Sierra Nevada Backpacking trip

[Detroitpete]

WOW! GREAT pictures! Looks like a fun trip. Congratulations for getting the opportunity. Thanks for sharing these.

[Detroitpete]

You GUYS.......the dragonfly shot is of a newly metamorphosed dragonfly. The animal with wings has just emerged from the shed skin of its final larval state.

The larval stages of dragonflies are sometimes called "Hellgrammites" and they are nasty predators that crawl around the bottom of ponds. When the time comes, they climb out on a reed and do their final metamorphosis to the adult form...which is the dragonfly you see flying around a pond on a summer day. Damselflies....miniature dragonflies, do the same thing.

The dragonfly with wings is slowly changing to his adult color, which will be black and electric blue, and the wings are hardening in the sun.

And when mimiced at ALL stages of its life cycle makes an EXCELLENT trout fly

[beowulf67]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us. And I must add Alan you do have a lovely hiking partner. Lucky man!

[Freelander Sporrano]

Some fantastic pictures Alan . There is something about kilts and hill walking. They are made for each other

[Tartan Hiker]

Some fantastic pictures Alan . There is something about kilts and hill walking. They are made for each other

I second that emotion!