High-desert Wonderland

EF 28-70mm @ 28mm; f/16 @ 1/40 sec, ISO 160

At the northwestern corner of North America's continental basin and range country is a remote valley, Catlow Valley. It is a tectonic depression, bounded on the east and west by high, uplifted fault-block mountains—Hart Mountain to the west and Steens Mountain to the east. The nearly flat topography is perfect habitat for high-desert animal species. Among the large mammals found here are pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and wild horses. Under cloudy skies lit by afternoon sun, Flook Lake Road appears to extend unimpeded forever across Catlow Valley.