We left Quinault (reluctantly) and got on the road. After stopping for Rainier cherries (yum!) and gas, it was back onto highway 12. I was pretty tired, so Peg took over some of the driving as we passed Mt. Rainier again. We stopped at what seemed to be a restaurant in the pass, only to find out the old restaurant had burned down and the new one wouldn't open until fall. The two women who told us this (the owner and her daughter) were busily observing some Black-tailed deer, including a nice buck, on the hill opposite and shared their binoculars with us. After the owner found out I was interested in butterflies, she excitedly showed me her "butterfly alphabet" poster which she wants to hang in a prominent place in her restaurant.
We pressed on, in search of lunch. Finally found a spot a few miles down the road past Rimrock Lake. It had a lovely garden along the rushing river, with several hummingbird feeders, frequented by (most likely) Rufous Hummers. Then it was on to Yakima and the interstates.
At a rest stop along I-82, I examined the Eriogonum for Blues, but no luck. Still very few butterflies in evidence. Then it was on to Kellog and a motel for the night.
Next stop: Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Ocean
After settling in at the lodge, we went down to the beach for a brief foray before dinner. I was surprised by the huge number of logs piled up at the high tide line. Of course, in our cabin there was a prominent warning: "Beach Logs Can Kill!" which did nothing to build confidence in our daughter. I could certainly see how it would happen - one of those logs tossed by the surf could ruin your whole day - but one just needs to pay attention. I didn't help by admonishing everyone to keep an eye on the ocean for rogue waves. I don't think I mentioned sharks...
There were lots of razor clam shells on the beach, as well as crab carapaces. Large flocks of sea gulls were present as well; I think 3 different species though I haven't yet poured over the photos to identify them. Gulls, especially immatures, are very difficult to identify.
We went up to the lodge for dinner; pricey but in a beautiful spot where we could watch the sun set over the Pacific. After that, it was back to the cabin and sleep. Unfortunately, I detected the beginnings of a cold (sore throat). The next morning, after some breakfast, I went off to Aberdeen to see about the car which took me most of the day. I finally got a rental van (huge!) and went back to the cabin (1.5 hours one way from Aberdeen) in time for a nice walk on the endless beach. I took some video of the gulls and a couple of flocks of sandpipers (again, very difficult to identify, but I have good photos). We also discovered colonies of blue mussels (dead, washed up on the beach) and kelp.
The next morning, after checking with car insurance and the body shop, it was off to Ruby Beach. What a fantastic place! There are sea stacks and tide pools galore. We arrived at low tide, perfect for observing tide pool creatures. On the way down to the beach, I filmed a yellowish warbler (why do I always find critters that are difficult to identify?) and saw cedar waxwings in the bushes. On the beach, I was anxious to get to the pools, and was admonished to stay with the group. We explored the pools, and found the rocks covered with sea anemones, starfish, mussels, limpets, chitons, and snails of various types. There were numerous holes burrowed into the rock by burrowing clams (Piddocks) which explained some of the fantastic rocks we found the day before on Kalaloch Beach. Some scientists from the National Park Service were examining the rocks as well, and explained a few of the things we were seeing. The tide turned, so we wandered back to the beach, enchanted by all we had seen. Then it was off to Aberdeen for me for another round of wrestling about the car. I turned in the giant van and eventually got a nice little Mazda for the trip back home.
Back to Kalaloch, in time for another stroll on the beach and a nice sunset. The next morning, we packed up and headed for Quinault. We explored the Quinault rain forest, another unbelievable experience. We checked out the historic Quinault Lodge (I could be talked into staying there for a few months) and then, Mikey not feeling too well, found a really nice cabin down the road near the world's largest Sitka Spruce. I slept while Peg and Colleen explored the surroundings. It was a wonderful spot, and I could have easily stayed there another day, but Yellowstone and the Tetons were beckoning, so the next morning we packed up for the road trip to Idaho, Montana and points beyond.
More on that in my next post.
There were lots of razor clam shells on the beach, as well as crab carapaces. Large flocks of sea gulls were present as well; I think 3 different species though I haven't yet poured over the photos to identify them. Gulls, especially immatures, are very difficult to identify.
