June 2 - Mormon Trail


 Sunny day with temps in the low 80s. Heading to the Mormon Trail today for the 1st time this year!!! Exciting because I missed the whole butterfly season last year because of my broken foot.

Boy this dirt road is getting super popular with people and lots of trucks. Remember the first years I moved here it was basically me, the construction trucks and the horses/cows and a stray car.

Cars in the lots when I arrive. Again, it used to be empty.

It's overcast and the low 60s so lets see what I can find.

The river is high and moving. I cross the bridge and I'm surprised because someone's cut the brushes back FINALLY. Not more ducking and weaving thru overgrown/unmaintained trees/bushes - Yea!

And it get better; I'm expecting a flood of water from the beaver dam but the "normal" trail is dry and the beaver dam is gone -- let the water flow!! So awesome! (Wonder if last winter's 900 inches caused lots of issues with the dam.) What an awesome start!

I reach the trail and I meet a guy heading the other direction. He says he been clearing brush -- the trail has needed some work for a while and he's doing it. I so thanked him!!

Continuing on, there's not many flowers yet. I see strawberries, OregonGrape, Bluebells, Solomon's Seal, 

Dandelion,  and a few others. Not really expecting much on the way; now on the way back

The trail is pretty dry but when I get to the spot I'm expecting water, it's there. I am able to find a way around it and continue my trip. 

Same goes with a few other water holes. They are expected this time of year.

I'm probably 1/4-1/2 up the trail and there's another water hole. I can easily get across 1/2 of it but I need 3-4 steps (for sure footing) in moving mid-calf water. Hmmm. I remember this section and there used to be a big fallen tree I used to cross it but the tree is rotten and not causing the creek. If I were younger, I could leap across but no, trying to be risk-averse.

I half cross 3 times before I decide to head back. Bummer. I'm seeing Blues and Duskywings on the other side. It's be better next week-end.

On the way back, I do see more Blues, Orangetip, Cabbage White, Duskwings, and Sleep Duskywing (the smaller one).

Well bummed I didn't get far but happy the front end of the trail is clean now!

(And Lambs Canyon road is now open!!!)

Good day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dec 31 - Gravel Pit to Beacon Hill (Antelope Island)

Image
 Final day of 2024! Amazing how time flies! Heading up to Antelope Island to hike the Gravel Pit to Beacon Trail (hopefully, because there is a herd of bison hanging out here recently). I arrive on the Causeway just after 8am. Sunny and 29 degrees with little wind; perfect winter day! Nothing happening along the causeway this morning except for a few duck hunters. Hoping to see some Bald Eagles but no luck. I arrive on the Island and head south towards the Ranch and it's dead empty. Not a critter to be seen on the way. No sightings at the Ranch either. Not sure where all the bison are but they are not on the east side of the Island. I think this is a first for me; perhaps a second though. Definitely, super, super rare! I start back north and quickly spot some white dots in the distance to the west. I stop and sure enough it's a large herd of Pronghorns! Yea!! Continuing on, I see a wide travel path up the hillside near the Frary Peak potty. I think a large herd of bison has mov...
Read more

Sept 25 - Twin Lakes Loop (BCC)

Image
 Sunny  day with temps into the mid-80s. I've taken the day off to take a hike. The plan is to head up to Catherine's Pass (and above). I have not been there yet this year so today is the day! Beautiful morning; I get going just after 7am. On the way, I have a driver decide to make a right turn in front of me (bad enough) but then wasn't doing the speed limit (grrrr). Of course she's heading up LCC but I'm able to use a 2nd lane to pass early on. But that won't help because a little ways down the road, I run into the dreaded canyon road construction. There was none a month ago but now the road is down to one lane with a big line of cars ahead. Not what I was expecting on a Thursday morning (before 8am) in late Sept. Having no patience, I turn around and head up BCC for a hike somewhere around Silver Lake. And yes, there's road construction there too! Heading up BCC, of course, I get behind a dump truck barely going 20mph. But just before the S-turn, I get to...
Read more

Oct 20 - Alta Summer Road (LCC)

Image
Sunny and in the mid-60s today. From the snowstorm the other day, Alta reported 8 inches - not where near the 16 predicted but still a good amount of snow. Thought about heading up to Twin Lakes but I want something easier, different and one I can really check out the snow situation - I believe a lot of it melted yesterday. So today I'm hiking the Alta Summer Road. The road is closed for the season because of the storm so it's a safe easy hike. Driving up LCC, there really isn't much snow except on the highest peaks. And I'm surprised by that but I'm liking it. (Guess I won't need the one YakTrak that I brought.) The peaks look great though. Still a fair amount of yellow color around the Red Pine but bare higher up. I'm the 2nd car near the gate as I pull in around 8:30. It's 43 degrees; I have a fleece and light winter coat. I stuff the fleece in the backpack and leave with the light winter. I think I can lose the light winter as I head up the 1st switc...
Read more