Sept 17 - Lake Solitude - Twin Lakes Loop

Heading into the mountains today; specifically going to hike the Lake Solitude - Twin Lakes loop. It's been about a month since I've walked this loop and with Fall arriving very quickly, it's time to check out if the leaves are changing yet.

Cool night, down into the 40s again in the valley. Since it'll be even cooler up near 9000 ft, I've drug the mittens and fleece for my hike today.

As I head up the canyon, there are trees that are changing - some red and oranges. But the aspen are still green - just a few patches of yellow.

When I arrive around 9:15, it's still in the 40s with a light wind but sunny (well, mostly sunny). Quite a few folks out already walking around Silver Lake.

I hear a guy talking about 3 moose - a Mom/Calf and a big male - on the other side of the lake. I can see the Mom moose at the water's edge on the other side.

And walk as fast as I can in the counterclockwise direction to get closer. I do make a few stops to check out the arrival on Fall at this elevation.

I get to the other side and am walking in the direction of the Moose. I get just past the dock and I'm stopped by a volunteer. The moose (the big male) is just ahead in the trees next to the trail.

The volunteer is preventing anyone from passing for safety reasons.

I go back to the dock hoping to see the female but she is no longer in the open. So it's time to head for Lake Solitude and start my hike.

As I pass thru the aspen, not much color change in the trees yet. The ground vegetation is mostly dry and brown. There are still patches of purple asters along the way.

It's a quick walk to Lake Solitude.

Then the climb to the ridge above Twin Lakes. I'm not thinking about butterflies today -- it's very cold but as I round Lake Solitude in some blooming Asters, a very worn Ruddy Copper flies and lands on an Aster! Surprise!

Many chipmunks running around the lake looking for food. With the touch of snow on Friday, I'm should their winter preparations have picked up.

I continue up the big hill and soon arrive above Twin Lakes. Wow! The lake levels have really dropped!! Just a month ago, there was still water flowing over the spill way.

I head to my "perch" so a short break to enjoy the view.

There's a few young Northern Flickers (I think) flying.

Time to head down to the lake to explore the beach front property. But before I get there, I see a Fritillary trying to warm up rock.

Then it's time to go to the beach.

A quick stop atop the dam.

And then it's time to head down to Silver Lake again.

As I pass above Silver Lake, I look for the moose below but don't see them.

I can hear a Pika but never see it.

When I get back to Lake Solitude, I head back to where I had gotten spotted several hours because of a moose. When I get there, a guy who was there several hours is still there. I don't see the moose so I ask him if it was OK to pass. The volunteer stood up and said not yet as the Moose is now bedded down but he's not far from the trail. Oh well, time to head home.

Great day!

Sept 16 - White Rock Trail (Antelope Island)

Well we're done with the 10 degree above normal temperatures that we've been having; now we're 20 degrees below normal!! I love it! We even had snowfall above 9000 ft yesterday. Just a dusting but it's still snow!

With the forecast for mountain snow yesterday (Friday), I was ready to change my Saturday hiking plans to go "play" in the snow. However, when I looked at the Snow Cams at a couple of the resorts, it just wasn't worth going. So my plans are still set; I'm going back to Antelope Island to hike the White Rock Trail. (It's supposed to be sunny with highs in the 60s.)

It's sunny and 51 degrees when I arrive around 8:30am.

Instead of heading directly to the trail, I decide to go to the Ranch looking for animals.

Well, the drive is a bit different that last week. The sunflowers are still blooming and the yellow patches of sunflowers are still visible but all of the many groups of bison I saw last week on the drive to the Ranch, they are gone. I only see two lone bison on the way one walking south along the shoreline; the other walking through the grasses.

I am fortunate to see two deer (a buck and a doe); other folks had found them, I just pulled over to see what they were looking at - paid off again!

And then when I am almost at the Ranch, I see two pronghorn trotting towards the road. I stop short of them just in case they still want to cross the road. As soon as I stop, they do to same.

As I'm waiting, I look in my rear view mirror to check for cars, when I see some animal cross behind me in the distance. My brain quickly goes to coyote but I'm not sure (but I'm excited!)

