Yesterday, I promised Desiree a life-altering experience. “We are going to drive along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains,” I told her. “I heard the wildflowers are peaking in many areas right now. If they are anything like normal this year, you will see oceans of wildflowers.”
The arrowleaf
balsamroot did not disappoint. We
encountered enormous colonies of balsamroot blooming across the flanks of mountains
and throughout the adjacent foothills.
According to a
blog I read at naturesseed.com: “Arrowleaf
balsamroot can get up to two feet tall and forms a taproot that can reach
depths of six feet. This makes it a very drought tolerant plant and a great
addition to water-wise landscapes. The taproot itself has a very pleasant
balsam-like odor, giving the wildflower its name. On top of its drought
tolerance, arrowleaf balsamroot is very winter-hardy and able to handle
part-shade. It does take a while to fully establish and mature, often requiring
three or four years to produce flowers.”
After several
hours of touring the foothills of the Rockies, we diverted into Sun River
Canyon and drove partway back through the mountains and overthrusts of the
Sawtooth Range. This is a part of our
landscape still under construction. There
is no clear balance between, running water, timber, and solid stone. If you appreciate massive cliffs and blockish,
abrupt mountains, this is a place for you.
Before the
road once again trickled out from the foothills and onto the open plains, Desiree
saw her first ever bear. We saw three,
actually: a sow and two tiny cubs. We saw
the bears for only a few seconds before they scrambled away into some thick
timber. I am pretty sure they were
grizzlies.
Since we
failed to capture an image of the bears, I am offering flowers and mountains
for today.
Arrowleaf
Balsamroot
Desiree Amid
the Flowers
Sun River
Canyon
Diversion Lake
—Mitchell Hegman
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