Autumn Gold Dust

 

Monday November 18 2013

Nothing eclipses this time of year when the dust and the evening sun angle adds drama to the outlines of the desert hills and Owyhee mountains.

 The herd strolls down from the canyon

Stormy ambles among the saltbush

Rhett stops to eye me suspiciously

 The cottonwoods are rather riotous!

 

Color

Sunday November 13 2011

It's one of the best treats of autumn - besides the deliciously welcome cool weather: the fall colors that festoon the earth with otherworldly colors.

In the Owyhee desert, the canyons are usually embellished with bright yellow cottonwood trees and maroon quailbush. This year, though, the fall colors have been drab. Half the trees' leaves turned brown before fall ever got here. The colors that did show were short-lived. Maybe it was the abundant rain that fell in the spring and early summer, and the excess growth that couldn't be sustained in the late summer and fall. (My theory, anyway).

So, for a brief intoxicating immersion of autumn, I migrated further northwest, where the rain falls, the moss grows thick, and the colors are in full stunning swing.

City of Rocks: Gold in Them Thar Hills

Monday October 24 2011

There's just something special about riding through Gold.

Gold means the air is crisp and cool. Gold means the light is soft and angled, which only accentuates Nature's artwork. 

Golden aspen leaves on the trees quake and shimmer a welcoming path through the forest.



Fallen golden leaves carpet the paths underfoot,


and sprinkle the creeks with golden glitter.


We had more trails to scout in the City of Rocks National Reserve, where Steph is putting on a 4-day endurance ride next year. Conveniently, it was the peak of the turning of the aspens.

15 miles on Friday led us along paths of gold, through City of Rocks, climbing above the Circle Creek valley


and into the lower reaches of the Albion Mountains. Snow patches from the early winter snowstorm that moved through the Northwest on October 5-6 still basked on sun-sheltered crags to the north, and it had only recently melted in the fir forest we climbed to.

Woman and beast alike savored the scenic ride through the Gold of Autumn.

[slide show here]

Golden

Saturday October 23 2010

It's that time in Owyhee: the leaves are transforming to gold, the autumn sun lavishes its golden beams on the horses.

The Perfect Taste of Fall

Monday October 26 2009

It's a national pastime, isn't it? Going out for a drive to see the fall colors.

Here in Owyhee, to get your taste of fall, saddle up your beloved horse on the perfect October autumn day, and take a ride.

Up on the flats toward the Owyhee mountains;

down into Pickett Creek canyon where the cottonwoods are golden and the quail bush shouts in red, crimson, scarlet, maroon, sangria, burnt orange, rust.

Your horse cruises along, stops to pick at new green grass from last month's rainstorm; cool autumn breezes hinting of winter finger through your hair and tickle your nose.

Nature sightseeing on a perfect cool fall day in a beautiful country on a most beautiful horse (and, first post-busted-rib ride) - the perfect taste of fall.