June 21 - Mormon Pioneer Trail

Back to the Mormon Pioneer Trail -- I've got to finish this trail.

I get to the parking area around 9:30 as before there are a bunch of folks (mostly teenagers w/ parents camping).

Its around 63 degrees and much drier than it was 2-3wks ago -- probably because we haven't had rain since before June started (oh the desert life). The creek is no longer flowing -- just a dried bed of rock and dirt but there are plenty of flowers blooming including lupine (I just like lupine). Also blooming are meadowrue, geranium, virgin bowers, white columbine and lots of others.

And there are butterflies - lots of them!! Somehow, I just know this is going to be slow going once again.

I'm greeted by a tiny bfly called a Garita Skipperling (orange-brown).

Along the trail I find Common Ringlets (lots), a variety usual blues  w/ the addition of the Boisduval's Blue (new of the season), Mourning Cloaks (new and old/beaten), Milberts, the dreadedYellow Swallowtail (yet to stop and be ID's), duskywing, Northern Cloudywing, White Checkered Skippers, Relict Frit, Sara Orangetips and Hoary Comma. A regular butterfly bonanza!!

But there were more; new ones that had me stopping constantly and flinching with every fluttering movement past my eyes. There were Field Crescents, Northern Checkerspots, Sagebrush Checkerspots, a Sulpher, a Painted Lady, a Gray Hairstreak, Lilac-bordered Copper (lifer! And reflecting its name, its outer lower wing does have a lilac-border.)

And at least a couple other frits that I just can't ID (these are tough). Oh, I can't forget the Weidemeyer's Admiral - very numerous and amazing to watch fly, the black w/ white stripe plays with the eyes like a spinning top when they are flying.

The first mile took me one hour -- just like before. This trail dooms me to snail-like progress. :) (but that's OK)

At one point, I saw a pretty beaten up orangetip fluttering like a kite from a small flower. It looked like it was just blowing in the wind swirling around. I thought that it was caught in a spider's web but there was no web. I grabbed it between my fingers, and thinking it was dead let it go but it fluttered away. Not sure why it swirling around, perhaps it was drunk on nectar, perhaps its tongue got stuck?! But it was very strange.

The pond still had water and many more dragonflies. Got a few good looks at them this time.

I finally start to make some time as the bflys have lessened and I have calmed the instinct to stop at everyone I see.

Get to my bench for lunch. The little pond is now basically a mud puddle and bflys love mud!
I go down for a peek -- and there are plenty of bflys enjoying the mud bath: there's a frit and a checkerspot wings out totally flat soaking up the sun rays and the salts from the mud.

There's also a Milberts and Ringlet fluttering around. As well as a Mexican Cloudywing (lifer - yea!) and Russet's Skipperling. Can never go wrong with a good mud puddle.

I need to finish this hike as it can't be more than 1/2 mile to the Big Mt overlook so I grab my pack and proceed uphill (most of the elevation is on this short stretch). I make it to the top to a wonderful overlook of SLC.

On the way back I see a large woodpecker, looks like a larger version of a downy woodpecker.

At this one wet area, there were these blue bflys, based on the markings I have no clue - perhaps it is the way the sun was reflecting off the bfly and mud but they look like a new species (not likely). And at the same spot was a white damselfly -- never seen anything like it.

If seeing all the bflys I've seen today wasn't good enough, there's this large white bfly that I've seen flying at 4 different hiking locations including here. It never stops (seems to be a running theme). Today I've seen over 10 of these. And today was my lucky day! One finally stopped. Its a Clodius Parnassian - love the yellow head

.

Definitely not a speedy day again but a fantastic day!!

And the day wasn't over. As I drive out on this dirt road (open pasture land), I get stopped by 4 horses in the middle of the road. I didn't want to try to go around them because I thought I'd spook them. So I try heading straight for them; but they didn't budge - they just stared at me. I tried hooking my horn, nothing. I inched closer, nothing. What to do, what to do.

Then a huge dump trunk comes up behind me. Now I'm sure he deals with the stubborn horses pretty regularly and he decides to go around me - at least I left him room:) The horses are still not moving but he continues to inch forward pushing the situation. It looked like he was about ready to hit one of the horses, when 2 of them took off to the right and the 3rd horse moved a little to the right but found himself in front of the truck. Now the horse staring at me looks PO'd. Finally the 3rd horse takes a step back and the truck goes by. The 2 horses are still in the middle of the road looking at me. So I back up and go around. When we get back to the paved road, the truck stops and the guy waves to me. Thanks! If he hadn't come, I'd probably still be sitting on that road waiting for the horses to move :)