Alpine meadows

I mentioned in the last post that we were above 6600 feet at Logan Pass, and above the tree line, surrounded by alpine meadows.  Logan Pass is known for its alpine flora, having several species that are very rare.  Here are a few photos of the flora.  The first is of a glacier lily, photographed by Lee.  Its petals are facing downward, so it’s a bit difficult to see:

This next plant is closely related to the pussy willow, according to a park naturalist who was giving a talk (and walk) on the flora:

The small yellow flower below, the timberline buttercup, is plentiful.  Mind you, all these alpine plants are small, not more than a few inches high.

Eileen took the following photos.  Although small, alpine flowers can be very colorful.  The purple flower on the left, below, is an alpine aster. 

 

I loved this one.  Pom poms!  Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is.    A little help from botanists, please?

 Lewis' monkeyflower, named after Meriweather Lewis, is one of the more brightly colored:

 

And the rosy paintbrush (terrible photo, sorry):

It is very impressive to see a flower blooming "en masse", as is the alpine aster right now:

The following photos are of the alpine meadows from above and below:

 

Here is the boardwalk that leads from the Logan Pass visitor center to the alpine meadows above:

One of the many, many small waterfalls:

This post was of the micro elements.  The next post will be on a macro scale - the panoramic views!