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Natural Wonders in Mexico: Beautiful Butterflies


A monarch alights upon a flower on the dusty trail through the butterfly sanctuary. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999My muscles begin to ache as I continue down the evergreen -scented trail. A hiker ahead of me stops short and looks up. My gaze follows. The blue sky is suddenly darkened by the hundreds and hundreds of monarchs taking flight above us. A burst of orange and black wings flutter all around me and I am breathless in awe.

 

Sleepy Drive to Sleepy Angangueo

It is still dark when my husband, Bob, and I pick up our friends, Tom, Susan, and their 13-year-old son Gary. They stumble sleepily into our Pathfinder and we all mumble our good mornings. During our drive to the butterfly sanctuary above the town of Angangueo, dark skies give way to the pinks and oranges of dawn, and soon the sun is bright with the beginning of a new day. As we travel west from Mexico City, city buildings fade to green mountains. Cacti, crumbling stone walls, and fields fill our vision as we drive through the countryside. Three-and-a-half hours later, we spot the signs leading us to the town of Angangueo and the monarch sanctuary.

A church steeple rises above the town of Angangueo. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999A narrow street leading right up the middle of Angangueo is bordered by tiny shops and restaurants, all adorned with monarch symbols. We have no idea where we are headed, but heed the advice we've been given time and time again since moving to Mexico: "Follow the cars." A single lane of bumper-to-bumper traffic winds up the street. People in white shirts and wide-brimmed hats approach us, offering parking spaces and a ride to the sanctuary. Tourists sit on benches in the back of a large truck parked on the street. We can hire a truck to take us to the sanctuary, but Bob, who likes to be in control, decides that we will make the drive ourselves. We all concur as we eye the rickety trucks. Finally, we leave Angangueo behind and head up the mountain road through tall evergreens. We cram into a dirt parking lot, already filled at noon.

Monarch Biology 101

Biologists claim to have discovered the mysterious wintering grounds of the monarchs in the 1970s, though the locals who live high in the mountains of Central Mexico have known about the butterflies for a long time. Each year, between the months of November and March, thousands upon thousands of monarchs cluster in the cool oyamel fir forests to wait out the harsh winter climate of the North. When days become shorter and temperatures drop, the monarchs east of the Rockies fly south to Mexico. (Monarchs west of the Rockies migrate to the California coast.) The monarch is the only butterfly to migrate such a long distance. They do not seek out the warmer climates of the shore, but instead spend the winter in the forests at 10,000 feet.

Oyamel firs stand tall in the Transvolcanic Belt in Central Mexico, part of Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Here it is cool enough for them to fall into a state of torpor (not a true hibernation because they awake and forage for water and nectar when temperatures are warm enough), but not so cold they will die. The trees protect them against wind and precipitation, and the clouds and fog provide moisture to prevent death from desiccation. What is even more amazing than the distance they travel, is that these are not the same butterflies who wintered here the year before. They are, in fact, the great-great grandchildren of the monarchs who arrived last winter.

When the weather warms up in March, monarchs in Mexico take flight for their homes throughout the United States and southern Canada. The monarchs mate, then each female lays hundreds of eggs on milkweed. Butterflies are "host-plant" specific: each species lays eggs on only one particular type of plant. Eggs hatch into caterpillars that feed upon the milkweed, then metamorphose into adult monarchs and the cycle continues. With a life span of three to five weeks, summer adult monarchs reproduce then die.

Makeshift cafes built of wood and corrugated tin line the trail to the entrance of the monarch sanctuary. We lunch on quesadillas and tacos as we are sure we will need the energy on the hike through the forest. Copyright Gary Krier, 1999Wintering monarchs, have significantly longer life spans of about eight months. By the time late fall arrives and it is time to migrate to Mexico, the monarchs have gone through several generations. Some scientists believe these incredible Lepidoptera have a magnetic crystal located within their bodies that helps them migrate back to the same spot every winter.

