The parking area for the trailhead was an area large enough to turn around and park off the road. Several trucks went up the road while I was on the trail including a rollback truck that was parked along the road further down the hill. The rollback came back down the hill with a forest service bulldozer on it and went down to the main road.
Letty was able to see a couple of Trillium from the RV as she waited. I was trying to follow the trail for the full 1 mile round trip, but after a while I decided to come back the way I came because it was unclear where the trail was going and I wasn't sure how long it would take to complete it. A loop trail therefore turned into an 'out and back' trail.
There were many wildflowers on the trail and many chances to stop and take photos. As I was hiking back down the trail, I noticed something moving near the ground in the plants. A black butterfly was climbing up stems and flapping his wings. He appeared to be drying them as if he had just crawled out of his chrysalis. I stopped to take photos of him, and he continued to crawl and wave his wings. I stood still and he climbed up my shoe and then my pant leg. I thought he might 'ride' down the trail with me, but suddenly he launched himself into the air and flew off the hill out into the treetops. I believe it was his first flight, and apparently I helped! Should I call him Wilbur, or Orville?
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| Rufus Morgan Trailhead Parking. |
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| Starting up the trail. |
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| Squawroot, a parasitic plant. |
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| Bellwort. |
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| Red trillium. |
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| Toothwort. |
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| A Yellow Violet. [Yes they come in different colors!] |
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| I did not cross this 'bridge' when I got to it; I turned around here. |
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| The black butterfly on the ground. |
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| The black butterfly climbing up my leg. |
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