After living in the mountains of Crested Butte, Colorado for 10 years, wildflowers became very special to me. Winters at an elevation of 8,800 feet can be harsh—and long. Hitting the trails when summer arrived always proved delightful. The more it snowed over the winter, the more spectactular the displays of colorful wildflowers. It never ceases to amaze me how nature thrives and survives through extremes of temperature, moisture, and other weather elements.
This web page highlights some of my favorite wildflowers that I enjoyed during various hiking, biking, and camping adventures. Even though I no longer get to enjoy the mountains on a daily basis, Colorado wildflowers bring me right back to that happy place.
Columbine is one of my very favorite wildflowers.
Columbine is so intricate and delicate. It has a very light fragrence. The two sets of petals—each with unique color and shape—make this flower stand out.
I set out on a quest to find it. It took me over a year, but I finally found a field full of Elephant Heads about 20 minutes from my home. These flowers like moist areas, and I found them near a high alpine lake, called Lily Lake.
Scarlet Gilia is another delicate-looking flower in a bright, bold color of red.
It is often found in huge numbers in fields mixed in with a variety of purple, white, and yellow flowers that create a breathtaking display of color.
The wild iris is a hearty, purplish-blue flower that is usually found in clusters.
Some parts of Colorado consider this flower a noxious weed. But that it is alittle misleading. It is primarily in ranching areas because wild iris are not palatable to cattle. Therefore, sometimes it is the only flower that remains after cattle have been left to graze.
Monument plants grow in meadows over 8,500 feet and bear about 600 flowers. The one pictured here came up to my nose!
Sadly, this plant will soon die, as it only has the opportunity to flower once in its lifetime.
This photo was taken during a particularly spectacular wildflower season. Yellow flowers as far as the eye could see! Simply breathtaking.
The cutey-patootey playing amongst the flowers is my son. Mule's Ears also make for excellent photo opportunities.
Now that's livin'! Lupine can be found covering the mountainsides during the month of July.
Tis flower takes a close second behind Columbine as my all-time favorite flower.
The legend of the Indian Paintbrush tells how this flower got its name. It does indeed look like a paint brush and inspires you to pick it up and paint the surrounding beauty where these flowers are typically found.
This photo was taken during a backpack trip with my dog, Cocoa. She's a great outdoor companion.