Wilderness Tracks

Wilderness Canyon

A few days back, Dangerous and I were helping Utah Jack cut firewood. Dangerous noticed a trail head sign that he hadn't seen before, so we stopped to read it. Since I don't read, Dangerous tells me that the High Plateau country is the most remote wilderness remaining in the lower 48 states. Well, I didn't need the Forest Service to tell me that. I might not be able to read but I do know that once you leave Highway 12, Highway 24, or Highway 95 you don't see many other dogs or people. A few hardy souls like us wander the back country, but not many. That doesn't mean you don't have to share the few remaining wild places with others, and you will find evidence of those visitors scattered all over the landscape.

Hite Bridge, Highway 95

Stretching across the entire Colorado Plateau is a network of highways and roads. We use them regularly to access the many remote canyons that Dangerous and his buddies like to ride and hike. Without them, I suspect that Dangerous would saddle Dottie up and ride her to the places he wants to visit, but I don't relish the idea of trailing behind through all that rough, dry desert country. So, we constantly face a paradox. We might detest the highways and roads, but we choose to use them. If we didn't, we would be limited to a very small corner of our world.

Deer Tracks

There are a few permanent wilderness residents that we don't mind sharing the canyon country with. We are constantly on the lookout for mule deer. With me along, Dangerous complains that I scatter them before he gets a chance to get a close look. From my perspective, he is just too old and too slow to catch a glimpse of what I see close up even though I am usually on a dead run with my tongue hanging out. There are times, however, when he gets a close look. This time of year there are always a few big bucks hanging out in Capitol Reef orchards that he can admire. I have to stay in the truck, so I don't scatter the herd.

Capitol Reef Buck

Sorting through all the tracks we come across isn't easy even for an intelligent sheep dog like me. I sometimes can't tell the difference between a mule deer track and a desert bighorn hoof print. They're both cloven and smell about the same to me. You have to remember that I am a herding dog who depends more on sight than smell. However, there are times when even I can tell the difference between a deer and a sheep. Even at a distance you can tell that the buck in the picture has a full curl rather than a set of forked antlers.

Desert Bighorns

Dangerous and his buddies like to pretend they are the first people to visit or ride a canyon. However, Dangerous is the first to admit that there are few pristine wildernesses left, and none on the Colorado Plateau. Get him started and he will tell you that technically the only time this country was actually wilderness was 13,000 years ago. Since that time, humans have occupied and used the canyon country for their own purposes. That doesn't mean Dangerous doesn't want to see the High Plateau protected. It only means that men have been leaving their tracks here for thousands of years. In fact, one of the reasons we visit so often is to see the tracks these early visitors left behind.

Timeless Doorway

About the only difference between this door and the one in the Grover cabin is time. I know Utah Jack likes to think he is building for the future, but I rather doubt the place in Grover will last 750 or more years. I guess we can only hope that those who come after us wonder about us like we do about those who left the finger prints we frequently find in the mud holding ancient ruins together.

Ancient Finger Prints

Wherever you look, you find evidence of those who left these ancient finger prints. Using primitive tools, the ancient ones built lasting and imposing structures. Their buildings may not be as impressive as the Hite Bridge, but they have stood the test of time.

Anasazi Kiva

On the High Plateau, the tracks you find are very diverse. They include the tracks of permanent residents like mule deer and desert bighorn to the finger prints left by those who built this ancient kiva. Not far from this kiva is Arch Canyon. Sitting on the rim you can see the road traversing through pinion trees and red rock hundreds of feet below. These roads define our current culture and the struggle to preserve what little is left of the past. What you probably don't notice without careful study is another track this time left in the air. Can you find the airplane flying down Arch Canyon? It is a small but obvious dot in the middle of the picture hundreds of feet below the rim.

Arch Canyon Flight

Track Hunters

While the rest of the world is sitting at home, I suspect we will continue our wilderness wanderings. With some misgivings, we will haul the "Sheepdawg Kamp" or drag the horse trailer over the oiled tracks leading to the canyons we love. Dangerous and his buddies with me in tow will continue looking for mule deer, bighorn sheep, and the tracks they leave in the mud and sand. I am sure we will continue searching for the ancient ruins we have seen many times before, trying hard to avoid the intrusion of modern conveyances like airplanes and jeeps that frequent places like Arch Canyon. We don't like to share, but we have little choice in the matter. Love to hear from you!

