.

Let’s start with the pond behind/south of Round Top.

This what it looked like “un-dug.”

Here it is dug. Just imagine that baby filled with water!

Now here’s the other one, one of the “double ponds” off the far east loop road:

It blends in, doesn’t it? That’s OK – perfect, even! In the foreground is the wide arroyo the road crosses, and about midway up the left side IS the road … and up to the right, about midway, is the pond. (The second of the “double ponds” is back farther, closer to where the arroyo comes down from the east ridge.)

Here it is a little closer (zoomed in). I hiked back to it after a visit with Poco and Roach and just had my long lens. From closer, I couldn’t get nearly all the pond in any composition!

Another comparison:

This is the big pond below the roller-coaster ridge. Yes, it’s shrinking (it was the one pond that didn’t go dry in 2008; it did go dry this year, then filled back up), but look how shallow it looks compared to the ones that just got dug out! That’s serious siltification! (I have no idea whether that’s an actual word.)

Snow is still in patches throughout the basin, but the roads were mostly dry. It was a little soft back near the double ponds, so I didn’t go all the way around. Molly and Liberty and Duke remain elusive. I did see Seven’s but not Bounce’s, so Molly and her filly are a mystery right now (if Molly’s time has come, I’m expecting Liberty to show up with one of the other bands … maybe back with Seven, her sire, or with Bounce, who she and Molly spent at least a few days with after they left Seven’s band). Little Hayden is adjusting well to his abnormal babyhood. He’s fuzzy, and both Jif and stepdaddy Chrome are protective of him. I saw them just from a distance, walking along a ridge. Jif was leading, and Hayden was a short distance behind … with Chrome *right* behind him. He easily could have passed the youngster, but he stayed right with him, even stopping with him for a rest while Jif walked on till she realized they had stopped. Nothing’s more important than family, no matter the season.

Poco has regained some weight he lost while he and Roach were with Hollywood’s band.

Roach, low man on the totem pole, still looks great.

I was having flashbacks with regard to Kreacher’s band  like with Seven’s band after they were chased last summer: I hadn’t seen them except very far away since the ATV hunters spooked them. Found them finally a bit out of their normal territory, but then they ended up on the west-side loop road and were completely calm when I gingerly approached them to say howdy.

Looking out toward the eastern ridge/boundary. It doesn’t look very snowy, but patches were hiding in the shadows of saltbush and grassy stuff! You can see the tracks from the dozer on the road.

Corona seems to have made a connection with Kootenai since Koot joined them with Duke.

I caught them during their late-afternoon nap …

By this time of year, the mamas seem to feel like their ever-more-independent babes regard them just as milk bars. But every now and then, you can still catch them in a tender moment …

And a mother-daughter portrait or two.

Mona and Kootenai … still napping … on the other side of the road (no jokes!).

They’re very fuzzy (Kootenai, in particular, has a lush, furry coat; maybe it’s her color that makes it so apparent). Corona was a bit muddy, and the mud just accentuated her curls. She’s SO cute!

Just before sunset, I found Hollywood and his family, getting a drink at the Flat Top pond, which was on the dig-out list but didn’t get done because Mother Nature saw fit to rain enough just before it was to get done that water collected a bit here. About a third of that surface area (it didn’t fill) is dry again now.

This is the view from the road. Its the opposite end that’s drying first.

Hollywood and his shadow.

I wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving, no matter where you are or who you’re with. Other than my family, of course, I’m most thankful for the wild horses of Spring Creek Basin and elsewhere, and I’ll be gratefully and thankfully spending the holiday with them this year. Bounty of good life to you all!

In the spirit of catching up, here are some more photos from my visit to the top of east Pryor Mountain when I was in Wyoming and Montana back in September.

Shortly after I crossed onto the wild horse range from the national forest, I saw horses. It was Bolder’s band, coming from Krueger Pond.

Bolder and Amethyst (as always, please correct me if I’ve incorrectly ID’d horses?)

Bolder’s mares Celt (black) and Fool’s Gold

Also in Bolder’s band: Grulla mare Sapo and her filly

Pretty, pretty girl!

I could hear ATVs that I thought would eventually get to us on the road, but they never appeared. I found them when I walked down toward the pond; they were AT the edge of the pond while three bands stood on the hillside.

Doc’s band – he’s at right, Inocentes is in front, her dam, Fiasco, at left and Flicka (18!) behind her.

Jackson’s band – he’s the coyote dun at right, Firestorm at left, black Galena and her seal brown colt Jasper, and grulla Brumby and her filly behind Jackson. I think Brumby is the mare that tied up when she was driven in by helicopter during the roundup; she looked great this day.

Lakota’s band – he’s the grullo at left, bay mare Half Moon, 18-year-old Quelle Colour, palomino Blanca and roan Heritage.

Because of the people at the pond, I sat down on a boulder to wait for them to leave, thinking the horses were waiting for the same thing. The pond sits in a sort of natural amphitheater, and I’m sure the people didn’t realize I could hear them talking as if I was standing next to them. The people didn’t leave right away, but the horses did – they came right toward and past me! I figured sitting still and quietly was my best course of (in)action.

