Calypso Corner

Day 204: I wasn't thinking about Calypso orchids when I set out for a hike in Pack Forest yesterday. The plan was to follow the Bud Blancher Trail from Eatonville, then take the Falls Trail and a short section of the 1070 until connecting with the 1000 Rd. Following the 1000 Rd. would take me through the stretch I call "Butterfly Alley" where I hoped to pick up some material for these posts. Second to that was an invasives patrol, to which purpose I had included my GPS and field notebook in my pack. The Falls Trail was muddy and slick, and a warning sign had been placed at the spur to the lower falls saying that the trail was closed due to potential slides, but I hadn't intended to visit the falls and went on by without investigating. The hard-packed dirt roads of Pack Forest were dry as expected, but even with the way being rather warm and sunny, the only butterflies I saw were Cabbage Whites. About halfway up to Kirkland Pass, I said to myself, "Why don't I go out the 2000 to see if there are any Calypsos? It'll only add about half a mile to my hike." Oh, how dim memory is sometimes! It was closer to three-quarters of a mile from the intersection at Kirkland Pass to Calypso Corner, but I'd committed myself to the project, having no butterflies for backup. The Calypsos and I had a nice visit, and I returned via the sloggy, boggy, muddy and messy Reservoir Trail (much muddier than the Falls Trail had been) for a total of 8.5 miles and a notebook full of invasives to report.