We went up to the lodge for dinner; pricey but in a beautiful spot where we could watch the sun set over the Pacific. After that, it was back to the cabin and sleep. Unfortunately, I detected the beginnings of a cold (sore throat). The next morning, after some breakfast, I went off to Aberdeen to see about the car which took me most of the day. I finally got a rental van (huge!) and went back to the cabin (1.5 hours one way from Aberdeen) in time for a nice walk on the endless beach. I took some video of the gulls and a couple of flocks of sandpipers (again, very difficult to identify, but I have good photos). We also discovered colonies of blue mussels (dead, washed up on the beach) and kelp.
The next morning, after checking with car insurance and the body shop, it was off to Ruby Beach. What a fantastic place! There are sea stacks and tide pools galore. We arrived at low tide, perfect for observing tide pool creatures. On the way down to the beach, I filmed a yellowish warbler (why do I always find critters that are difficult to identify?) and saw cedar waxwings in the bushes. On the beach, I was anxious to get to the pools, and was admonished to stay with the group. We explored the pools, and found the rocks covered with sea anemones, starfish, mussels, limpets, chitons, and snails of various types. There were numerous holes burrowed into the rock by burrowing clams (Piddocks) which explained some of the fantastic rocks we found the day before on Kalaloch Beach. Some scientists from the National Park Service were examining the rocks as well, and explained a few of the things we were seeing. The tide turned, so we wandered back to the beach, enchanted by all we had seen. Then it was off to Aberdeen for me for another round of wrestling about the car. I turned in the giant van and eventually got a nice little Mazda for the trip back home.
Back to Kalaloch, in time for another stroll on the beach and a nice sunset. The next morning, we packed up and headed for Quinault. We explored the Quinault rain forest, another unbelievable experience. We checked out the historic Quinault Lodge (I could be talked into staying there for a few months) and then, Mikey not feeling too well, found a really nice cabin down the road near the world's largest Sitka Spruce. I slept while Peg and Colleen explored the surroundings. It was a wonderful spot, and I could have easily stayed there another day, but Yellowstone and the Tetons were beckoning, so the next morning we packed up for the road trip to Idaho, Montana and points beyond.
More on that in my next post.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Accidents will happen
We left Leavenworth around noon, having decided to take the southern route past Mt. Rainier. The drive out of the mountains down route 97 was quite spectacular, and then we were on the eastern Washington desert. I noticed lots of Eriogonum - food plant of the blue butterfly genus Euphilotes, but we didn't stop to examine them. Followed the interstate down to Yakima, and got our first glimpse of the north Cascade volcanoes - Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. It was awe-inspiring! Leaving Yakima along U.S. 12, we wound through the mountains and saw much spectacular scenery in the form of big lakes and forest and meadow vistas. At one rest stop, we saw an impressive waterfall. Rounding one corner, there was Mt. Rainier in all its glory. I suspect the pull-out where we stopped to take pictures is the one used by every photographer to capture the mountain, as the view looked almost familiar. We visited Mt. Rainier National Park briefly - long enough to see some amazing trees along the grove of the giants. Then it was time to press on. We found a motel in Centralia and settled in for the night.
The next morning, we had a box of clothes to send home to try and lighten the load, so we asked directions to the post office and off we went. On the way out of town, we spied a yard full of "outsider art" and stopped for a look. The artist - Richard Tracy (aka "Richart") was there and gave us his whirlwind tour of his yard. You can google "Richart" and find him, but of course we have tons of photos. The experience was quite moving - and unexpected. After stopping for cherries, we drove on to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at Lake Quinault and visited the world's biggest Sitka Spruce and the historic lodge, vowing to come back for a tour of the Quinault Rain Forest. As we got back on the road, heading for our ultimate destination - Kalaloch Lodge right on the beach - we noticed a beautiful view of Lake Quinault with the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. I turned around to go back to a turn out where we could get some photos. As I turned left to get into the turn out - it happened. A pick-up driven by a non-English speaking Hispanic attempted to pass us and smashed right into the driver's side of our beloved Vibe. Colleen's window was shattered, and her door and my door could not be opened. However, no one was hurt, except for some minor bruises. We pulled to the side of the road and awaited the authorities. First to arrive were the Quinault tribal police (the accident took place on Quinault tribal lands) who were quite nice and helpful. Some Washington State Dept. of Transportation workers also pulled over to give us a hand in the form of duct tape to tape up Colleen's broken window. Next, a sheriff's deputy showed up and after about an hour a Washington State Trooper pulled up. He'd driven 100 mph for about an hour to get to us - did I mention that the area is pretty remote? He was a great guy - older than me! - and gave us some nice tips on the Peninsula. The other driver was uninsured, and was ticketed for no insurance and improper passing.