Jackson’s band starting to leave the pond.

Love his color.

What a handsome stallion!

Brumby and her filly

Jasper. Cute ‘n curious.

Quelle Colour, Heritage and Blanca

Half Moon

Handsome Lakota … he’s been one of my favorites since my first visit two years ago.

Jackson and Doc

Brumby’s filly and Jackson

Doc … What a splendid shiny boy! If memory serves (and it’s entirely possible it doesn’t), Doc was a bachelor with Two Boots a couple of years ago when I was there.

Blanca

My impressions were that the horses looked wonderful and were quite sound, and if I didn’t know about the recent roundup, I wouldn’t have because they were remarkably calm. I wasn’t too surprised that they decided not to go to the pond with the people and ATVs and dogs there, but I was surprised they walked right by me on their way up the hill; there was plenty of room away from me to get to the top of the hill.

They are amazing horses, and I’ll have a part three to come of the horses I saw close to Penn’s Cabin, but it was so nice and almost completely peaceful (except for the pond people, I was the only one there, it seemed), and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the families.

Can you feel the warmth?

Early morning in the basin, everything is still. Chrome and Traveler were still close with their families; in fact, Iya was hanging out with Chrome and Jif and Hayden again.

Traveler’s had started to go up this hill, on this side of the drainage, and Chrome’s – with Iya – had started up a hill to the left.

From the top of “Chrome’s hill” looking across at Terra and Houdini.

A little closer

A little earlier – Cuatro and Terra

A little sun … a little shade … a beautiful silver …

A little nourishment for the littlest.

I drove up into the northwest section of the basin, looking for Kreacher’s where I’d seen them the day before and any sign of Duke – nada nobody. But as I drove, I was thinking about the “bottle tree” I cleaned up last year in the wake of the people at Wildcat Spring. Remember it?

Taken Nov. 2, 2008.

You’d never believe …

Taken Nov. 7, 2009; same tree.

I saw everybody else during the day but Molly and Liberty and the pintos (and the aforementioned Kreacher’s band and Duke), including Poco and Roach. They were too far for good pictures, just over the ridge from Seven’s, Bounce’s and Cinch, Bruiser and Twister. Steeldust was entertaining the remainder of the bachelors near Round Top. David and Shadow were out on the saddle, so I know they’re staying close to that water source, which is interior and safer at least.

The wind picked up about mid-morning, apparently trying to make up for the early morning stillness. Most of the sky was bright blue except for a long trail of clouds that kept the sun mostly – weirdly – obscured and kept us mostly under shade after that first glorious hour of the day.

Snow coming again.

Last weekend was about searching for horses, in particular Duke, Molly and Liberty, Poco and Roach and baby Hayden. I found Hayden and Poco and Roach.

The end of the third rifle season was Friday or Saturday, depending on which DOW schedule was right, and I mostly had the basin and the horses to myself – ah, peace. I haven’t seen the pintos since the start of hunting season, I think, probably because of pressure from the road, close to which is the only water source I know of for them.

One of the bands that has NOT been hard to see recently – Kreacher’s – was briefly sighted up by the northwest road, then not again. I did get lucky and saw most of the others both days I was out.

Grey/Traveler was babysitting his youngsters – safely tucked into the saltbush taking their afternoon naps – while mamas and Iya were out grazing. Chrome and his new family were nearby, baby Hayden also taking his nap.

It was pretty windy both days (very still and nice until Saturday mid-morning) but mostly sunny and perfect temperature. Still some shade in the very shadiest of the most-north-facing hills but otherwise totally dry – except “the squish” on the loop road down from the roller-coaster hill, but not a problem to drive through.

The first clutch came when I found Steeldust’s band near the north-south road north of the Flat Top pond (which continues to shrink). Hook was with the band, and Aspen, but Twister was not with Hook. Maintaining my practice of not letting ya’ll share (some of ) my worry, he’s with Cinch and Bruiser! Not too much of a surprise, given they were all out on the Round Top-Flat Top saddle the previous weekend. AND the very first time I ever saw Mister Twister, he was with Cinch and Corazon.

Comanche and Mouse were napping on the far side of the band, and only Aspen and Hook gave me the eyeball while I visited (I don’t think Mouse moved so much as a hoof). Steeldust was hanging out with Alpha on the other far side of the band, and he apparently was completely unconcerned that Aspen and Hook were closer to his ladies and babies (except Alpha and Storm) than he was. Is Alpha in heat? There was no activity to suggest that; they were very quiet, sharing each other’s company in the sunshine. I just like to speculate. Storm-chaser is holding onto baby-hood as long as he can.

Hook and Ember napping. They weren’t as close as they look in this photo. That’s Hollywood’s band way out in the distance on the east-west hill.

Sundance roused from his nap long enough to greet Aspen and Hook, and after a couple of squeals and sniffs, went right back to the band.

Is it just me, or is Mouse getting stocky as he grows up?

Handsome curious boys

Front: Mahogany and Sable. Back: Ember and Pinon.

Sleepy, sleepy babies: Ember, Pinon, Hannah and Luna

A little after the previous photo, Hannah laid down. In the “near” background is the east-west hill – that’s where Hollywood’s band was hanging out both days.

