Guanella Pass
After months of cycling, Snowcatcher and I got out of the house for an afternoon of alpine flower and snow reconnaissance this past weekend. Things are becoming accessible up high, at least in the Front Range. Better yet, this year's flower crop is prolific. Following are pics from 11,669-foot Guanella Pass and surrounds.
13,794-foot Square Top Mountain (state rank 111) dominates the western view from Guanella Pass.
Goldenbanner
Thermopsis montana
Pea family
The view east is dominated by Mount Bierstadt (right) and The Sawtooth Ridge. Mount Bierstadt is named after painter Albert Bierstadt. The peak is 14,060 feet high and is the 38th highest peak in Colorado. Bierstadt also is one of the easier "walk-up" 14ers in the state. However, the altitude can still take your breath away. Moreover, the surrounding slopes are overrun by mountain goats; this makes photographers like Snowcatcher happy. The Sawtooth Ridge delivers fun, class 3, hand and foot climbing to the northwest summit ridge of Colorado's 14th highest peak, 14,264-foot Mount Evans (out of view).
Lupine
Lupinus argenteus
Pea family
Yellow Stonecrop
Amerosedum lanceolatum
Stonecrop family
Geneva Park, at 9,700 feet, is awash in wildflowers. Duck Creek, Bruno Gulch and Burning Bear Creek all confluence with Geneva Creek along this mile of stream reach. Geneva Creek flows south to the South Platte River. Question of the day – where were the moose hiding?
South Clear Creek begins its journey on the north side of Guanella Pass.
Orange Sneezeweed
Dugaldia hoopessi
Aster family
One-Headed Daisy
Erigeron simplex
Aster family
Orange Sneezeweed
Dugaldia hoopessi
Aster family
One-Headed Daisy
Erigeron simplex
Aster family
Alpine Yarrow
Achillea alpicola
Aster family
and
Orange Sneezeweed
Dugaldia hoopessi
Aster family
That's it for today. Thanks for reading. I believe we have Dieter and Wolfgang on deck.
Adios
Gosh, I can't wait to get back out there. You caught some magnificent wildflowers, Lizard!
ReplyDeleteI think the moose were over at Brainard Lake that day. My nephew got a video of them there. (He said they were snickering and whispering something about having eluded a lizard, but it didn't make any sense to him.)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all the wildflower photos. They are indeed magnificent. The Alpine Yarrow looks very like our Common Yarrow. And it was exciting to see your Stonecrop photo, as that is one of the new genera I learned this year - mine was Stringy Stonecrop (S. sarmentosum).