Aquilegia coerulea in the Flattops
photo by Karen Vail
Hikes
Please Note - as of 3/7/2016 all Difficult Level Hikes are FULL as is the Kintgen Van Tour to North Park
The hikes are designed for 4 levels:
- Very easy- Either a ride up the gondola to the mid mountain ski area or a self-led drive to see wildflowers
- Easy- A shorter hike with modest elevation gain at a more moderate elevation of 7,000-9,000 feet above sea level
- Medium- A longer hike with moderate elevation gain and possibly some stream crossing or steep sections at 7,000- 10,000 feet above sea level
- Difficult- Longer hikes of up to 7 or 8 miles round trip with several thousand feet of elevation gain. Participants on these hikes should expect to encounter some snow on the trail and stream crossings at 8,000-11,000 feet elevation.
Hikes have been scouted and written plant lists developed. Specific hikes will be announced pending permission for Federal permits.
Saturday van tour with Mike Kintgen
A trip in the van to observe the rich and varied flora found in North Park. Expect a wide variety of steppe plants, Eriogonum, Astragalus, Penstemon, Oxytropis, Phacelia, along with some wetland/fen and montane species. This trip is geared towards plant nerds that want to see a wide variety of plants in one day. No long hiking is involved and most sites will be along the road. There might be some short strenuous hiking to visit Rhododendron albiflorum.