Spring Hike -- 2008

Dangerous and Rosie -- Big Pour Off

Last year, it was Grand Gulch. This year we are hiking down the Escalante River. Dangerous sent invitations out months ago while snow still covered the ground. Since then, communications among the High Plateau hikers has been constant. Deciding when and where to go takes time and delicate negotiations. Denver Dan still works full time, so we try to accommodate his schedule. Nature Dan has to check with his wife to avoid any conflicts with planned Mediterranean vacations. Utah Jack starts his usual whining about cold, stormy weather telling Dangerous he will go if he doesn't have anything better to do. Invitations are extended to others, but few choose to join me and my aging friends for a 40 mile desert hike carrying 50 lb. packs. Not many men Dangerous' and his friends' age think sleeping on the ground, eating freeze dried food, and pooping in the woods for a week is much fun. Dangerous never has to worry about me. I always show up and never complain about the weather or where Dangerous chooses to take us, and I like pooping in the woods.

Before my time, Dangerous and Utah hiked a lot more than they do today. Dangerous has told me that when he and Utah were young they spent many nights every year sleeping on the ground. If you ask Dangerous about his greatest accomplishment, he will tell you he is most proud of hiking the entire length of the Escalante River. It took him 30 years to hike the entire drainage from Hells-Backbone Bridge to Lake Powell and all the side canyons, but he did it. Utah was along for most of it, but he is missing a short section that we plan to hike this year.

Dangerous, Utah, John, Denver Dan, and Rosie

Most people who meet Dangerous always ask about hiking especially at his age. They want to know what motivates a 62 year old man to take these long wilderness walks. You probably have the same question. Well, I am not sure I can answer it in words, so I thought pictures from our 2008 Spring Hike might help you understand. Each place we visit has its unique attractions, but I think the pictures that follow easily explain our interest in Grand Gulch.

Utah and John Examine a Kiva

If you really want to get to know someone, put on your pack and spend five or seven days walking 40 or 50 miles with them. Wilderness backpacking brings out the best and worst in people. Over the years, Dangerous and Utah have forged lasting friendships with many who have come to hike with them while some visitors never return for a second trip. While last year's forced march from Kane Gulch to Collins Spring did not include Nature Dan, we did pick up a new hiker. John is Utah's youngest. Since he has a job and young family, John hasn't hiked with his dad and Dangerous since he was a kid. Utah Jack really enjoyed his son's company, and Dangerous got a set of fresh ears who feigned interest about prehistoric cultures as Dangerous lectured away at every stop. By the end of the trip, John had heard enough. I know I had!

Cactus in Bloom

Even if you aren't interested in ancient cultures, you can appreciate the beauty of Grand Gulch. Cedar Mesa in spring provides an incredible backdrop for ancient Indian ruins and rock art sites. We wander the canyon floor stopping frequently to visit a ruin or hike to an obscure rock art panel. As Dangerous tells it, stand quietly and you can almost hear the whirl of activity that surrounded the place 800 years ago. Listen closely and you can hear turkeys gobbling, dogs barking and children's voices echoing from the rock overhang. Get him going, and Dangerous will describe the sound of drums beating and voices chanting in the nearby kiva. I usually don't pick up on the sounds Dangerous imagines, but I can faintly smell the odors he describes. He always tells first time visitors that we probably would have smelled the place we are visiting before we ever saw it.

Well, I think you get the idea about what attracts my aging friends to Grand Gulch. They love the ruins and rock art, but most of all they love being outside with each other. For some unknown reason the High Plateau's deep canyons have a way of forging lasting friendships. Love to hear from you!

Since I can only include a limited number of pictures in each blog, I have attached some additional photos in an accompanying entry. I hope you enjoy them.

