September 2nd was one of the very few perfectly clear days we've had this summer, and it made for fabulous panoramic viewing from the top of Prairie Mountain in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. The bloom was largely done on this south-facing slope, as one would expect, the most notable exception being Gentianella amarella, an annual or biennial with a circumpolar distribution.
Just a few pix:
1) First teaser of the view to come.
2) Orchid on dry slope.
3) Even when the unrelenting, steep forest trail is behind you, there's still a bit more climbing, though at a much more reasonable inclination!
4) Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) sheltering some willows at its base that have turned red.
5, 6) That last step off to the right is a doozy! Moose Mountain is the highest point in the near distance, and has a manned fire-spotting/weather station atop it.
7) There are a few stunted limber pines (Pinus flexilis) on the ridge.
8 ) Map lichen, (Rhizocarpon geographicum, perhaps)
9) Gentianella amarella
