Trip report: Apache Trail (Superstition Mountains) 18 March 2023 by Ron Rutowski
Fifteen butterfliers gathered at the beginning of the road to the First Water Trailhead before heading up the Apache Trail looking for butterflies. It was beautifully clear but did not look very promising due to wind and low temperatures. We stopped first at the Weaver’s Needle Vista trailhead and hiked perhaps ¼ mile up the trail. We struck out on butterflies there, but the abundant and diverse wildflowers kept us fully occupied. Next stop was Mesquite Flat which was a bit warmer and a somewhat protected from the wind. We had several good views of American Snouts here and fleeting glimpses of a Common/White Checkered Skipper, what was probably a Funereal Duskwing, and an unidentified blue. It was then on to the Fish Creek Vista. Here we saw hilltopping Desert Orangetips and Checkered Whites that cooperatively perched for photographs. A Sleepy Orange also made a brief appearance. More sleepy oranges and a Two-tailed Swallowtail were seen on along the road on the drive back to First Water Road. Although the butterflies were underwhelming (only 7 species!), the wildflowers were excellent and all participants welcomed the chance to get out in the desert for our first CAZBA trip of the year.
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