Visiting The Foothills In March In Colorado

Visiting The Foothills In March In Colorado

I took lots of pictures  while being out in Larimer County Parks, checking out sites for spring wildflower walks to get a head start identifying the common plants on those trails. I thought my walks to be "early spring drab" ... then I reviewed my slides.

The trail beckons
south end of Sundance Trail, Carter Lake

Pines and rocks along Carter Lake.

The cups among the dry grasses are seed heads of gumweed, Grindelia squarrosa, a late summer flower.

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) pine cone (upper left) and lichens on the rocks.

The foothills grasslands in March. The campground on the southeast shore of Carter Lake is just over the crest of the hill. The yuccas (Yucca glauca) turn green early, though the one in the front right doesn't look very healthy.

I went west from Carter Lake to Pinewood Reservoir.

There are handsome hillsides:

Oh, but look at Pinewood Reservoir itself!

Prairie sagewort, also called silky wormwood, Artemisia frigida was green and growing. The diameter is a just about that of a ballpoint pen.

Attractive seed pods along the rocks. Penstemons (also called beardtongue, Penstemon sp.) I think.

A rock splashed red with lichens, not blood.

A cattail patch (Typha sp.), no new growth visible yet.

And one last look back at Pinewood Reservoir

Wow! Get out and look around! It won't be long before greens dominate.