7.17.2016

Nature Walk

We ascended the westside of Rocky Mountain National Park to the Alpine Visitors Center at a heart pounding, lung sucking 11,796 feet.



Elk we saw on the way up

The alpine growing season is six weeks 

Above the timber line you find the Alpine Tundra. Timber line is determined by temperature. When the average summer temperature drops below 55 degrees the pine trees cannot grow. Today the temperature was 53 degrees and wind chill dropped it to 45 degrees. 

Bob giving us an introduction to the fragile Alpine Tundra


Field Mouse-ear Chickweed

Yellow Paint Brush

Bob telling us about the sunflower.

Plants up here must adapt to the limited growing season.  The Sunflower stores energy during the brief growing season for 10 or 12 years, then blooms and sets seeds. 



Current location 40.225180, -105.909980

No comments:

Post a Comment