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Mount Goliath Wildflower Hike (2/2)

M. Walter Pesman Trail

Mount Goliath Natural Area and Dos Chappell Nature Center
Mount Evans, Idaho Springs, Colorado

July 10, 2012

- Contined from the Webpage (1/2) -

This is a wildflower hikes that follow the Mount Goliath M. Walter Pesman Trail -- a moderately difficult, 1.5 mile downhill trek, starting from the upper parking lot at 12,153 ft. to the Dos Chappell Nature Center at 11,540 ft. The trail runs mostly at the south facing slope of the Mount Goliath. There is a 0.5-mile trail loop at the upper trailhead that is an easier hike. Also, there is a nature garden at the Dos Chappell Nature Center.




Boreal Sage: dark stems with green flower, turn red that has anti-freeze chemical, "anthocyanins."
Anthocyanins come in red, blue, or any darker color also to absorb sun's light to keep the plant from freezing.



Small-Leaved Alumroot: Saxifrage family, brownish green flower on long stalks (vs. Front Range Alumroot - White flower)



King's Crown: dark red head, and Alpine Thistle: at right upper corner



Close up of King's Crown



Spring Beauty: growing under rocks, small white flowers coming under leaves



Spring Beauty under a rock



Puffer Flower: yellow flowers on cushion



Leafy Cinquefoil: similar flower as Avens or Buttercup



Shrubbery Cinquefoil



Gopher's yard: no plant at this area indicating pocket gopher's digging activity



Gopher's yard, bare spot at right upper



Yellow Lichen



Another Spring Beauty in the rocky crevass.



Small-leaved Alumroot



Tansy Aster: purple daisy-like flower with yellow center



Deborah Darnell, the instructor of the day and her students on the Pesman Trail. Mount Goliath in the background in dark shadow. 



The Mount Evans Scenic Highway seemes to be running higher into clouds at right upper part.



Dwarf Clover in two tone, purple and white (vs. Alpine Clover: longer lily-like leaves)



Just a green plants: this are the Old-Man-of-the-Mountain in maturing stage before flowering



Whipple's Penstemon: in two color shades of creamy white and purple, Only found in high altitude



Golden Rod: Yellow thick flower



Pinnate-Leaved (Purple) Daisy, Subalpine Daisy, Wild alpine daisy



Harebells: blue, nodding
Parry's Harebell looks up while regular Harebells are nodding (looking down)




Harebells: blue, nodding



Yarrow: white clumped flowers, dwarf in the alpine environment



Stonecrop



Stonecrop (yellow) and Yarrow (white)



Unknown ??



Death Camas: (not the yellow ones) White clumped flowers on long stalks with long narrow lily-like leaves.
When cows eat this flower on field, they are toxic and can be fatal.
Sulfur Flower (or Golden Buckwheat): Yellow




Scattered on the southern slope of Mount Goliath are dead trunks of ancient Bristlecone Pines.



Unknown ??



Dead trunks of Bristlecone Pines here are dated more than 2,000 years.






Bristlecone Pines has purple cone (female cone). They do not need fire to open, not like Lodgepole Pines
In the needles, there are white-colored "resin dots". These dots are specific to the Bristlecone Pines.




Male cones of Bristlecone Pine with pollens



Close up of a purplish cone. You can see the bristles on the surface. Also, White resin dots on the needles.



A forest of living and dead bristlecone pines, in this particular area of the Mount Evans.







Engelmann Spruce (Silver or White Spruce): The needles have soewhat whitish blue hue. Large spruce tree, narrowly conic and spire-like shape, making a good Christmas tree.
Here, at the high altitude, they tend to clump together and form a tree island.
(Any trees will do the same at the tree line that is the upper limit for trees).

Spruce' cone is hanging down while fir's cone is pointing up except Douglas fir.



Dead trunks of Bristlecone pines with Mount Goliath in the background.






Looking back the trails



Young Bristlecone Pine



Alpine Sorrel (edible): Alpine Sorrell is fairly common. Its large rounded leaves (shiny smooth green) make it easy to identify. Look for Alpine Sorrel at high elevations in moist, partly shady areas in rock crevices, the edges of bushes, or clearings in trees.



Dusky (Whipple's) Penstemon: white or purple



Strip Barking: the living bark remains on the dead trunk and can live very long time with only a small remaining bark



The living and the dead together. Life goes on in the alpine slopes of Mount Evans.
Rosy Paintbrush (pink), Stonecrops (yellow, left lower), probable Early Spring Senecio (yellow, middle)



A bit of everything, Scarlet Paintbrush (red), Stonecrop (yellow), and Unknown Daisy (purple)
together with the remnants of ancient bristlecone pines.



Queen's Crown (Rose Crown), Pink

Reference: 
Leesly León, Adult Program Coordinator, Denver Botanic Gardens
"Alpine Flower Handbook", Ebay, Non-color and "Meet the Native" by Walter Pesman


Photo and story by SNUMA WM - July 10, 2012
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