Target Species: Gillett’s Checkerspot

Only three intrepid souls appeared for the final field trip of the Spokane area’s WBA group.

Brenda McCracken, Hailey Armstrong and John Baumann managed a steep trail climb up

along Willow Creek to reach Lower Stevens Lake, right in the neighborhood of Lookout Pass, Idaho, on July 20th, hoping to find the always elusive Gillett’s Checker where naturalist Tom Rogers might have found it over 50 years ago.

The weather was perfect, the hike, very rewarding, and the esprit de corps was strong, but we

did not find our target species. We did find numerous crescents, arctics and blues near the lake, and passed through a lovely sloping meadow and a rushing waterfall on the way up!

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