Heading to the Mill D North Trail which heads up to the Cardiff Mine. The trail starts at 7500ft; not expecting snow initially but I'm pretty sure there will be snow at some point.
It's going to be a really warm day in Salt Lake today - sunny, windy and mid-80s. (10+ degrees above normal). I head out a little after 11am. The beginning sections of Big Cottonwood canyon are very green. The creek running along the road is full and flowing fast.
I arrive at the trail roadside parking and everywhere I look is green - except further up the canyon and some of the near high peaks. Beautiful day!!
I head down road to the trail. (The road is still closed.)
It's about a 1/2 mile walk to the trail head. Not many flowers out except a small patch of buttercups.
A few Yellow Violets and these early Spring bloomers.
There's a few patches of snow along the road (under trees, shady sections) but it's an easy walk. Lots of snow still on Reynolds Peak!!
I'm hoping to see some butterflies today but seeing nothing so far along the road. On the actual trail, I'm expecting to only see the overwintering guys -- Mourning Cloaks, Commas, Milbert's Tortoiseshell but hoping for actual Spring flyers.
I reach the trail head and cross the bridge over the creek. I see my first Satyr Comma of the day.
After crossing the bridge, I head south uphill thru the pines. I was expecting snow here (shade) and I'm not disappointed. Kinda strange though as there's a large patch of snow (1-2 ft deep) and then clear (or muddy/watery) patch for a short bit and repeat. The open areas though don't seem to correlate to sunnier patches. Oh well.
Love the little stretch with the water flowing next to the trail.
But there are butterflies; Mourning Cloaks and Hoary Commas.
Satyr Commas too!
As I get further up, the clear patches get less and the snowy parts get deeper. But the good thing is that's it's pretty easy walking as the snow is hard packed.
The squirrels are out. And the birds are singing and there are an amazing number of Mourning Cloaks and Commas flying.
(And there's sign of Moose - i.e., scat - on the trail -- but no hoof prints.)
I finally complete the uphill section to the meadow and I'm not going much further -- there's so much snow (3-4 ft)!!! (Much of it on the trail itself.) The views are incredible!
I continue for a little ways - mid-meadow. Surprisingly, there are still butterflies flying here. I want to see one on the snow; but I keep scaring them. I need to be sneakier.
This is my stopping point for today (probably a little over 8000-8200ft) -- I really wasn't expecting this much snow but we did have the biggest snow year that I've witnessed.
Time to head down.
Pretty incredible on the way down as there are more butterflies out. There are Commas are dancing Commas, Mourning Cloaks dancing with Mourning Cloaks, and even Commas dancing with Cloaks. I stop to watch every dance. But the more amazing thing is that much of this is happening over snow!! (I have plenty of company as I trudge my way down.)
And sometimes they even stop together!
I finally catch up with a Mourning Cloak on the snow (yea)!
I see two more Mourning Cloaks on the snow as I head down. (Also a flying Milbert's Tortoiseshell.)
Wonderful wonderful day!! (But I want to see what the top of the canyon looks like.)
