On the rodeo road @rodeoroadfortheweekend - Tumblr Blog

leggsandbacon

all-the-horses

Frenchmans Knight

Frenchmans Biankus x Nita Knight

Quarter Horse, Gelding

Born 2007

enbyequestrian

ponyblues

Gorgeous photo of my boy and I last year by my perfect girlfriend.

ratherbesliding

TRV Photography

all-the-horses

Mango Margarita

Chocolate Chic Olena x Dunnitinthebuff

Quarter Horse, Mare

Born 2011

expressions-of-nature

fieldandforest

WATERSPRITE LAKE

It was a crisp morning in late September, the faint promise of discovery in the air. We were several miles deep on dusty mountain roads, but we weren’t exactly sure where we were going. We heard there was a new trailhead up to Watersprite Lake, but the trail was maybe about 75% complete and info was scarce. The roads were unnamed, forks unmarked. We pushed on and on further into the coast mountains, and suddenly, unexpectedly, we were there. Turns out the lack of info wasn’t without reason: the new trailhead was really easy to find. Well then. This would be an easy adventure after all.

It’s a beautiful hike, the first few kilometres meandering through open cutblocks with some some really nice views across the valley, layers of distant mountains receding into the hazy distance. The berry bushes were flush with fruit, their leaves turning red in the early autumn chill. But it was Watersprite itself that was the most special, a little lake with an almost fairytale feel. You crest a final rise and come upon it suddenly — fully realized and remarkably picturesque. A stunning bright turquoise, the lake perfectly frames the near-vertical Watersprite Spire like a portal to another world.

We hung out until evening, not quite willing to admit how long the trail back was. The sun set while we were about half way back, rays cascading through the valleys. Minutes later it grew dusky, then slowly dark. By the time we made it to the car it was inky black, our flashlights only illuminating a few rocky feet of in front of us. We scraped the mud from our boots and settled in to the warm seats, exhausted and satisfied.

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Emanuel Smedbøl is a Vancouver-based designer, photographer, and co-founder of the adventure blog Field & Forest. You can find more of his work on his website, tumblr, or instagram @emanuelsmedbol