If you can’t find your way to Crested Butte in the next week or 10 days, DON’T PANIC! The flowers at the lower elevations, like from in town to Gothic, are extraordinary, the best I’ve ever seen. This is the bloom I’ve been waiting my whole photographic life for, in terms of meadows thick with flowers of many different varieties. HOWEVER, you don’t have to go very high in elevation before flowers become non-existent. Go past Gothic on Gothic Road and it’s really, really green, but not much for flowers. Same for Washington Gulch Road. My impression is, as the flowers blooming now begin to fade, there’s gonna be a slow-motion color explosion working its way up to higher elevations. Come back in two weeks, maybe even three, when all the snow drifts have finally receded, and the upper meadows and highest tundra should be filled with Indian paintbrush (sorely lacking at lower elevations), columbine and other species. So here’s a location-specific quick take.
Gothic Road: Mules ears and lupine in abundance early on, excellent lupine around and right before Gothic. Some scarlet gilia and wild geranium, too. Decent columbines in the aspens. After Gothic, not much.
Washington Gulch Road: Thick with lupines early on, but unfortunately, they’re all interspersed with the fluffy white style of dandelions by the millions, so it’s tough to get a shot without them in it. There are a few meadows on private land near the start of the road with great variety, however. Shoot over a fence and you’ll have good options.
Brush Creek Road: This area probably has the best floral bouquet “mix” I’ve seen, scarlet gilia thicker than I’ve ever seen it anywhere, with lots of mule’s ears and lupines and other stuff I don’t know the name of. The flowers peter out fairly quickly on this road, although they do come back briefly and with less variety a little father up. I went as far as the first creek crossing on the Pearl Pass road and turned back due to the high, fast water.
Kebler Pass Road: I went about a mile past Horse Ranch Park/Dyke overlook (Beavis: “Hehe, you said dyke…”), and it’s pretty typical. There are spots of mule’s ears and lupines, with a little bit of pale yellow paintbrush, but nothing really worthy of making a special trip for. The road up to Lake Irwin was pretty sparse, too, except for occasional clusters of case's fitsweed. That might change, once Robinson Basin melts out. Could be really, really awesome in a few weeks. BTW, when did they pave the road OVER Kebler Pass? Used to be just that section of switchbacks over the creek on the west side, but now it’s paved almost two miles on either side of the pass.
The best flowers I found were right near town, along the road from CB to Mt. CB. There are hillsides choked with flowers around here. No one will know you’re shooting right next to Highway 135 when they’re looking at your pictures.
Contrary to earlier reports, Paradise Divide is accessible, but only if you go by way of the Washington Gulch road. Slate River Road apparently has some huge avalanche fields blocking the road near where it leaves the valley and starts climbing up towards the divide, although someone told me there was a road grader headed up that way to try to punch through.
There you have it. Go take some pictures, y’all!
UPDATE: Just to clarify something — Kebler Pass is ALWAYS worthy of a special trip. And when I say it's typical right now, typical means there are patches of really nice flowers. Don't avoid this place. Also, my friend (and RMNP lurker) Dave Smith and I were up at Lost Lake Slough this morning (campgrounds expanded - now with even MORE RVs!), and there are quite a few golden banner flowers along the road in. There's also a few really nice patches of mule's ears along the Kebler Pass road right across from the turn for the lake (Dave worked them very successfully this morning), and some really sweet fields of 'em a mile or two east of here, right in front of some nice white-barked aspens.
I'm home now, and I brought my clouds back with me. Enjoy those blue skies!
Posted by Doug Koepsel on July 14, 2011 at 7:39 PM
Todd, pretty informative report. Now just to get Scotty to beam me up to CB
Thanks for the update Todd. I'm planning on going there around the 23rd and hopefully spend at least a week in the area. Hope the flowers are still blooming.
Thanks, Todd! I'm planning to leave tomorrow afternoon to head that way for the weekend. The forecast sure looks like there may be some interesting light.
