HIke #2 - eastern slope Rockies, July 25/11

[Lori S.]

I have just raided Stuart's photo collection for a final couple of shots to round off this account...
Climbing the hump... the start of the interesting part:
 

The big scree slope at the end of the trail (for our usual route, anyway):

[Lori S.]

We did this hike again on August 9th/11 to see the changes a couple of weeks can bring...
Here are some of the highlights.
Coming out of the trees...


Penstemon ellipticus in fabulous bloom:
     

Silene acaulis, in a joint in the rock; coral; Erigeron aureus; in the talus, 3 different Salix; scenery:
   

[Lori S.]

Minuartia austromontana (I think); lichen; alpine sedges(?); scene; Tonestus (Haplopappus) lyallii (x2):
         

Drainhole; Saxifraga lyallii; Salix; Crepis nana, none yet in bloom here:
     

[Lori S.]

Mistmaiden, Romanzoffia sitchensis (thanks for the ID, Mark!); Smelowskia calycina; pika; Parnassia fimbriata (x2):
       

[RickR]

I'm sure you've guessed that the parnassia has my attention again.  Same floral parts, but shaped differently.  Love the five yellow hands.  A few extra fingers, though 

[Hoy]

I grew Romanzoffia once - untill the slugs found it

[McDonough]

Lori, a wonderful series, great plants and excellent photographs and mountain scenes.  Even if I've been responding on the forum so seldom these days, please know that I appreciate such educational and inspiring posts, and I do read through them and often revisit. You provide surrogate wildflower botanizing experiences for those of us perpetually spinning in an unreasonable rat-race of work life.

What gorgeous clumps of Penstemon ellipticus!

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Mark!
Last update of this area (unless we do a fall larch hike?)... August 22/11.

Where it starts getting interesting... it's all upwards from here!  (Good heavens, it seems I always take a picture of this spot!  And worse yet, post every single one of them!  )


The meadows in the hanging valleys that flank the major deeper valley are finally in bloom at this late date, with countless Arnica lonchophylla and others:
   

Salix, outlining in a joint in the limestone:


Erigeron humilis, I think (I should check that), and Silene acaulis in new, fresh bloom:
 

Veronica wormskjoldii:
 

Lots of Hedysarum sulphurascens in bloom too:

[Hoy]

Thanks, Mark!
Last update of this area (unless we do a fall larch hike?)... August 22/11.

Where it starts getting interesting... it's all upwards from here!  (Good heavens, it seems I always take a picture of this spot!  And worse yet, post every single one of them!  )
With my short memory they all look new to me