Roads to Rochford and Roughlock

The forecast for Sunday sounded good...partly cloudy and 74 degrees...haha...I took another long drive, into the N central Hills...it was completely cloudy with light rain starting by late morning...but anyway, off I went, taking Hwy. 385 to county road 237 and then 231 W to the tiny, rustic town of Rochford and onward to discover what I might....

A lone mallard, paddling on a small pool...its head all glassy-looking after dipping it underwater...

Co. Rd. 231 follows Rapid Creek, and until it reaches Rochford both follow the historic Mickelson Trail (the M. Trail runs 114 miles in all)...I stopped at Bloody Gulch (gulp!) Rd. and trail marker 81, to walk up and down the trail, looking for birds...it took awhile but eventually a few appeared...starting with this warbling vireo...

And a common yellowthroat that wouldn't hold still...

This black-headed grosbeak, however, stayed put on his perch...

Along the trail, baneberry flowers are in bloom...the berries will be white or red...and poisonous...

...Coming back along the trail, the grosbeak was still there; he moved to another nearby perch and I could see his yellow underbelly, which I hadn't realized they had til then...

Speaking of yellow, high above, by the side of Bloody Gulch (yikes!) Rd., an American goldfinch was crooning his heart out...too far away to get a decent photo...

The only shot of this fellow in a willow shrub, was from behind as it turned out...I thought it was the vireo but the red spot on the crown would indicate it was a ruby-crowned kinglet! A lifer! 

After passing through Rochford, I continued NW on 231 (which ends at Hwy. 85, not far E of the Wyoming border)...finding two calves on the wrong side of the fence...

Further along, a timid doe...

The prairie violets are in bloom...not nearly as common as the longspur violets...easy to ID with different leaves and a larger face...

The quaking aspen stands seem more common in the NW Hills area...

Once reaching Hwy. 85, I headed E and then N on Co. Rd. 134/Tinton Rd., which parallels Spearfish Canyon...turning E on 222/Roughlock Falls Rd., which runs past Roughlock Falls and on to Spearfish Canyon...a wedding was being held above the falls at the park, so I didn't stop...I did stop a mile below the falls, at the Roughlock Trailhead as planned. The Roughlock Wetlands are nestled between the trail and the road...above is a bit of scenery from the trail...in Little Spearfish Canyon...

Not far up the trail, a gentleman was fly fishing...on the other side of the creek...this one's for you Dad...

Another view from the trail...Little Spearfish Creek running from the falls through the wetlands area...

Oh hey there, an American redstart overhead! Lots of birds are singing their romantic little hearts out right now, love is in the air...this fellow was skittish but I managed much better photos than the first time I saw a redstart recently...

The Canada violets are really abundant in the Black Hills, they love the shade of trees...Roughlock Trail is under the forest canopy on and off and it feels like the tropics there in the middle of summer...the blue columbine and bunchberry are beginning to bloom also...later, the wild honeysuckle and so much more...

What did I tell you? Another male (song sparrow) bird crooning like Ol' Blue Eyes...

At the N end of Spearfish Canyon, I stopped at the wayside info turn-out, and discovered that the wild blue flax is in bloom...I only find this flower on windy days, when it is fluttering furiously...making it really difficult to photograph...today was no exception but I managed.