2021 05-05 Gray Lodge
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Our route to Gray Lodge took us north on Hwy 99, then west on Hwy 20 to West Butte Road so we could parallel the Sutter Buttes. We revisited the Old Long Bridge and photographed its multiple streaks of color left behind by storms acting upon ages of graffiti art. As we continued north towards Gray Lodge Suellen spotted a large flock of American white pelicans soaring in the distance. We drove to catch them and ended up down a dirt/gravel road in the middle of cultivated ag fields. With the blue sky and bright sun the pelicans looked like stars twinkling in the sky.
At Gray Lodge we signed the register and took the auto loop drive. The area was lush with greenery, but had very little water in the ponds and irrigation channels. All of the geese and ducks have migrated elsewhere for the coming hot summer weather. In addition to nice late spring wetlands scenery, our magic photo moment was capturing a solo northern raccoon as it left a nearly empty channel to avoid our prying eyes and headed for the bushes. It had a reddish neck and its fur was still quite wet. Nice to see!
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Read MoreOur route to Gray Lodge took us north on Hwy 99, then west on Hwy 20 to West Butte Road so we could parallel the Sutter Buttes. We revisited the Old Long Bridge and photographed its multiple streaks of color left behind by storms acting upon ages of graffiti art. As we continued north towards Gray Lodge Suellen spotted a large flock of American white pelicans soaring in the distance. We drove to catch them and ended up down a dirt/gravel road in the middle of cultivated ag fields. With the blue sky and bright sun the pelicans looked like stars twinkling in the sky.
At Gray Lodge we signed the register and took the auto loop drive. The area was lush with greenery, but had very little water in the ponds and irrigation channels. All of the geese and ducks have migrated elsewhere for the coming hot summer weather. In addition to nice late spring wetlands scenery, our magic photo moment was capturing a solo northern raccoon as it left a nearly empty channel to avoid our prying eyes and headed for the bushes. It had a reddish neck and its fur was still quite wet. Nice to see!
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