“Baby” Storm is still nursing. Mama Alpha still lets him. Steeldust was just to the right.

Comanche.

Whaddy’a think? They look sleepy … and they look fantastic, eh?

You all, of course, know the Twister “mystery,” but I didn’t yet at that point. This pic was taken from the west-side loop road looking back at the band. Those crazy ponies didn’t even move in the time it took me to drive around there – well, Storm walked over to the main group. Lower left: Steeldust and Alpha. Looming weirdly hugely in the background is Filly Peak.

Seven’s band was between the Round Top road and roller-coaster ridge pond, Bounce’s was between the pond and the ridge, and Cinch, Bruiser and Twister were out between Round Top and the weird guzzler. No Molly and/or Liberty to be seen. Bounce’s were right at the base of the ridge, so when I drove over, I decided to walk down and around them to get better light. But before I got “better” light, I got light that loved Alegre.

Love that rim lighting on her forelock and tail as she stands over her baby Whisper, who is growing up into a fine young boy.

Handsome handsome!

Just like daddy Bounce!

Sweetest bravest curious-est girl Gaia

She’s still baby-clacking.

While I was visiting with and photographing Bounce’s band, Seven was curiously and calmly watching. Then he walked down to get a drink from the pond, just a little bit in front of him, out of this frame.

I checked the hunter camp on the hilltop overlooking Wildcat Spring. Except for four ribcages, four mule deer heads (antlers cut out) and hides, two gut piles and three entrance routes to the hill from the main road, the only speck of trash I found was a bottle cap. I guess I get leaving the leftovers for the ravens (they didn’t seem to find the stuff till the next day, making me wonder how recently the hunters left) and coyotes, but did they have to dump it down the hill on the side of the spring/canyon?? And the three routes they drove in – I hope – illustrates the need to prohibit off-road travel in an area of limited forage. How long will it take for grass – or anything else – to grow back in that poor (poor as in not very fertile) soil the horses depend on?

The sun was close to the horizon (I always forget how early it comes when we turn back the clocks) by then, so I headed out, hoping to find Grey’s and Chrome’s still in the flats. Oh, lucky me … but the long shadows were growing longer by the second.

You can see that the shade has overtaken them by this point … See that white-ish blur at upper left? That’s Grey/Traveler. His band was out to the right.

Hayden looks back at me and Chrome takes the opportunity to investigate the little mister. That’s Grey’s butt between his ears; an unfortunate angle, but I didn’t want to move and lose the moment! Remember how I originally described Hayden’s star as diamond-shaped? What does it most resemble now?? Be still my so-lost heart.

This is how close they were … and how calm. Still in the sunshine, barely. Jif and Hayden were to the right; Grey/Traveler was over to the left as far back as his band. In the background, from left: Iya, Houdini, Terra and Cuatro. I think Two Boots was closer to Grey.

Lovely day and evening.

From an email update from American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign:

The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued its 2010 Round-up Schedule (http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/pdf/roundup-schedule-2010_20091.pdf) which provides for the capture of a staggering 12,000 additional wild horses and burros, at the cost of 32 million of our tax dollars! Given BLM’s recent handwringing over the number of horses in government holding, this announcement is simply baffling. More than ever, America’s wild horses are under siege, their long-term survival increasingly threatened.

[Note that West Douglas  is on the list - 60 horses (of how many?) to be removed - in February. Don't know how many horses out there; BLM still claims there are four herd areas in Colorado, not five.]

Nevada’s Calico Complex, with over 2,500 horses slated for removal next month, is high on the list of questionable removals and another example of BLM’s out-of-control behavior. This herd was last rounded up in 2005, when BLM left an estimated 575 horses on the range and gave the mares a contraceptive vaccine. Yet, BLM now claims there are over 3,000 horses in that same area, a preposterous number, even by BLM standards. Locals familiar with the herd are adamant there are far from that many horses left on that range. Indeed, only BLM’s creative accounting could find that a herd has quintupled in size in less than five years, let alone a herd under a contraceptive program!

Interesting background information: last year, BLM authorized a 300% increase in cattle grazing for the area, and the building of a fence that BLM itself admitted might cut wild horses from their winter range and cause them to die. Wild horses would also be locked out of the best pasture with the most abundant water during the driest time of the year. At the time, BLM justified its decision by arguing that wild horse populations in the area were minimal. A couple of months later, it came out with its puzzling claim of population explosion, setting the stage for this massive round-up.

Clearly, something here is amiss. Where did these 3,000 horses come from?

Comments to BLM regarding this round-up must be provided by Thursday, November 12, 4:30 pm PST to Jerome Fox, BLM, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445; Fax: (775) 623-1503; Email: wfoweb@nv.blm.gov (please be sure to include the following reference #: DOI-BLM-NV-W030-2010-0001-EA)

More importantly, the Department of Justice, which is currently investigating BLM for other misdeeds, must be made aware of another instance of this federal agency running amok. Please express your concerns over BLM?s questionable practices and continued mismanagement of our wild horses to:

John Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice, Room 2141
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Email: john.cruden@usdoj.gov
(note: letters to the DOJ are not subject to the Nov. 12 deadline)

On behalf of America’s wild horses, thank you for your support,

The AWHPC Team
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
www.wildhorsepreservation.org

We’re almost to the end of hunting season. I was hoping we’d make it through with only the respectful people I’d seen thus far, but it wasn’t to be. Despite the fact that we reclaimed the old illegal road to Wildcat Spring, hunters apparently drove in a new “route” up on top of the next hill right above the spring! I guess they couldn’t read the very large sign at the entrance to the herd area telling ‘em to stay on designated routes!

