Hello Tweeters,
This is a report from Sunday the 19th of September. As i was staying on
Leech Lake on White Pass on Saturday where i went Owling, i prepared the
next day to frind some smal LAKES OF hyw 12 going in to Lewis Co. to find
some first records of Dragonflies.The Map i got i purchase from Rei and is
a green trails map which showes all the trails by numbers.So i got started
real early to find trail 76 which from there lead me to trail 61 in the
vicinity of Lily Lake.I found no access of HYW 12 which had any trails on
the right side where Knuppenburg Lake is on.I tryed the Ranger Station on
Saturday this to be sure to find this place but there where closed. After 2
hours drivig around and still was not able to find this trail i was ready
to drive to Randle to visit some old fishen friends. Well i never made it
to Randle instead i took Forest Road 46 which goes to Bluff Lake.I must
say Bluff Lake sounded good to find some new County records of Dragonflies
manly Darners ( Ashna species) I drove to where the trail turns in to 65
and where people need a pass to enter to go hiking. I din't intend to hike
,so i went on to 65 driving. I noticed the road became real narrow and
primitive with fallen rocks all over the road, but i only supposed to drive
only 3 miles on this bad road. I got out and looked the most breathaken
scenery and was almost eye level with Mount Rainier. After drivig further
big rock was laying over the road and i want to turn around,when i heared
somthing fallen and hit my car. Abig rock hit my rare tire ,it was
completly flat.There i was one side on a steep hill and the othe all the
way steep down. I became real scared since i already know there was no
hiker signed in on this lower trail. This to get the Jack out which seems
to be bolded under the seat took alone 50 minutes than after i jacked the
car up, i could not get the bolts out to remove the tire.After all trys i
finaly thinking going down hill and get help.
Here is when everything turned around in a positive way.

Walking with only my Backpak and water it was realy hot way up there. I saw
some water dripping on the road.No water comming from the hill, i start
investigating and found sme smal creek completly coverd with sme tall grass
and moss.Than i disvcovert some Dragonflies are way up on the hill flying
around one landed on a rock so i can see what kind of Dragonflie goes high
elevation with only a primitive water hole dripping down the hill.with no
glasses i can tell i had some BLACK PETALTAILS here which is one the oldest
and most primitive Dragonflies exist and hard to find. The reason i say
primitive this is the only Dragonflie which comes out nights to feed on
isects and such.OK i dint thik one other minute to go up try to maneuvre
the car down the hill and ducoment this sighting with taken many photos of
this Black Petaltail and the habitat where there are sighted and collect a
specimen for the record. This is a breeding locality, since there also was
a female sighted.I wasnt so much worried about my tire been blown out only
get so exited to find this species of a Dragonflie in Lewis County sofar
apart from JACK PASS in Skykomish.After all the research and documentation
i drove my car to to the trailhead where there was two hikers on the trail.
Waiting only 20 minutes there helped me to get my tire changed.I was
thinking, if i dint brake down with my car(driving up i was not aware of
any Dragonflies)i would never ever to found this breeding sighting.I found
out from this couple of hikers that you must hike in to Bluff Lake and the
road i drove on was not to be driven. So i was double lucky not completly
wreck my car or maybe get hit by a big rock what would sent me over the
edge down the hill.
I will try again this weekend to hike in to Bluff Lake which is an hour of
uphill and 30 minutes comming back.Who knows what can be found on this
remote location.On Knuppenburg Lake i also had two Drners what are first
County records the SHADOW DARNER (Ashna umbrosa) and the VARIABLE DARNER (
Ashna interrupta) both a verry common species,but never be found in Lewis
Co.
Going to the Car dealer to have my oil changed (supposed to be every 3000
miles) i drove 11000 miles in 3 months but i had the best time ever i will
remember.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma
godwit at worldnet.att.net