Sutter Buttes

[Ben70_imp]

Had a beautiful Spring afternoon and decided to circumnavigate the "World's Smallest Mountain Range", the Sutter Buttes. I know, sounds like Drive thru Tree, Confusion Hill, Meteor Crater...
The Buttes are in the middle of the Sacramento Valley about 45 minutes south of my house. If you look on Google Earth it's the brown lump north of Sacramento in the middle of the green.
Headed south on Aguas Frias Rd. to where it intersects 162, then west towards the Sacramento River.
Here's a shot of that intersection looking south at the Buttes.

Headed south toward Colusa on the eastern, less traveled side of the river. The road passes through Afton, a tiny town with a cemetary, closed general store and a few houses, mostly uninhabited. There are some farmers about living well but with modern transportation the business leaves the town and town dries up.
Wound along the river on and off the levee and crossed at Colusa to top up the tank, then re-crossed and headed east and south on the levee road toward the southwest corner of the Buttes.
Winter wheat with Buttes in the background.

Approaching the Buttes came across this old causeway. the Butte Sink is marshy and lowland floods in winter. This long bridge was used to cross this low section. Now when the road floods you have to use Highway 20 just to the south. The causeway has no access and stands like an old ruin.

Heading east on Pass Road I skirted the southern edge of the Buttes. The grass is green and beautiful this time of year, for a bit.

This ends 1st installment, out of photo space just 2 more pics and wrap-up to come.

Ben
To continue, that last photo has a huge clump of poppies in the distance just abvoe my right mirror.
Sorry I had to break this up, ran out of space.
Running out of time, I headed east to pick up some quicker roads home, didn't have time to bird-dog around the east and north of the Buttes but technically did get in a circumnavigation. A perfect spring day, bike ran great, top notch ride. Then 10 minute south of home I caught a bee that ended up in my collar behind my ear, after a wild ricochet. Ouch! Oh well it was worth it!

Ben