Monarch's extended stay
perfect for a spring visit

Story by Francisco I. Rodriguez
Photos by Rex Curry

It's a one-and-a-half-mile walk up the mountains through the oyamel fir and pine forests to the El Rosario Monarch butterfly sanctuary in the Mexican state of Michoacán, and just when we thought we had stepped over the final log on our journey, passers-by returning to the entryway cheered us on, telling us we were halfway there.

At least that's what they were told on the way up. We took our cue from a 79-year-old Coloradoan in front of us who stopped for a break, and filled our lungs again as best we could in the thin morning air. She had made the trip before, and mentioned that the steps we were using to help our otherwise slippery climb were new, installed maybe just last year. And it's a good thing they were.

I had worn a sweater expecting colder weather in the 10,000-foot altitude, but that was no longer an issue. Like other travelers, I was ready to stop and admire the butterflies from here, even if it was just halfway there.

Weary-traveler humor aside, the hike's pay-off is priceless: Millions of Monarchs - enough to recreate the sound of strong wind blowing through the trees - welcomed us at the summit with a breathtaking orange and black ticker-tape parade. They hung from the mighty pines as if building large hives; steady and silent until a light gust or a muffled sound disturbed their concentration and then exploding in a colorful fireworks-like display.

It's easy to appreciate the number of butterflies once you find a spot to sit and just watch. They'll float from far and near to land on you or a companion, before moving on to their next resting place or to join the collective back in the trees. Children around us delighted in watching them closely, following them for a few steps until the next clump landed nearby.

We were not allowed to reach the summit of the mountain by ever-watchful guards that looked more like tourists than protectors of the ecosystem. But they were efficient at guiding people to the right resting areas and keeping them within the boundaries that maintain a safe distance between visitors and the larger oyamels and pines where the Monarchs hang in the morning. Count on them to keep the level of talking down to a very serious library level.

Signs along the route put our short trek into perspective: To escape the bitter Canada winter, millions of Monarch butterflies make their annual 3,000-mile trip southwest beginning in late summer, fluttering through the United States before reaching central Mexico in November, some three or four generations later.

How they find their way - or make the trip at all over so great a distance - remains a mystery even to scientists.

Two Monarch reserves are open to the public: The Sierra Chincua Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary and the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the larger of the two. As a whole, the Monarch's winter haven was discovered only in 1975, and is still being developed into a full-blown sanctuary. Local farmers still cut trees from the edge of the reserve, although the Mexican government hopes a new $6 million fund that encourages altarnate fuel use will help stave off logging in the area.

Monarchs usually begin their journey back north in mid- to late March, although a colder-than-usual winter prompted field researchers in the area to predict a later departure from the sanctuaries. On their way back, they will travel to Texas before fanning out across the United States and into Canada.

Lower temperatures in the past couple of months also brought new insights into the butterfly population.

Scientists used to estimate the number of butterflies reaching the Mexican reserves at 25 to 170 million, although a grim hard freeze in January brought the actual number closer to 500 million. A count of dead butterflies changed estimates of the population at 50 million per hectare rather than 10 million as previously thought.

The large toll of dead butterflies was evident in the sanctuary, where what appeared to be run-of-the mill leaves on closer examination proved to be a carpet of blackened Monarchs, their fetid stench a reminder of the millions that had perished.

The magnitude of the butterfly population loss prompted citizens in the nearby town of Angangueo to collect dead butterflies and erect a symbolic tomb in the municipal cemetery with an epitaph engraved in Spanish, English and French: "Here lie thousands of butterflies that died during the great winter freeze of 2002."

There's not much more of interest in Angangueo beyond the butterflies, as the locals will tell you. It's hard to find a business in the region that doesn't sport a butterfly or bold black-and-orange lettering in its signage.

The true market for Monarch curios and accessories, ranging from Tequila-shot glasses to T-shirts to full-size papier-mâché reproductions of the butterflies, is at the base of the reserve, where a bustling Monarch mini mall has grown up to serve tourists' needs. The area also is home to a large parking lot, filled mostly with tourist trucks.

A small transport industry has been established in the town, with local drivers offering rides to the sanctuary entrance for about $30. The price is negotiable, and you can usually find other travelers to share the ride and expense.

My traveling companion and I teamed with five other people and hopped aboard a small open truck better suited to cattle than humans for the ride. They're all like that, so be sure to dress comfortably. Along the way we met a few brave souls opting to walk to the sanctuary. Plan to take a truck instead: It's quite a ways to the top, even if it's just halfway there.

GETTING THERE: Angangueo can be reached via bus from nearby cities, including Mexico City and Toluca from the east, and Morelia and Zitácuaro from the west. In Zitácuaro, about an hour south of the reserve, buses leave from the central station every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tickets run about $1.50 each. American Airlines services both Mexico City and Morelia, both about four-and-a-half hours away from Angangueo by bus.

WHERE TO STAY: The largest hotel in Angangueo, the Albergue Don Bruno, Calle Morelos No. 92, has 30 rooms ($20-$30 for two people) and may be your best bet if staying right by the refuge. In Zitácuaro, the Hotel Marina San Jorge, Avenida Hidalgo 21A, provides large rooms with TV and plenty of hot water ($20 for two people), and the Villa Monarca Inn, at Carretera Toluca-Zitácuaro, with its own restaurant, gym, swimming pool and tobacco store ($75-$100 for two people) may provide a nice alternative in the busier nearby city.

SANCTUARY INFORMATION: The reserves are open through March from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Sanctuary admission is $2 per person. Get there early to avoid the crowds. The butterflies tend to stay in the trees before the sun brings them down after noon. Remember to take a light jacket and a hat. Some rules to remember while at the sanctuary: No smoking and no alcoholic beverages or food items allowed. Don't bring in any kind of weapons. No flash photography. And most important, no collecting or harming the butterflies or any of the wildlife.

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