Long weekend in Northern Colorado

[Dan]

Companion forum thread to: Long weekend in Northern Colorado

I took a little extra time over the Labor Day weekend and spent four days in the Mt. Z wilderness. It’s a place I always enjoy, straddling the continental divide, between Steamboat Springs and the Wyoming border…

[Luke Schmidt]

Looks nice. What is a ribbon forest? I assume it’s a subalpine forest that hugs a ribbon of ground where trees can grow.

[Dan]

Near timberline trees sometimes grow/survive in thin bands or strips and the Mt Zirkel wilderness is a classic example. If you look at some of the photos, it should be apparent … it’s very distinctive. I think that it helps protect trees from wind and perhaps other harsh conditions. Krummholz could almost be considered an extreme case of this phenomenon, where stunted spruce grows in small strips, often on the leeward side of trees that did not survive.

Here are a couple more photos that hopefully illustrate the phenomenon.

[Luke Schmidt]

Makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.  Now that I think about it I’ve seen similar places down in the Rockies.

[Dan]

I think it makes for very pleasant and interesting terrain for hiking and camping, TBH. There is plenty of open space/tundra for walking, but one can still find shelter if desired.

[Author]

Posts