Aug 24 - Mormon Pioneer Trail

Haven't been here in over a month, so time for a checkup (and to be honest, I really didn't feel like climbing today -- this one has elevation but over 4miles which was great).

Supposed to be sunny all day today (according to weatherman) but there are certainly some ugly looking clouds this morning. But I'm not too worry because last night we had thunder/lightening, booms, bangs....but no rain.

53degrees at the trailhead. Bunch of folks camping there. Ran into 3 little girls on the trail (still in the PJs and several hundreds yards from camps on a twisty path thru tall vegetation) as I say hello to them, one asks me "Are you walking home now?" What?? Gotta love kids -- I just reply, "No, just walking."

Sunny and cool but there are dark clouds coming.

Not a lot of flowers around but the ones blooming are the yellows & purple of fall (goldenrod, daisies/sunflowers and asters). Even the grasses are turning yellow (and it not from lack of rain). Some of the trees are even starting to turn colors (a bit of yellow and red). The lupine seedpods are open and dry; the mint flowers are too dry, and lots of berries about.

Coming the opposite direction is a man in full camouflage w/ two young girls (carrying rocks) and he has a bow-n-arrow. Said he saw a couple of doe and a moose -- but too small to take (it is hunting season). A little while later, another guy in camo passes with a bow as well.

There's small patch of milkweed, but strangely, all of the flowers have been cut off -- I don't think there's some animal that eat them all, someone must have wanted them & I have no idea why.

There are some skippers flying and it's a new one (and lifer for me), Woodland Skippers. Beautiful little guys and they were everywhere today.

Some of the changing leaves looked pretty spectacular.

The black cloud seemed to have settled over me. It was sunny out but I was getting rained on. Luckily, I am walking under trees which kept most of the rain off. Finally, the rain stops and as I get to my turn around point the cloud past, skies clear and it's sunny! Curious to see what the bfly situation will be on the way back.

The frits are out now -- most are no longer bright orange (faded) and are pretty battered. There are a couple of dark female Great Spangled Frits (they are so pretty). The sun also brings out a lot of Common White Checkered Skippers, a few Field Crescent and Mylitta Crescent, a Purplish Copper, and Weidemeyer's Admiral. Anywhere there were asters or yellow flowers, there are bflies.

As always with late summer, the flying grasshoppers appear. There is this wonderful light orange grasshopper.

When it flies, its black with a band of white/yellow -- looks like a Mourning Cloak (bfly) when it flies.

I'm coming up on the pond and there are lots of flowers at the pond. I can't wait to see what might be flying but a dark cloud covers the sun again. :( The normal summer mt afternoon storms are building and it is afternoon. The lack of sun minimizes the chances of seeing the bflies.

As I'm about 1/4 mile from the parking area, a couple drops of rain start falling. As I get about 1mi down the dirt road, it starts to rain. Back on pavement (5mi), its pouring and there are a few loud bangs on my car so I think it might be hailing. Almost to the expressway, yes, hailing! Pea-size pellets. The hwy underpass is filled with bikers, runners trying to stay out of the mess. I get on the hwy and within 100-200 yrds, I'm out of the hail and rain; and back in the sun. I couldn't have had better timing with the end of my hike.

Great day!