Our journal guy, Bob Danley, spent some time around Skalkaho Falls. We've told you many times about the waterfall right by the road, but Bob looked a little closer and found some hidden natural wonders.

In this week's Bitterroot Outdoor Journal, he describes the many dragonflies at Mud Lake (about a mile east of Skalkaho Pass), which includes the ZigZag Darner, Ocellated Emerald, and the Hudsonian Whiteface (see photo above). There's a boardwalk so you can keep out of the goo. An unusual wildflower he saw was the Green Gentian, also called the Monument Plant. More robust than beargrass, it grows close to the ground for years, when all of a sudden it grows a thick flower stalk with green flowers along the stem. It's rare to see the flower stalk, which only happens every 20 years at the earliest. (see photo below)

monument plant
Green Gentian detail. (Bob Danley photo)
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In the Bitterroot valley, look for Wood Nymph butterflies. they are about an inch and a half with a brown and black color and eyespots. They like decaying plants. Bob's reports are head Thursdays at about 7:50 a.m. on 1240 KLYQ AM and at klyq.com. Don't forget our KLYQ app on your cellphone and the KLYQ skill on your smart speaker.

wood nymph butterfly
Small Wood Nymph butterfly. (Bob Danley photo)
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