I was in CB Thursday and Friday and I could not agree more with your overall report. This was nicely done. I would offer a different opinion on the flowers between CB and MT CB as I was up there 2 years ago and it seemed very similar to me. But that is my opinion. Gothic road above Rustler about 2 miles is closed due to avalanche activity. I stopped by the festival head quarters today and they indicated to me that most of the hikes and tours were going to loop circle and Brush Creek trail head. I believe that it will be at least one week if not more before Gothic opens past the town of Gothic. It is very green there and I got out and there is not a lot of buds yet. However, once they do open it will be very good there. I also agree that Kebler was good.
Does anyone know how American Basin and Yankee Boy Basin are progressing?
Discussion
7 repliesGothic Road: Mules ears and lupine in abundance early on, excellent lupine around and right before Gothic. Some scarlet gilia and wild geranium, too. Decent columbines in the aspens. After Gothic, not much.
Washington Gulch Road: Thick with lupines early on, but unfortunately, they’re all interspersed with the fluffy white style of dandelions by the millions, so it’s tough to get a shot without them in it. There are a few meadows on private land near the start of the road with great variety, however. Shoot over a fence and you’ll have good options.
Brush Creek Road: This area probably has the best floral bouquet “mix” I’ve seen, scarlet gilia thicker than I’ve ever seen it anywhere, with lots of mule’s ears and lupines and other stuff I don’t know the name of. The flowers peter out fairly quickly on this road, although they do come back briefly and with less variety a little father up. I went as far as the first creek crossing on the Pearl Pass road and turned back due to the high, fast water.
Kebler Pass Road: I went about a mile past Horse Ranch Park/Dyke overlook (Beavis: “Hehe, you said dyke…”), and it’s pretty typical. There are spots of mule’s ears and lupines, with a little bit of pale yellow paintbrush, but nothing really worthy of making a special trip for. The road up to Lake Irwin was pretty sparse, too, except for occasional clusters of case's fitsweed. That might change, once Robinson Basin melts out. Could be really, really awesome in a few weeks. BTW, when did they pave the road OVER Kebler Pass? Used to be just that section of switchbacks over the creek on the west side, but now it’s paved almost two miles on either side of the pass.
The best flowers I found were right near town, along the road from CB to Mt. CB. There are hillsides choked with flowers around here. No one will know you’re shooting right next to Highway 135 when they’re looking at your pictures.
Contrary to earlier reports, Paradise Divide is accessible, but only if you go by way of the Washington Gulch road. Slate River Road apparently has some huge avalanche fields blocking the road near where it leaves the valley and starts climbing up towards the divide, although someone told me there was a road grader headed up that way to try to punch through.
There you have it. Go take some pictures, y’all!
UPDATE: Just to clarify something — Kebler Pass is ALWAYS worthy of a special trip. And when I say it's typical right now, typical means there are patches of really nice flowers. Don't avoid this place. Also, my friend (and RMNP lurker) Dave Smith and I were up at Lost Lake Slough this morning (campgrounds expanded - now with even MORE RVs!
I'm home now, and I brought my clouds back with me. Enjoy those blue skies!
I wish I could make it, but best of luck and light to all of you that do!
I was in CB Thursday and Friday and I could not agree more with your overall report. This was nicely done. I would offer a different opinion on the flowers between CB and MT CB as I was up there 2 years ago and it seemed very similar to me. But that is my opinion. Gothic road above Rustler about 2 miles is closed due to avalanche activity. I stopped by the festival head quarters today and they indicated to me that most of the hikes and tours were going to loop circle and Brush Creek trail head. I believe that it will be at least one week if not more before Gothic opens past the town of Gothic. It is very green there and I got out and there is not a lot of buds yet. However, once they do open it will be very good there. I also agree that Kebler was good.
Does anyone know how American Basin and Yankee Boy Basin are progressing?