Leaf-peeping, the popular September activity of watching aspen leaves turn golden, reaches its peak in mid-September. However, Boulder naturalists Steve Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman prefer to head out early, appreciating the beauty of green aspen leaves. As a bonus, they spotted a late-season bloom of mountain wildflowers.
It happened on a trail in Upper Gregory Canyon, off of Peak to Peak Highway in Boulder County. The area is filled with aspen groves where heart-shaped leaves glow in the sunlight and whisper in the wind. In addition to the aspens, Jones and Cushman spot late-season wildflowers, including Gilia.
“It's not something that's abundant in Boulder County. We're always excited to see it. They're very narrow-throated,” said Jones.
The Gilia’s trumpet-like shape makes it a favorite for hummingbirds and other pollinators. Although it’s too early for aspen leaves to turn from green to golden, they are still a sight to behold.
“They still have a glow to them,” said Cushman. “You can see the veins and the heart-shaped leaf. And there's a little breeze, so we're hearing the sound of the wind. And the Indigenous people used to call aspen the tree that whispers to itself.”
Cushman notes that this aspen grove appears to have healthy trees, unlike many others around the state.
“There has been an upsurge of a disease that's been called SAD, Sudden Aspen Disappearance,” she said.
If an aspen has been affected by the fungal disease Sudden Aspen Decline, its bark will often be orange. These aspens, though, have traditional white bark with a soft texture. In the grove, the naturalists spot more wildflowers, including goldenrod and scarlet paintbrush.
“We're really lucky that we're finding so many summer flowers that are still going strong,” said Cushman.
“This is the monsoon. We had the driest May through July in 124 years in Boulder, which was pretty scary to us, but sure enough, the midsummer monsoon did kick in this year, and we're having a really good one,” said Jones.
The wildflowers are attracting plenty of pollinators on this September morning.
"A hummingbird just flew by us," Jones said. "Orange Sulphur Butterfly in front of us. Beautiful orange-yellow butterfly ... this place is just hopping this morning."
Copyright 2024 KGNU.
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