for spring with beacons of color appearing on the rusty landscape.
Narrow leaf yucca (Yucca angustissima) with emerging flower stalks.
Dwarf lupine (Lupinus pusillus).
Nike Smoke roars skyward...
at the Ken’s Lake Proving Ground today, one of four successful mid-power launches and recoveries.
Mt. Tukuhnikivatz provides a dramatic backdrop to the most beautiful launch site in the country.
The melodic chirpy song...
of this striking sparrow with the bloodshot eyes is one of my springtime favorites.
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus).
Forty model rocket launches...
so far this year ties me with SpaceX, where they have launched an equal number of Falcon 9 rockets into orbit, on just the 93rd day of the calendar year.
The Semroc Arcas model rocket soared to 507 feet (155 m) on a C6-5 engine and soft-landed under parachute 20 feet away on a 48 second-long flight on a gorgeous morning in Castle Valley.
The first blossoming wildflower...
of the season in the high desert environment of canyon country is this scarlet beauty. That’s Parriott Mesa standing tall in the distance.
Indian paintbrush (genus Castilleja) tucked beneath soon-to-awaken Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis).
A vigilant sentinel...
on watch duty from a high perch this morning.
Common Raven (Corvus corax).
A "Celebration of Life" event...
for cowboy poet and rock art whisperer Rory Tyler of Castleton will be held on Saturday, 26 April, at Old City Park in Moab.
Several dreary and misty days...
in the low country has bolstered the snowpack in the high country, now standing at 76% of the median snow water equivalent, following very closely the trajectory of the 2022 water year.
This year’s snowpack (black line) compared with 2022 (green line).
First ascent of Castleton Tower...
by a polar bear occurred today when a new climbing route was pioneered on the north side of the sandstone monolith that goes 5.11c! You saw it here first.
UPDATE: Another one of my creatively manipulated images made it into this week’s Castle Valley Comments. Hah.
Soft light over Porcupine Rim...
at sunset with high wind and freeze warnings in the forecast.
Half-dressed for breeding season...
as the winter coat is changed out for more brilliant breeding plumage. Gotta look sharp for the ladies.
Male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis).
Don't believe everything you see these days...
given that AI-driven functionality is being incorporated into nearly all software and apps. My neighbor and riding companion wanted a snap of himself riding across Castle Creek, however, the flow had been diverted leaving a dry channel at the singletrack crossing. Photoshop’s “Generative Fill” function nicely simulated a gently flowing stream where one does not exist. Remarkable.
This solitary muley buck...
is one among more than 50 in a small herd that regularly aggregates behind the house around dusk. They’ll be moving up the valley now that spring has arrived.
Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus). Click image to embiggen.
Here are the annotated La Sal Mountains...
as seen from a remote trailhead into Arches National Park, freshly dressed with snow on the last day of winter. The vernal equinox occurs tomorrow.
Click on image to enlarginate.
A seldom-used entry point for hikers into Arches National Park.
Back into the green...
as the median snow water equivalent climbs to 102% on Saint Patrick’s Day. Seems appropriate.
The luminous La Sals above Fisher Towers.
Back to median snowpack, with two weeks to go until the peak.
Level 1 certification was achieved today...
by successfully launching and recovering the high-power HV Arcas model rocket with an “H” motor to 2,314 feet (705 meters). Here are several images taken at the remote launch site on the Colorado - Utah state line. It’s very good and quite satisfying to set and achieve lofty goals in retirement.
HV Arcas on the launch rail, prepped for liftoff on a reloadable Aerotech H128-8W engine.
Blast off!
Thumbs up on a successful soft touchdown under parachute about 1,500 feet (450 meters) down range.
The flight recorder showed that the rocket’s top speed was 391 mph with 16.1 G peak acceleration for a flight lasting 146 seconds.
HV Arcas launch video courtesy BH. “That’s the up part!”
Look who's going for a ride...
in the live trap, down to the river for release, as the springtime varmint wars commence around the house. This is number two.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
In memory of Rory Tyler...
and the many experiences we shared together in canyon country, I can offer a few images shot while recording his poetry at various locations or examining and debating the symbolic meaning of rock art. I shall indeed miss his good humor and insights in the field, particularly in archeoastronomy.
Click on any image to enlarge.
Nearly back to normal...
snow water content in the high country as a result of several late-winter storms this month. But the valleys remain exceptionally dry, with my gauge recording only 0.15 inches (~4 mm) of precipitation from yesterday’s storm.
Lingering clouds obscure the higher La Sal Mountains where snow is almost certainly still falling this morning.
Current SNOTEL data showing 92% median snow water equivalent in the snowpack with 18 days to go to the median peak.
The nearly full Worm Moon...
clears the prow of Adobe Mesa early this evening. In two days there will be a total lunar eclipse, but unfortunately the weather forecast predicts cloudy conditions in southeastern Utah this Friday evening.
