gathers around dusk. They’re pretty regular visitors at the birdbath late in the day.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana).
A crystal clear day...
allowed for crystal clear vistas with North Window Arch easily seen from seven miles (11 km) away.
The Windows Section in Arches National Park. North Window Arch at near center skyline.
An effective sediment trap...
is functioning at the newly constructed Placer Creek crossing on what should be a self-maintaining structure. Recent storms have flushed fine sediment onto the concrete stream crossing where it has accumulated, rather than being continuously transported further downstream. More sediment is perched in the channel upstream to be mobilized in the next event, but at least the stream bed can’t erode or incise deeper at the road crossing.
UPDATE: The deposited sediment has been cleared off the structure, but in doing so additional berms have been created on the downstream side of the concrete crossing. This will further impede the next flow event and cause even more sediment to be deposited across the structure. Not a very wise long-term maintenance strategy.
Normally dry stream crossings...
turned into rapidly flowing muddy torrents within minutes in response to the passing of an intense thunderstorm cell. My neighbor and I were enrolled in the Bronco Off-Roadeo driving clinic and were out on the Dome Plateau trail undergoing guided training. It was absolutely perfect conditions to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities and the Bronco powered right through the mud and easily ascended wet and slippery slickrock.
Owl Draw on the Dome Plateau, north of Dewey Bridge.
Why the off road training? I am about to take possession of the 2025 Bronco Badlands/Sasquatch next week in Moab that I had ordered in late June this year. I’m somewhat excited!
Autumn colors on the Dome Plateau...
in Tub Canyon appear brilliantly luminous under foreboding skies of an approaching storm.
Peering through Eye of the Whale Arch...
on the loveliest of autumn days. This was the destination of a 22 mile (35 km) out-and-back eMTB ride from Utahraptor State Park with friends this afternoon. Life is good.
Eye of the Whale Arch, Arches National Park. (Click image to supersize.)
"Coffee with the Chief" is an instant success...
in our tiny community of Castle Valley, a small, weekly social gathering, the brainchild of the Fire Chief Ron Drake, shown in the red shirt at the far right in the image below. Read all about it in his weekly column: Coffee with the Chief. Great job, Ron!
There's an increasing population...
of Common Ravens in Castle Valley this year, or so it seems.
Common Raven (Corvus corax).
Rockin' out at Navajo Rocks...
on the mountain bike trail system during a magnificent autumn afternoon in the high desert.
Red beds of the Dewey Bridge Member of the Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic (174.1-163.5Ma)) share a sharp contact with the underlying cream-colored Navajo Sandstone (Lower Jurassic (201.3-174.1Ma)). (Click to enlargenate.)
Flipped 1,000 miles...
on the new Trek Rail+8 on the singletrack in upper Castle Valley this afternoon. Perfect place to accomplish this milestone. It’s good to be back on Mars.
The view over the handlebars. Click to enbiggen.
UPDATE: This puts me at 72% of the distance of the Earth’s circumference at the equator (since September 2020)!
Porcupine Rim appears on fire...
at sunset this evening, while Adobe Mesa glows warmly in the east.
The Priest peeks out of the mist...
on a dreary and drippy day in Castle Valley where nearly 1.5 inches (38 mm) of welcome rain has fallen during the last several days.
The foul odor and distinctive shape...
of the common stinkhorn fungus is presenting itself right on schedule, triggered by autumn rains.
Common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus).
Another emerges the day after a gentle rain.
Insects are attracted to the foul smelling head where the spores are contained.
The jays have discovered...
the replenished feeding stations while the rock squirrels enjoy the bath.
Western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica).
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
Soaking up residual warmth...
from a sandstone slab as the sun sets.
Striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus).
Do not disturb nesting raptors...
on Parriott Mesa for the first eight months of the year advises a new sign at the trailhead to the mesa top. How ironic that one shows up off season?!
Rising Hunter's Moon...
above Adobe Mesa this evening, this year’s first supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual.
My last early morning ride...
in Castle Valley National Park for the summer as the weather forecast calls for scorching temperatures the week ahead. Time to flee north.
Two quarts of sugary nectar...
are consumed each week by a growing gang of hummingbirds as they increase their visits to the feeders as the temperature soars.
Female or immature male Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri).
This cobbly terrace edge remains stable...
after the dry winter and spring, with no evidence of any unraveling or failure whatsoever along the length of the escarpment. Castle Creek, slightly off the image to the right, is not likely to undercut this sedimentary terrace anytime soon. The singletrack remains safe to cruise.
