Hi Gary,

Glad you had a great time and hope you found the area to be what I described or better. Great find on the spruce grouse! As I hiked the trail, I didn't think the area was the ideal habitat for these birds. But again, I was surprised to find a hen on the Cutthroat Pass Trail a few weeks ago. Gee, little do I know. Good to know the birds are in this area, too.

Also, the area to look for the ptarmigans would be anywhere from 2.8-3.7 miles from the trailhead. The lower parts were really devoid of any lush streams and snowfields but I would imagine the birds would be there in the fall. We found the family at the Pass where it was a bit moister ground and vegetation with a few trickling streams--not far from the National Park marker and shortly before the trail descends. There is a saddle about 500 feet northwest of there with some rocky scree. The female was there with 5 chicks.

Thanks for posting your adventure. I can somewhat re-live your experience from the invigorating hike!

Good birding,

Khanh Tran