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!