Fortunately, the Vibe was still drivable, so after we got everything cleared up, off we went to Kalaloch Lodge. It was a beautiful spot - and I will post on that area next time.
The next morning, we had a box of clothes to send home to try and lighten the load, so we asked directions to the post office and off we went. On the way out of town, we spied a yard full of "outsider art" and stopped for a look. The artist - Richard Tracy (aka "Richart") was there and gave us his whirlwind tour of his yard. You can google "Richart" and find him, but of course we have tons of photos. The experience was quite moving - and unexpected. After stopping for cherries, we drove on to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at Lake Quinault and visited the world's biggest Sitka Spruce and the historic lodge, vowing to come back for a tour of the Quinault Rain Forest. As we got back on the road, heading for our ultimate destination - Kalaloch Lodge right on the beach - we noticed a beautiful view of Lake Quinault with the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. I turned around to go back to a turn out where we could get some photos. As I turned left to get into the turn out - it happened. A pick-up driven by a non-English speaking Hispanic attempted to pass us and smashed right into the driver's side of our beloved Vibe. Colleen's window was shattered, and her door and my door could not be opened. However, no one was hurt, except for some minor bruises. We pulled to the side of the road and awaited the authorities. First to arrive were the Quinault tribal police (the accident took place on Quinault tribal lands) who were quite nice and helpful. Some Washington State Dept. of Transportation workers also pulled over to give us a hand in the form of duct tape to tape up Colleen's broken window. Next, a sheriff's deputy showed up and after about an hour a Washington State Trooper pulled up. He'd driven 100 mph for about an hour to get to us - did I mention that the area is pretty remote? He was a great guy - older than me! - and gave us some nice tips on the Peninsula. The other driver was uninsured, and was ticketed for no insurance and improper passing.
Fortunately, the Vibe was still drivable, so after we got everything cleared up, off we went to Kalaloch Lodge. It was a beautiful spot - and I will post on that area next time.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Adventure continues
The Lepidopterists' Society meeting was held at the Enzian Inn in Leavenworth. This is a place along a river, in the lower reaches of the Cascades. The first night, Peg and I took a walk in a park which included a couple of islands in the river. As we were walking down the alley towards the park, a Black-tailed deer - small buck - appeared at the other end of the alley and slowly walked towards us, browsing along the way. He got within about 2 meters before he paid any attention to us, and that was just to hop a little past us and then continue browsing down the alley! We walked into the island part of the park and came upon a doe and her fawn - again neither paid us much attention.
The next morning, I got up early and went back with my camera. Got a few shots of another deer, but no fawn shots. Then it was back to the Inn for breakfast. A side note: Leavenworth was dying as a town when the city elders decided to try and become a tourist mecca by transforming the city into "Little Bavaria". Everything is German themed - even the McDonalds. The Enzian Inn is no exception (how would you know from the name?) and they served an amazing breakfast (included in the room fee - which was not cheap). Many tasty pastries, and they served actual breakfast food instead of that "Continental Breakfast" crap (dried up bagels and Lucky Charms) one usually gets at motels. The sausage was amazing. At 8:15, an old Bavarian-costumed guy came out with one of those really long horns and stood on the balcony rail and played some songs. Then he got down and went into the room where we had breakfast (you could eat on the balcony, too) where he looked for the most likely young person. He placed his horn on the ground some distance from his victim and then began playing. He slowly slid the horn along the floor towards his young target and then rapidly moved the horn up to the target as he finished the song.
After breakfast, it was Executive Council time. Since I'm Secretary of the Society, I have to take the minutes and give a report as well. Most discussion centered around the "Outernet" project, designed to get children away from the Internet and outside in nature. It's part of the "No Child Left Inside" movement, begun in part by my friend Robert Michael Pyle. Basically, we're hoping to find a way to get an insect net into the hands of as many children as possible to get them outside catching bugs and thus connecting with nature. We had a nice lunch and then concluded our meeting in the early afternoon. Peg and Colleen had discovered the shopping pleasures (of which there were many), so I grabbed a camera and went in search of the Lorquin's Admiral on the river island. Very few butterflies, but I did manage to find one Lorquin's Admiral, who refused to perch close enough for a good picture. He was a freshly emerged male, hunting for a mate and not at all interested in providing a photo-op for a lepidopterist. However, a doe decided she wanted her portrait taken, and in the process showed me a Catbird's nest. I also spotted some type of wren feeding a giant Cowbird offspring - clearly a result of nest parasitism.
