June 29 - Little Cottonwood Creek Trail

Fantastic day - sunny, clear skies and temperatures are around 80 - so much nicer than the 95 degrees of yesterday.

It's Friday, I should be heading into the mountains but I just got back on the red-eye from Fairbanks Alaska mid-morning yesterday so I'm looking for something "easier". Little Cottonwood Creek is still over 6 miles and 1000 ft but it is easy.

I get started just after 9:30am as I get started up the trail. Quickly see a lizard while on the asphalt trail leading from the parking lot.

Pretty dry out (as I expected) but there are some purple flowers blooming and of course, it's Thistle time!

I see a small orange flyer -- I'm assuming it's a Mylitta Crescent but there are plenty of other options. Hoping I'll see one stopped.

Lots of birds singing this morning but the only ones I see are the Robin.

And the raspberries are forming - I find one red one.

It's not long before I get my first view of the Falls. Actually surprised the amount of water still flowing.

I continue of the bridge and start the upward climb thru the woods.

Seeing a couple of 2-tailed Swallowtails flying.

Soon I reach the spot where an old concrete picnic structure existed. It has over the years become covered in graffiti and became a spot for drug activity. The week-end before I left, crews from the Little Cottonwood Foundation (and others) had a volunteer day to clean things up. I wanted to volunteer but I had too many other things to do (and wanted to do). As I approach

After seeing the site, kudos to everyone involved in the clean-up. The old concrete building is gone - just an empty bare site. They've done some vegetative reconstruction and have it is blocked off. Wonderful!

Finding a few columbine in bloom as I continue and a small section of Liver-leaf Wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia) - so says my brand new, new released Wildflowers of the Cottonwood Canyons guide.

Hey, the Thimbleberries are forming too! (No red ones yet.)

I continue upward passing over a few muddle sections of trail, the footbridge, the bridge before the water wheel and finally the water wheel. I stop at the water wheel -- just like watching the water flow.

Continuing on I see a couple of Fritillaries - I think Zerene (maybe)

and a Taxiles Skipper (male) - first one of the year!!

before reaching the trail to the upper parking lot.

Just one more short uphill section before reaching the upper building. And before I know it, I'm there.

I was going to take a break but there are several people resting so I start down - I'll stop farther down hill and head over to the creek seeing a Cabbage White along the way.

After a bit of a break,

I continue down. Along the way, I see a Russet Skipperling (1st one of the year!)

a big bright orange male Great Spangled Frit - this is one I can ID - and he is beautiful!

a couple of very fresh California Tortoiseshells

and a very old and battered Mourning Cloak. (Boy, his wing edges are all but gone.)

I also see a couple of Duskywings or Cloudywings flying.

Well that was the perfect hike - great day!

June 17 - Mormon Trail (The Frits are flying!)

Heading out to the Mormon Trail this morning for my weekly butterfly check. Already 73 in the valley as I head out a bit after 9 am. The sun is out but there are afternoon storms predicted for the mountains and Park City area (including the Mormon Trail).

I arrive just after 9:30 and start off anxious to see some new flyers especially the Greater Frits - namely Coronis, Callipe,Great Basin, Northwestern, Great Spangled and Zerene. They cause me lots of problems identifying, except the Great Spangle and the one I've been seeing, the Relict (which is a Lesser Frit).

Landscape is continuing to dry but there still are flowers: Yarrow, Cinquefoil, lots of Clover, etc. I'm excited to see the Mountain Wild Hollyhocks coming into bloom.

The Spittlebugs are out now.

Butterflies are starting a little slow but slowly increase as time goes by.

Still seeing lots of orange flyers (Northern & Field Crescents, Northern Checkerspots and the Relict Frit), tons of Ringlets, Weidenmeyer Admirals,

Boisduvals Blues and a Silvery Blue.

In lesser numbers, Western tailed Blues, Common Checkered Skippers, Rocky Mt Duskywing, Dreamy Duskywing,

Northern Cloudywing, Purplish Coppers and Mourning Cloaks (including one with an almost golden band - quite beautiful).

I see a few Whites today - namely a Cabbage White and a Checkered White (new for the year). And the Clodius Parnassian.

Also new for the season, the Lilac Bordered Copper

Greenish Blues

(I think these are Greenish Blues too.)

Garita Skipperling

and of course, Frits! I believe I saw mostly Callippe Frits

and 2 Great Spangled (males).

The muddy areas behind the dam have less flyer today - probably because they are drying. But I do see some butterfly predation by a large black bee-like insect with a white band on its body. I have no idea what it is but there are several of them cruising low over mud. I watch one bfly escape and another one that is flow away for lunch. Fascinating to watch.


