Tour d’Joko 2012: Skagit River Eagles
I was so looking forward to today that when I woke up extremely early at around 5:30 AM, I didn’t even think about going back to sleep. Checked the internet (yup, still there), showered, cup o’ joe, and I was out the door in the complete darkness by 6:15 AM.
Why was I so excited? In part, it has to do with an odd scheduling practice at work. For three weeks or so, it’s great. My schedule is never the same from one week to the next. I work 3 or 4 days, then get 2 days off, work another 3 days, then 2 days off. But then comes the dreaded long run of working 12 out of 14 days in a row, with no consecutive days off… the switch from that burdensome stretch to the nice light one happened today. I was so looking forward to these days off….
Which, in my usual fashion, I celebrated by going on a Tour d’Joko and making a travel video. ‘
Back to the Upper Skagit River, a place I had been to in ‘09 and ‘10, but missed in ‘11 due to that no-car-no-license-life-in-complete-shambles thing I’m finally emerging out of.
I was going to see one thing in particular: the bald eagles.
I was also planning a 3 mile hike through a state park up in that neck of the woods. Apparently, Smokey the Bear needed a weekend off to or something. Budget cuts? I have no idea.
SEE THE SCENIC BACK ALLEYS OF CONCRETE, WASHINGTON!
CATCH THE GRIPPING “JOKO MAKES A 5-POINT TURN TO GET OUT OF A GATED DRIVEWAY” SCENE!
MARVEL AT THE PROGRESSIVE BLUE-STATE GRAFFITTI ON THE WALLS OF A ROADSIDE POT-O-POTTY!!
I found my hike. A PATH!! A PATH!!
I found my eagles. Mostly mottle-headed juvenile eagles though.
I had a good day.
Gosh… Where to go tomorrow?
Tour d’Joko…well I for one look forwards to many a Tour d’Joko in the future love it J…:)
Concrete Washington…?
OMG your serious…
Word of caution…don’t look upwards when looking for Eagles without yer goggles on…ewwww….
Trial Head…hmmm as opposed to the trail arse….
You saw the one because he “WAS THE ONE”…..YA HEAR ME kEANU…OHHH CRAP…. NOT Keanu….again 😯
Duable Concrete coating but not concrete ..huh …what ?
Concrete where…what …ohhhh crap
..,,,
Devils what……….uhhh ohhh could the next Tour De Joko be here ????????
Devils….Eagles….Concrete……this place has it all J
Except Keanu…..woe that I should even auggesat it get him as well…lol :groovy:
🙂
😉
This is kinda neat… if you go to the official “place page” on Facebook for the town of Concrete, apparently the place has only been mentioned once, ever, on Facebook… by me tonight!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Concrete-Washington/108144359209362?sk=info
Another great video, Joko. It’s so cool to sit and watch birds of prey as they go about their day.
The bald eagles show up in northern Nevada every calving season for the gross, but highly nutritious, delicacy of the afterbirths. They’ve also started to come back around to Lake Mead to hang out during the winter instead of continuing further south. The Lake Mead count the first week of this month was 161. Even though the Lake is hardly a perfect place for bald eagles throughout the year, one pair from last year’s migration decided to stay and successfully nested in Black Canyon for the first time ever. We’re hoping that it wasn’t a fluke and that they have taken permanent residence.
Thanks for the tour. I am so glad the Eagles are coming back.
awww no beaky buzzard 😥
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jan/17/visiting-eagles-frolic/