Salado Canyon Trail

Small Mule Deer does

While we were eating breakfast this morning a fairly large herd of young Mule Deer showed up on our property, some standing just beyond our windows.  A few looked inside curiously, but a couple were skittish because they could see Becca looking out.  They climbed the hill to the south of our house then made their way down our road to our driveway where I photographed them.  A true delight.  We left for a moderately-long hike on the Solado Canyon Trail afterwards.  The weather was perfect:  55F with a light breeze.  We ran into several other outdoor enthusiasts in the canyon:  an Asian man and a woman (who might have been from Norway--more on this later), who parked next to us just as we were starting off; two elderly men who were heading out as we were heading in (when I referred to them as "elderly" Dr. K said, "They're probably our age."); and a small family (Dr. K said, "Three generations.") who were coming in as we were going out.  All in all it wasn't very crowded on a beautiful Saturday morning in a gorgeous high-desert canyon.  When we were pulling out of the parking area I looked at the car of the man and woman who had pulled in just after us and saw their bumper sticker, which read, "Hug a Norwegian today."

Young Mule Deer buck

Very curious about my picture taking

Mule Deer does and a six-point buck next to our car in the driveway

Crossing over our gravel driveway

Less than half of the Mule Deer herd on our property this morning

Does and buck departing

Salado Canyon railroad trestle

Heading that way into the canyon

Becca less than halfway up the 41 steps

The trestle from further up canyon

Running from lower right to upper left center:  a riparian woodland

Deeper into the canyon

Leader of the pack

It was wonderfully cool this morning

A steep drop to the bottom where the creek runs

Becca is always happy to get out into the wild

The forest service really needs to put a railing here

The creek below

This spot is at the base of Bridal Veil Falls where we were yesterday

A tangled web we weave

The flora is pretty dense where there is life-giving water

Headed back

A riparian ("river-bank") woodland owes its existence to the creek

Dr. K taking a photo of yellow flowers

Becca at the trestle

Salado Canyon Trestle

Sign at the trestle

Perennial stream

The underside of the trestle

Interesting info

The stream descends from on high

Not surprisingly the water attracts desert wildlife