An encounter with wild mustangs during a rugged trip on BLM lands

The Traveler: Ray Colby of Robbinsdale.

The scene: Mustangs, wild horses of the American West, drank from a spring in west-central Utah's Sinbad Canyon.

A wild trip: Colby and his friends have taken several trips to Bureau of Land Management lands in the West and Southwest. "There are places all over those areas where you can camp for free — they are public lands. But there are no amenities, it is wild and camping crude ... but we love it," Colby wrote in an e-mail. Heading to Sinbad Canyon, he and friends "came across these rarely seen wild mustangs. I was less than 100 feet away — they were drinking at a bubbling spring. I slowly crept up and sat on a rock." He and the horses watched each other for 15 minutes before the animals sauntered away, he wrote.

Trip tip: Interested in checking out BLM lands? You need to understand what you are getting into, says Colby. There are no toilets or showers and no cellphone service. He recommends traveling in groups and taking more than one vehicle, in case one breaks down. "Bring a compass and purchase BLM maps; they are very detailed," he wrote, adding that travelers should do advance research and bring their own food, water and first-aid kit.

more viewfinders: See more reader travel photos at startribune.com/viewfinders.