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 |
Most of the photos in these webpages were taken primarily to show the identities of the plants
as a novice botanist, meaning they include whole plants - flowers, stems, and leaves.
Extreme close up pictures were intentionally avoided.
In some, I tried to show primitive "artistic touch and composition" in amateur photography
but I am not sure if I was successful.
I promise you that I will try to get better as time goes by.