Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge - 05-15-2020

[dmthomas49]

We were going to be in the Trout Lake area and decided to make a quick visit to Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge had not closed during the pandemic. But the bathrooms are not open. It was a mild, dry, partly cloudy day. I forget how quickly the forest changes here to more ponderosa pine. A very different landscape from even the White Salmon River Valley.

When we pulled into the small parking lot there were about 8 other vehicles, all Suburu Crosstrek, Outback, Foresters and a sprinkling of Honda CRVs. I guessed that it was an older group. Sure enough it was all old people, like us!
We first visited the old Whitcomb-Cole Log house. I can’t imagine living here with 5 kids.

The birds were not cooperating for me to take photos. I captured a Harrier and a red-winged blackbird. Otherwise there were not a lot of birds out.

The lake is more like a marsh as you cannot see standing water but more the grasses spread throughout.

Lots of flowers are blooming.

Found an old mailbox on the shortcut trail on the way back to the parking lot. Also a mushroom growing out of a stump.

Balsamroot flowers blooming in the open woods of the shortcut trail where previous fire has cleared the brush.

It was a short walk but good to get out and walk in the woods.