View allAll Photos Tagged PinusFlexilis,
Limber pine trees and skeletons adorn a ridge on Grassy Top, a hill in the transition between foothills and high peaks of the Front Range of the southern Rockies.
The Beartooth Plateau lies on the horizon in this view from Skull Creek Pass north of Cody. In Front of the Beartooth Plateau is the Heart Mountain fold. The Heart Mountain Syncline (Skull Creek Syncline) is located in the left center of the photo. The west limb of the Heart Mountain anticline rises to the right of the syncline with its crest on the extreme right side. A small oil field produces from sandstone reservoirs located in the subsurface on this anticlinal fold. A lonely limber pine (Pinus flexilis) can be seen in the foreground among the sagebrush.
A limber pine ( Pinus flexilis ) stands by a cliff of Cretaceous Frontier Sandstone which lies south of Cody Wyoming. The sandstone is interbedded with thin beds of siltstone and shale which forms the ledges along the cliff.
Limber pines ( Pinus flexilis ) stand on a cliff of Cretaceous Frontier Sandstone which lies south of Cody Wyoming. The sandstone is interbedded with siltstone and shale interbeds which forms the ledges along the cliff.
Limber pines ( Pinus flexilis ) stand on a cliff of Cretaceous Frontier Sandstone which lies south of Cody Wyoming. The sandstone is interbedded with siltstone and shale interbeds which forms the ledges along the cliff.
The Ancient Limber Pine stand is in the lee of the Continental Divide, just 5 miles south and west of Fairplay, Colorado. Many of the trees on this site are in excess of 1,000 years old. Dead snags are interspersed with trees that hang on, year after year, under fierce, battering winds and extreme cold at 11,200 feet on Sheep Mountain.
Live trees may have limbs or a portion of the trunk that have lost their bark, exposing wood to the elements. Many trees (including this one) show burn marks from lightning strikes. The colors and textures of raw wood delight artistic esthetics.
Lmber pines ( Pinus flexilis ) grow along the top of a sandstone cliff in the Cretaceous Frontier Formation south of Cody Wyoming. The sandstone is interbedded with siltstone and shale interbeds which forms the ledges along the cliff.
An area of raw wood on a live tree and the Ancient Limber Pine Grove on Sheep Mountain, near FairPlay, Colorado. Trees on this site, many over 1,000 years old, have been bent and twisted by winds and struck by lightning.
Limber pine skeletons bathed in late day sun grasp for the clouds ripped up by turbulence. The wood has been weathered by wind, ice, and sun for over a century. Decomposition is slow at 11,000 feet (3300 m)… A small rainbow with a large pot of gold lies on the distant horizon.
Common Name: Limber Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus flexilis
This windswept tree is growing on a steep rocky slope of sandstone and limestone.
The Milky Way shines behind a limber pine skeleton illuminated by warm light from an led panel with a tungsten filter. While the scene appears to have slight tilt, the tree has been molded by high winds, and the landscape is sloping from the higher ridges to the right. This location is very near the previous post. I had hoped to see some preview Perseid meteors, but only saw one in the 90 minutes I was out. Lots of airplanes though...
A lenticular cloud hangs over a spruce-fir-pine-aspen forest near the University of Colorado's Mountain Research Station. The ridge on the skyline is a remnant Pleistocene moraine from around 16,000 years ago, when glaciers from the Continental Divide (4 mi/ 6.4 km to the west) reached their maximum extent.
The tree at the bottom of the frame is the top of a 20 m tall limber pine that was born in 1765. Most of the trees in the photo are no more than 150 years old. The forest was used for lumber in the late 19th century to support nearby mining camps. Mountain pine beetles killed many trees several years ago, associated with the ability to complete two life cycles per year when previously they could only complete one, likely a consequence of climate change (kudos Jeff Mitton for figuring this out).
Within the last 15 years moose have shown up in appreciable numbers after the state wildlife people decided to introduce them, despite evidence suggesting they were not present in this area prior to Euro-American settlement. Mountain lions are also more common, reflecting the local increase in deer, elk, and moose. Last winter a mountain lion killed a moose calf in one of the meadows seen in the right side of the photo.
Being close to a field station means lots of curious people have found out a lot of fun facts about the local area.
