Back in the scorching days of summer, when the afternoons reached 105 degrees (instead of the current, cool, low 90’s), our team ventured out on an overnight trip to Sand Mountain. We made several seed and voucher collections to the west of this “mountain”, then drove across winding, sandy roads around to the northeast. By this time it was noon, and after pulling my lunch from the cooler of rapidly melting ice, I pulled open the truck door and scrunched myself into the small shadow it cast. I fondly recalled winters in Wisconsin.

We continued our trajectory on foot, the road being too laden with deep sand for safe driving. Dousing ourselves in water to stay cool, we set out, and ten minutes later we were completely dry. Our team of four split up to cover more ground, and soon radioed back to each other with promising sights of seed-laden plants.

By quitting time we had a dozen bags of seeds, labeled and safely tucked away. Though by this time it was well into the evening hours, the sun was still glaring at us from above the mountains, and the heat did not seem to lessen. We drove back along the road, found a simple but flat camping spot, and set up our tents. Well, two of us set up our tents, and this we soon regretted. Those dark clouds moving in from the southeast (that we had hoped and hoped would cover the sun while we’d been working) were brought by a strong, strong wind storm. And windy it did get. So windy that one tent was soon flattened like a crepe (flatter than a pancake, you see), and the other survived only by a desperate and constant support from the inside.

The next 30 minutes passed slowly…

All of a sudden the wind died down, and, crawling out from our shelters, we saw the clouds turn bright salmon-pink from the setting sun (amplified by the massive amount of dust and wildfire smoke in the air). A bright rainbow appeared, and a second faint one next to it. A calm settled in, and the whole day seemed worth it.

orps

Carson City, NV BLM

(I would have posted pictures, but they would not load!)