Mt. Lafayette, August 17, 2008

I went up Lafayette last Sunday with my youngest daughter to visit some friends who work on the mountain. We ran across the ridge to Mt. Lincoln and I was reminded that the low stone walls you can see in the photo were not there when I was a kid. These walls have been carefully constructed to protect the fragile plant communities that survive here at 5000 feet and which include the rare Dwarf Cinquefoil (Potentilla robbinsiana), by encouraging hikers to stay on the trails. No one, it seemed, paid much attention to the plants 40 years ago. Construction of the walls took place in the 1970s and 80's and are similar in intent to the two signs in the photos above: to help people be aware of their impact on the environment.