A Mid-Summer Report

How things change! In every year prior, I have been champing at the bit for Iron Mountain Road to open so that I could get up to Thunder Mountain and Carson Pass. I expected that this year would be no different. I was wrong. While I have started out several times to get up to Carson Pass, I have yet to make it!

This year I have a new agenda: butterflies. Having just last year discovered how much fun it is to watch butterflies, I'm hooked. And unlike the cartoons or TV commercials with large butterflies gracefully gliding about, most of the butterflies found in our county are in fact small, like in less than an inch wide. And as for gliding? Most are hectic and restless. But in almost every instance, when you start to actually look at them they are surprisingly colorful, often beautifully patterned.

It is for this reason that I have been unable so far to get more than half way to Carson Pass; I keep stopping along the way to investigate a few favorite spots, and before I know it, it's time to head back down the hill. I will certainly have to simply go straight to Carson Pass next week; the places along Iron Mountain Road are starting to dry up, and the high elevations should be reaching their prime.

August is a Great Time to Roam Carson Pass

You can expect to see gorgeous displays of colorful flowers along the trail to Winnemucca (warning: a totally popular hike, do it mid-week if you can), but there's also good stuff to see if you head north over the saddle and down to Meiss Lake, etc. Not so dramatic as the hike south, but very worth your time.

You Can Still Work in Your Garden...

Check what's good and what's bad to have in your yard: thumbs up | thumbs down.

[back to top]