Album Deserts

Capitol Reef turned 50 this weekend. Did not even stop at the visitor center, but the frigid single degree temps in the morning were fun.

Totally frozen, a zamboni-less desert ice rink that even Canadians would be proud of.
It would crack, but seemed there was nothing but ice.
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A good bluebird morning of 9d.
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Popular trail, but I love this one. Is it just me or is the prickly tumbleweed worse this year than ever? It is my new cuss word, just like "Tamarisk!" now we have "Tumbleweed"
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Capitol Reef turned 50 this weekend. Did not even stop at the visitor center, but the frigid single degree temps in the morning were fun.

Totally frozen, a zamboni-less desert ice rink that even Canadians would be proud of.
It would crack, but seemed there was nothing but ice.
View attachment 105569

A good bluebird morning of 9d.
View attachment 105571

Popular trail, but I love this one. Is it just me or is the prickly tumbleweed worse this year than ever? It is my new cuss word, just like "Tamarisk!" now we have "Tumbleweed"
View attachment 105570

Nice @Ugly ! Tumble weeds, it’s been really bad everywhere we went on this trip. Not sure what the reason is, curious if anyone knows?
 
The place where two deserts meet:

Joshua Trees
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Mojave Yucca, boulders and very cool clouds
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Mojave Yucca and the Salton Sea hidden under low hanging clouds
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A Palm Oasis and the first signs it was going to be a very windy week.
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So much Cholla in one spot!
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Twins!
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Living in a tiny crack
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Capitol Reef turned 50 this weekend. Did not even stop at the visitor center, but the frigid single degree temps in the morning were fun.

Totally frozen, a zamboni-less desert ice rink that even Canadians would be proud of.
It would crack, but seemed there was nothing but ice.
View attachment 105569

I've skated on lumpier and more air pocketed for sure! Miss it.

This is definitely thread drift but PBS had a piece on official university studies documenting the reduction of "skateable" days on pond ice in North America. That's a tragedy. I grew up by a polluted low gradient stream in a Philly suburb. Pure bliss and glee is how I'd describe our skating/hockey days on that creek. Doubt it ever freezes now, and 1/3 of it is a culvert under I-476. "I wish I had a River...."

My last skate day:

View attachment 107174
 
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This is definitely thread drift but PBS had a piece on official university studies documenting the reduction of "skateable" days on pond ice in North America. That's a tragedy. I grew up by a polluted low gradient stream in a Philly suburb. Pure bliss and glee is how I'd describe our skating/hockey days on that creek. Doubt it ever freezes now, and 1/3 of it is a culvert under I-476. "I wish I had a River...."

My last skate day:

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This is definitely thread drift but PBS had a piece on official university studies documenting the reduction of "skateable" days on pond ice in North America. That's a tragedy. I grew up by a polluted low gradient stream in a Philly suburb. Pure bliss and glee is how I'd describe our skating/hockey days on that creek. Doubt it ever freezes now, and 1/3 of it is a culvert under I-476. "I wish I had a River...."

My last skate day:

That is really cool. I would guess there are far fewer long spells of frozen days most places in the US these days (minus Dallas :p)

When I lived in Ottawa I was a short walk from the Rideau canal, and would skate all the time, including sometimes to a good Chinese food place. We would skate on farm ponds and even rinks made with some 2x4's driven into the ground and flooded with a hose. I am no good at any of those coordination activities though.
To bring this back to deserts, I have done some "light" skating in the desert in the winter sometimes...
 
Some more sublimity.
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This was a fine place to eat some pizza.
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Not sure why at this point he is trying to even walk on dry land.
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Green and Orange
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Different kind of Green and Orange
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Cedar gnats and mosquitoes were just starting out. The rain last week made some places a bit muddier of a mess, but there was water in the potholes that may not last if it is warm and sunny this week.
 
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