The 2022 Utah Adventure

 Happy morning as it's cool enough to head out to Antelope Island this morning. Supposed to be in the low 60s on arrival with a high in the mid-70s. But there is a chance of rain which I'm hoping to beat. I arrive just after 7am. Very cool and in the low 60s. The cows are way out on the Salt Lake this morning -- good grazing. And I'm surprised by the amount on water on the Farmington Bay side. Must be those monsoonal rains. Tons of shore birds but it's too dark and they are too far away to make it worth the stop - perhaps on the return. I'm walking the Gravel Pit trail up to Beacon Hill today. I'm not feeling a hill climb today so this is the hike. When I arrive on the island, there are no animals to be seen around the Visitor's Center. I park at the Gravel Pit and start my walk. Wow! It's so still and quiet this morning. Grasses are brown (as expected) and only a few yellow flowers here and there (really very sparse). No sunflowers up yet. No animals to...

 It's a mostly sunny day with temps near 95 degrees (and no monsoonal flow today).  I decide it's time to head up Lambs Canyon; it's been a couple weeks and maybe those Thimbleberries are ripe so I can graze on my way up. ;) Lots of butterflies zipping around the canyon as I drive up.  I arrive with just 2 other cars - one in the lot and one in the single car pull-off a little ways down. The area along the parking is muddy with water still!!! Yea, for the monsoonal flow! And there are butterflies. Weidemeyer's Admirals,  Satyr Comma,  Hoary Comma,  Mustard Whites, a Ruddy Copper  and tons for Woodland Skippers. I walk down until the water/mud ends to see if I can find any other flyers but the above are the ones I see. I start up the trail. It's late season as most of the flowers are gone. There are Purple Fleabane, Goldenrod, a Geranium here or there.  But there are Thimbleberries! Most of them are still ripening but there are enough to graze alon...

Heading up to Twin Lakes Pass this morning - it was a backup option as it looks like it's going to rain and I don't want to drive the dirt Albion Basin road if it pours. And yes, it drizzled on me while I waited to get thru the construction stop light on BCC road. Thankfully it stopped once I got rolling again. (But the rain clouds are still there.) I arrive at Silver Lake. Still plenty of spots in the lot. It's cloudy and 61 degrees. I head to the bathroom for a pit stop and as I come out I see 3 moose in the Silver Lake Meadow. Wow! What a start to the day!! I head around the Visitor's Center and there are 2 Bull and 1 Cow. The Cow looks a little flirty and sometimes submissive with hher ears down. She's a bit playful to approaching a Bull and then prancing away. At one point, the 2 Bulls joust very briefly. They make a great trio and they eat their way across the meadow. I'd love to stay but it's time for the hike! I work my way around the lake and then s...

 Another cloudy morning (and it rained last night). Heading into the 90s with the chance of monsoonal rains again. I was planning on heading up to Germania Pass today but with the cloudy skies, I decide to do the Twin Lakes Loop. I arrive a bit after 7am. Surprised by the number of cars already. Lots of people with big cameras so I think it's the "moose hunting" crowd. Oops, there are no moose today. There is however a busy little beaver constructing his own dam. I watch for just a bit before I continue my walk. The flowers at the start of the Lake Solitude are pretty much gone. Sad that the summer has gone so fast. The trail is wet from rains and my pants are getting wet from the passing vegetation. I do see a Flicker early on. I do pass one doe on the way to the lake. They have no fear; she was feeding maybe 10 feet from the trail and she didn't even move when I went by. There's Baneberry in "berry" along the scree slope and Mushrooms pushing up in the...

Sunny day with highs above 100 degrees (tying a record 21 100 degrees day - hoping we don't break the record this year). Heading up BCC just before 7am this morning. It's wonderful 64 degrees in the valley - seems like a while  since it's been that low. I arrive at Silver Lake just before 7:30 and it's 55 degrees. Definitely rained here yesterday (yea); boardwalk is wet, puddles next to/on the trail. It's a beautiful morning. I make my way to the boardwalk scanning for deer and moose - but nothing.  The water near the boardwalk is still high and is cleaning from the pond scum which is nice to see. Then it's around the lake to the trails. And then onward to Lake Solitude. Flowers are slowly fading although there's still a bunch in bloom. As I approach the steps, there are 2 doe that start down the trail towards me and quickly stop. They move back as I continue forward. And then to the curve across the steps but that where I'm heading on the trail. They ev...

 Heading up BCC to hike to Willow Lake this afternoon. It's a sunny clear day with temperatures around 90 degrees. When I arrive at the trail head, there is one car parked and another with folks that are about to hike. I gear up and start up the trail. Most of the flowers are now dead or dying but there are still Fleabane, Horsemint, Yellow flowers that are still blooming. I see some Mustard White, some Frits and a Parnassian on the way up. Farther up, there is a Northern Cloudywing to add. Soon I'm at the meadow. Again very dry plants for the most part. I do find some butterflies - Blue Coppers There are also Orange Sulphurs flying. I make my way to the lake.  Many Mallards (those babies from last time have all grown up) swimming on the lake. Many dragonflies also zipping around. The lake is still high surprisingly. I work my way to the other side thru a bunch of Geraniums and I cross the little creek, I find a Northern Blue. In some mud on the shoreline, I find Weidemeyers A...