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In the 'alpine' theme...
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Posted by ABgardeneer Z3, Calgary (My Page) on Tue, Sep 27, 05 at 21:51
...the next "really big show", so to speak, after the alpine flowers...
Alpine larches, Panorama Ridge and meadow, Banff (from this past Sunday).
With last night and this morning's snow and wind, I wonder if the needles have all fallen now? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: In the 'alpine' theme...
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| I am so used to seeing our tamaracks in the swamps and bogs. It just doesn't seem right to be up there in the dry looking mountains. VERY beautiful though, thanks for posting. They all seem so young without any gnarly branches. Are they really just slow growing up there? |
RE: In the 'alpine' theme...
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RE: In the 'alpine' theme...
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Wow fabulous, did you go for a walk ? I wouldn't mind a
continuation (part 2 ?) of the alpines if you are so inclined. |
RE: In the 'alpine' theme...
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| Rick, the meadow pictured in the first and third shots is quite wet, with numerous drainages (even a small glacier hanging up on the side of the upper valley) but you're right that the big slopes (second photo) must be relatively dry after the spring melt. Actually we were talking about the age of the larches while we were up there - they appear "young" though I expect their size belies their age somewhat. There was a small number of big trees standing (and a few large old fallen trunks) - these all had multiple leaders, maybe from wind damage? The trunks of the big ones were up to perhaps 18" diameter:
(A very dark picture, sorry - these digital cameras ain't all they're cracked up to be.)
It was interesting that a small number of larches managed to hang on on the relatively barren slopes towards the top of the windswept ridge, but these were essentially larch "bushes" - up to about 3' tall, roundish and densely branched, almost unrecognizable in form! An interesting sort of kruppelholz. Bcgift, yes, it is a hike - longish (but at least it's all uphill rather than up and down and up and down, LOL!) The first major destination is a beautiful lake, bound by a cliff on one side, with a waterfall at the end, and a larch covered ridge on the other side. Then you can continue around the backside of that ridge into a larch-filled valley, and then wend your way up onto an open ridge for great views on all sides. I haven't been there yet in summer unfortunately, but the flowers would be great through the wet meadow and up onto the ridge - the understory through much of the larch forest is bilberry and heather, and the ridge had lots of interesting alpines in their fall colors (lots of penstemons, especially). |
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