Water arrives, driving on some bumpy roads, and wild horses
Morning fun… before the water delivery
Water has become scarce in Sand Wash Basin. There are currently four natural and one man-made water sources. The Wild Horse Warriors for Sand Wash Basin were able to get permissions to provide supplemental water. They decided to augment three existing waterholes that are spread out to reduce impact on the environment. This is the waterhole on 126E.
Van Gogh- son of Picasso at Lake Pond (67). He looks so much like his sire. Two bachelors at Oasis. The road less taken… definitely need to have really good tires!!!Anya hiding from the heat
The final light of day isn’t good for photography- even with a tripod, the images aren’t very clear. We have fun with our iPhone which work surprisingly well…
A Walkabout tradition: S’Mores. Mmmmmm
Our light is flashlights or luminAID. It is a solar powered inflatable lamp-we have only charged it once. It will also charge a USB device if needed. It’s soft light is perfect as we unwind from a long day of photography.
Tomorrow is our final day in the Basin. We thankfully were able to stay in Colorado the entire time and really immerse ourselves in the Sand Wash Basin Wild Horse experience. We’ve taken nearly 25K photos, and there is still tomorrow. It has been an amazing experience. We are already planning next year’s Walkabout 2021.
It was a busy one today- tons of horses, time with Cindy, new secret watering places, and some nice waterhole action. Also some art, cupcakes, and harp!
I have played my harp many times for wild horses. They like to listen!
Karen is a phenomenal artist. She paints en plein air- which means she paints live – paints wild horses… live and in the field. She paints phenomenally fast and accurately. it’s amazing to watch her set up her palette, and set up her field easel. Her paintings are internationally award winning.
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..
We saw a lot of horses today. Water in the Basin is scarce, (although the rains have helped) and there are many smaller scattered bands.
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!
Thick mud, impossible to remove Our shoes covered in clay-mudKaren’s shoe
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.
Repurposing the water from the wash… Mostly clean Crocs!
We still got some photography in…
I love this chestnut’s dark tail…
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…
Because New York was so devastatingly affected by the pandemic in March and April, and because we are doing so well right now, Governor Cuomo has decided that travel from certain states requires a two week quarantine. I love my job and would be unhappy to have to take two weeks off when I return. So we rebooked my flight in and out of Denver and we will watch the metrics. Governor Cuomo stated that states with a rolling average of new cases above 10% are the ones requiring two-week quarantine. It has nothing to do with politics, only the statistics. The following link is the rolling average for states and it will be the guidance we follow for my return trip: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/new-york
Our travel places us at limited risk, we are only out with the horses and getting gas. We have plenty of supplies, and refreshing our water does not place us at any risk of contact with other people. It’s the airports that are concerning regarding potential transmission. I will wear a mask & face shield/goggles at all times during the flight and if we have to change my departing flight location, we will.
As of now, we are planning on Sand Wash Basin in Colorado, and several horse management areas in southern Wyoming… we have a lot of freedom and we are excited to see some new horses. We will be posting live as often as possible, and upload video and photos of our adventures…
Getting ready continued…
I spent the better part of the morning clearing my memory cards for both cameras. Most of the cards are new, but I recycle a few each year. They are numbered and I use them sequentially. The cards are always with me, I carry them on the plane home as well. We back up to an external hard drive and I use Backblaze to backup to the Cloud.
When I am out shooting, I wear a vest similar to the one my son Ben is using (tall, tan young man in red). The vest has tons of zippered pockets and I keep the clear cards on the right side, and the used cards on the left side. I carry other items like camera batteries, sunscreen, my cell phone, water bottles, and other sundries. The vests look a bit dorky, but they are extremely useful.
Photo credit: Michael Cody Mack
Anya tries out her new booties
For safety, we have special booties for the girls Anya and Koko. Because Koko is blind, she won’t be walking around without being watched closely, but there are cacti and sharp rocks all over the place.
We think Anya looks fetching in her new Ultra Paws protective booties!
Anya poses in front of the Yeti cooler that keeps our perishable items cool.
Less than two weeks before we begin our adventures… We cannot wait!!!
