Grizzly Island
After stopping for breakfast in Walnut Creek, we set off north on 680 to cross the Benicia Bridge. It always amuses us when we cross this bridge as our GPS doesn’t show the new bridge and there, on the screen, is our car in the middle of the Carquinez Straits! And there’s Molly (yes, we’ve named our GPS) yelling, “recalculating, recalculating”. North of the bridge we take the road towards Fairfield and pass the mothball fleet rusting away in Suisun Bay.
At the end of 680 we join 80 for a few miles before turning right onto Highway 12 towards Suisun City. Another few miles brings us to the turn off to Grizzly Island on Grizzly island Road. We pass a few new houses and, before we know it, we are out in the boonies. Suddenly we were surrounded by open land, a few hills and lots of water.
The drive to the entrance of the wildlife area is about 10 miles. On the way we passed a boat launch, crossed over a high, flimsy looking bridge with very low guard rails and then a public fishing pier. There were already quite a few people fishing.
At 8 a.m. we arrive at the Wildlife HQ where you have to register. At the weekends it is not manned but there is a little kiosk where you fill in your details, tear off the bottom to keep with you and envelopes to deposit your fee – $2.50 per person. Outside there is a post in which you put the envelope.
It is a nice sunny day, a bit hazy but with quite a wind. The temperature is 66 degrees. For about the last 10 days we have suffered some really hot weather so this is far more pleasant – apart from the wind of course.
Yesterday I printed a map of Grizzly Island so, armed with that, we set off to drive into the refuge. The area is the largest area of wetlands in California. As we drive away from the headquarters, we were warned that the pavement would be ending and soon we were driving very slowly along a gravel road. Several cars passed us plus a large truck and then, coming from the other direction, a tanker. Why did we bother to get the car cleaned yesterday!
Our purpose is go on a hike. Tom is keen to take photos and I’m on the lookout for wildlife. There are elk roaming wild here and we may spot some if we are lucky.
On the right hand side of the road is a canal and I spot a river otter swimming in the water. I wanted to stop but it wasn’t safe to do so. We drove on to the nearest car park, which happened to be Lot 3. I rushed across the road but I didn’t see the otter again. I would have loved to have got a picture of it.
We decide to leave the car in this car park and headed off with all our equipment. Me with notebook, pen,
camera and binoculars and Tom with his camera and tripod. A couple of guys returned to the car park carrying bows and arrows. I wonder what they have been shooting. Maybe they’ve just been practicing. I know they do close the area at certain times of the year to allow hunting. Later on this month and during all of August there will be elk hunting. Only a limited number of people are issued hunting tags and everything is strictly controlled. There is also wildfowl, pheasant, dove, wild hog and rabbit hunting. Hunting with falcons is also permitted.
To get to the trails we cross a low, narrow wooden bridge and could either turn right or left on the canal levee or head straight ahead towards Howard Slough. We chose to strike off across land.
The path is flat but uneven. It is covered in ankle high rough grass, rank weeds and wildflowers. In winter and after rain the paths can be really muddy so whatever the time of the year, it is best to wear sensible shoes or, better still, hiking boots. There are quite a few hidden potholes and Tom managed to find three of them.
We saw a low flying harrier looking for his breakfast and further along the path a killdeer was flying around and making a hell of a racket but that was about the only wildlife we saw. It was good to walk out in the fresh air with nobody else in sight at all.
To our left was a dried up overflow slough and in several places there are crossing tracks made by large animals – elk? wild hogs?
We reach Howard Slough and walk to the Del Aqua Ditch. There we saw quite a few dead and bloated fish. It reminded us of the dead anchovies at Pillar Point Harbor but there was no friendly fisherman to tell us what had happened to the fish here.
After spending a happy couple of hours exploring Grizzly Isand, we head back to the car. We are now heading to Brentwood and their annual Corn Fest.
July 17 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
