The Wildflower Festival starts in two days. Do you think it will it be much ado about nothing this year? I found this report which seems to indicate a sub par season overall:
I'd be interested in hearing, too. We're going up right after the Festival, but I know of one person who has canceled their trip because things aren't so good.
I'm sure there will be some very nice fields and plenty of smaller streamside/lakeside patches as the report suggests. Even if one slope got tinged by frost, south facing slopes may have fared much better.
I tend to take reports like that with a big grain of salt. The 'reference' for a good season is often the most spectacular season in recent memory... much like the fall color reports.
i'll be there this week either tuesday and wednesday or wednesday and thursday. i'll do my best to post a report, though i'm not sure pix will be possible with the dial-up internet at the hostel where i'm staying.
If you see a 20-something woman with short blonde hair in a gold Durango i'd love to meet any RMNPers and put a face to a name.
I look forward to hearing your first hand report. Just curious if this will be your first time there or if you have been to CB before during wildflower season as a reference?
I am also 'really' curious to hear about the San Juans.
My wife and I just returned from Crested Butte. We did an overnight backpack up to Copper Lake, and took a couple of side jaunt drives to Emerald Lake and up to the Robinson Basin trailhead area.
I personally didn't think the wildflowers at valley level were any better or any worse than last year. However, above treeline, I actually found them to be better than we saw on our trip at this same time last year, but we went to Democrat Basin last year and opted for Copper Basin this year. The East Maroon Pass trail had a maybe 1/4 mile wide section on it above Copper Lake flourishing with columbine, paintbrush and others that I don't know how could possibly be outdone on any year. We saw 4 different shades of paintbrush (various red-orange-magenta) between Copper Lake and the top of the pass. I haven't even unpacked my camera yet, I just wanted to post and state that we saw plenty of healthy looking wildflowers in our 2 days in Crested Butte. I'm not exactly sure what a local considers a "good year" or a "bad year", but for someone trapped in Boulder County suburbia, any year in CB is a good year to me. If you stay at valley level, you'll probably be satisfied, but probably won't be wowed. If you get up above treeline, I think you'll be satisfied and possibly wowed, depending on your "standards". The only thing that I noticed to be clearly past its prime for the season in the valleys was the corn lily...much of the collections of it were starting to yellow on the edges.
Just be prepared to deal with the flies. They were flat out ridiculous today on the hike back.
This is my 4th year in CB during the festival (also been 3 times for fall colors). i believe it was 2005 that i got such great fields of flowers below gothic mtn.
will be heading down tomorrow afternoon (after a morning in RMNP at Bear, Dream, and Nymph lakes) and should get there in time for sunset. will try to post an update by wednesday afternoon.
Discussion
7 repliesThe Wildflower Festival starts in two days. Do you think it will it be much ado about nothing this year? I found this report which seems to indicate a sub par season overall:
http://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/page.php?pname=areatour/crestedbutte/wildflower/report
I am sure some folks will hunt down some decent flowers.
Hopefully the San Juans will fare better this season. I am looking forward to hearing some 'first look' reports soon.
I tend to take reports like that with a big grain of salt. The 'reference' for a good season is often the most spectacular season in recent memory... much like the fall color reports.
If you see a 20-something woman with short blonde hair in a gold Durango i'd love to meet any RMNPers and put a face to a name.
any news on american basin or yankee boy?
I look forward to hearing your first hand report. Just curious if this will be your first time there or if you have been to CB before during wildflower season as a reference?
I am also 'really' curious to hear about the San Juans.
I personally didn't think the wildflowers at valley level were any better or any worse than last year. However, above treeline, I actually found them to be better than we saw on our trip at this same time last year, but we went to Democrat Basin last year and opted for Copper Basin this year. The East Maroon Pass trail had a maybe 1/4 mile wide section on it above Copper Lake flourishing with columbine, paintbrush and others that I don't know how could possibly be outdone on any year. We saw 4 different shades of paintbrush (various red-orange-magenta) between Copper Lake and the top of the pass. I haven't even unpacked my camera yet, I just wanted to post and state that we saw plenty of healthy looking wildflowers in our 2 days in Crested Butte. I'm not exactly sure what a local considers a "good year" or a "bad year", but for someone trapped in Boulder County suburbia, any year in CB is a good year to me. If you stay at valley level, you'll probably be satisfied, but probably won't be wowed. If you get up above treeline, I think you'll be satisfied and possibly wowed, depending on your "standards". The only thing that I noticed to be clearly past its prime for the season in the valleys was the corn lily...much of the collections of it were starting to yellow on the edges.
Just be prepared to deal with the flies. They were flat out ridiculous today on the hike back.
Great report!!! It sounds like geting above treeline was really the way to go. But one may need a beekeepers suit while hiking.
I remember last summer that the bugs were pretty outrageous as well. I could just imagine what it must be like on a backpack trip.
Thanks for that very current update!
This is my 4th year in CB during the festival (also been 3 times for fall colors). i believe it was 2005 that i got such great fields of flowers below gothic mtn.
will be heading down tomorrow afternoon (after a morning in RMNP at Bear, Dream, and Nymph lakes) and should get there in time for sunset. will try to post an update by wednesday afternoon.