Monday, January 1, 2018
Dec 31 - Bring in the New Year!
2017 was full of wonderful adventures but its time to close that book and open a new one for 2018 at
https://jeanetteklodzen2018@blogspot.com
Dec 31 - Junction Trail (Antelope Island)
Last day of 2017 - wow, it went fast!!
But it's a great day to end the new year - sunny, crisp, air is clean and temperatures are in the low 30s!! Perfect day for a hike!
Heading to Antelope Island for one last 2017 hike!
Sunny and still in the upper 20s when I start crossing the causeway. I see one Kestrel as I cross this morning. And it's pretty frozen looking out there.
I head south towards the Ranch as normal and the animals are still hard to find. I see one small herd of bison near the Frary Homestead Trail and a larger herd near Mushroom Springs on the Sentry Trail. Both herds have stayed in the same location for the last two weeks. (No porcupines sightings.)
I turn around at the Ranch and head back north -- I'm going to hike the Junction Trail today. It's actually the lower part of the longer White Rock trail and just follows White Rock Bay south and then up to the ridge where Elephant Rock is. The trail is 1.8 miles with 600 ft of elevation change one-way. I've been on this trail many, many times as part of the White Rock Trail loop. However, only up to the ridge twice before - once to complete the Elephant Rock trail and the other for the Split Rock Trail.
On the way north from the Ranch, I'm past Frary Peak and nearing the first water bin when I see Pronghorn!! A large herd of them in the distance. (Definitely hard to see but many are up and feeding.) Love finding these guys!
Continuing on, I head over to the White Rock parking lot and start up the trail.
There are several bison far to the south and east of me in two small herds - the nearer one has 4 animals and the farther one -- maybe 10.
Wonderful walking this morning
and soon I'm around the other side of the hill and entering White Rock meadow.
In the meadow is a lone bison not far from the trail and 4 a little farther in the distance.
As I continue walking, I see something running towards the bison -- it's a coyote!
Not sure why he's heading towards the bison - perhaps his den is in the nearby sagebrush. But the coyote soon disappears.
I continue along the trail passing the lone bison (hey, there's another bison laying in the sagebrush)
and continuing
until I reach the start of hill to the ridge (this is where majority of the elevation is gained).
I start up. The trail is frozen dirt below but gets icy the remainder of the way. The views are wonderful.
To the southeast down across White Rock Bay to Bison Point (with Elephant Point to the far left)
And to the northeast with Dooley Knob to the right, the Wasatch Mts in the distance and the White Rock trail cutting through the meadow.
On the way up, I see another bison laying in the sagebrush with the other two. And there are 4 other bison down east of the trail behind some sagebrush! Looks like they are laying down now.
Soon I'm on the ridge and I walk over to get a better view of the west side of the island and down to the meadow on the other side of Elephant Rock. Wonderful!
Time to head back down the icy hill. As I head down, those 4 bison are up and moving north.
When I get down to the bottom of the hill, those 4 bison are harder to see but occasionally I see a dark brown bump moving behind the sagebrush. I keep moving wondering if and when they will pop out of the sagebrush on my side of the trail.
I don't have to wait long, here they come!
Exciting and a bit nerve-wrecking because they aren't that far away and we're moving almost parallel to each other. Just hoping they don't get closer.
Soon 5 people coming the other direction pass me. Those folks must have spooked the bison because they run back to the other side of the sagebrush out of view.
I'm coming to the end of the sagebrush wondering if the bison are still moving south! Answer - yes! They are still parallel with me. They make a short run and then stop. The lead animal (and one other) start rolling in the dirt. Then the lead animal gets up and starts bouncing in the air -- like a Springbok!! Cute but I think this is a warning to me that they don't like my presence. OK, I'm not moving until they get where ever they are going -- which I think is to meet up with those other 3 bison ahead.
While waiting, I see another person coming down the trail towards me. He's got to be spooked as those 4 bison start running north again (towards the guy) but then cross the trail and meet up with the other 3 bison. There's some head butting and some wallowing when they meet but then things calm down.
Whew! I can now safely move past (as well as the other guy). Yea!!
