There are a plethora of very cool Alpine Buttercups in the meadows of the high alpine Rockies of Colorado. Their yellow petals liven up the slopes of the mountains in the Vasquez Peak Wilderness. How can any person not smile while walking through a meadow buttercup flowers?
Teig Among the Yellow Alpine Flowers
Teig figuring out the way to Rosalie Peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness. He not only a tracker of squirrels but also a pretty good trailblazer. He can follow almost any trail and still look cool in an alpine meadow of yellow flowers. We love hiking above treeline in the Front Range Rockies of Colorado.
New Mexican Pueblo Graveyard
A pueblo is a unique place. The history is overwhelming when you walk past the graveyard filled with hundreds of years of souls. Makes you imagine what colorful characters were buried there?
2-Bar Ranch Corral
We had an enjoyable exploration through a ghost ranch in Northwest Colorado. I came across a story on the web by Jerry Spangler published in June of 1991 about this ranch that I am going to provide below that you might find interesting:
Everyone loves the courageous soul who, against all odds, stands up to an overwhelming opponent. And legends are made when the underdog wins.
Maybe that's why everyone in Brown's Park still loves Ann Bassett, a fiery young woman who spearheaded the turn-of-the-century resistance against Ora Haley, a wealthy and politically powerful cattle baron who used ruthless means to snuff out smaller cattle operations in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado.In the stuff of television Westerns, Bassett fought back. And won, earning herself the name "Queen of the Cattle Rustlers" in the process. She also carved herself a niche in Utah and Colorado history as one of the most colorful characters of the Wild West.
Born in 1874 (the first white child born in Brown's Park, Daggett County), Bassett was a willful character, a lifelong resident of the grassy paradise nestled in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado.
Brown's Park was home to Bassett, and she defended it with a passion bordering on obsessive. As American cattle operations reached monolithic proportions in the 1890s and early 1900s, smaller ranchers from Montana to Texas were intimidated into selling out.
But Bassett and other ranchers in Brown's Park refused to sell. And when Two-Bar Ranch cattle owned by cattle baron and millionaire Ora Haley pushed at the borders of Brown's Park, the more Bassett's herd and other local herds grew and prospered (albeit, some say, with altered brands).
To residents of Brown's Park, the appropriation of Ora Haley's livestock was not only a matter of survival, it was justified under the code of the Old West. Haley's cows were trespassing, leaving nothing but grass stubble in their wake.
Haley coveted the lush winter ranges in Brown's Park, and he apparently was willing to employ any and all measures to acquire them.
A push and shove relationship developed over the years, with the Two-Bar Ranch doing most of the pushing and shoving. An attempt to counter the threats of the Two-Bar Ranch resulted in the creation of the Brown's Park Cattlemen's Association.
Retaliatory actions by the Two-Bar Ranch in 1900 claimed the lives of two Brown's Park ranchers - some believe the victims of hired gun Tom Horn.
The violence disintegrated the Brown's Park Cattlemen's Association, and ranchers made no attempt to stop the encroachment of Two-Bar cattle. But spurred more by vengeance than common sense, Bassett single-handedly rode the boundary line between the Two-Bar operation and the Brown's Park ranches.
She had a reputation for chasing trespassing cattle until they died of exhaustion, or herding them into the Green River where they would drown. Sometimes she just shot them outright.
Gunmen hired by the Two-Bar Ranch tried to kill her but failed. It was a classic case of the little guy fighting the big guy.
The feud continued year after year with charges and counter charges. In August 1913, Bassett went on trial in Craig, Colo., for rustling Two-Bar beef. As Diana Allen Kouris describes in her book "The Romantic and Notorious History of Brown's Park".
"The town of Craig was overflowing with spectators. Most of them supported the lovely cowgirl who had taken on the rich and powerful Ora Haley. The courtroom was packed with onlookers when Ann's lawyer smoothly turned things against Ora Haley. On the stand he duped Haley into admitting that he had almost double the amount of cattle on the range than were registered with The county assessor. After eight hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Whoops, cheers and applause roared from within the courtroom. `Hurray for victory' flashed across the Craig movie screen. Guns were fired into the air, and a brass band paraded down the street. The large crowd lit several bonfires and danced on Main Street with Ann all night."
A Denver newspaper reporter dubbed Bassett the "Queen of the Cattle Rustlers," a colorful and appropriate title by Brown's Park standards. From the moment of her acquittal, she was known as "Queen Ann."