Kane Gulch to Collins Spring -- May 2008

"Breech Birth"

"Quail Panel"

"Green Mask"

Grand Gulch Ruin

Grand Gulch Granary

Deer Creek Lake

DEER CREEK LAKE TRAIL

We all have our favorite trails. Fremont Bob loves "B-Lewis" Flat, and Utah Jack's favorite is Death Hollow. Ole' Dangerous probably rides the Deer Creek Lake Trail at least six times a year. If you come to ride with Dangerous, rest assured you will see it with him. Even I get a little tired of the same old scenery, but I have to admit the Deer Creek Lake Trail is one of my favorites along with most everyone else.

Lunch

Dangerous likes Deer Creek because it isn't all that steep like most High Plateau trails. He starts Dottie and Little Guy on the Deer Creek Trail to get them in shape and take the jumpiness out of Dottie. Unlike me, both horses are real soft early in the spring, and Dottie hasn't accepted the fact that there is life outside her winter pasture. It also helps that the trail is non-motorized. Occasionally, we cross an ATV track; but for the most part, motorized riders haven't intruded too far into this supposedly protected area.

A relatively flat trail doesn't mean we don't have an occasional accident or near disaster. When you ride an 1,100 pound horse with a mind of its own, accidents happen. It was on the Deer Creek Trail where Dottie knocked Dangerous out of his saddle. She took him off on a tree, and he landed face down in a pile of rocks. Lucky for us only his pride was hurt, and Dottie stopped when she caught up with Hemingway and Scottie. Oh, what names Dangerous hurled at Dottie as he limped along on foot trying to catch up.

Horse Back Philosophers

What really appeals to me is all the water along the trail. Deer Creek Lake is at the end of a relatively steep climb. Situated directly under the rim the lake provides a refeshing stop for me and the horses. I get to cool off with a swim and a roll in the mud. Dottie and Little Guy get a cool drink and time to munch the meadow grass growing around the lake. Dangerous and his buddies take in the scenery while solving the world's problems from horse back. All solutions sound plausible with these guys when sitting tall in their saddles.

Deer Creek Lake

Dangerous has his own route that we follow from the lake. Most hikers and riders don't know about the upper, less traveled trail situated right under the rim. Dangerous has a variety of routes we follow depending on the day and season. During the summer we most always take the higher trail, depending on his "singing saw" to get us through. In the fall, we usually follow the well traveled main trail to take in the beautiful aspen groves in their fall colors. The aspen trees are huge and their beautiful gold leaves carpet the trail in late September.

Another attraction for Dangerous is the wildlife you see on this trail. If you remember back a few blog entries ago, I shared with you a picture of a black bear track. Black bears frequent the Deer Creek Trail regularly along with deer and elk. Dangerous never tires telling the story about riding into a herd of cow elk with their new born calves. According to Dangerous, the mothers and their babies never stood up as he rode among them. You can tell that I wasn't around then. It wouldn't have taken me long to scatter the entire herd.

Well, I am sure you have your favorite trails and places. I would love to hear about them! By the way, Utah Jack caught Dangerous in a serious error. An earlier version included a picture of Long Lake not Deer Creek Lake, so Dangerous had to go back and correct his mistake. Utah Jack caught the mistake and eagerly pointed out the error.

Riding the Slick Rock

Ole' Dangerous is always talking about home improvements. Last year, he actually completed a downstairs bathroom after 34 years of talking about it. This year he plans to remodel the kitchen, and replant the horse pasture. He might actually complete these projects if the contractors he hired show up as planned. Dangerous isn't one to let projects around the house interfere with his riding and hiking. The carport he started repainting last spring still isn't finished. Maybe that's why his friends refer to the place as "Doug Patch."

In my opinion, his priorities are right. Who really cares if the carport gets painted when there are trails to ride and hike? My only complaint is that he sometimes starts the season a bit early. Inclement weather has punished us more than once. As you can see from the picture, the High Plateau is pretty unforgiving even in June. It isn't much fun negotiating a loaded horse trailer in a snow storm. It's even less fun to be caught out in the open at 10,000 feet in cold, stormy weather.

