First Desert Ride~

On the trail~

We woke to a cool & overcast day.  It was so nice to take long hot showers & sleep in a little.  The mares too - enjoyed being off the road.  In town we picked up groceries & after we loaded them - Patty noticed a puddle under the truck...  Thinking transmission - we headed to a transmission shop.  There - they (with Butch on the phone) diagnosed a leak somewhere in the fuel line.  They tightened it - Patty dropped me & the goose neck back at the motel & headed to the Dodge dealer - where they diagnosed a bad fitting on the fuel return line.

Patty got a ride back & we wasted No time in saddling up!  Both mares were pretty high & full of themselves, anxious to be Out & seeing what we'd traveled all this way to see!  With the gray of the day - the countryside was subdued shades of reds, grays & greens from the rains the area had received the week before.

Burned Pinyon Pines

The monochromatic landscape was punctuated by the black of the burned pines.  A huge fire had decimated the area in 2006 & when Patty was here in 2009 these trails were closed except for a few miles close to town.  She was surprised at how much the area had come back & that now - the trails area again open to horses.

Patty's smile says it all!

Behind Patty in the foothills is Pionertown - our home base.  Around every turn in the trail were the wonders that a fresh landscape held for anyone who ventured out.  Soon - the sun was peaking out from under the cloud cover.

The blues popped!

Just in time for us to enjoy the incredible wildflowers that greeted us!  Spectacular bright, blue color that just screamed at us against the granite boulders!

Orange too!

Next - orange!  Such a pop of color!  Needless to say - we weren't making any time & didn't care in the least!

Rock formations~

The rock formations were so cool!  Everyone so different from the last & you could decide for yourself what you thought they looked like :-)  Even Farah thought this one was strange :-)  I did see my very first Roadrunner!  He was smaller than I expected & faster too!  No photo there!

Back north toward town~

 There were jack rabbits too!  Big guys & could they HOP!  The first one took us by surprise!  Farah;  "Wow!  What was that?!"  I did try & try & try to catch a photo of one - but let me tell you - if I do manage it this trip - I'll get the bunny Gold Star!