The trail up Bird Ridge usually clears of snow first, because of the steep southern exposure and high winds in the area. When Saturday dawned calm and sunny, I wondered if the Bird Ridge Trail was ready for hiking. After driving the 25 miles to the trailhead, I discovered that many others had the same thought. The parking lot was full, and cars were lined up along the shoulder of the highway. The trail was relatively good until I reached the snowpack a little way above the "meadow", beyond the treeline. We turned back at that point. The "meadow" will be covered in flowers soon, but nothing is blooming yet (other than willows). That did not discourage the Milbert's Tortoiseshell Butterflies. They hibernate in the adult form and start to fly, even with snow all around, if their body temperature reaches about 50ºF. I saw 5 or 6 of these amazingly hardy critters, and was able to photograph one. There were eagles soaring over the valley, circling. I heard ptarmigan too, but never saw them. The next day, there were snow flurries in Anchorage, but I'm not fooled by that; Spring is really here now.
