We went to Eastman Lake to camp and check out the water level. Last time we were here in Feb 2022, the lake was almost dry. On this RV trip, we were elated to see the lake full--or almost. We learned that they had released some water from the lake that week. It might be in preparation for this winters rains or it could be that the farmers are in need of water for their crops.
We also learned that end of October/ beginning of November is Valentine's Day for Tarantulas!! They are out looking for love. We saw 8 of them while hiking the trails.
We also saw 1 bald eagle, two coyotes, 1 rabbit, and two deers.
And lots of jets busily heading to their destinations.
For the first time, we checked out the visitors center, which is excellent and has an awesome vista point. The views of the lake and the Sierras that day were spectacular and so clear.
This is the view of the dam from the visitor center.
We met a guy fishing that told us more history on the dam and Chowchilla. We drove over to the day-use area to hike to 1.5 mile trail there. The trail is ok with great views of the lake, but...
I prefer this trail to Raymond Bridge!
Wildcat campground doesn't have views of the lake, but I don't care with a view like this right out my window. I kept looking for a coyote to come walking up to the window, but none showed. Instead, we were serenaded at night from the howling of the coyotes! Eventually, they stopped and we fell into a peaceful sleep.