This is what the sign says: “Travel restricted to maintained roads. Cross country travel prohibited.”

Who thinks driving off the road and up onto a hill is OK? These guys.

It’s hard to see the trucks and stock trailer and utility trailer and big canvas tent up on the hill, but they’re there. Note the old road to Wildcat at lower left. Lots of tire traffic and some boot traffic to the boulders (and walking past) to check it out. One of the dead trees the students “planted” was knocked over, whether human-caused or natural, I don’t know. I stood it back up. Thank goodness for the boulders, methinks.

To make matters worse, three men – one on an ATV and two on a “gator” or “mule” or some little golf-cart thing – came up behind my Jeep while I was watching and photographing Kreacher’s band from the road, drove around me and sent the horses galloping away.

Check out the passenger shading his eyes so he can see the horses better. The carsonite sign at left marks the intersection with the road to Flat Top.

This was my next view of Kreacher’s band.

I just read a really great Writers on the Range (High Country News) column written by a guy who used to be an avid off-road ATV rider … until the day he was hunting elk and a group of off-road ATV riders zoomed up and scared off the elk … and didn’t understand why the author was PO’d.

To go back in time to a more positive encounter, when I first passed Kreacher’s band, just on  the other side of the road from where this happened, I was heading back to get a closer look at the camp. I drove slowly past the band and took pix through my passenger’s side window. Then I noticed a truck coming up behind me. I drove on, watching carefully in my rear-view mirrors, but they were very respectful and also drove very slowly past the horses, who stayed right where they were, completely relaxed.

Do you get the point? Some visitors respected the horses and were able to get an amazing view of them. Then three visitors completely disrespected them, and the horses galloped away to protect themselves, making it impossible for anyone to enjoy them further at that time.

In addition to the fact that chasing/harassing  the horses is completely illegal, it’s just plain stupid, disrespectful to the horses and rude to other visitors. ARGH!

I sent an email to BLM that night, and I received a near-immediate reply that not only had they had law-enforcement rangers in the basin the day before but that they would follow up on my report. Very much appreciated.

Let’s go back to the beginning.

There were still patches of snow in the basin – more than I expected, truth be told – but it was obvious there had been plenty of vehicle traffic because the roads were mostly good (though a bit more rutted). I did hear what sounded like a stuck truck, but I could never figure out where it was coming from.

Kreacher’s were first on the flats below the catchment. There were a lot of human “visitors” in the basin. I parked up near Flat Top and hiked the old road around the hill. Grey/Traveler’s band was on the north side of the hill. I followed some ATV tracks that went up actually onto the hill … maybe before the sign went up … maybe ignored. I spent some time just visiting with Grey’s band but didn’t take any pictures, then kept going around to the “saddle.”

Hook and Twister were hanging out in the middle under some trees. Twister was lying down with Hook standing over him when I first saw them. The trail was somewhat dry – and considerably drier than the ground right off the trail (snowmelt) – so I sat down on the trail to watch the boys.

Steeldust’s band was out by the west-side loop road; Hollywood’s were a little closer to Flat Top. They ended up going all the way over past the pond to the roller-coaster ridge, up on top, then back to the west end. Aspen was with them when I first saw them, but I didn’t realize until I looked through my photos at home that Hollywood’s followed them.

Bounce’s band was over by the west end of Knife Edge … without Molly and Liberty. I never did see them. (Also didn’t see Duke that day, or Chrome, Jif and baby Hayden.)

Cinch and Bruiser also were on the saddle – closer to Round Top – and then I saw David and Shadow back toward that far yucky water puddle. It and the one close to Flat Top both have a little water, and by the hoof prints, horses are drinking at both.

You can see the snow … and the salt in the soil around the puddle.

While I was watching David and Shadow, I saw another “shadow” under some trees in the middle of the saddle, between D&S and Cinch and Bruiser …

Ze, Roja and Seven … Bruiser in the background.

It’s so weird to see them without Molly and Liberty.

I went back around the hill – Grey/Traveler’s were right up at the base of the hill then – and took the horse trail to the pond. It’s shrinking every time I see it.

I was almost back to the main road when I saw the camp and went to investigate.

That’s when I passed Kreacher’s band the first time.

Corona has been playing in the mud.

And then on the way out …

Loved that halo-light on the ponies …

A little lovely light, a little lovely background … a little lovely wild.

It was such a wonderful end to the day … until the horses heard the ATV.

Let’s review again how the day really ended:

I want everyone to feel about the horses the way I do. It’s a rude realization when I’m reminded that’s not the way it is.

