A Montana rock and many geese.

I decided to make Wednesdays my day for exploring the Willamette Valley. So today, I went out to the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and then go to Erratic Rock State Park. Unfortunately, I got to Baskett Slough NWR when it was still foggy. So I headed northwest to Erratic Rock State Park, home to the Willamette Valley's largest rock that shouldn't be there. Before I realized, I had passed the small sign next to the side road and so I had to find the next side road to turn around at. The next street just happened to be one of which a produce store was at.

Erratic Rock State Park really isn't much of a park. It has very little parking, a trail, several glacial erratics (rocks carried by ice and set down as the water recedes), a good view, and a picnic table.

The Trail head and the 'parking area'

After walking a short, uphill distance, I got to the top. What a view I had there.

 

As I was leaving the place, I noticed the farm right next to it was a Century Farm, which I think are pretty cool. I also saw a mailbox with this on it:

Next, I headed back to the wildlife refuge. In one of the many ponds at Baskett Slough, many black ducks or some other waterfowl were either washing themselves or diving for food. and beside the same pond were some geese.

At another stop, I went on another hike that took me up a hill and through some woods that were mainly Oregon Oak. In one of the fields were many geese:

I plan on going back soon to check out the other trails, and also go back in late October when the Oak trees are full of color. Baskett Slough NWR is one of the few places in the Willamette Valley that preserves the Oak Savanna that once covered all of the Willamette Valley.