My intent last night was to walk up to Germania Pass in Little Cottonwood Canyon. However, the rain we had yesterday came in hard and fast and caused many rock/mud slides on the Little Cottonwood Canyon Road. (It also caused mud slide in Spanish Fork Canyon shutting down parts of Hwy 6 and one other canyon all due to last years burn scars.) Little Cottonwood Canyon is still closed today and maybe Saturday so I have to adjust and decided to go back up to Twin Lakes Pass this morning. There should be more flowers and there's sun!!
I actually thought BCC would be crowded this morning as people divert from LCC but quite the opposite; the trail heads (like Lake Blanche) that have been crowded early on Fridays were relatively empty; must have something to due with school starting and travelers are headed home.. Good thing for me!
I arrive just after 8am. Looks a bit empty here as well. :) So I start up the trail. It's wonderfully cool - somewhere in the low 40s - perfect hiking weather to start
Silver Lake looks awesome as usual!
I reach the trail to Lake Solitude and start along. The yellow flowers are definitely in max. bloom as are the Horsemint (and others). And actually, some are already past bloom. :(
I make my way thru the forest and to the 1st rocky area where I see and hear a Pika. He stops for a moment but I'm not quick enough to snap his picture before he scurries away.
A bit further down the trail I practically run into a deer as she grazes behind some saplings. She jumps away and then returns to grazing to that far from me.
Then it's thru the next rocky area before reaching Lake Solitude.
I spot briefly for a look - hey, the mosquitoes aren't so bad today! :)
Then it's around the lake - gotten stop for the blooming coneflower
and then uphill.
About 1/2 way up the hill, I hear a lot of squawking. There are two Stellar's Jay in the trees making the noise.
I then continue up to the Twin Lakes Pass trail and enjoy the sunny walk thru the flowers!
There definitely seems to be more flowers now than last week (as expected).
But still not many butterflies. On the way to the pass I see one Blue Copper
a Melissa Blue
and one Acmon Blue (or Lupine Blue according to the UT Leps). (I think)
Oh, and I see a hummingbird too.
I reach the Pass and take a look down the Little Cottonwood Canyon side - beautiful!
I take a trail leading across the Pass, I think this traverses the ridge perhaps to Catherine's Pass. I walk only a bit of it for a look at where I just walked before returning to the Pass for a break.
Time to head back thru the flowers - perhaps more will be flying now since its after 10am.
I do see a couple more butterflies including a Boisduvals Blue
and a unknown Frit.
But still not nearly as active as I thought it would be.
Chipmunks are active now.
I head down to Twin Lakes but I don't stop; I just continue past. But I can hear water continuing to pass thru the dam's overflow.
Near the dam, I see a Checkered White.
The flowers on the slopes are in bloom and look awesome. Not a lot of butterflies down here but I do find a few Lilac Bordered Coppers
another Melissa Blue, a Weidemeyer's Admiral
and an Acmon Blue
Awesome day!
