|
This story starts in the
thriving truck-stop town of Crescent Junction, were prairie
dogs and hibernating rattlesnake are the town’s local
residents. The truck stop and café form the heart of
Downtown and Main. A single artery from Interstate 70 keeps
the heart out of arrhythmia, and off of oxygen. Turn east
from Crescent Junction along the dissolving old highway and
the locals will think you’ve made a wrong turn. But as
long as the roads are dry or snow free, it is well worth a
January outing.
But if your out for viewing wintering eagles, soaring goldens
and low-gliding balds, then you’ve come to the right
place. Even though the sign on the interstate says “Eagles
on Highway”, that is more of a warning than an invitation.
To look, you need to travel
the old road, the abandoned highway with potholes the size
of third-world country debts. You need to go slow, watching
for washouts and jaywalking pronghorns. It isn’t a busy
road and you should look upon any other travelers with suspicion,
for they are doing the same to you.
But if your out after snow-white
ferruginous hawks or redtails turning lazy circles in cold
winter thermals, then you’ve come to the right place.
Even though the sign says “Ranch Exit” your closer
to becoming rich and famous than you are to the nearest ranch.
Between that ranch and the
next, there is a whole lot of open country. “Whole lot
of nothing” might best describe the place. But by going
slow and slipping past the faded Amtrak station (where the
train used to just slow down for disembarking passengers)
you’ll see the desert pockmarked with white-tailed prairie
dog burrows. A few may be out sunning themselves, warming
their tawny-colored coats. Of course, they and the desert
cottontails are two big reasons why the hawks and eagles are
circling above.
From an eagle’s perspective,
the Cisco Desert is a good place to hunt. Abundant prey, occasional
roadkill that makes for easy pickings, and plenty of good
visibility - the better to see your competitor with prey,
makes this area ideal. It is not uncommon to see several birds,
whether they are different aged eagles or several species,
fighting over a rabbit carcass while ravens and coyotes try
to hone in on the prize. The result is a free-for-all, where
the winner manages to cart away the trophy and attempt to
devour its meal with a minimum of interruptions.
Eventually, the old highway
reaches the “town” of Cisco. Here one is warmly
greeted by a sign, “This road does not go to Moab.”
In other words, take the other one. Once a thriving metropolis,
Cisco was the railway loading location for ranchers shipping
their cattle. Today, more burrowing owls than people inhabit
this hamlet. But the owls are gone, enjoying winter somewhere
more exotic.
A side-trip from Cisco leads
to the Colorado River, an anomaly after this long stretch
of desert. As the river gently slides along undulating over
cobble bars, one should scan the nearby cottonwood galleries
for images of roosting or perching bald eagles. These groves
attract immature and adult eagles; it is common to see a dozen
birds scattered throughout the trees. Resting or loafing,
these birds hunt both the river for fish and waterfowl or
move into the uplands where they too, “seize the prey”
dining upon rabbit and prairie dogs.
This story ends with the final leg home, back to Moab along
Highway 128. Ducks and geese dot the river and agricultural
fields, occasional prairie falcons perch on power poles and
bighorn sheep are known to frequent some of the river bottoms
within sight of the roadway. Total distance may be around
150 miles, but the majority of traffic you may encounter might
only be your neighbors. But for a wildlife excursion in the
heart of winter, this trip is a prescription to cure those
winter blues. |
|