When the Pronghorn both trot off to the south, I continue to the Ranch, turn around (BTW: there's no bison down by Mushroom Springs), and head back looking for whatever crossed the road. I find the two Pronghorn from minutes ago, they are still heading south. I pass them by very slowly and then I see them, it's more Pronghorn. The two that crossed behind me (I'm not sure how I missed them) are moving to a few more animals. They are moving very slowly to the north.

I think the other two are part of that herd.

I continue up the island passing Frary Peak and then I see another car pulled off. I look left, nothing. I look right and there's two Pronghorn (again male and female) running to the road. Again I stop short allowing them plenty of room to cross the road. Just before they get to the road, they stop. Frightened to cross the road but also frightened of the bicycles that are coming up the trail behind them.

The male trots south pass my car and crosses the road behind my car. The female looks a bit confused and walks towards my car. I'm thinking she'll just follow the males path but at the last second, she crosses right in front of my car.

She meets up with the male and they trot off. Pretty cool!!

Well, it's time to head to the West side to start my trail. As I head over, I pass behind the Visitor's Center, no animals. No animals visible on Bison Point. However, there are about 10 bison on the south side of Bison Point; I pass by a few on the way to the trail. Finally!

I'm surprised there's only a few cars in the parking area. (I guess the mountain trails are still open so why come here.)

I start the trail in the clockwise direction. Lots of brown grasses and sunflowers along the way. And many dragonflies flying!!

I see one bison to the east of the trail. He's just wallowing in the dirt and then taking a nap.

I start up the switchbacks finding a couple of pink flowers along the way.

Strangely quiet out as there's no birds calling (or flying) just the wind blowing.

Seeing lots of antelope/deer scat along the trail; there might be a herd up here somewhere.

I'm almost done with the climbing when I see a form in the distance; it's a Pronghorn!

Soon I reach the White Rock meadow -- no bison down there either. (The cooler weather and rain must have sent them to the south end of the island.)

The views are good but very hazy.

I decide to do the big loop instead of the shorter one. (I think the larger one is a 1/2 mile longer.) It's the one I normally do and it's that time of the year for the Western Pygmy Blue butterfly to fly.

As I cross the ridge, the island definitely got it's share of rain yesterday - largest puddle I've seen in years!

I get to the far side of the meadow when I finally find a dragonfly that wants it's photo taken (finally)! It's a Meadowhawk.

And I see a Painted Lady.

It's here that a DNR truck stops and asks if I'm doing Ok; have plenty of water; and ask if I can make it back. I've been walking around here for 5 summers now; that's first! Perhaps they've had issues this summer and are now doing patrols.

Continuing on I find some Primrose in bloom.

The "spent" ones are pink.

I reach the western edge of the meadow and start north to the parking lot. Along the way I find a few more Painted Ladies, several Western Branded Skippers,

and Common Checkered Skippers. (This one is really beaten up.)

But no Western Pygmy Blues.

I also see a hummingbird, 3 lizards and several "alive" beetles,

(The others I saw were mowed over by bicycles).

And some interesting nectaring insects.

Even though the meadow looks empty, I keep scanning and hoping. And I see something in the distance. It's a Pronghorn. Nope there's two. The one takes off running and the other catches up and turns her around and move her back to a larger herd!!! Probably 10 animals. Appears that the one is probably trying to keep his harem together.

(Later on the hike, I met a guy on Trail Patrol. He told me they don't form harems until late October. Perhaps this male Pronghorn was a little confused by the weather change cause it does feel like October.)

After a bit, they all take off running to the south. Very cool!

Soon I reach my car and head around towards the Visitor's Center. There's one bison and a pronghorn on the north end of the Visitor's Center. And another bison along the lake shore.

Nice way to end a wonderful day!

Sept 9 - Antelope Island

The weather forecast is saying that Antelope Island will have a high of 74 (while Salt Lake City is in the low 80s) so I'm heading up to Antelope Island for my first visit in a couple of months. My plan is hike the Sentry Trail and check whether there is still a population of Melissa Blue butterflies a year after the big fire.

Beautiful morning with clear skies with a temperature of 71 when I reach the island just after 8am. The scenery along the causeway is dry as expected. When I reach the water, there's still lots of birds, mostly Seagulls along the shore and in the water.

The water in Farmington Bay is perfectly still and the reflections are wonderful.

As I reach the island, I'm greeted by a bison on the southern corner of the lake and road. I turn left and head south behind the Visitor's Center.

