A Fall Morning Paddle

In the fall, the mornings began with cooler temperatures as the sleepy sun slowly rose in the east. This type of morning always makes it difficult to get out of bed with tired shoulders complaining of the physical work of the summer past. Then I remembered what mornings are like this time of year on Sparks Lake, and so I rolled out of bed into the shower. I arrived at Sparks with a comfortable number of Wanderlust Tour guests in my van, just as the fog slowly began to slink off of the lake. The water was smooth as glass mirroring the hills full of trees, causing them to walk upside down over the undisturbed lake surface. I unloaded the kayaks quickly- not making any attempts to hide my excitement!

Once all were comfortably situated in kayaks we made our way out to the deeper part of the lake toward the ancient submerged stream channel. Paddling the cool morning water we heard something from above our heads; looking up, I gasped out a quick direction for the others to quickly shift their gaze toward the source of the sound. Large, silky wings followed their elongated necks, the three Sandhill Cranes flap there way far over our heads. They are magnificent birds to behold. Sandhill Cranes, Grus Canadensis, are very large birds averaging 8-10 lbs with an average 6 foot wing span! They are tall gray birds with red crowns, which live in open grasslands, meadows, and wetland areas. Spark’s meadow is a perfect match for these birds. They have been coming to Sparks’s meadow for many years for their summer migratory life. They are rarely seen however, while paddling the Lake. This summer was a treat to see them a number of times in the mornings and late evenings.

The guests I was with were just as excited as I to see these magnificent birds. We watched them fly from the southern basalt crags of Sparks Lake all the way north to the lush meadow where they landed leaving us with smiles and wide eyes. Continuing our paddle on the serene lake, we saw a brace of Common Mergansers run across the water, an Osprey circling above- waiting for the right moment to dive for a fish and an Eagle perched on the branch of a Subalpine Fir tree. Yet, the quiet moment with the Sandhill Cranes was the crown atop that peaceful fall morning on Sparks Lake.