in the La Sal Mountains following several days of unsettled weather. About a half-inch (13 mm) of rain fell mid-valley at lower elevation.
Late afternoon light on Round Mountain.
A high elevation skift of snow...
still allows for zooming the trails lower in the valley the day after the storm. Winter approaches.
Behind the Rocks is softly lit...
in the distance this morning, the sandstone fins in the strongly-jointed terrain catching some filtered rays of sunshine under unsettled weather. The image below was captured during the ascent of Long Canyon early in the day.
Having fun with the new Bronco in Long Canyon.
A sky full of cotton balls...
signals an incoming change in the weather with some moisture arriving late in the weekend.
Click on image to enlarginate.
An early morning shower...
is being enjoyed in the bird bath. Unfortunately this opportunity won’t last much longer as the irrigation system is being winterized tomorrow.
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
Despite the unalluring name...
that lacks curb appeal, the Mud Springs Non-Motorized Trail System is the newest mountain biking area south of Moab and it is HUGE fun. I explored about nine miles (~14 km) today during its “soft opening” prior to a winter closure that commences 1 December 2025. It’s brilliantly designed and expertly constructed with lots of downhill flowy sections with banked/bermed corners where experienced riders can carry speed through the turns. Once again, it’s enormous fun!
Scenic view from the top of the trail system. (Click on image to embiggen.)
Look who's lurking...
near the feeding stations this morning, waiting patiently to grab brunch.
Juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii).
UPDATE: The following morning, with the Sun at its back, hunting for breakfast.
Two Blackhawk helicopters on maneuvers...
over Castle Valley this quiet early morning, landing multiple times on Castleton Road over several hours time, shattering the Sunday morning silence in the valley with tremendous noise and reverberations off canyon walls. No search and rescue is underway, so why all the disruptive commotion?!
UPDATE: Aerial operations have continued each of the last several days. Low and slow, it’s quite annoying.
The metallic remains of Dewey Bridge...
still span the Colorado River, the connective tissue of a historic suspension bridge that burned in 2008 by a youngster playing with matches. Built in 1916, it was the longest suspension bridge in Utah and second longest west of the Mississippi River. A tragic historical loss.
Read all about it in The Canyon Country Zephyr (2021): Dewey Bridge - its History & Fiery Demise.
Breaking in the brand new Bronco...
on the Dome Plateau today. Please excuse the Bronco porn that follows but this is its first time off road since being assembled only 28 days ago in Michigan.
Expansive view towards the south from a high point along the trail.
So-called “Cave Spring” in the Entrada Sandstone escarpment, used historically by ranchers to provide water to stock.
Relict uranium miner’s cabin on Owl Draw Upland.
The new manual Ford Bronco Badlands/Sasquatch is an enormously capable machine that will open up more areas in the backcountry for exploration. What’s a retired geologist to do when not mountain biking or launching rockets?!
Supermoon rising next to Castleton Tower...
early this evening, the second of three this year.
Tomorrow’s full moon is variously referred to as the Frosty Moon, Hunter’s Moon or Full Beaver Moon. Take your pick.
A lucky cinnamon bear cub...
feasting on roadkill, encountered during the last leg of my afternoon ride along Castleton Road. Cute little one despite the bloody face and pretty chill with my presence nearby.
American black bear cub (Ursus americanus).
A bowl full of bluebirds...
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!
3 November 2025 UPDATE: The Bronco has landed in Moab and is being prepped by the dealer.
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).