Sage Flats

The Custer has vast sage flats along with Ponderosa and Juniper forests.

Drove as far as I could on the 2-track, parked.

Trying to go to sleep while its light out.

Walked down to the transect next morning in the dark.

It bugs me that I have to walk in the dark, because I’m scared of bears and lions. Some people backpack in to transects the evening before; then they can sleep in until 4:45. But I prefer sleeping in the car.

The car is in the forest on that ridge. Try to remember to GPS mark the car before I leave each morning… if I don’t make it back, that’s because I forgot to mark the car.

A sage bush makes a perfect house for a bird.

Brewer’s Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, Lark Buntings, Common Nighthawks all live and build nests in sage.

Smells good!

Sago Lilly

You can barely see the snowcaped Rockies on the horizon.