Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Found in subalpine zones, the five-needled
whitebark pine has smallish, almost round
cones that remain purple until maturity. Its
seeds provide crucial autumnal forage for
grizzly bears. Large individuals stand near
Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone and South Cas-
cade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.
Dominating subalpine forests, Engelmann
spruce is a towering, cold-tolerant conifer cap-
able of withstanding winter temperatures of -50°F. Like other spruces, Engelmann has
round, slightly pointed needles and pendant cones. Its resonant wood is used to make pi-
ano sounding boards.
SEASONS
For Everything There Is a Season,
by Frank C
Craighead, is a delightful account of wildlife
through the seasons by one of Yellowstone's le-
gendary naturalists.
WILDFLOWER PRIMER
Look for a breathtaking variety of wildflowers peaking throughout June and July:
»
Trumpet-like gentian
A late-bloomer found above 10,000ft in moist arctic bogs,
pretty arctic gentian has greenish-white flowers with purple stripes.
»
Columbine
Found at the edges of small, shaded clearings up to 9000ft. Colorado
columbine has blue-white flowers with delicate long spurs carrying nectar attracting
butterflies and hummingbirds.
»
Fireweed
A single-stem perennial that grows up to 6ft tall, crowned by clusters of
pink, four-petaled flowers about an inch in diameter. It colonizes recent burn areas.
»
Succulent Indian hellebore
(aka corn lily) On subalpine slopes, these 7ft stalks
have large leathery leaves crowned by maizelike flower tassels. Native Americans
used it as an insecticide.
»
Delicate, yellow glacier lily
(aka dogtooth violet) Blankets entire tundra slopes.
Bears eagerly extract their edible bulbs.
»
Beargrass
A fragrant lily relative with white starlike flowers on 4ft stalks in well-
drained montane and subalpine clearings. Its waxy, bladelike leaves are favored
spring forage among grizzly bears.
»
Bright red Indian paintbrush
Prolific in the Tetons and a favorite food source for
hummingbirds.
