As I drive along the road, I see bunches of buckwheat blooming (usually a good nectar source) so I pull off the road to check for butterflies. Stopping just in front of my car is a Northern Checkerspot.
I walk over to the Buckwheat and I find one Northern Crescent.
Continuing up the road, I pull off again - there's water alongside the road again and that means mud and that usually means butterflies (and I do see a bunch of Swallowtails). (Last time I was here, there wasn't much water/mud but we have had thunderstorms (with rain) this week in the higher elevations.
Unfortunately, just thunder in the valley.)
I head down the road and find Dotted Blues in the puddles.
And a Weidenmeyer's Admiral (the 1st of the year).
I head back up the road to where the Swallowtails were flying and there they are puddling.
Near the parking area, I find more Dotted Blues, Swallowtails and Northern Checkerspot.
Also flying over the road are many dragonflies - mostly Eight-spotted Skimmers.
Time to actually start my hike. It's 75 degrees and around 3:15pm.
The vegetation is definitely getting lusher and taller and wider hanging across the trail in spots -- just the way I like it.
The bloomers in all that lushness are Geraniums right now.
But I can't forget the tons of Thimbleberry plants that are in all stages of blooming all the way to the top of the trail -- will be some good trail grazing in a few weeks! (Yum!)
Some of the new blooming flowers along the trail are Tall Jacobs Ladder
Lupine (just a few at this point)
Mallow
And a few Paintbrush.
Near the top, the Dolls Eyes are all but bloomed out -- but a few still remain.
And there's a section of lovely White Columbine!
As to butterflies, well they are mostly on the lower parts of the trail. Still seeing Rocky Mt Duskywing, Clodius Parnassian, Painted Ladies, Western Tailed Blues, Spring Azures, Boisduvals Blue, Silvery Blue, the Trio of Swallowtails, Northern Crescent and both the Hoary and Satyr Commas (the Commas were seen in the middle section of the trail).
The newbees include the already mentioned Dotted Blues, Weidenmeyers Admirmal as well as the Mustard White, Northern Checkerspot and the first Frit of the year -- a Callippe Frit (I believe) - this Northern Checkerspot was not playing nice with the Frit chasing, pushing, .....
At the top, a wonderful view as always.
I stay just a bit before heading down. As soon as I start down, I see something I've never seen on this trail (and I've walked it quite a bit)....a person on a bike - tough guys - it's a steep trail!
Lovely hike!