Dusty Hike

 

After purchasing tickets at 15 pesos per adult, we follow the crowd through a grassy meadow. Horses plodding past, kick up dirt. For 30 pesos (one way), tourists can ride horseback to view the monarchs. Susan's allergies and our desire to hike the trail keep us off the tired-looking mounts.

Tourists trek towards the towering firs to get a glimpse of the monarchs. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999After we crest the hilly meadow, we follow the trail down, deep into the forest. The road is worn to dust by all the hikers and horses. Within minutes, we are covered with dust from head to toe. Other hikers, who have been forewarned, wear masks and bandanas to cover their noses and mouths.

Forty minutes and many swallows of bottled water into our hike, the air is noticeably cooler, though the sun still shines high in the blue sky. Several tourists point to a lone butterfly flitting in the breeze. We walk in silence, my eyes scanning the trees for signs of the orange and black insects. A few more butterflies float past us on the trail. I cling to my camera, knowing that at any moment I might need to start snapping. The couple in front of us stops short. Bob, who is several yards ahead of me on the trail, calls out for me to look up.

Butterflies Galore

I look straight up at the sky framed by the towering oyamel firs, and within seconds hundreds of monarchs burst through the air, darkening the sky. The thrill of encountering this vast spectacle of roosting butterflies overrides the minor annoyance of being grit-covered.

Not falling leaves nor soaring birds, but butterflies - flit gracefully through the air. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Both eerie and breathtakingly beautiful, butterflies everywhere float, waft, and scatter around me and over me. After the butterfly cloud passes and I catch my breath from the glorious sight, I jog to catch up with the rest of my group, where they wait at what looks like the end of the trail. A fallen tree and an official-looking woman block the path. Her tanned face weathered with wrinkles is shaded by a colorful scarf draped over her black and gray hair. She allows just a few people at a time to climb over the tree and down the trail. Monarchs everywhere flit from tree to tree. I look up and think it odd that evergreens have turned orange. I take a closer look through my zoom lens and gasp when I realize that the trees are dripping with Monarchs. Thousands of them are clustered on the branches.

Monarchs cover branches throughout the forest, draping the trees in a blanket of orange. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Though we are a group of 20 standing at the base of this trail, not one person moves nor speaks. In the silence, the beating wings of thousands of flying monarchs echo in the forest like raindrops pitter-pattering against the ground.

"You can hear the butterflies," comes a hushed whisper from a tourist. Gary commandeers his parent's camera and we both sit on a log, snapping photos in the silence of the oyamel forest, surrounded by the black and orange wings of the monarchs.

Time stands still

At the fallen tree, a large crowd has gathered, waiting its turn to be awed by the butterflies. I glance at Bob, his hair, face, and clothes covered by the dust of the trail, and he, silent and solemn-faced (a rare thing for him) like the rest of us, is held captive, entranced by the sight of nature robed in all its glorious colors.

Tired, but happy hikers. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Getting There:

The drive from Mexico City to Angangueo takes approximately 4-5 hours. From the Toluca Toll road, proceed west towards Morelia, then south, and follow the signs to Angangueo. Car rentals, taxis, and buses are available. Tour packages are also available through different tour groups. While I have no personal experience with any, Operadora Monarca, is one such outfit that provides complete trips to the monarch sanctuary.

Other notes:

Dress in layers and wear old and comfortable clothes for hiking. A bandana or mask to block the dust is recommended. Bring bottled water for the hike.

Operadora Monarca
Av. Madero Oriente 635, Centro
58 000 Morelia, Michoacan
TEL (43) 13 03 36, 13 35 71, 13 35 77
FAX (43) 12 00 75
monarca@proturmich.com

Michoacan Secretary of Tourism
Nigromante 79, Palacio Clavijero
Morelia, Michoacan
TEL (43) 12 80 81, 12 04 15
(800) 450 23
FAX (43)12 98 16
www.mexico-travel.com

For more information about monarchs, see the Monarch Watch website www.MonarchWatch.org

Dusty Hike

After purchasing tickets at 15 pesos per adult, we follow the crowd through a grassy meadow. Horses plodding past, kick up dirt. For 30 pesos (one way), tourists can ride horseback to view the monarchs. Susan's allergies and our desire to hike the trail keep us off the tired-looking mounts.

