Toppenish (3)

At this waystation, we found the sturdy milkweed that Comrade Caracol reported on last spring. The pods were just opening. For the sound, I looped several layers of me playing dried milkweed stems and nearby grasses like harp strings. After our sounding/planting, we struck up a conversation with Luna, an employee from the Toppenish Natural Wildlife Preserve. He said the preserve stewards are also cultivating milkweed here but that monarch sightings are rare around these parts. He also gave us some leads on the route: Highway 97 is the only viable way out of Toppenish for a cyclist (despite what google maps says). Thanks for the monarch and cycling intel, Luna!

-Ale and Ursa