Time for the RMNP wildflower thread. It's a little early for most of us, but the significant moisture most of the area covered by this forum has seen this spring may cause things to move along rather rapidly and early.
So, tell us what you see and where you're seeing them!
Posted by Bob Falcone on June 10, 2015 at 11:10 AM
Lost Creek Wilderness is awash with wild iris's. with plenty to be seen along the roads,especially FS Road 211. Buttercups, lilly's, arnica and fairy slippers are plentiful a couple of miles up the Hankins Pass Trail (easy hike).
Posted by Bob Falcone on June 10, 2015 at 11:13 AM
Paint Mines Park in Calhan (35 miles east of Colorado Springs) is heavy with Penstemon and wild roses.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on June 14, 2015 at 3:20 PM
I just returned from atop the Paria Plateau. Prickly pear are profuse and prime with pink and magenta blooms. Losts of white primrose. The yellow mule ear flowers are slightly past peak with many frazzled and few buds. If one were to target the mule ear bloom at SCB and WP, I would say the first week of June would be a good time frame. Clear skies and climbing temps this coming week might do them in although the sand is moist from recent rains. The plateau sure looks green for this time in June.
Posted by Monika Chace on June 14, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Straight out of pocket camera (except for crops). Lumpy Ridge loop. Usually Cow Creek meadows get crispy quickly, but it was looking good. Mostly small-petaled flowers (delphiniums, a few lupine, wild roses, arnica, astragalus, white & yellow daisies, alpine bluebells -- all the usual suspects) plus larger ones of Boulder raspberry, RM iris and these guys.
Posted by Monika Chace on June 14, 2015 at 7:44 PM
And a quick tour of RMNP. Iris are coming along nicely. Lots of elk.
Roxborough State Park, especially the Mt Carpenter trail, has lots of wildflowers of many varieties. Daisies, blue bells, penstemon and lots of other flowers.
Posted by Monika Chace on June 22, 2015 at 5:48 PM
Columbines are out in RMNP at 8-9000'
Posted by Monika Chace on June 22, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Just got back from Crested Butte on 6-21. Lots of lupine and Yellow Mule Ears at Mt Crested Butte and into Gothic. I was stunned by how much snow there was on the south face of the Elk Mts north of CB, looked like late March, early April levels. However, on other peaks such as Crested Butte Mt itself there was very little snow even on the north face.
Arnica anyone? After 28 straight days of rain in May and hot weather the last week, the Mules Ears around Steamboat but particularly in the Hahns Peak-Steamboat Lake area are all over meadows and hillsides. Here's a few pics from my scouting trip yesterday....
Spent the last two days in the Crested Butte area. The meadows around town and up in elevation a little have abundant flowers. The higher you go in elevation the fewer flowers
Posted by Monika Chace on July 9, 2015 at 11:46 PM
Gave up on the alpine starts and hikes with this weather & went for a drive instead. Mammoth Gulch looking good at low-moderate elevations.
I hiked to Chasm Lake yesterday. Numerous bunches of Columbines blanketed the talus slopes along the trail just before reaching Columbine Falls. After seeing this display, there is no doubt about how the waterfall was named !
Several places in Northwest Colorado are already showing that this could be a great year for wildflowers. This past weekend I checked out the Deep Lake area south of the Flat Tops, Stillwater in the Flat Tops and Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass---all with lots of color already and some reaching peak. Here's colombines along the Coffee Pot Road.
Lots of wild rose along the road to Stillwater Reservoir.
Posted by Doug Beezley on July 14, 2015 at 1:16 AM
Location report from various locations visited in past six days. Sorry no pics, just haven't had the time.
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.
Doug Beezley
Snellville, Ga
Posted by Monika Chace on July 15, 2015 at 9:05 PM
As per Doug B: Gothic Rd, particularly Rustlers Gulch is outstanding. Pics all still on memory card, sorry.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on July 25, 2015 at 7:47 PM
I just returned from a week around Silverton. American Basin looked good with the columbines at peak with none withered and many buds. Stoney looks pretty good. Went up to Clear Lake and absolutely nothing happening aside from a few marigolds around the lake's edge.