Tourists trek towards the towering firs to get a glimpse of the monarchs. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999After we crest the hilly meadow, we follow the trail down, deep into the forest. The road is worn to dust by all the hikers and horses. Within minutes, we are covered with dust from head to toe. Other hikers, who have been forewarned, wear masks and bandanas to cover their noses and mouths.

Forty minutes and many swallows of bottled water into our hike, the air is noticeably cooler, though the sun still shines high in the blue sky. Several tourists point to a lone butterfly flitting in the breeze. We walk in silence, my eyes scanning the trees for signs of the orange and black insects. A few more butterflies float past us on the trail. I cling to my camera, knowing that at any moment I might need to start snapping. The couple in front of us stops short. Bob, who is several yards ahead of me on the trail, calls out for me to look up.

Butterflies Galore

I look straight up at the sky framed by the towering oyamel firs, and within seconds hundreds of monarchs burst through the air, darkening the sky. The thrill of encountering this vast spectacle of roosting butterflies overrides the minor annoyance of being grit-covered.

Not falling leaves nor soaring birds, but butterflies - flit gracefully through the air. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Both eerie and breathtakingly beautiful, butterflies everywhere float, waft, and scatter around me and over me. After the butterfly cloud passes and I catch my breath from the glorious sight, I jog to catch up with the rest of my group, where they wait at what looks like the end of the trail. A fallen tree and an official-looking woman block the path. Her tanned face weathered with wrinkles is shaded by a colorful scarf draped over her black and gray hair. She allows just a few people at a time to climb over the tree and down the trail. Monarchs everywhere flit from tree to tree. I look up and think it odd that evergreens have turned orange. I take a closer look through my zoom lens and gasp when I realize that the trees are dripping with Monarchs. Thousands of them are clustered on the branches.

Monarchs cover branches throughout the forest, draping the trees in a blanket of orange. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Though we are a group of 20 standing at the base of this trail, not one person moves nor speaks. In the silence, the beating wings of thousands of flying monarchs echo in the forest like raindrops pitter-pattering against the ground.

"You can hear the butterflies," comes a hushed whisper from a tourist. Gary commandeers his parent's camera and we both sit on a log, snapping photos in the silence of the oyamel forest, surrounded by the black and orange wings of the monarchs.

Time stands still

At the fallen tree, a large crowd has gathered, waiting its turn to be awed by the butterflies. I glance at Bob, his hair, face, and clothes covered by the dust of the trail, and he, silent and solemn-faced (a rare thing for him) like the rest of us, is held captive, entranced by the sight of nature robed in all its glorious colors.

Tired, but happy hikers. Copyright Debbi Florence, 1999Getting There:

The drive from Mexico City to Angangueo takes approximately 4-5 hours. From the Toluca Toll road, proceed west towards Morelia, then south, and follow the signs to Angangueo. Car rentals, taxis, and buses are available. Tour packages are also available through different tour groups. While I have no personal experience with any, Operadora Monarca, is one such outfit that provides complete trips to the monarch sanctuary.

Other notes:

Dress in layers and wear old and comfortable clothes for hiking. A bandana or mask to block the dust is recommended. Bring bottled water for the hike.

Operadora Monarca
Av. Madero Oriente 635, Centro
58 000 Morelia, Michoacan
TEL (43) 13 03 36, 13 35 71, 13 35 77
FAX (43) 12 00 75
monarca@proturmich.com

Michoacan Secretary of Tourism
Nigromante 79, Palacio Clavijero
Morelia, Michoacan
TEL (43) 12 80 81, 12 04 15
(800) 450 23
FAX (43)12 98 16
www.mexico-travel.com

For more information about monarchs, see the Monarch Watch website www.MonarchWatch.org