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Created 10-Jul-14
173 photos

We were on four different herd management areas (HMAs) on this four day July trip to Oregon's high desert. The temperatures were in the mid to upper 90's during the days, and 40's at night. And when thunderstorms hit, the temperatures dropped fast under that cell by about 20 degrees with winds from downdrafts pushing walls of dust dirt and grit-- creating massive dust storms.

We hiked and searched various portions of herd areas from sun up to sundown, taking a break on one of the very hot days for a couple hours to head to the summit of the mountain to escape the worst of the heat. Driving down the steep grade, when we reached the bottom, the brakes were both literally smoking! We went from 90's to 71 degrees near the summit of the mountain- a welcome relief. Thunderstorms hit at random, we slept under dark and starry skies,, and sat recounting the day around a campfire. At one point, long after the sunset, following a lightning storm, in the distance a pink glow shined on the bottoms of the clouds... there was a wildfire on the far horizon, south of camp. Several other wildfires were reported also along the Cascades.

The smell of the sage, the vast and distant spaces in our high desert west, wild horses with unruly manes to go with their unruly attitudes, the unpredictable weather and temperature extremes, the rumble of thunder and the thunder of hooves in this... our still wild-wild west... a place so wild it regenerates that untamable wild spirit hidden deep within us all.
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Categories & Keywords
Category:Animals
Subcategory:Horses
Subcategory Detail:
Keywords:American, BLM, HMA, Mustang Meg, OR, Oregon, SE, South, Steens, bachelors, bands, colts, fillies, foals, harems, horse, horses, mares, mustang, mustangs, our, save, southeast, stallions, wild, wild west