That evening, after Peg and Colleen had demonstrated their various purchases, we went to an informal reception and reconnected with old friends. The next day, after fabulous breakfast #2, we skipped the meetings and headed up the canyon. Lots of flowers, but few butterflies. However, I did get my pictures of Lorquin's Admiral and some movies of one feeding on dung (yes, butterflies eat some pretty disgusting stuff). Another side note: Colleen hates the scene in "Return of the King" where Gollum has turned Frodo against Sam, so that when Sam asks if he can help by carrying the One Ring ("Share the Load"), Frodo banishes Sam. It's a pretty heart-breaking scene, and being caring parents, we tend to use the line - "share the load" - at every opportunity (Colleen, we're unloading the car here - "Share the Load"). When I replayed the video of the Lorquin's Admiral feeding on dung, I noticed that it was scared off by some flies. I showed it to Colleen and inquired why they couldn't just "share the load". We were having a great time, but then hit a sober reminder: there were two crosses next to the trail with names on them, and one had pictures. Flowers were placed nearby. Two young women had drowned at that spot.
We returned to the town and I went to some of the afternoon meetings while Peg and Colleen recovered from our warm walk. That evening, there was a barbecue scheduled and so off we went. I met an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years. Colleen connected with a young girl (Alexandra) who loved fairies (those of you who know Colleen will not be surprised..) and spent a lot of time playing with her. We ate with that family. Alexandra's father was from El Salvador, and it was interesting to talk with him briefly about his country.
The next day, Peg and I took another walk around the Park and then I went to the meetings while they scoured the town for more stuff. The banquet was that evening and we ate with some nice local folks who gave us some tips on the Olympic Peninsula. Bob Pyle and President John Shuey gave really fine talks - John about the importance of saving habitats as opposed to individual species and Bob giving us readings from his new book, Mariposa Road, chronicling his "butterfly big year".
The final day of the meeting was mostly occupied with the business meeting of the Society, again requiring my presence to report on the Executive Council meeting and take notes. We finished up around 11:00, and then it was time to pack up and head off for the next part of our adventure. More on this next time.
The next morning, I got up early and went back with my camera. Got a few shots of another deer, but no fawn shots. Then it was back to the Inn for breakfast. A side note: Leavenworth was dying as a town when the city elders decided to try and become a tourist mecca by transforming the city into "Little Bavaria". Everything is German themed - even the McDonalds. The Enzian Inn is no exception (how would you know from the name?) and they served an amazing breakfast (included in the room fee - which was not cheap). Many tasty pastries, and they served actual breakfast food instead of that "Continental Breakfast" crap (dried up bagels and Lucky Charms) one usually gets at motels. The sausage was amazing. At 8:15, an old Bavarian-costumed guy came out with one of those really long horns and stood on the balcony rail and played some songs. Then he got down and went into the room where we had breakfast (you could eat on the balcony, too) where he looked for the most likely young person. He placed his horn on the ground some distance from his victim and then began playing. He slowly slid the horn along the floor towards his young target and then rapidly moved the horn up to the target as he finished the song.
After breakfast, it was Executive Council time. Since I'm Secretary of the Society, I have to take the minutes and give a report as well. Most discussion centered around the "Outernet" project, designed to get children away from the Internet and outside in nature. It's part of the "No Child Left Inside" movement, begun in part by my friend Robert Michael Pyle. Basically, we're hoping to find a way to get an insect net into the hands of as many children as possible to get them outside catching bugs and thus connecting with nature. We had a nice lunch and then concluded our meeting in the early afternoon. Peg and Colleen had discovered the shopping pleasures (of which there were many), so I grabbed a camera and went in search of the Lorquin's Admiral on the river island. Very few butterflies, but I did manage to find one Lorquin's Admiral, who refused to perch close enough for a good picture. He was a freshly emerged male, hunting for a mate and not at all interested in providing a photo-op for a lepidopterist. However, a doe decided she wanted her portrait taken, and in the process showed me a Catbird's nest. I also spotted some type of wren feeding a giant Cowbird offspring - clearly a result of nest parasitism.
