July 3 - Mormon Trail

July 04, 2021

Sunny day with highs near 100.

I get an early-ish start and arrive at the Mormon Trail around 8am. It's sunny and only 54 degrees. The trail will be in the shade for most of the way to the meadow. That's fine, I'll catch the butterflies on the return trip. Planning on going to 3 miles today.

Despite the shade, I manage to find a Weidemeyers Admiral and Boisduvals Blue on the way to the meadow.

And the Spittlebugs are out now!

And the Monkshood.

When I get to the meadow (which is full sunshine), I start seeing Fritillary activity - many Great Spangled Frits (males only - females will come in a few weeks). Still one of the most gorgeous of butterflies.

The thistle are about ready to bloom; they are a great GSF nectar source.

The pond is getting lower and full of grasses and pond "scum". Seeing dragonflies but really no butterflies. Even the muddy areas as I pass the pond are empty of butterflies. But the Monkeyflower are in bloom.

The "muddy" area behind the dam is dry and no butterflies.

But I continue on and soon after the dam, things get interesting as there is an increase in Orange (and other flyers). I get today's list later but at one point in the trail around 2.5 miles, there is an explosion of CA Tortoiseshells! Absolutely incredible, fresh bugs!

Sad note, I find part of an elk leg on the trail. I'm sure a dog found it somewhere and dropped it on the trail.

I do turn around at the 3 mile marker and start may way back which turns into a Disney event as the butterflies are streaming down the trail. Absolutely fantastic!! I wonder where they're all going?

On the way back, I'm surprise when I see a Lazuli Bunting. Upon looking at my photos, it appears that bird is eating Spittlebugs - check out the spit around his beak. Very cool!

I also see a Chickadee that has some issues -- he looks drunk as his head keeping turning right -- definitely sick.

When I reach the pond again, I decide to loop it. Find a Field Crescent along the way

And tons of CA Tortoiseshells, Weidenmeyers Admirals, and a Hoary Comma

on the pond grasses/scum puddling. There's got to be at least 100 of them. I think this is where they were going - trying to find water. The extreme drought is taking its toll.

On my way from the pond, I find European Skippers in flights - not common in Utah.

I'm moving slowly, camera ready hoping to find one in the tree to photo.

I hear what sounds like a "mu" noise which I thought was strange. And then I hear the sounds of a very large animal running towards me. I look towards that corner just 20 feet from me and I see a flash of a brown leg, and then the head of a female moose ears back running that corner. Crap! I'm going to get runover by a moose!!!

My only choice is to step off the trail right behind that tree. I'm bungle that and fall. I do see the Moose turn right in front of the tree (yea) and when I turn, the baby sprints by me down the trail. I thought the Mom would circle back for the baby but she continues up the hillside.

Then I hear more rumbling coming towards me - it can't be another Moose!

Nope, it's the biker who scared the moose towards me. I tell him he scared a Mom and baby and he was shocked - never saw them. I point out the Mom still heading up the slope. We watch for a bit - she finally stops. Her ears are up and staring us down.

She's far from her baby. :( And she looks pretty skinny. It's still pretty green out there; shocked she's skinny. Hope she makes it.

Wow that was scary. I wish I could print the images of the leg, the head and the baby sprinting that are imbedded in my brain. But all I have is a photo of the moose up the hill, a bruised/scraped shin and a tale that I survived. Pretty awesome!

I think about trying to find that baby but not pressing my luck. The biker takes a chance up the trail and I continue back to my car.

I found Russets Skipperling after the 2 mile and I'm finding plenty on this final 1.25 miles too.

As I approach the biggest of the dry creek crossing, I see a Grouse.