Luxe Beat Magazine Special Edition Put a Pin in It! | Page 52

that care to make themselves visible.
Meanwhile, Nobles will regale you
with interesting facts and a
collection of colorful tales. Never
one to shy away from a controversial
subject, he will also inject his
personal and passionate opinions
about the politics of the wild horse
management situation and various
environmental issues.
When the horses are spotted, there’s
palpable excitement from the group.
Nobles tells us that the herd is
a mix of different breeds, from
thoroughbreds and quarter horses to
Morgans and Curly horses. We keep
our distance, not wanting to spook
them, as we take ample opportunity
of this marvelous Kodak moment.
Later, we spy a pair of old bachelor
stallions making their way down to
a watering hole. And then there’s
another group on a nearby hillside,
which Nobles explains is actually
comprised of several small clusters,

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each consisting of a stallion and his
mares. Towards the latter part of
our excursion, we come across a
grouping adjacent to the road.
A few of the horses surround a small
colt that is lying on the ground,
protecting her as elephants do with
their young. They part and move on
to graze, and we get a full look at
the little one before it rises in
ungainly fashion and scampers off
to join the others.
At Killpecker Sand Dunes, we marvel
at one of nature’s largest sand
boxes. Created via a combination of
volcanic action and subsequent wind
erosion, the dunes can reach heights
of over 100 feet and run for over
100 miles from west to east. They
are traveling sand dunes, constantly
on the move, which gives the
vegetation in this environment a real
challenge. For recreation-seekers,
the dunes provide a soft terrain
suitable for a myriad of activities
such as hiking, sand surfing or an

unforgettable match of beach
volleyball. If you’re lucky, you might
spot the herd of rare desert elk that
roams across this unique landscape.
Nobles also includes a stop at the
White Mountain Petroglyphs during
our daylong tour. It’s an opportunity
to see ancient artwork carved by the
ancestors of present Plains and
Great Basin Native Americans. The
petroglyphs, of which there are
hundreds, include drawings of elk,
buffalo, horses, teepees and human
figures. Many date to early times,
about 200 years ago; others appear
to be older and are estimated to be
as much as 1,000 years old. Nobles

shows us a particular section of
the rock with marks that appear to
be hand holds. He notes a possible
explanation for these indentations,
telling us that Native American
women might have created them
during the childbirth process.
Another major highlight of
Sweetwater County is Flaming
Gorge. To get there, take the
Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway, one
of the most scenic routes in the
country. The drive traverses a wide
variety of dramatic landscapes from
the high desert plains to the upper
elevations of the Uinta Mountains.
It encircles the 91-mile-long Lake