That evening, after Peg and Colleen had demonstrated their various purchases, we went to an informal reception and reconnected with old friends. The next day, after fabulous breakfast #2, we skipped the meetings and headed up the canyon. Lots of flowers, but few butterflies. However, I did get my pictures of Lorquin's Admiral and some movies of one feeding on dung (yes, butterflies eat some pretty disgusting stuff). Another side note: Colleen hates the scene in "Return of the King" where Gollum has turned Frodo against Sam, so that when Sam asks if he can help by carrying the One Ring ("Share the Load"), Frodo banishes Sam. It's a pretty heart-breaking scene, and being caring parents, we tend to use the line - "share the load" - at every opportunity (Colleen, we're unloading the car here - "Share the Load"). When I replayed the video of the Lorquin's Admiral feeding on dung, I noticed that it was scared off by some flies. I showed it to Colleen and inquired why they couldn't just "share the load". We were having a great time, but then hit a sober reminder: there were two crosses next to the trail with names on them, and one had pictures. Flowers were placed nearby. Two young women had drowned at that spot.
We returned to the town and I went to some of the afternoon meetings while Peg and Colleen recovered from our warm walk. That evening, there was a barbecue scheduled and so off we went. I met an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years. Colleen connected with a young girl (Alexandra) who loved fairies (those of you who know Colleen will not be surprised..) and spent a lot of time playing with her. We ate with that family. Alexandra's father was from El Salvador, and it was interesting to talk with him briefly about his country.
The next day, Peg and I took another walk around the Park and then I went to the meetings while they scoured the town for more stuff. The banquet was that evening and we ate with some nice local folks who gave us some tips on the Olympic Peninsula. Bob Pyle and President John Shuey gave really fine talks - John about the importance of saving habitats as opposed to individual species and Bob giving us readings from his new book, Mariposa Road, chronicling his "butterfly big year".
The final day of the meeting was mostly occupied with the business meeting of the Society, again requiring my presence to report on the Executive Council meeting and take notes. We finished up around 11:00, and then it was time to pack up and head off for the next part of our adventure. More on this next time.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Northwestern U.S.
July 2 to July 23, 2010: We began our nearly month-long vacation/professional meeting by going to Maggie’s wedding in Michigan. Soon, natural history on the road came to the fore. I saw quite a number of dead foxes (road kill) along Hwy 421 in Indiana on the way to Michigan. That road goes through some fairly wooded areas – when I was in graduate school we used to come there in the winter to collect Callosamia promethea cocoons which positively dripped from the roadside Sassafras. We like to travel the smaller highways and on July 4th weekend that proved to be a wise choice; some of the other wedding guests took over 8 hours to get to Michigan from the Chicago area!
Once at the lodge (near Whitehall) we settled in and chatted with old friends. Next morning, it was off to a state park just down the road where we had a nice (cold) breakfast – we were the ones that were cold! Walking along the shore back in the woods, we found a lot of neat stuff: Indian Pipe (parasitic plant – lacks chlorophyll), vegetative and reproductive shoots of horsetail, several kinds of dragonflies, mushrooms and ant lions. I dug one out for Peg and Colleen to see – they’re difficult creatures to catch because they burrow in the sand so rapidly. The adults look like dragonflies with antennae.
Maggie’s wedding and the following reception were wonderful and loads of fun. Great music and gin and tonic! The next day, July 4th, we were off on our way to Washington (the state, not the nation’s capital). We were pokey – my fault – and drove along the lakeshore. Traverse City was a madhouse because of a Blue Angels air show, but we managed to find a little peace (and some black squirrels) on the campus of a local college which had some nice sculptures. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, which was amazing. I had heard it was a spectacular structure, but I had no idea... We stopped on the other side (the UP) for some photo-ops and I saw quite a few Ring-billed gulls hanging around. We drove a little ways into the UP and found an isolated motel looking out on a wetland. There were Tundra Swans swimming around in the wetland, along with Canadian Geese. We had dinner at a local diner just down the road and heard one of the patrons mention that it was his 68th wedding anniversary. He had served on New Guinea during WWII. The family sitting near him bought him and his wife a bottle of Champagne – very cool. The diner looked out over Lake Michigan, and the owners had provided each table with binoculars and bird books so patrons could check out all the birds on the lake or visiting the feeders located near the restaurant. Food wasn’t bad, either!
