Enjoying Our Freedoms: 45 Wild Horses
Journal Entry of 10/16/09..........
........................Howdy partners. It is a beautiful day. Clear skies and wheather, and mildly cool mornings at 39 degrees. I ascended Talapoosa Mountain via the old mining road up Ruby Canyon in a quest to find and count the wild horses. Just before coming to the old mine working area now all sealed and cleaned up through the EPA super-cleanup fund, I came upon 12 wildhorses spread across the high slopes of the mountian canyon, grazing or lying asleep in the morning sun. It was a beautiful sight. I stooped and hiked up to as near them as possible getting many photos of them including three different foals only two or three months old. I thought the mares all looked under-nourished, their ribs showing, but other wise they seemed in good spirits, and not letting me get too close. All the same, they did let me get within 20-30 feet of them, and I got some good pictures I think............
......................I got back into the Hummer and continued towards the peak, the old dirt road winding up around the east side of the mountain top. As I came up on to the plateau at the east side of the peak, I began to see several little herds of horses. Down below me on the more southern slopes, I could see two different little hreds of 5 each, they were too faraway to see clearly, only that they all seemed of dark colors. I alighted from the Hummer to get a few more photos, and returning to it, I saw up on a northernly ridge near the mountain peak a Roan stallion with white blaze watching me below him. He looked like the mountain king so regal and strong above me.............
......................I continued driving on towards the mountain top across the high plateau, the road winding higher and higher. Here a small group of four horses, and there beyond them on a far ridge four more. Continuing on as I neared the very top, I saw out in the middle of the plateau meadow a herd of eight horses including two foals, all looking very healthy..............
.....................Further on, winding around near the peak top, and an impressive outcropping of rhyolite boulders I spotted more horses. A herd of five with a pretty new foal, and including the only paint I saw today. Just beyond them where the meadow sloped down towards the south, another larger herd of 11 horses, and including a palamino and a grey foal, that all looked so pretty and handsome shining in the morning sun rays. A large grey stallion stood guard just off to the side of them, the obvious daddy of the one grey foal............
.....................Continuing up the last mile to the peak summit of 6900+ feet, I saw no more horses anywhere. But the high Alpine Junipers and Pinyon Pines looked all so beautiful on this rugged Nevada mountain. As I turned around enjoying the 360 degree scenic panarama, viewing the now partially snowclad Sierra Nevadas to the west. The Pah Rahs and Truckees to the north around Pyramid Lake and the Northern Paiute Reservation. The Forty Mile Desert, and Stillwater Wildlife Area to the east towards Fallon in Churchill County. And towards the south the partially snow covered peaks of the Pine Nut and Sing Yatze Ranges of mountians. It always invokes serenity and a sense of utter freedom, allowing for a moment to forget the mess the human machines have caused to our earth............
....................Descending the mountain, I decided to go down the old mine road remnant on the eastern most slopes of Talapoosa, spotting one more group of 9 wildhorses, too faraway to make discerning observation except for one white one that was easy to see in the mile or so distance. I finally got all the way down the old rain ravaged track that I call "Getaway Canyon Road", being thankful for my newish little Hummer that is so safe and comfortable, and got back on the paved road of civilization and headed for home. I had seen around 45 wildhorses today, and was elated at that.........
....................Happpy trails my friends..........
........................Howdy partners. It is a beautiful day. Clear skies and wheather, and mildly cool mornings at 39 degrees. I ascended Talapoosa Mountain via the old mining road up Ruby Canyon in a quest to find and count the wild horses. Just before coming to the old mine working area now all sealed and cleaned up through the EPA super-cleanup fund, I came upon 12 wildhorses spread across the high slopes of the mountian canyon, grazing or lying asleep in the morning sun. It was a beautiful sight. I stooped and hiked up to as near them as possible getting many photos of them including three different foals only two or three months old. I thought the mares all looked under-nourished, their ribs showing, but other wise they seemed in good spirits, and not letting me get too close. All the same, they did let me get within 20-30 feet of them, and I got some good pictures I think............
......................I got back into the Hummer and continued towards the peak, the old dirt road winding up around the east side of the mountain top. As I came up on to the plateau at the east side of the peak, I began to see several little herds of horses. Down below me on the more southern slopes, I could see two different little hreds of 5 each, they were too faraway to see clearly, only that they all seemed of dark colors. I alighted from the Hummer to get a few more photos, and returning to it, I saw up on a northernly ridge near the mountain peak a Roan stallion with white blaze watching me below him. He looked like the mountain king so regal and strong above me.............
......................I continued driving on towards the mountain top across the high plateau, the road winding higher and higher. Here a small group of four horses, and there beyond them on a far ridge four more. Continuing on as I neared the very top, I saw out in the middle of the plateau meadow a herd of eight horses including two foals, all looking very healthy..............
.....................Further on, winding around near the peak top, and an impressive outcropping of rhyolite boulders I spotted more horses. A herd of five with a pretty new foal, and including the only paint I saw today. Just beyond them where the meadow sloped down towards the south, another larger herd of 11 horses, and including a palamino and a grey foal, that all looked so pretty and handsome shining in the morning sun rays. A large grey stallion stood guard just off to the side of them, the obvious daddy of the one grey foal............
.....................Continuing up the last mile to the peak summit of 6900+ feet, I saw no more horses anywhere. But the high Alpine Junipers and Pinyon Pines looked all so beautiful on this rugged Nevada mountain. As I turned around enjoying the 360 degree scenic panarama, viewing the now partially snowclad Sierra Nevadas to the west. The Pah Rahs and Truckees to the north around Pyramid Lake and the Northern Paiute Reservation. The Forty Mile Desert, and Stillwater Wildlife Area to the east towards Fallon in Churchill County. And towards the south the partially snow covered peaks of the Pine Nut and Sing Yatze Ranges of mountians. It always invokes serenity and a sense of utter freedom, allowing for a moment to forget the mess the human machines have caused to our earth............
....................Descending the mountain, I decided to go down the old mine road remnant on the eastern most slopes of Talapoosa, spotting one more group of 9 wildhorses, too faraway to make discerning observation except for one white one that was easy to see in the mile or so distance. I finally got all the way down the old rain ravaged track that I call "Getaway Canyon Road", being thankful for my newish little Hummer that is so safe and comfortable, and got back on the paved road of civilization and headed for home. I had seen around 45 wildhorses today, and was elated at that.........
....................Happpy trails my friends..........
