Castleton Ranch: Ohio Creek Road, Gunnison

I took this shot three years ago and whiffed. This is a little better.

rumored to be barren …

… but the landscape north of I-80 in northern Nevada isn’t. During spring the desert can be strikingly colorful. When August arrives, however, this will look … dusty and brown.

Holy Ghost: Leadville, Colorado

grass …

The Buffalo Gap National Grassland, the second largest in the United States, surrounds Badlands National Park in South Dakota. These views, in the easternmost section of the park, look north from Route 240, which runs through the park.

open range …

… on Route 93 south of Wells, Nevada.

Lake Abert …

… is the only saltwater lake in the Pacific Northwest. Perched in the high desert in south-central Oregon, Lake Abert may be dying.

isolation …

… perhaps, but for a few weeks in May, colorful isolation. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting images of the high desert in northern Nevada and south-central Oregon. I continue to be stunned by how colorful the desert can be — reds, violets, yellows, and whites surrounded by green. It’s a long drive, but so worth the time, effort, and energy. This image looks east from 1000 Creek Pass on Route 140 west of Denio Junction.

thirst …

… north of Winnemucca, Nevada, on Route 95.

is, and was …

… along Route 305 north of Austin, Nevada.

an observatory’s skylight …

Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, is one of my favorite places. I’ve been several times, thanks to my friend Dianna who lives nearby. I’ll let Wikipedia tell you about Yerkes rather than ramble on. But perhaps a few photographs I took might help …

long ago …

… off Route 395 north of Pendleton, Oregon.

death by geyser …

… in Yellowstone National Park.

siesta …

… for six bighorn sheep in Badlands National Park.

Mint Bar Neon – Sheridan, Wyoming

Reverse angle on the shot I posted a few days ago. Not sure which I like better.

Mint Bar, Sheridan, WY

unruly …

… along Route 359 in Montana, en route to Yellowstone National Park.

spring in the desert …

… along Route 140 west of Denio Junction, Nevada.

floral …

… in Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Buck

the queen and her court …

… along Route 50 east of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

just a hill …

… on Route 385 in Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.

storm …

… east of Eureka, Nevada, on Route 50, “the loneliest road in America.”