Day Two
We decided to get a somewhat early start today. It rained all night and rained hard, but the morning was beautiful. We left the hotel about 8:00am. The weather was mostly cloudy 67F WNW winds 4mph (gusts 10mph). There was a fog as sun tried to burn through.
Again our destination was the North Lookout, of course with a stop at the South Lookout. After the rain last night we had to be extra careful on the slippery rocks.
We reach South Lookout to see this view.
We continue our hike. Today we decide to take a different route, it is the express trail. This trail is shorter, but it is steeper.
We arrive at the North Lookout, the fog is heavy.
Eventually the sun burns through.
The vultures are the first to show up, then other raptors appear. My views for the day are:
2 Black Vultures
12 Turkey Vultures
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
2 Bald Eagles
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
2 Broad-winged Hawks
2 Red-tailed Hawks
1 Osprey
Turkey Vultures
Since we had to drive home today we decided to leave the North Lookout a bit earlier, with a stop at the South Lookout.
Day Two Counts
Before we left we stopped by to see Schaumboch’s Tavern. This tavern is the center of a mystery. Back in 1850 Matthias Schambacher became an innkeeper at the tavern. It is thought he murdered two dozen men over the course of his tenure. Legend has it he would get men drunk, take them to the barn, kill them with an axe, dump their bodies in a well and steal their belongings, including their horses. A grim story indeed.
We headed back home about 2:00pm. What a wonderful experience. The weather, although not the best for migrating raptors, it did make for wonderful views. Judy got to see and catch up with some of her old colleagues and we did get to witness the fascinating event of raptor migration.