Finally, I'm back at my car and driving towards the Visitors Center. Along the way I see another coyote moving through the grasses. I stop to watch -- he's definitely hunting as he keeps changing directions.
Awesome day and a great way to end 2017!!
But it's a great day to end the new year - sunny, crisp, air is clean and temperatures are in the low 30s!! Perfect day for a hike!
Heading to Antelope Island for one last 2017 hike!
Sunny and still in the upper 20s when I start crossing the causeway. I see one Kestrel as I cross this morning. And it's pretty frozen looking out there.
I head south towards the Ranch as normal and the animals are still hard to find. I see one small herd of bison near the Frary Homestead Trail and a larger herd near Mushroom Springs on the Sentry Trail. Both herds have stayed in the same location for the last two weeks. (No porcupines sightings.)
I turn around at the Ranch and head back north -- I'm going to hike the Junction Trail today. It's actually the lower part of the longer White Rock trail and just follows White Rock Bay south and then up to the ridge where Elephant Rock is. The trail is 1.8 miles with 600 ft of elevation change one-way. I've been on this trail many, many times as part of the White Rock Trail loop. However, only up to the ridge twice before - once to complete the Elephant Rock trail and the other for the Split Rock Trail.
On the way north from the Ranch, I'm past Frary Peak and nearing the first water bin when I see Pronghorn!! A large herd of them in the distance. (Definitely hard to see but many are up and feeding.) Love finding these guys!
Continuing on, I head over to the White Rock parking lot and start up the trail.
There are several bison far to the south and east of me in two small herds - the nearer one has 4 animals and the farther one -- maybe 10.
Wonderful walking this morning
and soon I'm around the other side of the hill and entering White Rock meadow.
In the meadow is a lone bison not far from the trail and 4 a little farther in the distance.
As I continue walking, I see something running towards the bison -- it's a coyote!
Not sure why he's heading towards the bison - perhaps his den is in the nearby sagebrush. But the coyote soon disappears.
I continue along the trail passing the lone bison (hey, there's another bison laying in the sagebrush)
and continuing
until I reach the start of hill to the ridge (this is where majority of the elevation is gained).
I start up. The trail is frozen dirt below but gets icy the remainder of the way. The views are wonderful.
To the southeast down across White Rock Bay to Bison Point (with Elephant Point to the far left)
And to the northeast with Dooley Knob to the right, the Wasatch Mts in the distance and the White Rock trail cutting through the meadow.
On the way up, I see another bison laying in the sagebrush with the other two. And there are 4 other bison down east of the trail behind some sagebrush! Looks like they are laying down now.
Soon I'm on the ridge and I walk over to get a better view of the west side of the island and down to the meadow on the other side of Elephant Rock. Wonderful!
Time to head back down the icy hill. As I head down, those 4 bison are up and moving north.
When I get down to the bottom of the hill, those 4 bison are harder to see but occasionally I see a dark brown bump moving behind the sagebrush. I keep moving wondering if and when they will pop out of the sagebrush on my side of the trail.
I don't have to wait long, here they come!
Exciting and a bit nerve-wrecking because they aren't that far away and we're moving almost parallel to each other. Just hoping they don't get closer.
Soon 5 people coming the other direction pass me. Those folks must have spooked the bison because they run back to the other side of the sagebrush out of view.
I'm coming to the end of the sagebrush wondering if the bison are still moving south! Answer - yes! They are still parallel with me. They make a short run and then stop. The lead animal (and one other) start rolling in the dirt. Then the lead animal gets up and starts bouncing in the air -- like a Springbok!! Cute but I think this is a warning to me that they don't like my presence. OK, I'm not moving until they get where ever they are going -- which I think is to meet up with those other 3 bison ahead.
While waiting, I see another person coming down the trail towards me. He's got to be spooked as those 4 bison start running north again (towards the guy) but then cross the trail and meet up with the other 3 bison. There's some head butting and some wallowing when they meet but then things calm down.
Whew! I can now safely move past (as well as the other guy). Yea!!
Finally, I'm back at my car and driving towards the Visitors Center. Along the way I see another coyote moving through the grasses. I stop to watch -- he's definitely hunting as he keeps changing directions.
Awesome day and a great way to end 2017!!
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