Another wild orchid; Mountain Lady’s Slipper

Mountain Lady’s Slipper, Cypripedium montanum

A scene changes

As I was reviewing the photos from a hike this week I noticed these two that were taken of essentially the same scene from an almost identical perspective. The main differences between the two were time (the first was taken at 6:40AM and the second at 7:47AM) and weather (clouds had swept over the mountain between the two photos).

Clouds in the blue

On May 26th the sky looked restless and showed quite a mixture of clouds.

In the clouds

Baldy Mountain roadless area this morning at 7000 feet. The clouds covered the mountain top and six feet of snow covered the trail the rest of the way up. That and an icy wind kept me from going any further today.

Trio

Bering chickweed, alpine chickweed, Cerastium beeringianum

Spots

Variable Checkerspot, Euphydryas chalcedona

Common in western North America from Alaska to Baja California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.