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Exploring<br />
SOLDIER CREEK<br />
Contributed by Lois Ports for Bristlecone Audubon<br />
Because of its beauty and ease of access<br />
Lamoille Canyon gets lots of visitors.<br />
There is another canyon you might want<br />
to explore next time you have a day or<br />
two off. Soldier Canyon might not have<br />
any developed campgrounds but there<br />
are several primitive campsites along<br />
the road up to the trail head. What it<br />
does have to offer is wonderful scenery,<br />
wildflowers, and bird watching.<br />
Most people head immediately for<br />
the trail head before starting to hike.<br />
I like to park on the side of the lower<br />
road and walk for a while. Break your<br />
walk into comfortable sections and just<br />
keep moving your vehicle. The narrow<br />
road overlooks Soldier Creek and is<br />
bordered by a bounty of wildflowers.<br />
Some of the showier species you can<br />
see include sticky geranium, showy<br />
penstamon, solomon’s seal, wild rose,<br />
and scarlet gilia.<br />
As you walk be sure to watch and listen<br />
for the many birds that nest in Soldier<br />
Canyon. Bushtits, mountain chickadee,<br />
warbling vireo and lazuli bunting can be<br />
found in the aspen thickets. As you walk<br />
through the areas of pinyon pine and<br />
juniper you can find western tanager,<br />
chipping sparrow, and both spotted<br />
and green tailed towhee. As the road<br />
opens up near the trail marked to John<br />
Day I usually decide to drive the rest of<br />
the way to the trail head.<br />
There is ample parking and a turnaround<br />
area with a vault toilet at the end of<br />
the main road. The road then crosses<br />
Soldier Creek just past the outhouse.<br />
This area attracts many butterflies. The<br />
edges of the creek provide excellent<br />
spots for mud-puddling. Mud-puddling<br />
is a behavior most conspicuous in<br />
butterflies but other insects may also<br />
be present. They suck up the fluid<br />
from the wet soil which provides them<br />
with vital nutrients including salts and<br />
minerals. Some of the butterflies you<br />
can expect to see include the western<br />
white admirals, checkerspots, blues<br />
and anglewings.<br />
After you cross Soldier Creek there is<br />
3/4 mile of rough road which requires<br />
a high clearance vehicle (Many people<br />
chose to walk this stretch). At this point<br />
there is a USFS kiosk and a gate blocking<br />
access to any vehicles. The first two<br />
miles of this hike follow Soldier Creek<br />
up Soldier Canyon. The trail is rocky<br />
and muddy in places so watch your<br />
footing. The canyon is the only place<br />
www.EverythingElko.com \ June 2018<br />
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