After about a month of flooding on the Cosumnes River, I was able to venture north to inspect the deluge. I swung by Staten Island Road first and was surprised by the number of Sandhill cranes and the cloud array at sunrise. The Preserve fields were all flooded with a few feet of water, so the trails were inaccessible. The boardwalk was passable, though, so everyone who didn't have a kayak or canoe could at least do a little exploring. It was very cold and only a few birds dotted the ponds.