July 1 - Lambs Canyon

Mostly sunny day with highs in the mid-80s. Heading up to Lambs Canyon for an after work hike.

Driving up the canyon, it's so much more lush! And I see Western Tiger Swallowtail and Weidenmeyer's Admirals along the way.

The parking lot is full when I arrive but the pull-out about 20 yards before the parking is open (until I take it).

There's water and mud along the road as we've had a bit of rain a day or so ago but it's pretty empty.

I do find a Frit,

N Checkerspot, Purplish Copper

and a Northern Cloudywing.

Time to head up the trail.

Oh my is it lush! I find the remains of a Virgins Bower flower.

Besides the flowers of the Thimbleberry

main flower right now are Geraniums - mostly white ones but there are a few pink.

I see a few butterflies but they are flying. I see a few Frits, N Checkerspots and a Clodius Parnassian. But by prior years standards, it's pretty boring.

Up a few switchbacks, I'm finding some Paintbrush, Tall Jacob's Ladder, Coneflower and Phlox.

I start seeing Margined Whites once I cross over to the other side of the canyon.

There are lots of White Columbine along this stretch.

And Baneberry (some of which is going to seed), Paintbrush, Virgins Bowers, etc,

Soon I'm at the top.

I don't stay along as there are 4 people hanging out there.

On the way down, about 20-30 yards from the top, I see an orange butterfly on the trail. As I pull my camera, it flies; it so looks like a lesser Frit and Relict Frits are on the trail's species list. That's exciting! I watch it fly up the steep slow. :(

I walk a bit farther and there are 2 more. The one goes up and out of sight. The other lands on the down side of the steep slope. I can barely see it through the leaves. I take one step down the slope to try and get a better look (still looks like a lesser Frit) and it flies. Ugh!

Maybe I should stick around a bit but there are people coming. Man, I think those are Relict Frits so wish I could prove it! And was I not paying attention on the way up and missed them. Grrr!

A little farther down, I see a CA Tortoiseshell (quite beaten).

Down farther, I scare up a male deer along the trail. (It scare me as well!)

Still farther, I see something laying across the trail and it don't look like a stick. It has a rounded back end and looks like a giant earthworm - smooth/kinda glossy. I step over it and look closer. Did someone decapitate this thing cause. Oh I find the head and a flicking tongue.

It must be a snake but I have no idea the species. (I look up the snake when I get home. It's a boa - Rubber Boa to be exact! I didn't know there were boas in the US and Utah where it's cold. Awesome! The Rubber Boa is found in dense deciduous and coniferous forest and alpine areas in Utah and is rarely seen! What a find! Glad I didn't stay looking for those maybe Relict Frits! Need to see what the DNR says as I'm forwarding photos to them.

I take a few steps and something is running thru the brush above me. Unfortunately, I can't see it.

I continue down and soon reach the parking lot. One more look for butterflies yielding another Weidemeyer's Admiral and an old Western tailed Blue.

Awesome day!