Eagle Hunt 2005!

Bald Eagle Hunt 2005

Skagit River & North Cascades National Park, WA

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Several years ago we happened upon a Bald Eagle Festival in Concrete, WA. Concrete? Yep, Concrete is one of those small towns that enjoyed its heyday when the Grand Coulee Dam was being constructed near Wenatchee, WA. Concrete wasn't always named Concrete. In fact, it used to be Cement! Somewhere along the way the residents wanted a more solid name. ;) Just kidding, they decided to merge two tiny towns--Cement and Baker into one more 'formidable' town which is now Concrete. It's definitely a small town, though. We followed the 'city center' sign from Hwy 20 to Concrete's 'rocking & rolling' downtown and after about 13 buildings, we'd experienced everything it had to offer. The neatest thing in Concrete's downtown is a giant wood Bear statue called "The Bear." It was carved in 1980 by a resident who came upon a giant Douglas Fir stump. It towers some 15' and stands guard over the 'crazy' city streets. Oh, Concrete is also known for one of its one-time residents, Tobias Wolff, who wrote an autobiography "This Boy's Life" that was eventually made into a DeNiro/Dicaprio movie in 1993.

If you're ever interested in visiting Concrete definitely visit sometime between mid-December to mid-February, as that is when the Bald Eagles swoop down from Alaska seeking out salmon feasts. That, indeed, is the reason why we decided to spend a few cold, rainy and overcast winter days along the banks of the Skagit River. If you want to experience the 'festival' side of the Bald Eagles, come enjoy the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival from 4-5 Feb 06. Don't forget to visit the Bald Eagle Interpretive Center and the Concrete High School Salmon Bake held annually during the festival on Saturday night. Great meal and the monies raised go to a great cause!

There are several Bald Eagles scattered about this photo. Three in the trees to the left and two on the gravel part in the bottom right. Sorry that I don't have more 'detailed' photos--I haven't been able to decide on a new SLR camera for a couple of years and until I can get my act together before I spend some $$$ I'm stuck with my very limited P&S. :(

We saw some 60 Bald Eagles during our couple day visit to the area. Awesome! Many of the eagles were perched in trees, more standing on gravel bars tearing apart salmon carcasses and even more were soaring high overhead. It was an incredible experience! What I learned during this outing is that the eagles have 'preferred' perch sites high in the trees. The juveniles will try to 'oust' the more mature birds from these perches but it usually doesn't last very long. We also saw lots of pintails ducks, great blue heron and other interesting birds. It was odd that the eagles didn't swoop down and attempt to 'dine' on these other birds they're known for 'enjoying'. We presume these eagles are 'so' focused on the salmon that they could care less for the other 'meals' just casually lingering around them. Speaking of meals for eagles...

Bunnies, bunnies, everywhere!

trkr really enjoyed feeding the 200+ bunnies living around the resort where we stayed.

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We stayed at Clark's Skagit River Resort. This is a little 'cabin' type operation that is smack dab between Rockport and Marblemount--about 10 miles East of Concrete. It's probably most known for its 100s of bunnies that reside around the resort but perhaps even more well known for its 91-year old owner Tootsie! She's a fireball. She runs the restaurant on the grounds "The Eatery" and has been featured in Sunset Magazine!!! She's known around these parts as the person who 'reopens' the Cascade Highway each spring after it's plowed--she crosses it first each year bearing her famous cinnamon rolls to the highway workers to pick up wine for her restaurant from a neat winery in Mazama--a town on the other side of the pass, north of Lake Chelan. If you ever get a chance to dine at The Eatery, be sure to try the squash soup. It's incredible! Her onion rings are great as is her chicken pot pie. Mmmm...mmmmmm!!! Also, ask Tootsie to tell you some stories about growing up in the area. It was so cool to hear about life back then from somebody who really experienced it. She told us all about how folks travelled up and down river--in some cases waiting for days until another 'river run' could take them further upstream. Eventually they used the flat deck ferries to cross the numerous rivers. One of these flat deck ferries is on display in a nearby park where my Bald Eagle Letterbox 'used' to be hidden. By the way, this letterbox is, indeed, missing and since we're soon departing the area, I've decided to retire it. I've noticed that several other letterboxes have 'appeared' in the area (although we weren't able to look for any of them) so this region no longer 'needs' my 'seed' letterbox.

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If you have kids in tow, be sure to check out the shelves of bread behind the restaurant specifically for the bunnies. Anybody can grab a loaf or two of bread and feed the bunnies. I found it a bit meditative in a way--quite relaxing!

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Each day we would explore the various 'viewing' spots along the bends of the Skagit River. However, yesterday we drove further Northeast toward North Cascades National Park. We knew we were heading 'away' from the eagles as they had started to head further down river in search of the salmon. Nonetheless, we trekked out to Newhalem to enjoy a hike along the Skagit and to check out the beautiful gorge further up river. What a delight! It was overcast and a bit warm for the time of the year. The snows were melting causing the river to swell much sooner than usual. The Skagit's waters were rushing quite quickly discouraging the eagles from lingering around the area--instead they went downriver in search of less 'difficult' hunting grounds. We enjoyed a hike along the river and even saw several Bald Eagles on this outing--a few flying overhead and several more perched in their 'prized' perching branches.

Gorge Overlook at Ross Lake

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Where did God find the colors for this water??? Incredible!!!

Waterfall at Ross Lake Gorge

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I took this photo from atop a really scary bridge. The type of bridge where you can't breathe at all and your heart pounds triple time while you're negotiating the 'see through' steel mesh on the walkway. It swayed as vehicles drove over it and the thunderous noise from the rushing waterfall seemed to cause a vibration in the bridge, too. Exhilerating and scary for those with a fears of heights. Yep, I'm one of 'em, too. I just sort of 'deal with it' as I don't want to miss out on the experience and the natural beauty of the area. Standing over the one I-beam along the bridge and grasping a perfect death grip on the railing seems to be my preferred way of dealing with it. ;)

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I remember reading a display at the NP Visitor's Center that talked about how North Cascades NP has many all-year waterfalls that are fed by springs and natural collections of water. What I wonder now is if the park itself is named after these waterfalls and not just the Cascade mountain range like I had presumed. I guess I have more investigative work in store for me for this area. ;)

rnrB & trkr enjoy playing in an old 'Thuja plicata' at North Cascades NP, Newhalem, WA

Looking 'up' the gorge at Ross Lake

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Again, I love the brilliant colors in this view. The bright green of the moss on the boulder in the foreground and then the deep dark evergreen of the trees to the rear. Always love clouds or mist that is 'below' me (must be a swimmer thing) and snowcapped peaks above. Just seemed to add 'depth' to the image.

It turned out to be a great trip!

Happy New Year everybody!

dvn2r ckr