when there is water where the wind blows…
Just a few images from my most recent hike along the Black Canyon Trail…with more to follow in another post….
This not-so-old watering hole was situated roughly three miles into the hike…the trail approached it from the right and continued toward the left…in the below photo.
It was a rather breezy morning and the air was filled with the sound of the cockeyed spinning and clicking of the blades.
When I passed-by again on the return trip a couple of hours later, it wasn’t moving at all…the glory of the morning light was gone, and with it, the continuous flow of winds that blew through the little funnel and curvature of land where the windmill was located.
I used to love those old wind mills and their sites were excellent for camping too, as long as we stayed far enough back from the water to let cattle and wildlife feel comfortable going to get a drink (usually about a quarter of a mile).
January 6, 2016 at 5:59 pm
I see roads leading to/from them occasionally on my hikes, but have no idea where they start in order to be able to drive to them, or nearby, anyway…I suppose I could Google-earth them to find out……
I’m sure they would be good camping locations…with the distances mentioned, though.
January 12, 2016 at 7:24 pm
Interesting to think that someone probably studied the landscape for a time to find the perfect spot where the wind was funneled through and blew hard enough to power a windmill.
January 7, 2016 at 3:23 am
That is an interesting thought, Allen…how long would one have to study such a thing before making the commitment…hmm…?
January 12, 2016 at 7:26 pm
These little windmills have fascinated me since childhood having seen them in the old cowboy films. Nothing like them in the UK although of course we now have wind turbines littering the countryside generating electricity. Not anywhere near as nice as these.
January 12, 2016 at 3:13 am
It’s funny to think that they’re still out there, too, Adrian, still pumping the water out on the range. 🙂
And yes, we have those turbines over here, as well…they can be rather ominous when out in the middle of nowhere, and probably irritating when in the wrong locations…like you said, littering the countryside. Even with the eyesore, they’re still a cleaner source of electricity than, say….coal. 😉
January 12, 2016 at 7:28 pm