My vacation to Yellowstone happened to coincide with adoption day at Britton Springs for the Pryor Mountain mustangs, so for the second time – and less happy circumstances – I visited this area and its unique Spanish horses.

Matt Dillon at the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center in Lovell, Wyo., has been an inspiration to me with his documentation work, leading me to first document the Spring Creek Basin horses after our August 2007 roundup in the hopes that we can do it with less stress to the horses next time. If you talk to Matt about the horses, you cannot help but be immediately impressed by his knowledge and passion for the Pryor Mountain mustangs.

I arrived at Britton Springs on Friday, Sept. 25, and was able to walk around the pens with Matt and trainer Ken McNabb, who grew up on a private inholding on the range (please correct me if I didn’t word that right?) and now lives nearby with his family. I also watched Ken’s first training demo that day with a big bay colt named Hipshot before going out to find some of the Dryhead horses (after Matt and a HSUS rep emptied my can of fix-a-flat into my tire, which had gone nearly flat from a screw! I got it fixed in Lovell and still had daylight left).

I drove through the Bighorn National Recreation Area as the sun sank closer and closer to the horizon, stopping in some of the places Matt had shown me two years ago, but I didn’t spot any horses on my first pass. I do recommend stopping at the Bighorn Canyon overlook – wow! I’m not used to seeing canyons like that outside Utah!I saw bighorn sheep two years ago but not this year.

I can’t remember the name now, but I turned around at a historic ranch (?) … and that’s when I spotted them – on a hillside right below the road where I couldn’t see them from above. I drove back up and parked on the side of the road and walked across to a hillside that gave me an open view of the horses where I wasn’t too close to them.

Matt later identified them for me: Dun stallion Cappuccino and his roan mare Guinevere – who were together before the roundup. They were released with the other two mares, blue roan Damsel and bay Galadriel. Pretty roan Guinevere is 19!

These two stayed very close together.

And these two stayed close together.

Classic Pryor mustang!

I saw just two more horses that evening, down by the lake, but I’m not sure which horses they were.

I didn’t see any other horses with these two, but the next morning, I saw two that looked like this, plus a foal and a young bay mare. Could these two have been Sam and Hightail?

The next morning, I went out early, hoping to find horses to photograph in early morning light before it was time for the adoption. I don’t like crowds of people, and I don’t like to see wild horses in pens. So getting out to find horses was equal parts joy and fortification.

My welcoming committee to the wild horse range were pheasants.

Then I found this little guy’s band right beside the road. He looks like Hannah, too (are you seeing a theme?). I saw him first and stopped to shoot from the Jeep …

… then I saw Admiral crossing the road behind me!

There was also a young bay mare, Halo of the Sun, and …

… the colt’s dam, Seneca.

Don’t you love that light? It’s really heavenly on dun horses.

Peek-a-boo! I think this is the colt Matt has said is Exhilaration’s little brother – they look so much alike!

I drove on to Mustang Flats and saw a few different bands that Matt later ID’d as Durango’s (apricot dun roan), Seattle’s (black), Cappuccino’s again and Blizzard’s (apricot dun). Most of them were a fair distance away, but I was able to walk out a short distance and visit with beautiful Blizzard.

Sacajawea and Hidatsa (I’m going off Matt’s description list, and I could be completely wrong, so help me if so?!)

This little guy, Jemez, is CUTE!

And very curious. The horses didn’t seem to mind me sitting with them for a while in the warming sunshine. I certainly loved it.

What a gorgeous boy! Blizzard

Jemez greets Hidatsa, a 2-year-old.

Jemez’s dam, Strawberry, napped behind a tree the whole time I was there.

Have you seen a common theme in these horses? They look fantastic.

Then I headed to Britton Springs for the adoption. Trucks and trailers lined the gravel road a considerable distance away from the facility. I saw a license plate from West Virginia, and Matt said some folks came from as far away as Florida. Maybe the fact that all the horses were adopted should have been perfectly well expected. I arrived in time to see the last part of Ken McNabb’s training demo that morning with a yearling colt named Isildur.

Ken McNabb talking to the crowd.

I liked him. He had a really nice, gentle way with the horses.

Isildur seemed to like him, too.

In the pen: 2-year-old Holster, yearling Itasca and 13-year-old Bo

Yearling filly Isleta – probably my own favorite – and 21-year-old Grumpy Grulla

Ghost Dancer and her grulla filly. Note the crowd gathered for the adoption in the background.

There was, indeed, quite a crowd gathered.

I stayed only through the first round of bidding, and you all know the rest of the story – that all 57 horses found homes.

By then I needed some wild magic (call it medicine), so I headed up the Crooked Creek Road to the top of Pryor Mountain. It’s a rough road, but according to what I’ve heard, it’s the easiest! More pix will come in a Part 2.

No, no, it hasn’t taken me a month to post these photos; you folks just live at the speed of life, and I live somewhat slower (behind) … Well, better late than never?

On Sept. 24, I visited McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area east of Cody, Wyo., with friends Lynn and Kathy. During my first trip to the area two years ago, I saw horses WAY far away that I just couldn’t seem to get to; it was a visit between trips to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and Yellowstone. This time, I did it between Yellowstone and the Pryors, and having Lynn and Kathy (and you know who!) was the magic ticket!