Wind sculpted branches of limber pines (Pinus flexilis) near treeline reach their gnarly fingers toward the sky. Overhead clouds flow off the Continental Divide, portent of an oncoming summer cold front. The trees that make up the transition from forest to alpine in this area are usually spruce and fir, but a fire in 1916 burned through this stand, and have been replaced by the limber pine.
2019-09-02, Day 1
Lake Mary sits on a high shelf above the valley floor and Rock Creek, which is mostly out of view beneath the eroded cliffs. Opposite the lake and up the valley waits the north face of Mount Lockhart (11,644 ft; 3,550 m) with its steep near-vertical couloir, Beartooth Wilderness, Montana.
To look down on Lake Mary from this vantage point, we left the trail at Crow Lake to the north, and found a route south bushwhacking through the forest up the drainage. Mushrooms of the Boletus genus were everywhere, but I didn't recognize the exact species so we did not indulge. Some seemed to be porcini, and perhaps they were, though lighter in color than those I am used to seeing in the Southern Rockies.
Eventually, we emerged into a tumble of talus, sparse trees, and tundra vegetation, and climbed to this pass. The route required slow navigation up a 35˚ slope, with somewhat frequent pausing to breathe. I came to appreciate how much work trail builders do when it comes to keeping one's ankles straight during the ascent. Interestingly, we saw not a single person the entire first day of the adventure.
The forest on the left of the frame looks somewhat scrubby from this vantage, but when we entered we discovered ancient Limber Pines (Pinus flexilis) and an almost park-like open understory with deep soft duff and wizened, twisted individuals surrounding us. It was most enjoyable walking on the springy duff after spending a good deal of time on talus, always wondering whether the rocks might roll on the next step.
The Longs Peak massif rises to the highest point in the Front Range and is framed by boulders and Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) situated on the flanks of Miller Rock, Boulder County, Colorado.
The family and I have focused travel primarily on the immediate surroundings these days. This emphasis on the local brings with it some pleasant surprises and discoveries of places that for some reason we've overlooked for nearly two decades of living here. It is possible to drive jeeps, motorcycles, or ATVs to the base of Miller Rock, but the final scramble to the summit requires use of hands and feet. There is also a lovely trail that can be walked if one prefers to amble, and we found numerous Fairy-slipper Orchids (Calypso bulbosa) growing in the shady forest. I have to credit my 10-year-old for finding the flowers. I marched right past them, indicating once more that seeing is an active endeavor, whether the focus is flora or systemic racism.
Thanks for looking and for comments and feedback!
Bryce Canyon National Park - Sunset Point , on the edge of Paunsaugunt Plateau at the western end over 9,000 feet ( 2,750 M ) high with beautiful cliffs dropping 2,000 feet ( over 600m ) to Paria Valley . Stunning example of erosion and power of water/ice
Ebenezer Bryce – Mormon settler ( for whom park is named ) , when asked what he was thinking of the magnificent view , replayed “ a hell of a place to lose a cow “ . Heck I could not find one.
"L" for large ...please and you can always "F" for you know what :-)
The rising sun momentarily breaks through a thick bank of cloud, and flashes over a sea of fog that submerges the High Plains along the eastern edge of the Front Range, Colorado. I am nestled in a saddle in the lee of a krummholz at 11,250 feet (3,430 m), below the summits of Meadow Mountain and Saint Vrain Mountain, just inside the southern-most edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. Shortly after this, my hiking partner decided the time was ripe to open the thermos and indulge in a morning cuppa.
To arrive here in time for sunrise meant awaking at 3:45 in Boulder, picking up my high-school hiking companion at 4:30 at his house a mile away, then arriving at the trailhead at 5:30. The trailhead is just below 9,000 ft. (2,740 m), and climbs 2,280 feet (695 m) in 3.1 miles (5 km), so I allowed 1.5 h hiking time in order to arrive before the sun came up above the horizon. Initially, I had hoped to see early morning alpenglow along the summits in Wild Basin, but as it turned out, the wind was skipping over the saddle at a brisk 30 mph at sunrise, and the temperatures were just below 20 ˚F (-7 ˚C). I found that I was unable to operate my camera while wearing the down mittens that I needed to keep my fingers from going numb, so we retreated to the vantage you see here. At this point, the poor dog was shivering violently, and we covered him in an extra jacket and tried to wedge him between my legs so he would be protected from the cold. Earlier in the dark of pre-dawn, he blundered into two moose, so all in all, a relatively stimulating morning.