And I get a good look at a Milbert's Tortoiseshell that lands on my pant leg.

I continue along - the bflies appear to be more numerous after the pond. I reach the 2 mile mark and continue past for the first time this year. The bfly numbers have gone down now but I do find some wonderful White Columbine!

And Heart-leafed Arnica (which has bloomed at the lower elevations weeks ago).

I'm closing in on the 3 mile mark and notice clouds building above. I decide to turn around and head back hoping I can get back to the dam and pond with the sun still shining.

Along the way, I pass a caterpillar

And a moth (no sneaking up on this one, he was already dead).

Unfortunately, the sun turns spotty by the time I reach either of them. At the muddy area, there are only a couple of bflies left. But the rest of the walk back still has plenty of fliers to look at.

Wonderful day!

June 15 - Twin Lakes (Big Cottonwood Canyon)

Heading for my 1st Spring hike in the mountains this year! It's terrible to say that's it's taken me so long but I've trying to be nice to a chronic sore heel by avoiding steep inclines and sticking to somewhat flat and <4 mile hikes and no after work hikes. But I really want to see the mountains so I'm heading to Twin Lake today. It'll be just 2-3 miles round trip and close to 1000ft in elevation. Helpfully I won't regret it later today.

Beautiful sunny morning with temps in the upper 60s when I head out. Big Cottonwood Canyon is wonderfully green. The trees are all leafed out and there are some flowers in bloom (more to come). The creek along the road is flowing but woefully low for this time of year (just the result of a lack of snow this winter).

Doesn't seem to be any snow left except in the highest of peaks.

I arrive at Silver Lake Nature Center and head to the trail. The muddy brown I saw about a month ago is now green. The mountain peak that I can see are snow-less.

As I walk along the boardwalk towards the Twin Lakes trail, I'm only seeing dandelions in all that green grass. I reach the bridge and cross a corner of the lake, the water is perfectly clear on the right side and an algae muck on the only side.

Continuing along, I start seeing some Solomon's Seal, bluebells and Forget-me-knot (along with the dandelions) along the trail.

Silver Lake looks beautiful this morning!

I reach the trail head and start up through the aspens to the switchback above Silver Lake. I continue to find bluebells, Forget-me-knots, Wild Strawberry and sadly Avalanche Lilies that are past bloom baring seed heads. (I did see them in the Uintas so I wasn't totally shut out this year.)

Soon I reach the switchback

with a bird's eye view of Silver Lake.

As I cross, I start looking / listening for Pika and Marmot but are not seeing/hearing anything. :( I'm hoping I'll see some on my way back down but I know the Marmot numbers really decreased in this area last year so I'm hoping that the same has not happened with the Pika.

I do, however, see a beautiful orange striped moth flying but I just can't catch up. I also see Orangetips flying. I also add Cinquefoil, Virgins Bowers (Clematis) and Baneberry (aka, Dolls-eyes).

I'm almost down with the switchback, when I see half of a robin's egg in the middle of the trail. Hoping Mom Robin was just cleaning stuff out of the nest this morning.

Done with the switchback, it's time to head up the steep hill to Twin Lakes.

Happy to find Yellow Violet, lots of Wallflowers and some Avalanche Lilies still blooming!!

And I stop dead in my tracks when I see my favorite Utah bird - the Western Tanager. This is only the 3rd time I've seen them in 5.5 years; they are just awesome!! Makes me smile! (This is the male.)

I'm closing in on the "top"

when I get a glimpse of a little green butterfly - a Sheridan's Hairsteak! I also see a few Juba Skippers too.

As I pass along the dam, I see a Two-banded Skipper!

I get my first glimpse of Twin Lakes from the dam and the lake level look like it's the middle of August. Holy cow! We are definitely going to see 2 lakes this year!!

I head down to the beach - and it's a very big beach already!

(Here's hoping for a good monsoon season this summer!)

I decide to head up to my perch a couple of hundred feet higher. As I start up, I see a Tiger Beetle

another Two Banded Skipper, another of those orange striped  moths

and a Boisduval's Blue.

Soon I reach the turn off to my "perch" (still nicely marked by a pile of snow). I head up to my spot - simply gorgeous!!!

I'm thinking of continuing up to Twin Lakes Pass but I think I climbed enough for the day. So after resting for a bit, admiring the flowers that are around me

 I start heading down.

On the way down, I see a few Western Tiger Swallowtails.

When I'm back at Silver Lake, I decide to complete the loop. Lots of families with small kids out this morning - happy to see that.

On my way around, I see Elephanthead,

Shooting Stars, Buttercups, White Bog Orchid

and Yellow Columbine.

I also see 3 Mallards - 2 male and one female.

Awesome day!