Windmills, Hot Springs, and Rock Climbing

September 26-October 7, 2007

For our current project at work, Kate and I are driving around the 900,000 acres administered by our BLM office looking for stock tanks and assessing the condition (or absence) of wildlife escape ramps in them. While there are no real mountains in the sagebrush country where we work, we have found some beautiful high mesas and badlands.

The view from Ross Butte (7300 ft) - looking out over the Green River

Lenticular cloud over Castle Rock

More lenticular clouds near Castle Rock

Unlike in Minnesota, where old-style windmills are a thing of the past, many wells out here have functioning windmills bringing water to the surface for cattle.

Milleson Draw Well, pumping water in a stiff breeze

We occasionally encounter an impassable washout and have to walk to reach our tanks

An unidentified salamander making its home next to a stock tank along a water pipeline

This Saturday (October 6), after the biology GRE, I drove up to Elkhart Park to check out the snow in the mountains. I took a few pictures of snow, but I mostly photographed the gray jays and chipmunks feeding on a few scraps of food left by earlier tourists.

Snow on the spruces, pines, and firs

A gray jay under full 300 mm magnification

Tasty?

Any food for me?

On the move...

Having seen my snow for the day, I drove to Granite Hot Springs, where I relaxed in the hot water for two hours and was joined by four young hippie-types.

There is more than one Granite Falls in the world

Ryan and Granite Falls. I took Ryan and Nick to see the falls and hot springs the next day, and Nick took some photos which he kindly allowed me to use

The 110-degree soaking pool - about 2 feet deep and fed by the waterfall of hot water on the left.

Back to the previous day - snow on the pines at dusk just below the hot springs

Sunday, October 7. Ryan wanted to check out the indoor climbing gym in Jackson, so we drove up there for three hours of climbing and a bit of shopping around for food and winter apparel.

Ryan on the wall

Rappelling down after a climb