Mountains can be precarious piles of rocks. In the Rockies, annual freeze-thaw cycles fracture solid rock into loose scree fields and talus slopes. The results are steep mountainsides like the one you see here on the back side of Treasury in western Colorado. Rocks on these slopes sit nearly at the angle of repose –…

When hiking in the alpine zone, it is a pleasure to hear a sharp chirp – the call of an American pika (Ochotona princeps). These lovely animals inhabit the talus slopes and rock outcrops at the very highest elevations. Surprisingly they do not hibernate but rather stay active through the winter by relying on stored…

Summer in the Rockies is a colorful season, especially thanks to the diversity of paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.) This genus contains hundreds of species that are well known for their colorful blooms. Their bright colors hide a dark secret – like many species in the family Orobanchaceae, paintbrushes are parasites – they steal resources from the…

Home for the summer is the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. I’m living in Paradise, which is a small cabin built in 1935 and not much-renovated since then. It is a beautiful place to be, but sometimes it can be difficult to sleep. The reason: porcupines. Last night this one found its way into the shed…