I quickly notice a couple of cars pull off the side of the road. Well, I don't see anything so I pull off too. I look towards the lake but see nothing. I look up towards the Visitor's Center and there's at least 6 male mule deer with large sets of antlers!

(I think any hunter would be drooling right now -- good thing there's no hunting on the island.)

I continue on passing a bison here and a bison there.

Further down the road on top of big hill, is a herd of bison. Then a bit further down the road at top the White Rock Trail ridge is yet another large herd of bison. (Kinda glad I didn't decide to hike there today.)

There are several more herds of bison as I make my way down to the Ranch.

The landscape along the way is dry and brown but what's amazing is the number of bright yellow sunflowers towering over that dry brown color. I don't think I've even seen so many sunflowers and resulting yellow patches everywhere. Pretty amazing!!!

I reach the Ranch and head down to the parking area. On the way, I see a lone female deer grazing behind the Ranch.

And a Pronghorn on the left side of the road moving thru the tall dry grasses.

Ahead of me on left side of the road just south of the parking area are bison

and on the right side of the road near Mushroom Springs is another herd of bison. Those bison may just end my hike depending on where they are exactly located near (or far) from the trail.

I reach the parking area and head for the trail. I'm detoured by a small butterfly sighting. It's a Gray Hairstreak!

I start up the trail walking towards the herd of bison at Mushroom Springs. I'm looking for animals of course. But I'm really hunting for the Melissa Blues. There's usually a population of them flying this time of year along the trail to Mushroom Springs. But a big fire last year, burned this area; I'm hoping to find at least one this year.

Unfortunately, I'm not finding them. :( (There's still hope as it's only 9am.)

I am seeing several Clouded Sulphurs but not in pre-fire numbers, lots of grasshoppers,

and a few dragonflies.

And tons of Sunflowers!!

And two Rocky Mt Bee Plant.

As I get closer to the Spring, I realize that the bison will be ending my hike today. They are too close to the trail. I could get around but the return trip could be tricky if they move the wrong direction. So it's time to turn around.

On the way back, I spot an animal in the distance to the north. It's a Pronghorn! Probably the same one I saw earlier.

To the south in the distance, I see yet another Pronghorn!!

I'm still looking for the Blue and I finally see something small and flying (that's not a grasshopper). Its lands. It's a Melissa Blue!!!! So exciting!

It's the only one I see but they're back! Happiness!

I reach the trail head and start back to my car when I start stepping over what I thought is a branch but it's a snake!!!! (Gopher snake I think.)

It's not a rattler so it's cool! And it's a really pretty snake. It's in the middle of the road and a car is coming so I scare it across the rest of the road.

I reach my car and then continue south along the road. Right after I pass the trail, I'm surprised to find a Pronghorn. This is not the one that I was watching in the distance - not sure how I missed it.

I continue down the road and catch up with the one I was watching from the trail.

I reach the end of the road and turn around and start heading back north.

I pass the Ranch and then all the bison herds I saw in the way in. In one of those herds, I find a "Baby Red" - newborn.

Most of the bison calve in the Spring; this one is out of season. When the Bison Round-up is done later this Fall, this Mom and calf will be separated from the herd for the calf's protection from Winter as well as get the mother back in-sync with the rest of the herd. Quite a little find though!

Near the Frary Peak turn-off, I see at least 5 Pronghorn walking south. I stop to watch. There's one (probably this year's baby) that having some fun by running around and around the herd. Soon all of them are trotting south.

On the other side of Frary Peak, that herd of bison that was up on the White Rock ridge have moved down towards the road. That's a big herd!

Further down the road by the water bin is a herd of bison. One is still at the bin

as the rest of the herd moves towards Farmington Bay.

There's one straggler and he takes a break to wallow.

I'm nearing the main road when I see my 4th solo Pronghorn of the day on the uphill side of the road.

Moving on I reach the main road again behind the Visitor's Center. The bison are still there

but there are also two Pronghorn resting.

Let's see 4 solos, a pair, and a herd of 4-6; that's at least 9 for the day! Not bad!

I head to the west side of the island hoping to see those large buck as they moved this way earlier in the day. But I find only bison and more bison. No large herds just solo males.

Soon I'm back on the causeway and heading home.

Awesome day!