fourteen410 Member
Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 2622 | TRs | Pics
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Headed over to the dry(ish) side of the state this weekend for some scabland exploration.
Our first stop was Crab Creek/Goose Butte, near the Rocky Ford area. Parked at the BLM campground and did a counterclockwise loop under the watchful eyes of the local bovines.
The old stone house was in relatively good shape, considering it's 107 years old.
Dropping down to the creek, we spotted a pair of beautiful hawks(?). Sadly, they were not long for this world, as a bird hunter discovered them as we left.
The gurgling creek was a welcome sound following the shotgun blasts.
As we finished our loop, we discovered a couple of neat caves. Even more fascinating were the cliff sparrow nests tucked into the rock.
Back at the campground, the ground was surprisingly lush.
Next, we headed to Z Lake. This area was burned in the 2020 Whitney Fire, but has recovered nicely. A short walk of just over a mile brought us to the southern shore. Not long ago, a rowboat was available for use, but it seems to have disappeared. We ate a late lunch in the rain before heading back and checking out the remains of an old homestead along the way.
The next day, we headed out to Bobs Lakes near Odessa. The lakes have been dry for some time, but there is quite a bit of fascinating geology in the area.
The strangest part of the trip was finding sea shells and old snail-like creatures scattered all over the dry lakebed. Not something I'd expect to find in the middle of the desert.
We explored the basin for a bit longer before heading back up to the canyon rim.
We stopped at Cache Crater on our way out. In my opinion, this is the best of the Odessa Craters.
Then it was time to point our wheels west. I sure do miss the long days of summer, but can't complain too much about the sunsets this time of year.
Cyclopath, Lindsay, capbiker, zimmertr, reststep, day_hike_mike, GaliWalker, jstern, HitTheTrail, RichP
Cyclopath, Lindsay, capbiker, zimmertr, reststep, day_hike_mike, GaliWalker, jstern, HitTheTrail, RichP
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