SUNDAY DRIVE UP WILLOW CREEK AND THE BUTTERFLY

Connie and I jumped in the jeep and drove up Willow Creek (the drainage on the east side of the Bitterroot where we live) then headed over to the Butterfly area south of the Willow Creek drainage.  I guess the Butterfly is the area between Willow Creek and Gird Creek area.  As a youngster, I hunted this area a lot.  Shot a number of elk and deer there.  Some of the area looked really familiar and some looked a lot different.  There are a few more roads than there used to be and a few more fences I guess.  We didn't get to make a big loop as I had hoped as we were blocked by snow.  But it won't be long until all the snow is gone up there as the weather is getting warmer. 

Zeph keeping a good eye out for anything that moves on the drive up.

Part way up looking across the valley to the west, my traveling partners Connie and Zeph.

This is what the road looked like most of the time.  Just a forest service road. 

Saw lots of wildflowers starting to bloom.

Snow covered a lot of the spur roads.

Some moss along the road.

This is where we had to turn around.  Just around the corner it got deeper.

Fresh bear scat.  Not positive what kind of bear for sure, but it was a BIG black bear or a grizzly.

This tree amazed me.  It has burned up at the top but the bottom was not burned.  Crown fire I would guess.

This gives you an idea of the size of the bear scat with my swiss army knife by it.  And it was pretty darn fresh.

Coming out looking down the Willow Creek drainage. 

Some elk along the road.

A lot of arrow leaf balsomroot with a few Indian paintbrush in the middle.