Dangerous has a regular circuit of trails he rides. To avoid extremely bad weather, we usually start riding at 7,000 feet or lower in April and May -- slick rock country. There are even warmer places at lower elevations in Capitol Reef National Park, but the "Parkies" have some crazy rules about dogs. I don't understand their attitude towards me. I get along with most everyone which is something I can't say about Ole' Dangerous. Don't tell the Park Service, but I have been on most remote park trails, and if I know Dangerous, I will get to see them again.

They aren't in the Park, but the slick rock trails we ride are pretty damn impressive. As you can see, Dottie doesn't have much to munch on, but where else can a horse have her picture taken under a rock mushroom? Dangerous sometimes forgets how spectacular and impressive the slick rock is especially for those who haven't seen it before. Since the trail is close to the Home Place, we don't think much about it until we take a first time visitor for a ride. Dangerous is always a bit baffled when they accuse him of keeping the area a secret. I guess we are just use to seeing it regularly and sometimes forget how beautiful it really is.

If he is inclined, Ole' Dangerous will take you to the top of Lion Mountain. Again, we don't think much about it since we look at Lion Mountain every day. Also, the trail is an old logging road that traverses the slick rock. If you are troubled by heights, you might not enjoy the ride, but the view is worth the steep pull to the top. Dangerous, Dottie, and I are standing where we stop every time we make the trip. From this vantage point, you can look directly down on the Home Place. And, if we are lucky, we see the herd of elk that hangs out on top.

How about a quick quiz for those of you who follow my blog? Can you idenify the horses and riders in the last picture? For those of you familiar with the High Plateau, can you tell me the point you are looking at in the background? Love to hear from you!

Campsite Selection

For all you backpackers out there, I thought you might like some technical advice on selecting a campsite. For those of you who don't hike, you probably think choosing a place to sleep at night is easy. With me, I can drop down anywhere, curl up in a ball, and go to sleep. Check the pictures if you don't believe me! It isn't that simple with the independently minded High Plateau hikers. Even after all those long hours slogging through deep sand, crossing sometimes chest high water, and lugging heavy packs up steep hills they always argue about where to spend the night.

The discussion, or should I say argument, usually starts an hour or two before the sun goes down. Dangerous will say, "We need to find a place to camp!" He might suggest a spot or two which someone will instantly reject. Utah Jack always wants a perfectly level-sandstone ledge to roll out his bag and cook on. His perfect spot has running water immediately accessible and a magnificent view. Do you know how difficult these spots are to find? Well, after repeated suggestions from Dangerous and others, they will throw their hands in the air and tell him to find his perfect spot. About dark, his appetite gets the best of him, and we camp at the first rock ledge available.

Can you imagine sleeping on a rock ledge with a thin pad, or in my case, no pad at all? To humor Dangerous, me, and the others, Utah will sometimes agree on a spot that has some sand. You have to remember that Utah can sleep anywhere. It doesn't really matter whether the spot is level, rocky, or sandy once he becomes vertical, wake him in the morning.

Dangerous on the other hand doesn't sleep well even in his own bed. In his case, I guess it really doesn't matter where we camp. Without drugging him, he will be up all night, complaining about all the snoring. Snoring among this group is a problem. Even I have to distance myself from Nature Dan and Denver Dan. These two suffer from serious adenoid dysfunction and can suck rocks off surrounding cliff faces, so you have to watch for falling rocks. To avoid Dangerous' morning wrath, Nature Dan almost always slips him a sleeping pill.

Since we don't carry tents, rain or bad weather can cause sleepless nights. We are always looking for an overhang to shed the rain or break the wind. With luck, we sometimes find an alcove with a sandy bottom and rock ledge which pleases everyone. However, these places are a bit hard to come by especially when the weather gets really bad.

Out of necessity, we have spent the night in some interesting places. I wasn't there, but Dangerous has never let Nature Dan forget the night he chose a spot under some cottonwood trees. You would think that camping under trees would be perfect, but not according to Dangerous and Denver Dan. These beautiful trees rained tent caterpillars all night long. Can you imagine having caterpillars pouring down on you while trying to sleep? I doubt anyone slept on their back with their mouth open that night.

