Rocky Mountain impressions
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Independence Pass, midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes, is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. Originally known as Hunter Pass, it sits at an elevation of 12,095 ft (3,687 m) on the Continental Divide in the Sawatch Range. State Highway 82 traverses it, in the process reaching the highest elevation of a paved Colorado state highway on a through road. During my road trip across the USA in 2001 I went for a 4-5 h hike at Independence Pass, reaching an altitude of about 4,100 meters. A very nice location, indeed. Easily one of my favorite US sites for summer wildflowers.

After visiting Aspen and Glenwood Springs, I went north to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Although very crowded during the high-season, this park was also well worth a visit. Here I found the Arctic Gentian, a late summer bloomer that can be abundant over large areas of alpine meadows. I also include a few photos from Yellowstone and other mountainous areas in Western USA.

Some of the plants displayed here may very well be wrongly named, as I am no expert on the local flora. These images were scanned from old slides from 2001, hence the quality.

 

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Pygmy Bitterroot / Alpine Lewisia (Lewisia pygmaea), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

At Independence Pass in July 2001, Colorado

Whipple's Penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Dwarf Fireweed (Chamaenerion latifolium), Independence Pass, Colorado

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Could be Dwarf Mountain Ragwort (Senecio fremontii), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

 

Elephanthead Lousewort (Pedicularis groenlandica), Independence Pass, Colorado

Could be Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense), Independence Pass, Colorado ("storarve")

 

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), Colorado

Alpine Sagebrush (Artemisia scopulorum), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Alpine Sagebrush (Artemisia scopulorum), Independence Pass, Colorado

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Into thin air. Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Aster species, could be Alpine Sunflower (Hymenoxys grandiflora), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), Independence Pass, Colorado ("blåklokke")

Spearleaf Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Moss Campion (Silene acualis), Independence Pass, Colorado ("fjellsmelle")

Spiked Woodrush (Luzula spicata), Independence Pass, Colorado ("aksfrytle")

 

Mertens' Rush (Juncus mertensianus), Independence Pass, Colorado

A sedge species (maybe Carex nova?), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

A sedge (Carex sp.), Independence Pass, Colorado

Another Carex species (maybe Carex ebenea?), Colorado

 

A sedge species, Independence Pass, Colorado

Possibly Osterhout’s Thistle (Cirsium osterhoutii), Colorado

 

American Alpine Speedwell (Veronica wormskjoldii), Independence Pass, Colorado

Alpine Sandwort (Minuartia obtusiloba), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Colorado

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Lichen, Pike National Forest, Colorado

Independence Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

 

Along State Highway 82, Colorado

Maybe Purple Locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Perhaps Woolly Cinquefoil (Potentilla hippiana), Pike National Forest, Colorado

Possibly Giant Red Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Probably Wholeleaf Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja integra), Pike National Forest, Colorado

Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia), Red Rock State Park, New Mexico (altitude about 1900)

 

 

Probably Western Yellow Paintbrush (Castilleja occidentalis). American Bistort (Bistorta bistortoides) to the left. Independence Pass, Colorado

Western Yellow Paintbrush (Castilleja occidentalis), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

There are several similar yellow Castilleja species in the Rocky Mountains, but I think this is another Western Yellow Paintbrush (Castilleja occidentalis), Independence Pass, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Maybe Rustyhair Saxifrage (Saxifraga occidentalis), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Diamond-leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga rhomboidea), Independence Pass, Colorado

Could be a young Hairy Goldenaster (Heterotheca pumila), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Maybe Blue Alpine Phacelia (Senecio spartioides), Independence Pass, Colorado

Maybe Blue Alpine Phacelia (Phacelia sericea), Independence Pass, Colorado

 

Rosecrown / Redpod Stonecrop (Sedum rhodanthum), Independence Pass, Colorado

Creeping Sibbaldia (Sibbaldia procumbens), Independence Pass, Colorado ("trefingerurt")

 

Mountain Aven (Dryas octopetala) field, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorad0 ("reinrose")

Beardless Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon virgatus var. asa-grayi), Pike National Forest, Colorado

 

Maybe Rocky Mountain Beeplant (Cleome serrulata), Red Rock State Park, New Mexico (altitude about 1900 m)

Somewhere along Highway 24, Colorado. I think this is Pike National Forest

 

Colorado shrub, Pike National Forest, Colorado

Somewhere along Highway 24, Colorado

 

Somewhere along Highway 24, Colorado

Maybe Sulphurflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), Pike National Forest, Colorado

 

Maybe Ross' Avens (Geum rossii), Independence Pass, Colorado

Arctic Gentian (Gentiana algida), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Arctic Gentian (Gentiana algida), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Stream in Yellowstone National Park. Typical habitat for Fringed Gentian

 

The official flower of Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountain Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis thermalis), Yellowstone, Wyoming. The latin species name, thermalis, is a reference to the thermal pools of Yellowstone, where the plant is particularly abundant and has been designated as the park flower

Star Gentian / Felwort (Swertia perennis), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis), Yellowstone National Park ("åkermynte")