If you want silence and solace, don’t go to Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge just half an hour west of Salem. It’s a resting area for Canada geese, and they are some majorly cacophonous squawkers.
That’s actually what I love about them. I love that when I am jogging around my neighborhood, the sound of geese flying above sometimes drowns out the White Stripes on my Ipod shuffle. Theirs is plaintive cry of existence, and I would happily drive some miles out of town to hike to a lookout and hear their bleats muffled by space and landscape.
Baskett Slough offers just that — a quick hike to a knockout lookout area where the view stretches miles in all directions — across gorgeous Willamette Valley farmland and wetlands, to the mountains, and back to Salem. It’s a perfect afternoon trip from Salem requiring minimum effort and maximum solace of being out in the country.
The hike through the woods set on this grassy knoll behind the lookout is a nice contrast — the pleasures of seeing wildlife, especially woodpeckers and other curiously and endearingly noisy birds up close.
Generally, when I see a brown sign, my heart soars. But we were somewhat flummoxed by this sign at the refuge:
Any ideas on what it could be telling us? Walk in a square to find the information stand? Here’s where you were expecting to see the trailhead map? I think the message is that the trail you are entering makes a big circle, so have no fear of getting lost. Someone needs to grafitti a big smile on that bobble-headed figure’s face.
It might just be me, but I think this is actually a rare coupon for one free Greek orator. You should pick up that little stick figure pontificating at his podium before someone else beats you to it.
I’m sold. As long as he talks like no one’s listening.
It could be a notice that large mushrooms can be found in a nearby and encompassing porous membrane.
Thank you, Jeff. This is a very video-gamey-type signpost, no?