Little Blackfoot Meadows - Butterflies and Flowers

Little Blackfoot Meadows is a hike I want to repeat at the end of May, first part of June next year.  Even when flowers should have been winding down, there were thousands of thistles, goldenrod, asters and the remains of the springtime flowers going to seed.  And bees!  And butterflies.  So here is a flora tour of August on the Little Blackfoot Meadows trail.  (I HAVE to get a wildflower ID book.)

Hillsides covered in thistles and other wildflowers.

And bees busy everywhere.  They were way too busy to care what we were doing. 

A bird I need to identify.

Butterflies everywhere!

The flowers looked like extra-large Queen Anne's lace, but the plant was about 3 feet tall or more.  I am sure it is in the same family.