Flower Friday - An Alpine Edition

We recently spent time up high in the Colorado mountains. Before we departed, my garden Columbines were trying to bloom one last time.

I hoped that we'd see wildflowers up high, like we usually do in August. Most years, the wildflowers are past their peak by this time of year but some hardy ones are still blooming.

It turned out that the alpine tundra had turned the page to autumn already, probably due to the drought. Look at the rich autumn colors on the ground below the towering mountains.

Some golden leaves adorned willow bushes which Shyla galloped away from.

Most fire weed, a very late bloomer, had finished flowering. These ones were protected inside the ruins of a mining cabin so they still bloomed.

To my surprise, even the fire weed that was mostly devoid of blossoms was brilliantly beautiful on the mountain sides. The bare stems are a fiery magenta like the flowers.

And the golden hue of the autumn leaves made the tableau leading up to a mountain even more beautiful. I loved whooshing through these mountain meadows on my mountain bike.

It was incredible to see how the drought has sent the alpine world into autumn earlier than usual. Although the world looked different than in past years, it was beautiful in its own way. The intensity of the autumn colors increased over our trip... so hang on to see some more of those warm hues.

TThanks to our friend, Rosy, for hosting the Flower Friday blog hop.