Happy holidays to all!
Clinging to the very edge of a Bryce Canyon National Park overlook.
A tree that is not a fast growing or tall, but is a very important part of Bryce as they often help to stabilize the cliffs with their roots.
Unfortunately this tree's health is in jeopardy as people have walked or stood on its roots wearing away the protective covering of bark, which weakens and eventually kills the tree. This also wears away the soil around the roots exposing them more.
The entrance road in Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park follows Greer Gulley up to the cave, The road, built by the CCC, is part of Lewis and Clark Caverns Historic Distric as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperas sopulorum), Limber Pine ( Pinus flexilis) and Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) grow in Greers Gulley and up the slopes.
An ancient Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) growing on the slopes of Sheep Mountain above South Park, Colorado. The girth of this tree suggests it is over a thousand years old- others at this site have been dated to over 2000 years old.
Accompanied by a Pine Siskin bird, a Limber Pine stands sentry at the base of Emerald Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/7.1, 18mm, 1/400s
A disintegrating mountain wave cloud catches filtered sunlight at sunset on the eastern slopes of the southern Rockies. With wind speeds declining the linear bands of cloud on the left are becoming more wavy. An alternative explanation is the oncoming witching hour has the tree skeletons conjuring up visions of hell. Take your pick....
A Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) manages somehow to hold on at the top of Inferno Cone, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho.
The cinder cone - and lava flows visible in the background - formed between about 20,000 and 2000 years ago, and now form part of the vast Snake River Plain.
Limber pine trees (Pinus flexilis), both live and dead, show which way the wind blows. The winds on Grassy Top, located only 10 km (6 miles) from the continental divide, exceed 45 m/s (100 mph) in the winter. Without neighbors to help shield them from the the wind, individual trees, like those here, experience the full force of the wind, which sculpts their branches. Limber pines across western North America have also been subjected to infestations of pine beetles and blister rust fungus that have led to declines in their numbers. Late day convective clouds catch the last full light of the setting sun, partly filtered by haze from dust and smoke to the west. #2
Juniper scopulorum (along with Pinus flexilis - limber pine) in the forests on top of the Mammoth Terraces, Yellowstone National Park, Park County, Wyoming. Juniperus scopulorum also grows sympatrically with Juniperus communis in this area.
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) in a Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis). Along White Mountain Rd. White Mountains. Inyo National Forest. Inyo Co., Calif.
This Limber Pine (Pinus Flexilis) was growing in a crack in the granite in Yosemite. As this was my first attempt at photographing the night sky, I was completely stunned by what my camera revealed to me when pointed to the heavens. To the naked eye, for example, you could not detect the bright gassy plumes in the Milky Way, nor the far off glow of the lights of Fresno on the horizon. But my camera could. I was completely enchanted.
It's always a treat to come across a Limber Pine and this particular tree was growing in a rocky spot on the wind-swept ridge at the Timber Ridge Conservation Area, on 3 August 2015. The droplets of sap on the immature green cones looked so beautiful. The seeds are dispersed by the Clark's Nutcracker / Nucifraga columbiana.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_flexilis
The first words in an article from 3 October 2014, in The Western Producer, are as follows:
"High in southern Alberta’s Porcupine Hills, where west winds wrestle the golden leaves of water birch and tickle the limber pines, water trickles from hidden springs into troughs at the Timber Ridge Conservation Site.
That’s where the bears bathe."
Well, we found out that the bathing bears was so very true, even if the bathing /swimming was not in the usual place, lol! We had seen no sign of large wildlife all day, so the sighting of a Black Bear at the end of the day was a real treat. This 640 acre site is located approximately 20 km southwest of Nanton. Other wildlife that can be seen include "moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, grizzly and black bear, cougar, grouse and a variety of small mammals and songbirds."
