July 30 - Willow Lake (BCC)

 Sunny day with highs near 100.

This is stop 2 of my day. Around 64 degrees and the sun has not risen above the mountains yet and there are clouds in the sky.

First time for me on this trail. I was going to hike it this week but today's the day.

I start up the trail and the 1st thing I notice is the amount of flowers in bloom. I don't think I've ever seen it more impressive. There's Brown Coneflower (in bloom), Tall Groundsel (tall yellow), Asters, Monkshood (lots of Monkshood), Hyssop (lots of it), Fireweed, and many others.

And there's Spiddlebugs and their spiddle is dripping this morning (have never saw that before).

I see some deer/moose tracks on the trail.

Plenty of hummingbird moths; not nectaring. They are flying under the leaves. Strange to me.

And there are hummingbirds with bright red chests; again they are not nectaring.

I reach the meadow stopping at this flower

and stop before entering the Aspens

Quite lush on the other side. Can't make it to the lake because the lake is still high on this end so I head over to the over side.

So many flowers, too bad it's not sunny out - I need butterflies!!

I make the long cross to the other side stopping to watch a doe come out of the forest.

And for a landscape photo.

Then it's back into the Aspens where there are a few Crow/Grackles making a lot of noise this morning

And Monkshood.

There's Paintbrush in here and Baneberry.

I catch a Ground Squirrel poking his head up from a tree hole.

One last look at the mountain

before heading down the other side. Tons of flowers heading down. 

Stop to watch a Brown Creeper.

Need to come back this week when it's sunny and hopefully there are butterflies flying.

Good day!