I guess my only advice is to choose your campsite carefully. Thoughtful consideration is a bit difficult when everyone has a different idea about what makes a good site. In my experience, you can't please everyone, so keep everyone walking until they finally give out. When you pick a spot, sometimes you're lucky enough to catch the full moon rising. In fact, if you check the pictures carefully, you will find a nice blue moon lighting up one of the campsites featured above. Love to hear from you!

Ancient Ones

Tucked away in the Southeast corner of Utah are some really incredible canyons. Again, I won't tell you exactly where they are because it's important that you find and explore them on your own. We usually visit them during early spring or late winter to avoid other hikers. Sane people are usually home huddled around a nice, warm fire, but not Dangerous. He stuffs me in the dog carrier and off we go. Most of the time he can con Utah Jack into joining him or some other unsuspecting soul. He feeds them a line about great adventure then hikes them up and down narrow, cold canyons looking for crumbling rock walls or inaccessible structures perched high above their heads.

You should see Old Dangerous' eyes light up when we round a canyon bend and find a ruin or rock art panel. The speculation starts immediately. He wonders out loud about the canyon's past inhabitants. From the potsherds and lithic scatters, usually discovered by Utah Jack, Ole Dangerous trys to recreate the past. Before you know it, he is describing turkeys gobbling and dogs barking all around him. All I can ever hear are the ravens beating their wings against the wind as they fly up and down the canyon. He tells us regularly that we would probably have smelled the place before we heard all the noise from the families and animals living there 1,200 years ago. I have a keen sense of smell, but it doesn't extend that far back into the past. He really gets carried away imagining what the place was like a thousand years ago.

When Dangerous and his hiking pals were younger, they tried to access even the ruins placed precariously high on the canyon walls. They still find "Moqui steps" cut from the solid sandstone that lead to granaries built high above their heads. It has been years since they have been able to climb these stairs to the sky. At one spot, Dangerous always stops and tells the story about his dog Abbey and her mother Murphy. To reach a Kiva perched on a ledge, you have to scramble up a tree. In the past, Dangerous would leave Abbey and Murphy sitting at the base of the tree, and he and Utah Jack would climb up to see the ruin. As sheep dogs will do, Abbey and Murphy protested loudly when left alone. As Dangerous tells it, he couldn't figure out why the barking had stopped until he looked down and found Abbey standing beside him. The only way up was the tree, and Abbey had climbed it. I hope he doesn't except the same from me.

Dangerous and Utah are always on the look out for something called Kivas. These structures are supposedly where ancient religious rituals and clan activities occurred. They get really excited studying the intricate roof systems when they find one intact. What really gets them going are the finger prints that are still visible in the mortar pressed between the stones supporting these and other ruins. There is a special ruin that we visit occasionally that has a baby's foot prints pressed into the mud. Dangerous imagines a mother or father holding their baby up to the new wall and pressing the baby's tiny feet into the fresh mortar.

I enjoy these canyon hikes, but the ruins and rock art don't interest me much. Maybe there are places like this that capture your interest. I'd like to know what attracts you and why you like to visit these places. Love to hear from you!

Deep Canyon Hike

There are many trails we only travel on foot. A good mule man like Fremont Bob might ride them, but Dangerous leaves Dottie and Little Guy home and digs out his old external frame pack. He even puts a backpack on me. Like the rest of them, I am expected to carry my own food. I can't complain about packing my own eats, but I do object to carrying the extra water that I don't get to drink. Dangerous thinks the stream is good enough for me. What really gets me is that he makes me carry all the garbage. Now, how fair is that? I don't get to eat any gourmet, freeze-dried food, but I get to carry all the used wrappers.

Dangerous isn't good about sharing the trails he rides and hikes with others, but if you want to know where we go, just ask Utah Jack. I have never known him to keep a secret, but finding him is sometimes a problem. You can probably figure out most of the places we go by studying one of the numerous trail guides published today. Dangerous has hiked them so many times that he rarely consults a map anymore. Even when he did, he wasn't very good at reading directions. With us, we usually talk about up canyon and down canyon. Usually, down canyon means if you walk far enough you will eventually find a road. At his age, all hikes are new to Dangerous. Even the ones he has hiked over and over again.

