Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
August 18-20, 2017 This is a throwback to a year ago when Tony and I went on one of our mountains trips. Read about our Mountains Trip #1-Beartooth Mountains, MT near Red Lodge. We had less than a week to plan, but Tony had already figured out where he wanted to fish and what trail to hike, so all that was left was to find a spot to camp. As we were nearing the parking lot after our longer-distance-than-expected hiking and fishing trip, Tony jokingly (but really meaning it) says, “Well, this trip went well, let’s do it again next weekend just in a different place.” Although I was a bit reluctant, I guess I agreed because the following weekend we were heading to the Bighorn Mountains near Buffalo, Wyoming in search of Grayling. One of Tony’s dreams was to catch one, and we just happened to be fairly close (4.5 hour drive and 9ish mile hike) to an alpine lake when we were working out in Montana for the summer. We had less than a week to plan, but Tony had already figured out where he wanted to fish and what trail to hike, so all that was left was to find a spot to camp. Day 1 Once again, we headed out early in the morning, so we could get to Buffalo, Wyoming and make a stop at the fly shop to stock up before heading into the mountains. Earlier in the summer, on a road trip to Devil’s Tower, we had made a side trip to Buffalo just to stop at The Sports Lure which Tony had heard about and needed to go to. So, of course The Sports Lure was our first stop when we got into town! Tony asked all the important fishing questions and we left the shop armed with the best flies to catch our fish. After the fly shop we headed to the Powder River Ranger District to fill out a registration form that anyone entering the Cloud Peak Wilderness is required to do. After visiting the Ranger Districts, it was time to head to the campground and set up our site. We weren’t able to get a site up in the mountains on such short notice, but found the Deer Park Campground in Buffalo which worked out well. We spend the evening eating dinner, exploring the campground, and relaxing while watching a flock of Common Nighthawks catch insects overhead. Day 2 We woke up around 5:00 a.m. so that we could have some breakfast and get to the trailhead early. We hiked the Circle Park Trail which goes through the Cloud Peak Wilderness. It was a very rocky trail, but had some beautiful lakes and views along the way. We ran into some fly fishermen who were traveling by horseback that were surprised we made the trek on foot all the way to our lake. It was a little over 9 miles round trip, but not too bad, especially compared to the previous weekend when we ended up hiking farther than intended. The highest point of our trip was an elevation of 9,581 feet not long before we got to our lake. We wound our way through the trees and got our first glimpse of the lake! It was a beautiful sight looking down from the ridge! We caught our breath and enjoyed the view then started the very steep decent down to the shoreline. Right away Tony was rigging up his fly rod and started casting. In not too long he caught his first Grayling! His dream had been fulfilled! The excitement and look on his face was priceless! We did a little boulder hopping and made our way to an upper pond area where Tony had heard from a buddy that there was good fishing. Tony was a bit ahead of me because he just couldn’t wait to wet a line up there, and called back to me, “Megan, there are moose!” I couldn’t believe it! We got out the binoculars and watched two cows and a calf walk and swim in the water, it was so cool! Tony was starting to get impatient with the moose and really wanted to fish, eventually they moved out and he moved in. Unfortunately, they muddied up the water from walking through it so he didn’t catch anything, it was however a great place for a snack! I found a nice, flat rock a little ways into the water and soaked up the view while he fished. We started to get hungry, so we went back down to the main lake and boulder hopped our way to the other side to find a lunch spot. The rest of the afternoon was spent fishing and soaking up the scenery. Tony and I each caught quite a few more Grayling and he even caught a Splake (a hybrid of a male Brook Trout and female Lake Trout). Reeling in my Grayling, check out the blue on its dorsal fin! On our way back down the mountain Tony spotted another moose resting in a meadow, that brought our moose count up to four for this trip! We saw some more mountain flowers and birds. The trail was rocky, and the altitude high, but it was another great day of hiking and fly fishing for the books! Once off the trail we made our way back to the campsite and had an early night. Day 3 We didn’t have much planned for today besides heading back to Glendive, so we decided to eat out for breakfast. We ate at the Busy Bee Cafe which has been a local favorite since 1927. The Busy Bee is part of the Occidental Hotel in downtown Buffalo. The hotel has hosted famous people like Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and young Teddy Roosevelt. The food was great and right next to Clear Creek. After our breakfast, we fed trout pellets to the trout for their breakfast. Then it was on the road again. As always, the trip went by way too fast! Once again, we had done it! Quickly threw together a trip, hiked up a mountain, fly fished in an alpine lake, and had a trip of a lifetime! I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t for Tony, but seeing him catch his first Grayling was the cherry on top! I’m thinking we need to make another trip to the mountains in the near future! Thank you, Tony, for the use of your pictures and knowing when to push me out of my comfort zone, we had a great time and made some awesome memories! Photos by: Megan Betcher & Tony Long
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Dog Stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus) is an interesting fungus that can be seen August through October here in Minnesota. Although, it is typically found late summer/early fall, a neighbor of mine had a small colony growing in a mulched area earlier this summer in June. Dog Stinkhorn is a 4 - 6 inch tall mushroom with a pinkish/orange stem that is about a half an inch in diameter. The stem has an olive green/brown slimy spore mass, called a “gleba” that covers the upper portion. The gleba has a certain stink to it that helps to categorize this mushroom into the Stinkhorn family. The stink from the mushroom attracts flies and other insects which land on the gleba and in the process get spores stuck to their feet, which they then help to spread elsewhere when they fly off. Dog Stinkhorn can be found growing in a variety of places like mulch, leaf or needle litter, soil, and decaying wood in coniferous and deciduous forests. The lifecycle starts as a Stinkhorn “egg” usually found under the surface of mulch or soil. The egg is oval shaped and has an outer skin with a gelatinous inside. When the mushroom is ready to emerge, the egg will split open and the mushroom will begin to grow. It grows very quickly and in only five or six hours the mushroom will grow to it full size of 4 - 6 inches! After the mushroom emerges the egg is still visible at its base. The mushroom usually lasts only a few days before it decays and disappears.
A few times this summer I’ve been cleaning the animals’ exhibits at the zoo (Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo) and have seen butterflies landing on their scat. (Scat is the scientific name for “poop”). Now why would such a beautiful, fragile, little creature be wanting to land on scat?! The two just don’t seem to go together. Butterflies are attracted to scat because of what it has to offer. They do something called “mud-puddling” where they use their proboscis (straw like mouth part) to suck up fluids. Scat has a variety of nutrients, including nitrogen and sodium that butterflies need for reproduction, but can’t find in nectar alone. Amino acids, vitamins, and minerals can also be found in scat and are appealing to butterflies. Although scat may not be as alluring to us, it’s like a Slurpee for the butterflies!
Butterflies can also be seen "puddling" in sand, soil, and carrion (rotting meat). You may even see them in large groups exhibiting this puddling behavior. |
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