Bald Ridge

I truly believe that Bald Ridge is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And how amazing that there is a public trail that anyone can access this time of year! The area is closed for about half the year for wildlife protection but that only adds to the ultimate magic of the place. When Ken and I hiked the trail on a rainy Memorial Day we saw pronghorn, white tail deer, mule deer, elk and a coyote, not to mention dozens of species of birds. We also saw very fresh mountain lion tracks and wolf tracks. The place is certainly alive with wildlife. 

 The Bald Ridge Trail starts at Hogan and Luce Reservoir. The swallows were incredible with multiple varieties that seemed quite happy to hang out together. Here we have a cliff swallow and a violet-green sitting side by side on a length of barbed wire.

 It would be hard to create a still life as beautiful as this natural arrangement of blanket flower growing in the red Chugwater layer next to a piece of juniper driftwood!

The Chugwater layer of earth is what defines the area and makes it so amazing - especially this time of year when we have the complementary green of spring growth. From this spot we could see Heart Mountain with its recent covering of snow in the background.

Of course the hiking was not exactly easy. Not only was it cold and raining, we ended up with 10 pound boots from the incredibly muddy trail!