Discussion
27 repliesTime for the RMNP wildflower thread. It's a little early for most of us, but the significant moisture most of the area covered by this forum has seen this spring may cause things to move along rather rapidly and early.
So, tell us what you see and where you're seeing them!
Lost Creek Wilderness is awash with wild iris's. with plenty to be seen along the roads,especially FS Road 211. Buttercups, lilly's, arnica and fairy slippers are plentiful a couple of miles up the Hankins Pass Trail (easy hike).
Paint Mines Park in Calhan (35 miles east of Colorado Springs) is heavy with Penstemon and wild roses.
I just returned from atop the Paria Plateau. Prickly pear are profuse and prime with pink and magenta blooms. Losts of white primrose. The yellow mule ear flowers are slightly past peak with many frazzled and few buds. If one were to target the mule ear bloom at SCB and WP, I would say the first week of June would be a good time frame. Clear skies and climbing temps this coming week might do them in although the sand is moist from recent rains. The plateau sure looks green for this time in June.
Straight out of pocket camera (except for crops). Lumpy Ridge loop. Usually Cow Creek meadows get crispy quickly, but it was looking good. Mostly small-petaled flowers (delphiniums, a few lupine, wild roses, arnica, astragalus, white & yellow daisies, alpine bluebells -- all the usual suspects) plus larger ones of Boulder raspberry, RM iris and these guys.
And a quick tour of RMNP. Iris are coming along nicely. Lots of elk.
Roxborough State Park, especially the Mt Carpenter trail, has lots of wildflowers of many varieties. Daisies, blue bells, penstemon and lots of other flowers.
Columbines are out in RMNP at 8-9000'
And just a little of everything.
Just got back from Crested Butte on 6-21. Lots of lupine and Yellow Mule Ears at Mt Crested Butte and into Gothic. I was stunned by how much snow there was on the south face of the Elk Mts north of CB, looked like late March, early April levels. However, on other peaks such as Crested Butte Mt itself there was very little snow even on the north face.
Arnica anyone? After 28 straight days of rain in May and hot weather the last week, the Mules Ears around Steamboat but particularly in the Hahns Peak-Steamboat Lake area are all over meadows and hillsides. Here's a few pics from my scouting trip yesterday....
Looking toward Steamboat Lake from Hahns Peak....
Across from Steamboat Lake campground....
There is still a nice scattering of wildflowers at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space west of Fort Collins.
Lupines are in fine display on Mt Rainier
Not a whole lot Nymph/Emerald Lake trail, though the roadside is bursting with color.
All kinds of wildflowers in Washington and along the Oregon Coast. Lupines like crazy on Mt Saint Helens.
Spent the last two days in the Crested Butte area. The meadows around town and up in elevation a little have abundant flowers. The higher you go in elevation the fewer flowers
Gave up on the alpine starts and hikes with this weather & went for a drive instead. Mammoth Gulch looking good at low-moderate elevations.
I hiked to Chasm Lake yesterday. Numerous bunches of Columbines blanketed the talus slopes along the trail just before reaching Columbine Falls. After seeing this display, there is no doubt about how the waterfall was named !
Several places in Northwest Colorado are already showing that this could be a great year for wildflowers. This past weekend I checked out the Deep Lake area south of the Flat Tops, Stillwater in the Flat Tops and Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass---all with lots of color already and some reaching peak. Here's colombines along the Coffee Pot Road.
And lupine and paintbrush near Heart Lake
Paintbrush just getting started at Dumone Lake---it will be good here for the next two weeks.
Columbine field above the Bear River in the Stillwater area of the Flat Tops.
Lots of wild rose along the road to Stillwater Reservoir.
Location report from various locations visited in past six days. Sorry no pics, just haven't had the time.
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.
Doug Beezley
Snellville, Ga
As per Doug B: Gothic Rd, particularly Rustlers Gulch is outstanding. Pics all still on memory card, sorry.
I just returned from a week around Silverton. American Basin looked good with the columbines at peak with none withered and many buds. Stoney looks pretty good. Went up to Clear Lake and absolutely nothing happening aside from a few marigolds around the lake's edge.