Dangerous believes that knowing where you are ruins the sense of adventure. Ignoring the trail guide or map gives you the opportunity to discover things for yourself. On occasion, this attitude can lead to near rebellion among Dangerous' hiking friends. They aren't satisfied with his answer that "I am not lost I just don't know where I am right now." I suspect he hasn't known where he is for years, but what do I care. Sheep dogs live in the moment, so I readily accept his explanation.

I really like the deep canyon hikes where there is water and shade. The attached pictures show one of my favorites. According to Dangerous, there are at least four different ways to access this tributary of the Escalante River. So, which one does he usually use? Off course, the dry, steep, sandy route is his preferred alternative because you rarely see any other hikers.

I won't bore you with the long, dry traverse to reach this favorite spot, but Dangerous likes to test first time hikers over this route. They usually show up full of romantic ideas about hiking the red-rock country. After humping their 50 pound packs through heat and sand the romance ends abruptly. They get their reward, however, when they gaze down at the stream, shade, water, and vegetation below them. All they have to do is drop 500 feet down a very steep trail, and they earn their reward.

The canyon floor gives instant relief from the heat and sand. However, reaching the bottom doesn't mean the challenges are over. This canyon is narrow in places and the slick, rocky stream bed can be difficult for sheep dogs and aging hikers to negotiate. There are numerous campsites and places to stop and rest. But, my aging companions have to cross and recross the stream numerous times while trying to stay dry. During wet years, you might have a swim or two. Even during normal years, you get wet. I was walking along enjoying the day when I heard Dangerous let out a horrible shriek. Since he scared of snakes, I thought he had found one. It wasn't one of our slithering friends that caused him to yell like a girl. Dangerous was negotiating a narrow ledge around a deep plunge pool. One more step and he would have been across. As you can guess, he didn't make it. I turned to see his ball cap floating in the pool. He fell in, feet first, pack and all. Fortunately, he didn't lose his glasses, or my role as pack dog would have changed to seeing-eye companion. With a little help, we got him out of the pool, but two steps later he was back in another one. Needless to say, I was a bit embarrassed to be seen with him.

Some of you might want more information about the trails we travel. Drop me a note, and I will see if I can get him to share some information with you. If that fails, track down Utah Jack, and offer him a double-bacon cheeseburger. I am sure that will get him to talk.

Pleasant Creek

Fall is about my favorite time of year. I'm pretty sure that the horses prefer it to the other seasons. After the first freeze, the mosquitoes and horse files are gone. Dottie and Little Guy get real energetic in the cool weather, and they have plenty of late grass to munch. Dangerous, Utah, and Fremont are always pointing out a favorite yellow stand of aspens. If we are lucky, the river birch will be red along the creek banks we ride. Dangerous thinks I don't see the colors around me, but like most things, he's wrong. I do enjoy wading in the half frozen creeks, and I especially enjoy the trail snacks deer and elk leave behind. The cold weather makes them real tasty. Supposedly, dogs don't see colors that come with the changing seasons. But, you have to remember I'm not like other dogs. While I didn't go to college, I have a highly developed aesthetic sense that lets me enjoy a fresh, fall ride as much as anyone.

Wherever you go in the back country, you will find a "Pleasant Creek." We have one ten miles from the Home Place, and we ride the trail often. Usually, four or five time a year. Since Dottie still remembers her dry, St. George youth, Dangerous likes to start her on the Pleasant Creek Trail. She gets to cross clear, flat water without taking a fit and unloading him in a black, muddy pool. We work up to that later in the riding season.

We have to share the first three miles with ATVs. Fortunately, we ride during the week, and try to stay home during holidays and hunting season when they are out in force. Once we leave the road behind, we have the place pretty much to ourselves. Sometimes we have to share with cattle, but I have learned to leave them alone. I only wish Blue wasn't so interested in refining his herding skills, but he is learning too. It was on this trail where Dangerous introduced Dottie to cows. Since she is an uptown Walking Horse, she didn't know what to think the first time she rode through a herd. Fortunately, Dangerous kept his seat and didn't end up on the ground.

The three mile ride up the road is worth the effort because it is the gateway to some special places. The trail branches in a number of directions. One leads steeply to the top of the world. We follow it occasionally, but have to blind fold Fremont Bob. He gets a bit squeamish when viewing the earth below him from 10,000 feet while sitting a horse or mule.

