Nice pic!
I hadn't known of this preserve. Looks pretty barren. Is it?

Tess

 

Service

I drove up early Sat morning and made camp at the Crossing, called thus due to the stream that has to be crossed at the entrance to the camp (1st photo). The camp had flush toilets and a large shelter with tables and a fire pit. I spent the day with 30+ other volunteers helping clear out a devastating invasive species, the Tamarisk. We cut and sprayed Tamarisk which grew close to the stream and I learnt quickly to keep out of the way of yucca plants. At one point I thought I heard a weed-wacker but my work buddy, a 72-year-old "rock art" guide, quickly set me straight. That was my only encounter with a rattlesnake but we saw many gopher snakes.

 

Exploration

The next day, the volunteers that stayed were given a guided tour. We stopped to spot a Golden Eagle and it's nest. Two ravens continually hassled the eagle when we were there, and a peregrine falcon hovered close by. We also tracked a herd of Tule Elk (from a far of course). According to the guide we had a good elk sighting day. We heard coyotes the night before, but did not encounter bobcats or mountain lions, which do inhabit the area.

 

Exploration

I also photographed a mule deer and her fawn. Most of the animals did not run off right away when we stopped but moved away if we got too close or watched too long. We also looked at wildflowers and an area of lush green wetlands. It rained which cut our tour short as the roads are not easily traveled when wet.

 

The End

It was too beautiful to leave. I will definitely plan to go back.
More photos, though most interesting are already here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferrum/sets/72057594141504834/

 

What a beautiful place!! I loved your pictures, thank you for sharing them with us!

 

Wow, that place looks so secluded and beautiful.

Great pictures!! I'll have to think about going up there one of these days.

 

Thanks for the comments. I apologize that I've moved the photos around several times. Here's one more, spot the elk(s).

 

oooohhhh!!! two words: ROAD TRIP

sweet pics!

 

Excellent pics! Never heard of that place before.

 

More photos

I just received more photos from others who were there and I just had to share these. One of the Sierra club guys took the photo of the elk herd with his super duper zoom lens camera. Puts my photos to shame.

 

WOW ! Great Photos Ferrum

I'm going to start hanging out with you and your SOP if that's OK . . . "Wind Wolves" sound much more interesting than the "Bed Mice" circus I'm forced to contend with at my house :wink:

"So Many Cats . . . So Few Recipes " - author unknown

 

This might be a good group meet. . . size of E group depending. . .

 

Box, maybe you could bring your "Bed Mice" cats to join the mountain lions and bobcats at Wind Wolves?

In terms of having a meet there, I'd love to return for any reason. But bear in mind it's a private preserve (I keep thinking of jam) and while they do open to the public, they impose their own rules as their primary purpose is conservation. There isn't much to do unless you enjoy hiking, animal watching or volunteering. Either that or you go there to be away from people, which would be counter to having an EOC meet. The night sky was fantastic, great for stargazing. I know that I would definitely return with a guide as they are the ones who knows where the good animal watching spots are, and they can open gates to restricted areas.

The area is prone to fires during the summer, even the volunteer program shuts down for those months. They had a funny story about how only diesel trucks are allowed during the dryer months. A geophysicist was out there doing work on several of the seismic monitoring equipment. The Federal government truck he used (was not a diesel-engine) started 2 fires and eventually blew up under the third fire!

 

Jimson Weed!

That white wildflower at the foot of the man with the hat (you, Wind Wolfer?) is Jimson weed, a very interesting plant. Indians used it for a hallucinogenic, but it can also be very deadly. The great artist of New Mexico, Georgia O'Keefe, painted this flower LARGE and beautifully!
I'm a native CA and I never heard of this preserve. Thanks for sharing this and adding all these pictures!

 

Thank's mojave19 for the name, Jimson weed. All I caught from the ranger was that it was hallucinogenic but deadly.

 

That place looks amazing! I'm a native californian and have never heard of it before. I guess that's a good thing since it looks so untouched. Thank you for sharing the photos.

 

Thanks for the comments. I apologize that I've moved the photos around several times. Here's one more, spot the elk(s).

Those aren't the antlers in the middle of the picture? :neutral:

 

Ha, ha. Nope, the elks are the tiny ant like dots in the background. There are 2 of them.

 

Spot the Elk

Thanks for the comments. I apologize that I've moved the photos around several times. Here's one more, spot the elk(s).

Are there 2?

 

Spotted Elks

Good job Colin!

 

Mystery Dot

Ok . . . but what is the Third dot that is bearing down on Mr. and Mrs. Elk ?

Could it be !!!! :???:

 

Hmmmm. I've seen that dog before. I am sure of it.
A real nuisance too.
Soley responsible for several massive buffalo stampedes at Yellowstone Park.
2 campgrounds and a half dozen large travel trailers were wiped out in the process.
Total carnage.
Have the authorities been notified of this latest sighting?

 

Good job Colin!

Thank you. Thank you very much. :-D

 

I love the EOC!

Only a nutty bunch like us can make 2 (maybe 3) dots in a nature photo so much fun.
That photo of the -unnamed- terror of nature is so frightening, I can hear the pounding on the ground and my heart quickens ...