I took a hike to one of my favorite alpine tundra areas. The area doesn’t have an official name, but it is within the boundaries of the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. Looking east from this unnamed 12,000 foot mountain top, the smoke from the wildfires in western Nebraska helps to differentiate the different layers of the mountain view. Normally it’s just a mass of forest and one ridge is difficult to discern from another.
(Click for larger on all photos)
In the mountains, the season is transitioning from summer to fall. The aspen leaves in some areas are already in full autumn colors. It seems a week or two early. Many of the small plants in the tundra are turning rust color as well.
