On September 8 when David Droppers and I arrived at Snoqualmie Pass we knew from Dave Nunnallee’s experience that the abandoned road at Gold Creek would still be shaded. From the Summit House we could see flower meadows on the ski slopes. So we went there, found very little in the flowers along big graveled parking area, then hiked the longish mile across the ski slopes to Beaver Lake. We spent most our time on a flowered bench across the lake, then worked our way back across the ski slopes to parking area. Saw a clodius parnassian, purplish & mariposa coppers, Mormon and coronis frits.

By then it had warmed and there were flocks of California tortoiseshells in the parking area. We then went to the abandoned road. While driving in we saw what David is pretty sure was a margined white. On the abandoned road we saw a green comma, Lorquin’s admiral, and many more California torts. When we headed back to the car, it was about 3 pm and many of the flower patches were getting shaded, so timing had been perfect.

We then went to Gold Creek Pond and followed the paved trail perhaps a quarter of way around lake, seeing a couple more parnassians, a few frits (Mormon and at least one other), quite a few sylvan hairstreaks, a few woodland skippers, a blue (David thinks a Boisduval’s) and a very fresh painted lady.

Tuesday & Wednesday I went to the Heather Meadows area hoping to see ptarmigan. No luck. Did see a couple of marmots & a bear. Tuesday on way up Table Mountain, I found one small checkerspot and, on top, one Mormon frit but nothing else. On Wednesday, along the first part of trail toward ptarmigan ridge, the lupine was luscious, as were a few patches of purple asters. There I found very fresh green commas and Milbert’s tortoiseshells, many Mormon frits, a couple of large frits too distant to ID and likewise with a couple of blues. There were also a number of largish moths nectaring (by climbing over flowers rather than hovering.)

Heather Meadows is about 140 miles from Seattle but might be worth a trip sometime. There are lots of flower beds lower than the Table Mountain parking lot and trail to Ptarmigan Ridge. Anyhow, that’s our late-season butterflying.

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