in Castle Valley is the melodic song of the Western Meadowlark emanating from a lofty perch. This one is really broadcasting this morning.
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
A snowy surprise...
blankets Castle Valley this morning. But it’s not going to last long.
As a result of this storm, snow depth in the La Sal Mountains ranges from 33 to 59 inches at the SNOTEL sites, with the snow water equivalent rising to 114% of the historic median.
Swept into position by debris flows...
and sitting patiently for millennia, this pair of 1.5+ meter diameter sandstone boulders lie on an old alluvial fan surface below Round Mountain. These enormous clasts were likely entrained in a viscous slurry of water and sediment that moved down the steep topographic gradient, perhaps mobilized by an intense rainfall event, countless centuries ago.
And it was a beautiful - but blustery - day for a ride.
A fiery sunrise...
sharply silhouettes Castleton Tower early this morning. Peachy.
Rain and snow squalls...
accompanied by unseasonably warm temperatures makes it feel like spring in the high desert.
Late afternoon at Round Mountain.
Absolutely gorgeous mid-winter days...
in southeast Utah stand in stark contrast to the seasonal forecast in The Old Farmer’s Almanac calling for a snowy and cold winter in the intermountain West. The high country snowpack is tracking the historic median, though, so I’m not complaining.
Click on image to enlarginate.
Who needs a drone...
when you can launch a camera on a rocket?! I’m anticipating that the Castle Valley Town Council will prohibit such activities in three…two…one…
Self portrait microseconds after launch.
A view towards the snowy La Sal Mountains, plus Round Mountain and Adobe Mesa, caught at apogee.
UPDATE: Added this wide view taken on descent under parachute. That’s me and my shadow in the driveway, next to the launch pad.
The largest rocket in the arsenal...
was launched today on a “F” engine, also carrying a strap-on downward-looking video camera to record the flight. Too cool for school.
The unpainted MOAB leaping off the pad on a F15-4 rocket engine.
Rocket’s-eye-view of lift off!
Frame grab from the onboard video camera at near apogee, about 500 feet, with Round Mountain and Porcupine Rim clearly visible in the background.
Majestic soaring on a F15-4 rocket engine to 1,425 feet. This one disappeared in the clouds for a while.
Winter atmospherics...
cloak the high desert landscape this afternoon.
The late afternoon emergence of Adobe Mesa.
Fight over water rights...
at the bird bath this evening.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
The victor.
Lift-off...
of several model rockets this afternoon, with a digital flight recorder onboard. The rocket engines have gotten a lot bigger, and the gadgets have gotten a lot cooler, since I was a kid. Fun beyond words.
Red Max launching on a C6-5 engine.
Red Nova lift-off on a D12-5 engine.
Arcas soaring on a E12-6 engine, achieving more than 1,600 feet in altitude at apogee!
Flight data as recorded by a Jolly Logic digital altimeter. Data is the new bacon.
An evolving evening mural...
of light and cloud and cliff at sunset. One never tires of these magnificent displays at the end of the day.
Wintry weather has finally arrived...
but only several inches of snow has fallen in Castle Valley, though the high country has been elevated to 90% of median snow water content for this time of year. It hasn’t stopped me from patrolling the trails and all the tire tracks be mine.
Multi-species use of the singletrack...
below Castleton Tower. Coexist.
Sunset on Parriott Mesa...
signals the end of the year, the edges of the escarpment illuminated by the lingering alpenglow made more intense on the red rock.
Thirsty early muleys...
drink down all the water in the birdbath shortly after dusk, leaving none for the late arrivals after midnight.
Disappointed mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
A Christmas launch...
of a model rocket, my first in 55 years, went off with a satisfying woooooosh! Just as I remembered it as a fledgling rocketeer in my youth. Priceless.
Second launch of the day, on a C6-5 rocket engine, lofting it to more than 1,000 feet in altitude. Recovery was by parachute, landing 305 feet away from the launch site.
A third launch, on Boxing Day. Woooooooooooooooosh!
Christmas Eve moonrise...
from the most beautiful place on Earth.
The last rays of the day...
paint a dramatic sunset after a winter storm dropped a half-inch of rain on Castle Valley today. A lovely Christmas Eve eve.
(Click on image to enlarge.)
UPDATE: This storm elevates the snow water content in the La Sal Mountains to 88% of the historic median.
Portrait of a young muley buck...
at dusk this evening.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).