I had never been to the Porcupine Hills, but had read and heard about this area for a number of years and had longed to go. Lying south of Calgary and southwest of Nanton, it is an area of beautiful, rolling hills. This is where Glen and Kelly Hall "have a co-tenancy agreement with the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), the first one ever established between that organization and private landholders. They own 68 percent of the site and the ACA owns the balance."
"“We have a ranching operation right smack in the middle of a pretty important watershed. Our cows are our tools in order to look after the grass, which looks after the land, which looks after the watershed.”
The drive from Calgary took maybe an hour and a half (?), with rain falling on the way there, and we were greeted with a warm welcome down at the lowest level. It was suggested that we make our way straight up to the highest point and then to take our time coming back down. The first part of that journey was travelling in something new and fun to all of us - in a horse trailer! How DO horses make such a mess over every inch, lol?! After that, we climbed higher and higher, sometimes with the aid of an amazing little vehicle - a Kubota. I was in awe at how this tough little machine was able to travel over the roughest of land - rocks, deep ruts, uphill, downhill. We had some of the curious cattle follow us in places - several different breeds, and all looking beautiful and so healthy.
The rain stopped by the time we first arrived, but the mountains were hidden in haze (from the weather and possibly from forest fires). Far from ideal conditions for taking scenic shots of the surrounding hills and valleys, unfortunately. Wonderful views in every direction. By the afternoon, the temperature had risen to 31°C (about 88°F)!
Glen and Kelly, a delightful, enthusiastic couple, plan to conserve the site, but they don’t plan to keep it to themselves.
“Ultimately, one day, we want yellow school buses at the gates and we want kids here in numbers and we want them to learn where their water is, where the food is created,” said Kelly.
“We want them to learn about the trees and the grass because we have a lot of native species on this land that haven’t been interfered with.”
Thank you so much, both of you, for making this day so enjoyable and a great learning experience. We have a great deal of respect for what you are doing and how you are doing it. With all the exciting plans that you have for this amazing area, we know you will do well. Thank you for letting us do a bio-inventory of the living things on the 640 acre Timber Ridge Conservation Site!
There is just so much I could write about this special place, but will add several links below for further information in case anyone is interested to learn more.
www.producer.com/2014/10/landowners-eager-to-share-piece-...
www.albertaefp.com/news/96-ranchers-passion-drives-a-thou...
www.albertadiscoverguide.com/site.cfm?grid=F3&number=36
www.westernranchlands.ca/company-overview/advisory-board/...
guddling.tumblr.com/post/61370115303/we-were-given-a-tour...
A view of a skeletal tree as seen along the Crowsnest Highway in southwestern Alberta not far from the Crowsnest Pass. This humble image is quite notable locally and is referred to as the "Burmis Tree".
The ancient pine actually died many years ago. The alpine ridge and tree is a favourite location for photographers and artists alike. In fact it is so revered, it has actually been saved and carefully repaired a few times just to keep it standing at its post overlooking the eastern slopes of the Rockies.
The tree itself is a Limber Pine which is known for its hardiness and longevity. This tree was estimated to be about 750 years old before it died. A Limber pine in Oregon has been documented at over 2000 years old, and another one was confirmed at 1140 years old. They are indeed a hardy species of pine.
It's always a treat to come across a Limber Pine and this particular tree was growing in a rocky spot on the wind-swept ridge at the Timber Ridge Conservation Area, on 3 August 2015. The droplets of sap on the immature green cones looked so beautiful - macro shot posted yesterday. The seeds are dispersed by the Clark's Nutcracker / Nucifraga columbiana.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_flexilis
The first words in an article from 3 October 2014, in The Western Producer, are as follows:
"High in southern Alberta’s Porcupine Hills, where west winds wrestle the golden leaves of water birch and tickle the limber pines, water trickles from hidden springs into troughs at the Timber Ridge Conservation Site.
That’s where the bears bathe."
Well, we found out that the bathing bears was so very true, even if the bathing /swimming was not in the usual place, lol! We had seen no sign of large wildlife all day, so the sighting of a Black Bear at the end of the day was a real treat. This 640 acre site is located approximately 20 km southwest of Nanton. Other wildlife that can be seen include "moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, grizzly and black bear, cougar, grouse and a variety of small mammals and songbirds."
