Wild Horses of Nevada

I have had a deep love of horses since I was a girl, and even though I rarely got to ride one, I have been fortunate to spend time with the “wild” horses of Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area in northwestern Colorado when I worked as a seasonal park ranger at Dinosaur National Monument in 2014.

The horses there have several Facebook fan pages, with people (generally women) who know every horse’s lineage, age, habits, and name. Yes, they all get names. I was pleased to discover that there are herds in Nevada which also have Facebook fan pages and the same love from hundreds, if not thousands, of people who may not have even seen them in person.
Read the rest of this entry »Critters and Petroglyphs, Valley of Fire
As promised, here are some of the critters at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
Antelope ground squirrels hold their tails close to their rumps and are common in campgrounds and at birdfeeders like these guys. Read the rest of this entry »
Valley of Fire
One of the most beautiful Western landscapes I’ve ever seen is in a Nevada state park that I would have missed if I hadn’t exchanged a little trail banter with a fellow hiker at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas this past May.
The Valley of Fire State Park is aptly named, and the “fire” really shows its mettle at last light or in the day’s first kiss of sun. Read the rest of this entry »
Red Rock Canyon – Vegas
When my son and his wife visited me recently, they wanted to do some climbing at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. While they climbed, I hiked. Then we did the First Creek hike together. I wish I knew the name of the flower in the foreground, but I can’t find it in my field guide or online. Read the rest of this entry »
Bighorn Sheep, Valley of Fire
I just returned from a 10-day outing in the desert, most of it with my son and his wife. The bighorn sheep were the grand finale of the visit to the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada,
At first it was a couple of ewes peering over the mountaintop, then later, the whole herd came down to munch on mesquite and other succulent plants in plain view of hikers. Read the rest of this entry »