Western anemones

A common subalpine flower in these parts, the western anemone forms lovely seed heads in August. We think they look like the wild silvery hair of aging hippies, also common in these parts.

Watermelon snow

Watermelon snow is the pink mid-summer snow that we often see in the alpine. It's the result of an algae that thrives on slowly melting snow exposed to lots of bright sunlight. It actually smells of watermelon too.

Queen's cup

A mainstay of the forest floor, Queen's Cup greens up and blooms early in the season, spangling the ground with its pretty white stars. 

New growth

Mossy cable

Near the abandoned site of New Denver's original hydro-electric generator, an old steel cable emerges from the moss and woodruff.

Bright yellow on the forest floor

These asparagus-like stalks look for all the world like Pinedrops, a sort of parasitic plant that has abandoned photosynthesis in favour of absorbing nutrients from fungus that attaches to its roots. But pinedrops are typically pinkish/light-yellow, not this flourescent yellow. Information about mycotrophic plants here. We would love to know what these are. We also saw some wine-red ones.

Mossy trail

Mullein in winter

Stalks of mullein alongside the cross-country ski trail in Hills.

More Lupins

The lake is so high right now that the lupins have wet feet.

Secret Lupin Garden

Little shop of horrors?

This is the back window of the hardware store annex, the part of the business used for storage of little-used stock. What is going on in there?

Kohan Pond

Oregon Grape in bloom

Cherry blossoms 3

Cherry blossoms 2

Cherry blossoms 1

Cherry tree reflected in a window at the hospital.

Please don't eat the crocuses!

Fences are necessary protection for the crocuses from hungry deer.

Wells in the snow

The dark wood of the bushes reflects light and melts the snow.

Neck deep

This poor pear tree is up to its neck in snow. And still more falls.

Green spot

While on a hike around town I looked hard for a spot of green. This was all I found anywhere, and I was actually surprised to find it. The wood chips were mounded up around the base of the tree as mulch, and the wind off the lake had blown away the covering of snow.