I had never been to the Porcupine Hills, but had read and heard about this area for a number of years and had longed to go. Lying south of Calgary and southwest of Nanton, it is an area of beautiful, rolling hills. This is where Glen and Kelly Hall "have a co-tenancy agreement with the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), the first one ever established between that organization and private landholders. They own 68 percent of the site and the ACA owns the balance."
"“We have a ranching operation right smack in the middle of a pretty important watershed. Our cows are our tools in order to look after the grass, which looks after the land, which looks after the watershed.”
The drive from Calgary took maybe an hour and a half (?), with rain falling on the way there, and we were greeted with a warm welcome down at the lowest level. It was suggested that we make our way straight up to the highest point and then to take our time coming back down. The first part of that journey was travelling in something new and fun to all of us - in a horse trailer! How DO horses make such a mess over every inch, lol?! After that, we climbed higher and higher, sometimes with the aid of an amazing little vehicle - a Kubota. I was in awe at how this tough little machine was able to travel over the roughest of land - rocks, deep ruts, uphill, downhill. We had some of the curious cattle follow us in places - several different breeds, and all looking beautiful and so healthy.
The rain stopped by the time we first arrived, but the mountains were hidden in haze (from the weather and possibly from forest fires). Far from ideal conditions for taking scenic shots of the surrounding hills and valleys, unfortunately. Wonderful views in every direction. By the afternoon, the temperature had risen to 31°C (about 88°F)!
Glen and Kelly, a delightful, enthusiastic couple, plan to conserve the site, but they don’t plan to keep it to themselves.
“Ultimately, one day, we want yellow school buses at the gates and we want kids here in numbers and we want them to learn where their water is, where the food is created,” said Kelly.
“We want them to learn about the trees and the grass because we have a lot of native species on this land that haven’t been interfered with.”
Thank you so much, both of you, for making this day so enjoyable and a great learning experience. We have a great deal of respect for what you are doing and how you are doing it. With all the exciting plans that you have for this amazing area, we know you will do well. Thank you for letting us do a bio-inventory of the living things on the 640 acre Timber Ridge Conservation Site!
There is just so much I could write about this special place, but will add several links below for further information in case anyone is interested to learn more.
www.producer.com/2014/10/landowners-eager-to-share-piece-...
www.albertaefp.com/news/96-ranchers-passion-drives-a-thou...
www.albertadiscoverguide.com/site.cfm?grid=F3&number=36
www.westernranchlands.ca/company-overview/advisory-board/...
guddling.tumblr.com/post/61370115303/we-were-given-a-tour...
"To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out the hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it- who can say this is not greatness?"
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)
This is one of my favorite places in Shoshone Canyon. An inspiring sight is this large boulder that has rolled down from the cliff and still on a bit of a slope is held by a single limber pine (Pinus flexilis). Despite the boulder pressing against it, the tree continues to grow and flourish. As you can see the tree appears to keep the boulder from rolling on to the highway.
Photographed during the 2016 annual bioblitz organized by the Grand Canyon Trust in Johnson Lakes Canyon. The privately held property is in the south-west corner of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
This mountain is grand in stature in its stand alone location just off the Crowsnest Highway. It was named by the Cree Indians because of the ravens that abounded in the area.
Photographed during the 2016 annual bioblitz organized by the Grand Canyon Trust in Johnson Lakes Canyon. The privately held property is in the south-west corner of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis, pattern of exposed wood where bark has fallen off, near Stella Lake along the Alpine Lakes Loop Trail in the Snake Range of Great Basin National Park, Nevada, USA
Limber pine in the Sandia Mountain occurs in the vicinity of a close relative, Pinus strobiformis, southwestern white pine. Southwestern white pine has seed cones with apophyses (distal protuberance) of each fertile scales that are recurved, bark of the mature trunk that is thick and furrowed, and needles (leaves) with stomatal lines not evident on abaxial leaf surface. In contrast, Pinus flexilis has seed cones where the apophyses of the fertile scales are not recurved, bark of the mature trunk that is thin and smooth, and needles (leaves) with stomatal lines evident on all leaf surfaces. Photo by Amanda Lavin. Limber pine was genetically identified here using chloroplast DNA markers.