Lone Jack CA

The way to lonejack starts on 435 E at state line, merges onto 470, hwy50 and then 'left at the shamrock station'
The drive usually takes me 20-30min and is not too exciting. This morning, however, this was not the case. as I was driving over the Blue river on 435 I encountered a great wall of the thickest fog. When I left my home and until this point there was even little evidence of any clouds! The vehicles exiting the blob all had their lights on and seemed to pop out of it. I drove into the blob and remained in the blob through my stay at lone jack. At times visibility was just a few hundred feet and cars and bends in the road were invisible until this point.

Upon steping onto Lone Jack, I knew that the trip was a waste for any hunting I was hoping to do. I left the gun in the car and enjoyed the morning for what it was. The air was moist and cold; a thin layer of ice had formed on the front of my truck from the drive. The ground was coated in a thick frost and patches of slick snow and ice layered those parts of the ground that had got the least amount of direct sunlight over the past few warm days. The lake was frozen and the dead trees that disrupt its surface were only grey and hazy silouhettes in the fog. The air was still with the exception of an occasional light breese that lasted for only a moment. The fog suppressed all sound of traffic and city, and Lone Jack was completely silent but for the songs of birds and the scream of the neighbors cattle. I walked through a few thickets of dogwood, summac and rose and tried to take photos of the numerous shy songbirds that ate the bittersweet from the thickets. On the edge of a confield, where the harvested crop met the thickets, I found creatures like mocking birds, chickadees, cardinals and lots and lots of juncos and sparrows. The birds stayed far enough to make a decent exposure in the fog difficult and impossible.

A briar (maybe grape?) was some of the best colour on the property! Bittersweet and rose hips were even better, though they could be harder to find.

By the time I left the area and made my way into leessummit the fog began to lift and when I reached past the blue river the clear sky dominated. Were expecting snow tomorrow, up to 6in. is what i am told, and I look forward to exploring many areas in white. Happy Holidays!!!