Today we did a short hike in the front range from the Grizzly Flat Trailhead past the locked gate along 2N79. 2N79 splits off and you can continue northwest to Grizzly Flat or you can follow it north and then east as it makes a turn towards Hoyt Mountain. The later was our destination. We’ve hiked this trail many times before because it’s a hot spot for several different species of butterflies. This was the first time we followed it all the way to Hoyt Mountain. The trail continues to climb until it reaches a saddle after just a little over two miles. Here there’s a split to continue on a rugged use trail up to the summit of Hoyt, or you can continue onto the very overgrown Telephone Trail which descends to Clear Creek. We climbed up on the use trail about halfway to the false summit and decided it was too overgrown and steep to continue. I was actually more interested in going back down to photograph all the Chalcedon Checkerspots that I saw at the base of the mountain. I photographed Chalcedon Checkerspots near this area last year, but this year there were so many that they were practically landing on me as I took my photos! It was about 9 am and the sun was really starting to warm things up. We decided to descend before it got too hot and finish up the hike with a visit to DISH in LaCanda for some hot coffee, eggs, bacon and my favorite... pancakes!
This weekend my husband and I were supposed to be in Joshua Tree, but with the soaring temperatures, we opted to remain local. This morning we took a very short hike up Grizzly Flat Trailhead. It was 92 degrees by 9 am, but we managed to get in a quick trek up the slope and I snapped just a few photos along the way. There were swallowtails circling down and back up the summit, but they were too far away to get an image. I did manage to catch a Bernardino Blue, as there were many on the California Buckwheat and also what I believe is a female Lupine Blue who appeared to be ovipositing.
This was an exciting weekend for me. I experienced for the first time the natural butterfly habit that exists right here in Angeles National Forest. It was incredible if not a little overwhelming. Around 8 am we arrived at the trailhead and began our hike. The weather was already heating up due to the current heatwave, and as we began our ascent up the slope we started to see all the activity. Along the trail was an abundance of California Buckwheat which is both a host and nectar plant for many different species. It was covered in different butterflies; Bernardino Blues, Hairstreaks and Chalcedon Checkerspot to name a few. It was breathtaking seeing so many different butterflies all together in their natural habitat. After I stopped “ohhh-ing and ahhh-ing” I did my best to get some images. Photographing butterflies can be a real challenge unless they’re still warming up or they’re preoccupied sipping nectar. I was so enamored “chasing butterflies” I hardly noticed how hot it was getting in the beating sun on the slope. I could have stayed up there for hours observing and looking for different species. It was the most amazing and educational day!