I had gotten some tips from excellent wild horse photographer Pam Nickoles (be sure to follow her blog, listed on the blog roll), and sure enough, her suggestions were right on! From a ridge not far from the highway, we spotted three groups of horses: four fairly nearby (maybe bachelors), a group of at least 40 that we could see were right along the road farther out and another very large group that was farther away. We headed toward the big group by the road.

McCullough Peaks has a distance rule: You have to stay at least 500 feet from the horses. Even without that rule, we wanted to be good visitors and not disrupt the horses, which seemed “exotic” to me after spending so much quality time with my Spring Creek Basin ponies! So we inched up on the horses in our vehicles, stopping at least three times to allow them to see us and allow us to make sure we weren’t causing them to break their behavior – they were right in the middle of their afternoon naps, after all.

Fortunately for our excited selves, they didn’t seem too concerned about our approach.

Our slow creep toward the horses also gave us some time to study them: Was it really one gigantic band, as it seemed? I decided there were at least five different bands gathered together. During the whole time we spent watching them, we saw just two stallions have a little conversation. Otherwise, they were all calm with each other, with horses from different bands walking past each other – including foals. Quite a bit different than I’m used to in the basin.

This guy caught our eyes immediately, because of his solo distance from the group, because of his striking good looks and because, with his head so low, I wondered at first whether he might be hurt (he wasn’t).

Finally we decided to stop the Jeeps and hike out to watch and photograph and video the horses.

The pretty-pretty sorrel mare with the foal ended up being one of my favorites, and her colt looked just like Hannah! Who does the black mare at left remind you of? She might be a 2-year-old? The stallion is the glossy seal brown/dark bay boy grazing.

We angled out toward the far side of the group to keep our distance from the bachelor, who seemed to take an interest in us.

Lots of sorrels and bays and pintos.

Meanwhile …

The striking bachelor had dropped his stealth approach and was actually walking right toward us!

Before this, we had not been paying a whole lot of attention to him, as he was grazing all the while, other than to occasionally wonder, uh, is it us, or is he closer now than he was a few minutes ago? He kept getting closer, and we kept trying to get farther away.

Pretty soon we decided we didn’t want to continue on toward the bands, and we didn’t know what to do about our curious visitor (when we were the real visitors!), so we headed back to the Jeeps. (I found out from Pam after I got back home that this is Kenya, and Pam’s photo of him and his dam was on a cover of Back in the Saddle catalog!)

I really am fairly distance challenged, whether I’m trying to figure out if something is a mile away or 500 feet away, so I totally relied on Lynn for distance judgment! I guess that just means we’ll all have to visit together again!

We decided to try to slide by them in the Jeeps, especially now that the bachelor, who had been very close to the road, was farther away, but at about that same moment in time, the horses decided they were sufficiently rested from their naps and it was time to head to water. By the time we realized that, though, they were coming up over a little rise beside the road – and beside us. I’m pretty sure we broke the distance rule or came darn close at that point, so we just froze in our tracks and let them go, taking only pictures of this group of beautiful horses!

This gorgeous black stallion had the two bay mares and the palomino filly – and who does SHE remind you of?

Another pic of her with more of the other horses around her. She’s a shade or three darker, but doesn’t she look a lot like Corona?

I loved all their colors – so rich and glossy – and they were in phenomenal condition – dare I say, almost downright fat!

That little guy got a little left behind, but no worries …

He very soon found mama, and all was well.

This black boy was pretty big – maybe a yearling? Mama was taking a power nap.

This is the sorrel mare and Hannah-look-alike colt from one of the previous pictures. Isn’t she lovely? Except for the lack of stockings, doesn’t the colt look so much like Hannah?

I would hate to know that these two were removed during the recent roundup, so, if you’re in the know, tell me only happy news or just not (that goes for any of them, really, but I just fell in love with this pretty girl) …

Who knows I am a sucker for bay horses?? Especially the dark bay/seal brown handsome ones?!

We had a break between the majority of the horses and the band of a pinto stallion bringing up the rear, so we drove on up to an intersection where we could take another road to get out of their way and at the same time watch them walk to the water hole given away by the cottonwood trees, which always look so out of place on the sagebrush flats.

I thought this was a pretty girl, too.

Not to mention these colorful lovelies!

Pinto color patterns don’t usually do much for me, but I was ga-ga over this gorgeous black and white stallion! Pam later told me his name is Rerun.

There’s the littlest baby we saw, with his very pretty (bay) mama. Some of these horses had a very refined look to them; very beautiful. This little guy or gal is just a week or (more likely) less older than Hayden (this was Sept. 24; I think Hayden was born around Sept. 22!).

More of his mares were ahead of those in this picture; I think Rerun had one of the biggest bands in that group. I do know that he was gathered during the roundup – and released, thank the pony gods and some angels. He’s just stunning.

A lot of horses, no? This shows a lot (not all) of the horses ahead of Rerun’s band going toward the water hole as seen from our vantage on the side road. And you get a little sense of the terrain out there.

When all the horses were headed toward water away from the road, we went back to the intersection and continued on – sort of north or northwest, I think. This was definitely not the part of the herd area I had visited on my previous trip.

