Tue Jul 11 23:14:58 MDT 2006
Photo - Summer: Wood Lily
My friend Robin sent me this awesome photo of a wood lily he saw up in Boulder county. It's a real beaut, Robin, a real beaut.
Wood Lily(Lilium philadelphicum)
Taken: July, 2006: Boulder County, Colorado
Sun Jun 18 21:39:42 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: Parry's Primrose
I was a bit surprised these turned out. Apparently, and I wish I'd known this when we saw Parry's Primrose, if you even slightly touch the plant, it releases a quite foul odor. Of course, I didn't know. I didn't touch it. I can't describe the odor. Sorry.
Parry's Primrose (Primula parryi)
Taken: June, 2006: Long Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado
Tue May 30 22:15:09 MDT 2006
Photo - Summer: Ponderosa sap
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus Ponderosa)
Taken: August, 2005: Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Colorado
Mon May 29 22:49:59 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: Globe Flower and Marsh Marigold
Globe Flower (Trollius albiflorus)
Marsh Marigold (Psychrophila leptosepala)
The Globe Flowers, Marsh Marigold, and Glacier Lily (not pictured) were all over the banks lining the streams in IP Wilderness. It was a bit early to get up to Diamond Lake, still too much snow. The hike was not without its rewards, however. In particular, I enjoyed the Glacier Lilies but, of course, the photos came out blurry. Perhaps I need a lesson on using my camera... or maybe I need to revert to manual focus 35mm.
Taken: May, 2006: Diamond Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado
Thu May 18 23:50:04 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: Heartleaf Arnica
This is one of my favorite flowers for no good reason, other than I just think it's nice looking.
Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia)
Taken: May, 2005: Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado
Sun May 7 22:54:10 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: American Pasqueflower
South Dakota's state flower, American Pasqueflower - The last photo is of the Pasqueflower after it has gone to seed. I didn't recognize it as such when I took the photo, and had actually given up on identifying it.
American Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens)
Taken: May, 2006: Mesa Trail, Boulder, Colorado
Sun Apr 23 01:03:07 MDT 2006
Photo - Winter: Cone Pits
One of my favorite things about winter hikes are the pinecones. The sun reflects off of the snow, but the pinecones (and other things with relatively low albedos) absorb the sunlight, get warm, and melt themselves into the snow. I took about 3-6 additional photos of cone-pits, but they were so bloody blurry, that I trashed them.
Taken: Winter, 2005: Brainard Lake Trail, Colorado
Fri Apr 21 10:29:15 MDT 2006
Photo - Summer: Silver Tangled Tree
I liked this silver tree... that's all.
Taken: July, 2005: Golden Gate State Park, Colorado
Wed Apr 19 08:49:40 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: Sand Lily
(blurry because I can't figure out my blasted camera).
Sand Lily (Leucocrinum montanum)
Taken: April, 2006: Mt. Sanitas Trail, Boulder, Colorado
Wed Apr 19 08:43:07 MDT 2006
Photo - Spring: Return of the Tent Caterpillar
The Western Tent Caterpillars are back. I caught them a little bit earlier this year than last, but the nets of silk around several of the shrubs in Chautauqua park are pretty obvious. There are debates about whether these caterpillars are problematic or simply a nuisance. When a particularly large number of caterpillars hatch, the resulting defiliation can be fatal to old and/or unhealthy trees. That said, it also allows more sunlight to reach the ground, where new trees might need additional light.
Western Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum)
Taken: April, 2006: Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Colorado
Wed Jan 18 09:04:17 MST 2006
Photo - Winter: Vermont Fungi
One of the nicest things about the woods in Vermont, is that most of the trees are deciduous, which leaves the winter landscape looking drastically different than the mountains of Colorado, where so many of the trees are coniferous. When hiking around in Gifford Woods, my sister pointed out the fungi growing on the sides of the trees, which we also don't see here in the semi-arid climate of Colorado.
Taken: January, 2006: Gifford Woods State Park, VT
Sun Jan 8 21:13:31 MST 2006
Photo - Other: Denver Botanical Gardens
The first of these two is probably my favorite of all the photos I've ever taken. I like how they almost look like a negative image.
Taken: February, 2001 - Denver Botanical Gardens
Wed Jan 4 16:25:24 MST 2006
Photo - Winter: Mohike
The first part of the mohike (where these photos were taken), was Bald Mountain, just west of Boulder, Colorado. The weather was very atypical of Colorado. It was foggy and humid, and you could see the individual ice crystals on the pine needles.
Taken: March, 2005 - Bald Mountain, Arapaho National Forest, Colorado
Tue Dec 20 00:50:09 MST 2005
Photo - Winter: snow shelf
This little hill of snow had really cool layers, almost like shelves. I like to pretend that the shelves were hundreds of feet tall, and I'm walking along the edge, looking up at how gigantic this wall of snow is... then I climb on my tauntaun, and ride away.
Taken: January, 2005 - Brainard Lake, Colorado
Tue Dec 6 09:46:55 MST 2005
Photo - Summer: Coral Root
Coral Root, or Corallorhiza, is a saprophytic orchid. Saprophytic means that it doesn't use chlorophyll to get its energy. Instead, it relies on decaying material in the soil. This is why there is no green in the plant. When I first saw it from a distance, I thought they must be new shoots for some kind of shrub or larger plant. If you've ever sprouted a bean in a dark area, you probably noticed that the plant didn't create chlorophyll and turn green until it had spent time in the light. I thought it strange that there was no green on these shoots, and upon closer inspection, it was clearly flowering. The man and woman that showed us the Fairy Slipper Orchid informed us that this was an orchid as well, Coral Root. I think this is my favorite plant discovery of 2005.
Coral Root (Corallorhiza maculata)
Taken: June, 2005 - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado