The 2021 Utah Adventure

Sunny day with highs in the around 90 degrees today. But its a cool smoky morning and in the low 40s when I arrive at Silver Lake just after 7am. I gear up and start around the lake to the trailhead. As I cross the footbridge, there are a couple of Mallards enjoying the morning. I continue on and as I round a corner I see a group of men with cameras pointing to the right side of the trail. There most be a moose! As I get closer, I see one bull right by the side of the trail munching on the saplings  and one a little more in the distance doing the same thing. Very cool! One of the guys indicates 2 bulls and a cow laying next to the trail. I don't see her yet. I gradually work my way up the trail, getting a glimpse of the female.  But as I get closer to the one bull, she comes into view. Now I'm behind the big male watching him eat. When he turns and take a step towards the trail, it's my time to move along quickly. :) I continue on passing a big pile of fresh moose pile befo...

 Sunny day with  high near 85 today. Heading out to hike Lambs Canyon today - maybe I'll see that Mom/calf I saw last time :) I arrive before 9:30. There are 2 cars there and one of those car's two owners are still in the lot. I gear up and start up the trail before the couple does and up I go. It's a pretty wet trail - I'm surprised we haven't had rain in the valley in a week. But there were clouds building, maybe that's where the rain came from. Regardless, it's great to see!! Plants are pretty much done. There are still Asters and yellow composites in bloom and a stray Geranium or Paintbrush here and there. I do find a few scattered ripe Thimbleberries but they are out of my reach.  And of course, the Baneberry have both white  and red berries. Near the top, I find a few mushrooms. Lots of squirrels/chipmunks running around and making noise this morning as they get ready for winter. I do find what looks like fresh moose tracks moving up the trail in spots...

 Sunny day near 90s -- sounds like time for an afternoon hike. Heading up to hike the Willow Lake loop. It's been quite a while since I've been there - it's a good time. I arrive around 3:30 and there's only 1 other car there. I gear up and start up the trail. As expected, most of the flowers are spent but there are Asters hanging around in good numbers. Lots of grasshoppers hopping around and quite a few Mustard Whites. They fade out as I get higher in elevation. Quiet hike and before I know it, I'm at the meadow. Of course, the Spring pond is long dried up but there are Goldenrods in bloom nearby. I don't see any ground squirrels (nor do I hear them). I make my way thru the Aspens to Willow Lake and I'm surprised by the amount of water still in the lake - more than I've seen for late August. Confusing year with the extreme drought but some of the lakes are still in good shape. There are some deer tracks in the mud along with ducks tracks too. There are...

Another night of rain so I off, once again to Twin Lakes. It's a "safe" hike and the chance of wildlife to pretty high. I see two deer (buck and doe) along the road on my drive-up. I arrive around 7:20 and temps are in the upper 30s/low 40s. Lots of standing water in the meadow along the boardwalk - a good thing going into Fall. And I spot a good sized trout at one of the lake "overlooks". I hike off directly to Lake Solitude. Quiet walk spotting only a single lone doe along the way to Lake Solitude. There are several Mallards on the lake (very similar to Friday). Time to head up the big hill. As I near the grassy, mountainside meadow where I saw the doe and fawn on Friday, I see a doe and what looks like a fawn behind her. Hard to tell from where I at so I continue slowly up the trail. As I get even closer, yes, there's a fawn! Oh wait, there's a second fawn a little way from Mom! I continue to approach and the Mom does not see to care. The fawns are sk...

 After 2 days of rain (lots of rain) and temps in the 50-60s, it's sunny again and I'm heading up to Twin Lakes. When I arrive, the temps are in the 40s - I have a fleece but wish I had my mittens. I head around the lake to the trail stopping to look at the Mallards in the lake. As I reach the spur trail to the switchback, I see a doe and fawn thru the trees.  I stop to watch hoping I will get a better view but they're not moving. I move forward hoping to get a better view but nope; but I do see another doe. Everytime I reach the ski lifts I look downhill hoping to see a deer or moose and everytime for 9 summers I've struck out. But today I have hope as I spot some moose tracks in a soft area on the trail. As I cross under the lift, I' finally see a moose! It's a cow with no baby! She starts walking my way and I'm thinking she might come up to the trail but then she's angling to the right. At that point, I see a deer downhill and the moose is heading tow...

Another hot, smokey day today. And the new fire in Parley's Canyon (about 1 mile from the summit) isn't helping matters. I arrive before 7:30 -- surprised by the number of people heading up the canyon at 7am - maybe it's the "last hurrah" before school starts. Still plenty of spots available when I arrive before 7:30. The sun is still not above the mountains and it's hazy (smokey) and it's about 54 degrees. I start around the boardwalk towards the trail head. I reach the trail and meet a man is just coming back from Lake Solitude - he saw 2 sets of doe and fawns. Guess I won't be seeing them or moose along the trail this morning. I start up the trail. The flowers are definitely spent. There are a few Paintbrush, Asters, and a few other flowers that are still blooming. Quiet walk until I reach one spot of the trail where birds scatter when I arrive. There I spot a Northern Flicker  and 2 chipmunks that are creativity scavenging for food. In the rocky ar...

Headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon with the plan going up to Twin Lakes. It's sunny and 78 degrees when I arrive. And surprise, there are hardly any cars up here. (Yea, back to normal!) I head around the lake to the trail. Lots of darners flying today. As I reach the trail, there are 2 ladies coming up behind me - chatty Cathy's. I continue towards Lake Solitude hoping the ladies go the other direction but nope, they're heading to Lake Solitude too. Darn! I let them pass so they're talking will be at least muted because they are in front of me but I'll see them the whole hike. So when I reach the trail leading to the switchback, I turn left and head towards the switchback. There's still Asters in bloom but the only butterflies I see are Mustard Whites (and only a couple). There are some moths flying though. When I get to the switchback, I see a Pika and Marmot on the rocks. The Marmot is above the Pika. As I approach the Marmot moves lower and the Pika disappears. ...

Well, it's a make-up something up day since I switched my schedule around because of rain - and yes, it did rain in this morning. My plans now are to visit the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Hoquiam (west coast of WA) and then over to the Billy Frank Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on the north side of Olympia. I get a slow start this morning - hey, I get to watch the Women's Speed Climbing Final! It's around 9:30 before I finally get going. I'm surprised when Google Maps says I won't be in Hoquiam until noon -- I think I planned wrong - oh well! It's rain on-n-off for about a 1/3 of the drive but nothing exciting along the way. I  make it to the Gray's Harbor Refuge if little problems. (It's located next to a small airport.) There are 2 other cars in the lot as I get started. And it's sunny now with a nice wind. Looks like the tide is still out as I get started down the paved road walking past several old plane hangars. The walk is abou...