Spearfish Canyon: Take Two

If at first you don't succeed...Yesterday I made a more successful attempt to go visit Spearfish Canyon...last Wed. I got less than halfway there when the sun disappeared and I turned around and came back home...driving thru the canyon Mon., I was disappointed to see how ungreen it still is, plus as soon as I got to S.C. Lodge there was fresh snow on the ground in patches, UGH....but hey, I thought, maybe I'll see something of interest anyway...at least it was sunny if not overly warm out...

Driving up the dirt road to Roughlock Falls, this is what Roughlock Trail looked like...winter...the white-ish stuff is snow...

I parked at the upper pool area of the creek above the falls and walked down below the falls a short ways...still above the falls, a speedy squirrel was out and about as I passed by...

One of the many types of willows in the Hills, growing along the creek above the falls...

Picnic, anyone?! Yea, not exactly spring-like, is it?! ARG. It wasn't cold really, but the strong breeze made wearing a jacket necessary...

This is the view of the stream running downhill just beyond a wood bridge, from the lower part of Roughlock Falls...photos of the Falls themselves never come out overly photogenic for me due to angles and obstacles...

The trees along Roughlock Trail have lots of interesting patterns and textures...

On my way back up the trail from the lower falls viewing deck, this blue jay appeared straight ahead...as evasive as any other blue jay...

This plant is growing along the trail above Roughlock Falls..I had no idea what it was (in this phase) until I visited Spearfish Falls next and found a marker sign on that trail ID'ing this as a scarlet elderberry...

As I headed back to the main road in the canyon, dodging and bumping through countless muddy potholes, a yellow-rumped warbler (!!) landed on a branch nearby and allowed me a few crummy shots of its backside...this bird's a lifer for me! Sweeeet...

Coming out of Roughlock Falls Rd. (at S.C. Lodge), just across the main road is a restaurant and behind it, the trail to Spearfish Falls...heading out on that trail, I spotted this well-camoflaged butterfly flitting around a broken tree branch...

Spearfish Falls is pretty, but the fall isn't a very long distance...

View of Spearfish Creek from a small wood bridge along the trail to Spearfish Falls.

Hard to believe this somewhat modest canyon is so much older than the Grand Canyon! This marker is along the trail to Spearfish Falls.

I don't know when I'll get out w/ the camera again, the weather continues to be a bit cool and windy and the countryside still isn't completely green yet. BLAH.