Natural History Wanderings

The Rocky Mt. Nature Photographers have a  new wildflower update:

Location report from various locations visited in past six days.

Crested Butte area – as close to spectacular as you can get including Gothic Road, upper East River valley, Rustlers Gulch, Brush Creek Road, Kebler Pass road, Lake Irwin, Washington Gulch road and  Ohio Pass. sunflowers dominate but good populations of lupine, larkspur and Wueen Anne’s Lace. Are present.  Columbines good in upper valley, Washington Gulch and along Gothic Road.  Lots of sneeze weed present as well as scarlet Giuliani.  This is one of the best displays in the past 15 years.

American Basin – very good and likely to peak in the next 7 – 10 days.  Huge variety of flowers.  Columbine very good in the talus field.  Lots of paintbrush and arnica at lower end with bluebells, larkspur and bitter cress abundant.  CAREFUL – there’s a cow moose and calf in the basin.  Calf very young, maybe 2 months old.

Governor Basin – just OK but only because I like Governor.  It might be as much as two weeks from peak.  Revenue Mining Co. Has resumed active mining in the basin with new equipment in place near where the historic Revenue once stood.  .he tunnel that existed from the original mine to the Yankee Boy Road level has been re-bored and a ten ton truck can now travel through the tunnel.  They are currently boring tunnels beneath Saint Sophia Ridge and extracting high grade “ruby silver”.

Silver Basin – looking good and should peak in next 7 – 10 day.  Lots of paintbrush and alpine sunflowers.  Both upper and lower lakes are full and discharging into Silver Creek.  Flowers are scarce around lower lake.  Bluebells and watercress are huge along banks of the creek where the waterfalls are located.  Should bloom I next 10 days +.

Yankee Boy – Very good with thick, full populations of just about everything.  Columbines very healthy with vibrant deep blues and purples.  The one will peak in the next 7 – 10 days.