Fishhawk Lake Drive…an Elk Display!

While driving  home to Fishhawk Lake on Friday,  from Vernonia Realty (my part-time office), it was late afternoon and I was passing the farm on Fishhawk Rd. where my lovely horse, Summer is boarded just 2 miles down the road from my home on Fishhawk Lake. I slowed down because I saw her standing near the barn in the distance. When I usually stop and yell her name from up on the road, she raises her head and looks for me. (Of course it always makes me think how smart she is.)

ANYWAY, I look right past the barn, and VOILA–thirty seven elk all lazily eating the greenery that surrounded them! I just happened to have my camera (yea!!) so snapped a few shots. Most weren’t as clear and crisp as I prefer, but what the heck, at least the moment was one I could capture!

If you want your own close up view you can do it, too! About 17 miles past Fishhawk Lake is an elk reserve, Jewell Meadows Elk Reserve (link to follow) and every winter, there are scads of elk that come to “winter” there, because the ranger puts out hay for them every day til they head back out into the wilds.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/visitors/jewell_meadows_wildlife_area.asp

You can call and sign up to spend the morning with him on a haywagon as he hauls the daily rations of hay out to the Jewell Meadows Elk Reserve area where you can throw it out for the young and old elk and get pictures as they follow him. Most times, it’s difficult to just decide the night before that you’re going to do this. People sometimes sign up a year in advance and there is a “will call” list, just in case of bad weather and those who plan to come call and cancel. That’s how we got to go one frosty morning with some other Fishhawk Lake fulltimers. It was a balmy 10 degrees, but clear as could be (other than the fog from our breathing)!

Here are some of my shots that morning of December of 2008:

 

You can go to the link below for more details on how you can sign up to get that hayride at the Jewell Meadows Elk Reserve. One of the many pleasures of having a home at Fishhawk Lake!

Here’s a recent video of a fellow who got a chance to go to Jewell Meadows Elk Reserve on January of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx2PwtJxcps

Gayle Rich-Boxman
Broker, Vernonia Realty
Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club
“Your Gateway to the Lake!”
Direct: (503)755-2905
My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/
My blog: https://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/