on a spectacularly nice autumn day. There certainly are a lot of deer tracks everywhere, and I even encountered three other mountain bikers on the singletrack yesterday. Coexistence.
Yeah, it’s been that kind of a wonderful day, and the forecast shows the trend continues the week ahead.
it seems as a third member of the family raids the feeding stations this autumn, but this one arrives in large and noisy flocks. Here are two caught in the direct afternoon sun.
Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus).
is undoubtedly the envy of the local bird world.
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri).
and reveals Castleton Tower in an early morning atmospheric striptease. The high desert is drying out.
today and it has been endless fun ever since, both on and off road. Enormously capable in 4WD with lockers engaged, it will seemingly crawl through anything. And, so far, I haven’t driven into a situation that I couldn’t get out of!
Returning from Polar Mesa several days ago. Even with the mud flaps, the 35-inch tires throw a lot of mud.
After one year of ownership: The fitment of parts is outstanding and there have been no rattles or squeaks anywhere in the vehicle. I’ve had the front roof panels on and off at various times during the summer and they seal tightly with no water leakage. The interior cargo space more than meets my needs, and I can fully lay down comfortably in the rear. My only serious complaint is that the roof rail system is not entirely adjustable, that there are only two positions where the cross-bar can be affixed. I also wish that the manual shift knob was heated like the steering wheel!
on rainy days when riding and exploring outdoors are limited by the weather. Here is the Wildman US Army Patriot kit ready for sanding all the fiberglass parts - fins, engine mount, centering rings - that will be bonded with epoxy. The nose cone assembly and coupler have already been finished.
from the top of Bull Canyon offers a different perspective.
The tallest spire, The Titan, stands 8.7 miles (14 km) away in the center of this image.
for breakfast from a secluded perch in a honey locust tree.
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii).
is a delicacy preferred by a small herd of deer that visit the trees like clockwork in the early evening this time of year.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
Nearby, a queue forms at the bird bath.
this busy squirrel fills its cheek pouches every morning at the feeding stations. There are three of these amusing creatures making sure the area is spick-and-span.
A well-fed white-tailed antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus).
and stylish on this large, azure-colored jay that is now a daily visitor to the feeding stations.
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri).
from behind Castleton Tower this evening.
following last week’s sustained rains, this irrigation system provides water to Castle Valley Farms lower in the valley from their legal diversion on Castle Creek.
The inlet to the two mile-long pipe gradually appears as the sandy gravel is excavated from the inlet flume.
occurred last night so I mounted the Bronco and headed to the 4WD ford above its confluence with the Colorado River near Dewey Bridge. Indeed, the waterway was raging with fast moving turbid and turbulent water and driving the river crossing is impossible at flood stage. The images show the river just below the peak discharge of 6,560 cfs as recorded by the USGS gaging station several miles upstream. For comparison, the spring runoff peak was only 414 cfs in April.
Bronco’s front tires are on the high water mark as the river is now slowly receding.
Look closely in the center of this wide image, across the river, and you can spy the continuation of the jeep road.
and bullies its way at the feeding stations, chasing smaller birds from their meal.
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica).
in Castle Valley is the appearance of this laid back cowboy skeleton along the road in front of the fire chief’s residence. Happy Halloween!
are turning the Colorado River a light mocha brown color with the slowly rising discharge in response to the ongoing weather event. Here’s the river around noon today. More rain is in the forecast and a flood watch is in effect.
View upstream into Professor Valley with the river running about 3,300 cfs.
UPDATE 23 October 2026, the following day: The Colorado River is now running 11,600 cfs at noon, the highest flow of the calendar year and more than twice the peak discharge during spring runoff. What a difference a day makes.
at the state line now that all fire restrictions have been lifted in Colorado. Despite the high overcast, nearly 50 rockets flew under otherwise good conditions and light winds.
View toward the flight line at the remote launch site west of Grand Junction, Colorado.
Launch control officer Rob sends a high power rocket skyward.
My always reliable Moab Man moments after ignition of its “F” engine.
gets the best seed and grain at the feeding stations.
White-tailed antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus).
by downed timber across the forest road, all I came home with is this image shot at 9,000 feet (2,740 m) of several of the higher snow-dusted peaks in the La Sal Mountains. A snapshot of the coming winter.
Summit elevations: Haystack Mountain - 11,630 ft (3,546 m), Mount Mellenthin - 12,645 ft (3,854 m), Mount Tukuhnikivatz - 12,482 ft (3,805 m).