When we don't have all day, we take the branch where the pictures were taken. In the fall, the colors are spectacular, and we can hear elk bugling all around us. In the past, there was a dead one in a pond that Dangerous kept a close eye on. He didn't think it was going to come back to life, but he wasn't sure I wouldn't take a lovely roll in the decaying carcass. When I do that, he won't let me ride up front on the way home.

Well, that's all for now. I have to get back outside and patrol the fence line. I thought I heard the mailman coming, or even better it might be the UPS driver. Let me hear from you!

Hightop

As Dangerous explains it to me, the Colorado Plateau is a huge area including parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. I never know what state we are in, but I can usually tell the difference between red rock canyons and high mountain country. The red rocks offer lots of lizards and rabbits to chase while marmots are plentiful in the high country. Actually, I enjoy the hunt but watch from a distance when Blue and Sadie corner a marmot. Dangerous has told me about the time he pulled a "Rock Chuck" off his dog Abbey's face. I came along right at the end of Abbey's life, and I can tell you first hand that she wasn't afraid of anything on two or four legs. Even in old age, she use to kick my butt regularly.

We don't ride the Hightop every year, but we make the ride often enough that I know the trail pretty well. I understand that in the past Dangerous and his buddies would camp at the trail head because it is 60 miles from the Home Place. They are a lot older now, so they usually get up early and drive over to ride for the day. Those soft beds at the cabin are a lot more comfortable than a night on the hard ground for aging riders.

I like the Hightop because there's lots of water, and as you probably know, Aussies really like to get wet. I get to start the ride with a dip in Lost Creek Reservoir, and there are plenty of wet spots and streams along the way to quench my thirst. The trail also gives me lots of opportunity to sound the alarm when I run into elk and deer. Frequently, I get to set turkeys or blue grouse flying all directions. It's fun for me, and if I time it right, I can flush one right in front of Dottie. You ought to see old Dangerous try to get Dottie under control after a wild turkey flies over her head beating its wings to gain altitude.

Dangerous and his buddies like the wildlife, but I think what really attracts them is the solitude and long views. They tell me that they have never seen anyone while riding the fifteen miles across the top. I don't understand it, but they stop regularly and gaze toward the distant horizon. Since they are riding at over 11,600 feet, they have long views in every direction. On a clear day, they can see Mt. Timpanogos which is about 150 miles away as the crow flies.

Summer comes late to the Hightop. After a good winter, we have to wait until late June or early July to ride the trail. However, as you can see from the pictures, it is beautiful with tall grass and wildflowers. Even in June and July, you take your coat, or I should say Dangerous and his buddies take theirs. I am never without mine. At that altitude, you never know when a storm will roll in, and a summer storm on the Hightop can bring sleet.

There are plenty of places to stop for lunch. As you can see, Utah Jack and Fremont Bob are sitting under a tree taking needed nourishment. Just out of sight me and my dog buddies are cruising about hoping for a treat. Treats are usually rare when you are competing with Utah Jack and Fremont Bob for lunch. They have little problem emptying the saddlebags, but occasionally, they will throw us dogs a scrap or two.

I think the horses and mules even enjoy this ride. In the second picture, you can almost see the contended look on Ernest's face. Ernest the mule appears to be enjoying himself as Fremont Bob steers him through a meadow full of green grass and wildflowers. Like all mules, Ernest isn't interested in the scenery but is thinking great philosophical thoughts and hoping to fill his belly on the tender spring grass.

If you ride this trail oneway, you have to come down the Tasha Trail. While beautiful, it is steep and rocky. When the pictures were taken, Dottie was a young filly with only a few rides on her. She was born and raised in St. George, Utah, and had only seen water in a trough. It was great fun to watch Dangerous get her across some of those stream crossings. Even today, she doesn't like muddy water or black sucking mud. I don't know why. Sheep dogs like nothing better than a muddy roll from head to tail.

Well, I thought you might enjoy learning about one of my favorite trails. I have lots of them that I plan to share with you in the future. As always, I am interested in what you think, so drop me a comment or two.