Up on a hill close to a fence, we spotted our final band of the day, a striking group of blacks and palominos.

Now THAT’S some country! Wow, huh?? You can see the change in terrain from where the horses are and the red hills beyond – the “bench” they’re on drops off pretty dramatically there. Do you see all five horses? There’s a black stallion (the left of the three black horses), black mare and black foal, and two palomino mares – one is in the bottom right corner, butt to the camera.

A little closer …

And there’s all five horses. Pretty striking band, eh? Check out the dapples on the palominos.

We stayed up on the hill (thank goodness for long lenses) to watch these horses, which also didn’t seem bothered by our presence.

A couple of other visitors were in the herd area when we went back the way we had come, including a man from Washington state who later asked me how the aspen looked in Colorado as he was headed to the Red Mountain Pass area (north of Silverton) to shoot fall color.

L&K headed on out, and I went a different way to look for the other big group of horses we had originally seen, but except for a single dark horse, I never found them! I think L&K took that horse-finding mojo with them!

But I’ll be back to see the beautiful horses, and I thank a very special mustang angel and Pam, who is a very special mustang angel in her own right, for their help. Pam has made numerous visits to these horses, and I encourage those of you reading to view her photos and read about her visits to McCullough Peaks and elsewhere!

He’s OK.

I know people are worried about him, so although I don’t have any photos, I did see him yesterday, way up high above and north of Spring Creek canyon. I don’t think he’s 100% yet, but given where he was and where the water is, he’s at least mobile. He was looking down on Steeldust’s band and grazing.

Some other updates: It really is too bad the BLM never got around to digging out the ponds because as soon as the Flat Top pond was holding some water, some bands started using it again (been dry a year and a half at least?!). Cinch and Bruiser have been hanging out in that general area consistently for about a week. Grey/Traveler’s band, Chrome’s little band (Iya decided to stay with her mama), and Seven’s and Steeldust’s bands also have been using the pond as their hub. Unfortunately, it’s very shallow and drying rapidly from the edges.

Seven has a story to tell … about how he ended up without Molly. Never fear – she’s OK and with Bounce’s family – and Liberty, too. She looks pretty rough, the tough ol’ gal, but she is raising a spunky baby girl, and she’s hanging in there. My interpretation is that she decided she was done walking all over kingdom basin and just stopped – back by the roller-coaster ridge pond. When I finally saw her (see how I spare ya’ll the panic?), I think it was on the tail end of her intro to Bounce and his kidlets … From a distance, I thought she was Poco or Roach (who remain the elusive-ites), but I couldn’t figure out why Gaia and Whisper were trotting TOWARD them if it was Daddy and another stallion. But it was Molly and Liberty, and I was relieved beyond belief. Guess I’m not quite ready to let go of the old girl. Big-girl Gaia was very interested in baby Liberty, who would pin her ears even as she trotted to the safety of mama’s side. Year-mate Whisper tried to show some interest, and Liberty showed him her butt! Well, she did grow up with a big brother (Ze), after all!

Bounce and his family members and everyone else looks fabulous. Winter coats are in, and the ponies are fuzzy and furry and ready for the arctic wind that’s forecast to coming barreling down on us tomorrow. Little Hayden is sooo little, but he’s tough. Wrap your prayers around the little mister.

There’s evidence of recent campers in different parts of the basin, but I’m amazed and thrilled to report that of all the trash I’ve carried out on my last couple of visits, it’s all old! (Except for pieces of  a broken tail light.) People are cleaning up after themselves and (mostly) respecting the new sign to stay on designated routes.

Speaking of campers, there’s a great, big, new addition to the corrals off the Disappointment Road. Don’t know what that’s all about. I wish we could have gotten the ponds dug out as easy as that fencing seemed to go up. There’s still plenty of room to ride in through the wire gate, and you 4CBCH folks will be able to get in next spring, though it takes up a good chunk of your traditional parking/camping area. Wish I knew how the BLM chose its projects … (although it wasn’t BLM people building it)

I do have photos from previous visits that I’ll be working on to get posted, but those couple of updates were important to get out, I thought.

“There are 85,000 apps that can do almost anything.”

I have two questions: Wasn’t it just 75,000 a week ago? And … what the heck is an “app”? Or is it ap? Appy? Appaloosa? OK, now we’re talking my language. (If “almost anything” will select and cull my photos, download them, pick ones for the blog and tweak ‘em and upload ‘em … just tell me how to get one.)

Nope, no appys in this post, but I think it gets me up to just a week behind (it’ll widen again in a couple of days, no worries).

L&K beat me to the basin that morning. They know the ponies like nobody’s business, and it’s awesome having them out to visit. We were both optimistic and worried when we didn’t find Mr. Duke where they had seen him the day before. Unfortunately, none of us have seen him since.

Our first visit was with Steeldust’s band, who were drinking at the catchment. The three misters (Aspen, Hook and Twister) were there, too, drinking from the smaller trough.

Big band at the big tank; misters at the little tank.

We stood at the road and took pictures … and after drinking, the horses wandered up to say hello!

