| |
| Fenton Lake State Park, NM | |
|
| | Fenton Lake State Park, NM | | | |
|
|
Fenton Lake State Park, NM
| | |
|
| Fishing | 0.25 Miles |
20 AEG |
| | Fishing | 0.25 Miles | | | |
| 20 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | My destination after the Enchanted Circle. Months ago I had made just a few campground reservations and was going to wing the rest. This was one I reserved for 2 nights, because it's a busy place. I normally don't do developed campgrounds that much, but in unfamiliar territory, I tend to gravitate towards the known. Didn't want to take the time to try to find a spot every single night since I was never in one spot too long except for a base camp at Bandolier. And...I wanted to do some fishing. 
When I do reserve developed spots, I'm picky if I can be. As isolated as I can get really. And boy, did I pick one this time. Best site in the whole campground. I was kind of on a little land peninsula all by myself and even though the road wrapped around me, no one ever drove it except the Park staff.
It was a wildlife/bird extravaganza. The creek below Fenton Lake Dam meandered through a large long meadow and it meandered within 50 feet of my camp. So, close to the trees and the birds loved it and they adored my camp. It didn't seem to matter if I was sitting there or not, they would come in and do their thing. Catching bugs, rooting in the dirt, and...checking out my equipment. I dubbed one male Black-headed Grosbeak the Camp Inspector, because he was around a lot and checked out every piece of gear I had out, including the camera bag. There were times, he'd come within 5' of me and didn't care. I think he had a nest nearby, because I spotted a bedraggled female later. 
I arrived way after dark the night before and when I got up in the morning everybody was there to greet me. The Grosbeaks, Towhees, Flycatchers, Tanangers, Sparrows, Bluebirds, Warblers and let's not forget the mammals, Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks. Later in the day, the list got bigger with Jays, Herons and Mule Deer. And that was just at camp. The Lake itself had some fun ones too. I had planned on getting an early start on the fishing, but damn, it was really hard to put the camera down and get out of camp. It bordered on insane and almost overwhelming. And none of them really cared that I was there. They would get unusually close, almost all of them. I've not experienced much like it at all.
Finally got my gear and got to the Lake. By then it was almost late morning which doesn't bode well for fishing and certainly not for snagging a spot on the lake. And it was busy. Very popular place. I managed to find a spot and got a line wet. I stayed out for about 4 hours and got skunked on this day. Waited too late. But I enjoyed the Lake views and I was more than thoroughly entertained in my spot. Apparently I was sharing my spot with a den of Ground Squirrels. And Mom was teaching her 4 babies that people are good and bring packs and there's yummy stuff around people and packs. Those kids were all over me and my stuff. I had to keep everything stowed away and zipped up, because sooner or later, they were going to score something if I didn't. They were running over my feet and one tried to jump in my lap. It was nuts. A Beaver swam across the lake. And then a Robin decided to take a bath right next to me, I got video of that, and a mother Mallard decided to swim by and show off her babies as well. When I finally gave up on the fishing for the day, the show started right back over again in camp. When I went through the photos I took that day, I ended up culling a LOT and still ended up with over 150. What an incredibly fun day this was.
The next day, I would do a Hike (Separate triplog), check out of the campground and do a little more fishing before moving on to my next destinations. What a sweet place this was.
It took a lot of self control to get this down to 29 photos. Doesn't even begin to represent this day. But 95% of the photos taken from camp were literally from my camp recliner.
The Joy of Birds and Water [ youtube video ]
The Ecstasy after a Bath [ youtube video ]
This Robin was close enough that the mic on my phone caught every bit of the sound too. |
|
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
|
|
  |
Rio Cebolla |
Light flow |
Light flow |
| | | At Fenton Lake State Park | | _____________________
| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
