The View From 14,000 Feet

Driving to the summit of Colorado’s Mt. Evans

The summit of 14,271-foot Mt. Evans in the Colorado Rockies. Photo © 2019 by Dale E. Lehman. Do not use without permission.

Last week, my wife and I flew to Denver to visit relatives, and while there, we set foot for the first time on the tundra.

You read that right. Tundra. In Colorado.

Here’s how that works. On sufficiently high mountains around the world, forest yields to an alien landscape of moss, lichen, tiny grasses, and little flowering plants. This is the alpine tundra, and it’s fundamentally one with its arctic twin. Close to the equator, it lives at high altitudes. The farther north or south you go, the lower the tree line falls. Close to the poles, it descends to sea level. Beyond, alpine tundra morphs into arctic . The two really are one.

In Colorado, the tree line hovers around 11,500 feet, its exact altitude depending upon local conditions. There, cold, wind, heavy snows, and thin soils make life too difficult for large plants. Miniature versions hang on in some places, but abruptly there is only rock and diminutive plants capable of eking out a living in the harsh environment. It’s a fragile place, too. Hikers are asked to stay on the trails, for a single careless step can destroy a century of growth.