In a corner of the state of Michoacán, 10,000 feet above sea level, hundreds of millions of Monarch butterflies congregate to spend the winter. They come from Canada and the Midwest U.S. They begin their 5000 kilometer journey in summer and three to five generations later their descendants arrive at groves of oyenal fir trees high in the mountains. The greatest numbers are found in February and March and they become more active as the weather warms.
November is early in the season and yet the trees at Sierra Chincua were packed a sooty grey with them. It was cold last night, well below freezing, and cloudy this morning, so the critters had their wings closed tight to conserve heat. Whenever the sun peaked through to warm them bits of orange blossomed out of the gray. We were too early in the day and too soon in the season for the best display but felt privileged to witness even this. A rare treat.
