We began our first full day in the Basin with cool temperatures and partly cloudy skies. We’ve been averaging 80-90°F (26.6- 32.2°C ) during the day, and as low as 48°F (8.8°F) at night..

The water sources are low and scattered; the most reliable is the Lake Draw- a manmade solar pump. We were there earlier today, but the horses had already dispersed for the morning. Wild horses water several times a day, often morning, midday, and late afternoon although bands can be found watering at different times . They also water at night. Karen set up some trail cams near water holes and we hope to capture some interesting photos of all wildlife visiting the waterholes.

Proud Members of the Mud Skipper Club

Karen and I were out photographing when it began to rain in the Basin.

Rain is very deceptive in Sand Wash… it may look clear in one area, but distance and topography change the perception. There is a fine powdery surface that turns very slick when it rains, and becomes mud that is incredibly slippery. Karen was driving and suddenly slid down the dirt road sideways. Karen is from Arizona where there isn’t a lot of snow, and so it was pretty terrifying for both of us. There was a steep drop-off on one side, and some rough terrain on the other. We managed to extricate ourselves by shoveling dry earth in front of the tires, throwing the truck in 4L and shimmying our way back up the hill. I drove in upstate New York in what is known as the ‘snow belt’ and so I took the wheel and we managed to come back to our camp safely. The photos below show the thick talcum like mud that clings to everything!

We came back to camp and decided to stay at camp since the weather still looked a bit sketchy. We did a little laundry because we were a bit muddy. We used a gadget Scrubba-Washbag and used environmentally friendly soap. It takes about three bags of water to clean the small bag, but it is really nice to have clean clothes. We hang the clean clothes in the shower to dry, and in this arid environment, they dry quickly.

We still got some photography in…

All in all a good day on the wild horse management range. We saw over a hundred horses, including one of our favorites, Cimarron. We did have a bit of a scare with the mud, and it served to remind us to never take these desolate and rugged lands for granted. We are now proud members of the ‘I got stuck in the mud at Sand Wash Basin’ which I nicknamed the Mudskippers.

Here’s a fun video of life on the wild horse ranges…