Clear skies and already warm when I leave my house around 6:30 this morning. (Yet another 100 degree day coming; it will end soon won't it?!)
A bit of excitement on the way up the Mirror Lake Hwy; first, I had to brake and move for a small herd of cows right on the side of the road. And then a bit further down the road, I brake for a deer trotting across the road. But otherwise an easy drive.
The Provo River water levels have dropped significantly. As I pass the Provo River Falls, I think about stopping but I really want to get to the trail heads early to find decent parking - it's Saturday and bound to be crowded. And I'm sure even more folks (like myself) will be heading up to the Unitas to escape the valley heat.
As I travel higher, the prior snow is all but melted. There are patches (small and large) around especially on the tall mountain peaks but mostly green vegetation everywhere. Likewise, the icy lakes are now open - filled with a growing number of kayakers and rubber dinghys and surrounded with many fishermen along the shores.
I reach Bald Mountain Pass (~10,740 ft) and head down to Mirror Lake, my first stop. I arrive at the lake which sits at 10,050ft. Plenty of folks already here around 8am but still plenty of parking. I start the 1 mile walk heading clockwise around a pretty "mirror-like" Mirror Lake.
I find plenty of Marsh Marigolds
and Shooting Stars
And a few Paintbrush, Heartleaf Arnica and Bluebells. I also find few Elephanthead most are in bud but some are blooming.
There are Columbine and Orchid almost ready to bloom.
And the trout are active this morning.
Water is still running down the nearby mountains to the lake.
Simply a beautiful morning as I head around the lake. I arrive at the other side with views of Bald Mt and Reids Peak.
Still lots of Shooting Star and Marigolds but I also find some early season flowers: Spring Beauty and Glacier Lily in bloom.
And soon, I'm back at the parking lot. Always a good little hike!!
Time to head to the Pass Lake trail head; I'm heading up to Lofty lake. This a technically a loop hike but I'm making an in-n-back hike today basically because I'm just not sure of the snow situation in the higher elevation shady areas up by Kamas Lake.
The trail starts at an elevation of 10,100 ft and the Lofty Lake sits in a bowl between two peaks (Scout and Lofty) at 10,810 ft. The actual elevation gain of the hike is around 980 ft since the trail climbs higher before dropping into the bowl and Lofty Lake.
I'm doing the trail in a counter clockwise direction, so it's only 1.5 miles to the lake.
When I arrive, the actual parking spots are full and folks are parked on the edge of the road including myself.
I start up through the woods in the counter clockwise direction. The mosquitoes are definitely out but not too bad which is good because I forgot the bug spray (oops) - just need to keep moving.
Finding a little different flowers along the trail. Still finding Paintbrush, Spring Beauty and Glacier Lily (but all bloomed out) but also Groundsel, Pearly Everlasting, Heartleaf Arnica and these guys on the way to Lofty Lake.
Gordon's Ivesia
Silverleaf Phacelia
Whipple's Beardtongue
Before continuing on.
Then I reach the larger Scout Lake - so beautiful this morning. (This lake is part of a Boy Scout camp on the other side.)
Continuing onward and upward and finally into the rock section; there's snow ahead.
I finally get high enough to get some amazing views to the east.
I finally reach the short snow field and it covers the trail. I really don't like going over rocks but the other option is heading over the snow field. I start over the rocks but end up on the snow field which is still hard pack but slick. I make it cross without issue.
Once I'm over, I have one flat section before arriving at Lofty Lake. Beautiful!!
(With all the folks in the parking lots, I'm surprised to find no one at the lake - other than the group of guys I followed up. But that's fine with me!!!)
I head down and along the edge of the lake.
And then around to the other corner
Once at the far side corner, I head to the snow melt pond. Nice!
Then I head back to the lake and find a spot on it's corner for a snack. Tons of Glacier Lilies and Spring Beauty on this side of the lake!
I see a Milbert's Tortoiseshell flying. And a White butterfly. I head over and see it nectaring; it's a Checkered White!
Heading back to my spot, I see yet another White -- it's a Large Marble!
As I eat my snack, the clouds build -- I predict rain in the not so distance future.
Soon it's time to head back (I still haven't seen anyone at the lake other than a couple who camped there last night). So I cross back over to the other side of the lake and back up it's shore. As I head up out of the bowl, I catch sight of a Pika.
He didn't stay long before hiding under the rocks again.
Out of the bowl, the views are better (the sun is higher).
I reach the snow section and start down. A bit slick and I almost make it back to the rocks without slipping - almost! Boy, that snow cold!!!
With the snow out of the way, I just continue on down. It starts to sprinkle just before reaching Scout Lake.
Back in the parking lot (really crowded now), I see another Milbert's and a mid-sized orange butterfly that looks like a Relict or Purplish Frit but it flies and is gone :(
Because of the "potential" Frit, instead of heading home, I head further north on the road to the Highline Trail parking. There's a little pond there with good reflections of Mt Hayden Peak and good flowers - I hoping to find that Frit again.
I reach the trail head, park and make my way to the pond -- lots of Marsh Marigolds, Red Paintbrush but no butterflies.
So time to head home -- thought about checking Murdock Mt or Bald Mt for butterflies but the clouds are near so I just head down the mountains.
But I make one last stop at the North Fork Trail (7500ft). It's a last second "frustration" stop as I was behind cars doing 15 mph less than the speed limit and then we all came to a sudden stop because a horse trailed pulled out in front of us. (Never understand why people do this - there was no one
behind me....) The North Fork entrance is right there, so I pull in -- might as well check for butterflies - lots of sagebrush and buckwheat flowers around.
So I head out to walk thru the sagebrush near the parking. Not a bad stop, I see Blue Copper (male) on the Buckwheat.
And female.
a Buckwheat Blue
and a Small Wood Nymph (2).
And then the rain clouds come and take out the sun but not before I see a Cassin's Finch.
Worth the stop - butterflies AND I have an open road all the way back to Kamas!!
Awesome day!!