Alpha, Butch, Ember and Hannah

Look at that big little guy! I don’t know whether he’s getting anything … but he’s still nursing – and mama Alpha is still letting him! Steeldust at left; Hannah at right.

Then he goes over and pokes at Mr. Twister, who is hanging out with the big boys now. Twister’s getting his licks in now …

Storm chases Twister …

Twister flashes his heels (which I was too late to catch), and Storm-chaser backs off. Works every time.

And then they were friends. There’s Comanche on the left, Mouse on the right, Aspen at far back right and Hook behind him.

Sisters Ember (near) and Kestrel. Notice Storm (and Hannah) coming up behind them and young Pinon, also looking at something in the background.

What are they looking at?

Right to left: Ember, Kestrel, Luna, Butch and Hannah. Could be five generations there if Butch is, indeed, one of Luna’s brood.

L&K saw Cinch and Bruiser later when they drove to Flat Top to check the pond, so in hind sight, I wonder whether the ponies were checking out those boys out yonder.

After Storm got his fill of boy time, he remembered his gentlemanly manners by escorting mistress Hannah back to the band … which she clearly didn’t appreciate – look at those ears! And big sisters Ember and Kestrel are posing prettily for the camera.

As the horses moved closer and closer to the road, we decided we might be blocking their route, so off we went.

On the way down the hill, I saw Mahogany and Sable looking down from the ridge, so I stopped the Jeep and grabbed a shot.

While L&K went to check the pond, I went on to check the Wildcat boulders.

Fabulous!!

While I was going clockwise around the loop, L&K were going counter-clockwise. Not a single pony was in view for me. Both the pond right by the road in the east and the east-pocket pond still have water. I was looking hard for Poco and Roach – and L&K saw them right before they saw me – but I never saw the boys. In fact, when I spied the wandering elusive-ites, L&K were already watching them … and worried about the one they didn’t see.

Seven’s were down on the southwest side of the roller-coaster ridge, out away from the pond, which also still has water. Seven, check. Roja and Ze, check. Liberty … all alone … where’s Molly? Liberty was by herself a short distance from the other horses, and while we watched, she turned and walked away. Seven and Roja and Ze followed, and they all dropped down into a wash out of sight. Every once in a while, we could see somebody’s back, but none of those backs were Molly’s. There were a few dead junipers out there and one alive. Knowing Molly-girl’s penchant for napping under trees, I thought she might have hung back while the other horses moseyed on, grazing. My theory was that when Liberty got out away from her, she decided she wasn’t going any farther and went back to Mama. Given Molly’s known condition – even though we also knew she had been seen recently by J&K – not seeing her worried us.

There was nothing for it but to walk out to get the scoop, for better or for worse. When I got to the edge of the wash and saw Liberty nursing from Molly, I was able to flash L&K the thumbs-up!

It is what it is.

Roja, little chow-hound that she is, never even looked up at me, and that in itself was a surprise. She’s usually the first to “alert.” Maybe I’m growing on her.

Silent sentinel. He also was very relaxed with me there.

I took just a few photos and left them – no worries from me, ponies.

Bounce and his band were on the other side of the ridge.

Whisper, Bounce, Gaia and Alegre. They like this bend of the arroyo (and not just them – Poco and Roach, Hollywood’s … ), which is weird (?) because there’s no water in that section, but there is water farther west.

On the way back to the west-side loop road, we spotted Grey/Traveler’s way – WAY – off yonder under some trees sort of eastish of Round Top – between RT and the weird guzzler. I figure sometime between then and Sunday was when Chrome “acquired” Jif and Hayden.

Hollywood had his band out on the east-west hill; that’s him at right. Then Piedra, Sage and Baylee.

Am I right, or was it warm?

Out on the flats east of the catchment were the misters and Steeldust’s band. (Keep that in mind.)

We got back to Filly Peak, and I hiked out “behind” the hill to check for Duke, and L&K went on down to the trap-road pond to look for him. We all came up unlucky. But guess who I did see from back yonder?

And that jogs the memory – on our way into the basin, they were out on the corral hill. So when I saw Kreacher’s band – traitors included – they were heading north toward – I thought – the catchment. I reunited with L&K and gave them the report, and sure enough, the band popped up and went to the big catchment trough. They drank, then headed back the way they had come and dropped back over the edge. We drove back over and were able to see them down on the flats south of the catchment.

L&K had a drive back to their home away from home, and I had a “date,” so we headed toward the entrance.

But the ponies had other ideas (don’t they always?). I guess they weren’t quite ready to say good-by to these fans-of-theirs … Remember I said Steeldust’s band had been out on the flats east of the catchment? By the time we got back around to just past Filly Peak … they were blocking the road!

Mama Alpha and big-baby Storm (he had just finished nursing – again).

Muddy brother Pinon, Sable and Mahogany. You can see the road above/behind them.

Lovely Kestrel and Sable and Mahogany

Must have been that time of day. Hannah and Luna (road again behind them).

So pony time intervened, and there was nothing to do but watch and admire and take pictures and smile and smile and smile. A minute after I figured I had to be leaving, the ponies were across and off the road, and we were on our way.

Can’t have a much better fare-thee-well than that!