Training Hike #1 - 9/1/02

[Mark Walker]

This is a bit post dated, but I thought I'd at least start posting a few of
my field trips from earlier in the month.
 
For those of you who may recall, I left you back on August 31 following my
day in the field with Ken Davenport.  Ken and I were supposed to hook up
again the following day, but I miscalculated the necessary time to drive to
Salt Lake City - and I found myself needing to put a few miles behind me.
Ken and I will have to plan on getting out early next spring.
 
On Superbowl Sunday of 2002, I planned an extensive backpacking trip to
Wyoming with a few of my elementary school buddies.  We try and do a big
trip about once every five years or so - and this one was particularly
important to me, as I am still recovering from my neurosurgery from last
December.  This trip was to be a huge test - essentially the thing that
determines whether the surgery was a success or not.  Being in dismal shape,
I knew that I would need to get a few training hikes in before the big day.
Any day in the field counts for something, but I was in need of some
additional physical training.  I had my backpack with me - along with my
butterfly net.
 
So, after leaving Tonopah on Sunday morning, September 1, I took my Subaru
Outback into the Currant Mountain Wilderness west of Ely, Nevada.  This is
surprisingly high country (highest peaks above 11,000 ft.), and part of the
White Pine Range of the Humboldt National Forest.  To my surprise and
delight - I found quite a bit of running water up in these mountains.  Not
bad, considering this is Nevada - especially since most of Southern
California is dry as a bone.
 
I began seeing Hesperia colorado (Western Branded Skipper) in numbers by
9:00 a.m.  There was tons of butterfly nectar all around.  In another hour I
began seeing Colias alexandria (Alexandra's Sulphur) and Speyeria zerene
cynna (?) flying in numbers.  I stopped to hunt in a good sized creek
crossing, and enjoyed nectar feeders like Lycaeides melissa (Melissa Blue),
Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper), and Phyciodes pratensis (Field
Crescentspot).  Other Speyeria were present, also - including a large one
with a dark ventral disc - no id yet.  Other leps in this region were
Cercyonis sthenele (Great Basin Wood Nymph) and Cercyonis oetus (Small Wood
Nymph).  Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak) were present, as were what look
like very dark ventrally colored Polygonia zephyrus (Zephyr Anglewing).
 
I put the backpack on and hiked up into higher elevations, but soon the
trail became just a wash of very large boulders.  This proved to be too
difficult to traverse with weak legs, and I almost killed myself tripping
over my two feet.  After about 2 miles or so, I turned back.  But not before
I spotted a tattered Satyrium behrii (Behr's Hairstreak) and Satyrium titus
(Coral Hairstreak), two hairstreaks that caught me a bit off guard.
 
There were a few other highlights - including a nice series of Lycaena arota
(Tailed Copper) which favored the small oaks that hugged the medium
elevation roadsides.  The Fritillaries continued to fly right up until 4
p.m.  By the time I started on to Salt Lake City, I had managed to do a lot
more collecting than I had anticipated.
 
Mark Walker.
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