Soon after the trial, Ora Haley ceased his cattle operations in Brown's Park. Bassett and her father even lived awhile at a Two-Bar Ranch headquarters on the Green River.
When new rumors arose that Bassett had taken up cattle rusTling, nobody in the area really cared. She had single-handedly taken on the cattle barons and won - and that warranted loyalty.
Ann Bassett suffered a heart attack in Leeds, Washington County, in 1953. She never recovered.
Resting by Lost Creek
Teig resting by Lost Creek on our hike into the Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness on Wigwam Trail. This wilderness is a fantastic area to explore and is relatively quiet compared to the other Front Range mountain areas near Denver. Lost Creek is also great to cool off in on warm summer days on the trail.
Capitol Reef Afternoon
The views you can enjoy on a beautiful afternoon in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park.
Chile Ristras on Stone Building
Chile Ristras hanging on the entrance to one of the art galleries in Santa Fe, NM. This is a common site on the porches of traditional New Mexican homes.
Crosses Hanging at a Shrine in Chimayo
A photo of a shrine which had crosses that pilgrims placed in front of a small mural at El Santuario de Chimayó, a Catholic church in Chimayó, New Mexico. The sanctuary is famous for the story of its founding and as a contemporary pilgrimage site. It receives almost 300,000 visitors per year and many believe it to be the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States.
In Monument Valley
We were exploring Monument Valley’s floor one evening in the winter when I took this photo. This a a great time of year to saunter the high Colorado Plateau when the afternoons are cool and great for hiking. This Navajo Tribal Park is so beautiful and the landscape will inspire every photographer!
Teig on John Ford's Point
One of the most iconic places in America. Teig is standing on John Ford’s Point in Monument Valley. Some of the best westerns of all time had landscape shots from this very point. John Ford was one of my favorite directors and they named this location after him.
Doorway to History in Alamo Canyon
This is the abandoned historic house in Alamo Canyon set in the Ajo Range in southern Arizona. There is a great trail to this location and is one of the gems in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I really love sauntering in this region during the mid winter months.
Looking Over the Front Range from Chief Mountain
What do you do when you have summited Chief Mountain above Squaw Pass in Colorado? You look out and over the surrounding Front Range hills and valleys and take in the rugged beauty of Colorado.
Utah Salt Flat near Graham Peak
Salt flats are everywhere near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. We were exploring the region west of the lake and came across this huge deposit near the Nevada border. The Bonneville Salt Flats is just over the mountains in the background.
Traildog Resting on Salt Flat
Sometimes you just need to relax when you are out playing on a salt flat in West Utah. Teig was enjoying the spring afternoon at a large salt flat near the village of Lucin near the Nevada border.
Lone Pronghorn in the Utah Sage
Exploring the backcountry of Northwest Utah you find a plethora of wildlife. Pronghorn Antelope are common in the area and I came across this guy alone in a remote valley near village of Lucin. I loved the vision of the sage, grass and him just standing there checking me out. I would say we had mutual interest in each other.
Salt Lake City Temple Market Fountain
Across from the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, I found a wonderful little mall with this beautiful water fountain. Teig and I spent our lunch watching the fountain change the cascading water’s shape as we ate our lunch. A very peaceful afternoon in SLC.
Spring Evening at Buffalo Point
An evening saunter up to Buffalo Point on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake will reward the individual with fantastic views. On this spring evening a witnessed the sun setting over the lake in the west and the rocks and mountains across White Rock Bay were blanketed in beautiful light. This point is a “must visit” for the photographer at sunset.
Spring Afternoon in the Foothills above Salt Lake City
A hike up to Ensign Peak from Salt Lake City is a relaxing adventure in the Spring. The city spans out below you and the Wasatch Range can be seen in the distance. The foothills are clear of trees and the views are wonderful!
Flaming Gorge Reservoir Makes a U-Turn
Hiking to a promontory point at the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area to get a fantastic view of the reservoir. A great way to spend an afternoon in Utah. Rising 502 feet above bedrock, Flaming Gorge Dam impounds waters of the Green River to form the reservoir, which extends as far as 91 miles to the north. The reservoir has a total capacity of 3,788,900 acre-feet. At full elevation of 6,045 feet, it has a surface area of 42,020 acres.
Traildog Exploring Sand Wash Basin
Sand Wash Basin is located 45 miles west of Craig, Colorado. A herd of approximately 450 wild horses freely roam this area and are protected by the BLM. Teig was up on a point, as night approached, searching the horizon for them as a western storm was coming towards us. A quick retreat to our camp was in short order.