The next day, we began our trek across the UP, hoping to reach North Dakota (Ha!). As we drove along U.S. Hwy. 2, we saw many dead porcupines. Their usual defense doesn’t work so well against autos. We also saw a large dead black bear – another victim of cars. I won’t mention all the dead deer... The UP is BIG – it took us pretty much all day to get to WI. We pushed on into MN and stopped (finally) at a motel just west of Brainerd. The next day, we continued our journey west. A rest stop in western MN yielded a large number of moths, including a Polyphemus moth and many tent caterpillar adults. We got some nice photos. The road also yielded our first sighting of Bald Eagles as we neared the North Dakota border.
North Dakota was a pleasant surprise; green rolling hills and lots of potholes with waterfowl. Among the latter, we saw White Pelicans and my first view of a pair of Western Grebes. In western North Dakota, we had a brief view of Theodore Roosevelt National Park – enough to convince us that this would be a good place to visit again. Some nice prairie plants, but I was beginning to feel the butterflies were hiding from me. We managed to make it to Billings, MT, for the night. The next morning, we got on the road early and saw some beautiful low clouds in the river valley. We saw a number of deer (Mule? White-tailed? Black-tailed?) and some spectacular herds of Pronghorns. Also saw a small herd of Elk. We stopped in Kellog, ID, for a really nice lunch. Then it was on through eastern WA – very dry but still quite an interesting area. Made it to Leavenworth, the site of the annual meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society (www.lepsoc.org) - our goal for this part of the trip. I’ll post on that and the rest of our adventures later.
Once at the lodge (near Whitehall) we settled in and chatted with old friends. Next morning, it was off to a state park just down the road where we had a nice (cold) breakfast – we were the ones that were cold! Walking along the shore back in the woods, we found a lot of neat stuff: Indian Pipe (parasitic plant – lacks chlorophyll), vegetative and reproductive shoots of horsetail, several kinds of dragonflies, mushrooms and ant lions. I dug one out for Peg and Colleen to see – they’re difficult creatures to catch because they burrow in the sand so rapidly. The adults look like dragonflies with antennae.
Maggie’s wedding and the following reception were wonderful and loads of fun. Great music and gin and tonic! The next day, July 4th, we were off on our way to Washington (the state, not the nation’s capital). We were pokey – my fault – and drove along the lakeshore. Traverse City was a madhouse because of a Blue Angels air show, but we managed to find a little peace (and some black squirrels) on the campus of a local college which had some nice sculptures. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, which was amazing. I had heard it was a spectacular structure, but I had no idea... We stopped on the other side (the UP) for some photo-ops and I saw quite a few Ring-billed gulls hanging around. We drove a little ways into the UP and found an isolated motel looking out on a wetland. There were Tundra Swans swimming around in the wetland, along with Canadian Geese. We had dinner at a local diner just down the road and heard one of the patrons mention that it was his 68th wedding anniversary. He had served on New Guinea during WWII. The family sitting near him bought him and his wife a bottle of Champagne – very cool. The diner looked out over Lake Michigan, and the owners had provided each table with binoculars and bird books so patrons could check out all the birds on the lake or visiting the feeders located near the restaurant. Food wasn’t bad, either!
The next day, we began our trek across the UP, hoping to reach North Dakota (Ha!). As we drove along U.S. Hwy. 2, we saw many dead porcupines. Their usual defense doesn’t work so well against autos. We also saw a large dead black bear – another victim of cars. I won’t mention all the dead deer... The UP is BIG – it took us pretty much all day to get to WI. We pushed on into MN and stopped (finally) at a motel just west of Brainerd. The next day, we continued our journey west. A rest stop in western MN yielded a large number of moths, including a Polyphemus moth and many tent caterpillar adults. We got some nice photos. The road also yielded our first sighting of Bald Eagles as we neared the North Dakota border.
North Dakota was a pleasant surprise; green rolling hills and lots of potholes with waterfowl. Among the latter, we saw White Pelicans and my first view of a pair of Western Grebes. In western North Dakota, we had a brief view of Theodore Roosevelt National Park – enough to convince us that this would be a good place to visit again. Some nice prairie plants, but I was beginning to feel the butterflies were hiding from me. We managed to make it to Billings, MT, for the night. The next morning, we got on the road early and saw some beautiful low clouds in the river valley. We saw a number of deer (Mule? White-tailed? Black-tailed?) and some spectacular herds of Pronghorns. Also saw a small herd of Elk. We stopped in Kellog, ID, for a really nice lunch. Then it was on through eastern WA – very dry but still quite an interesting area. Made it to Leavenworth, the site of the annual meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society (www.lepsoc.org) - our goal for this part of the trip. I’ll post on that and the rest of our adventures later.
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