August 6, 2020

Good Morning,

Life above 6,000’ is a bit cloudy to begin this first Thursday of August. It doesn’t appear the situation will change much today, especially since the potential for showers and thunderstorms increases by lunchtime. Today marks the greatest potential for precip of any day remaining this week, with the weekend looking more conducive for great hiking and escaping the warmer temps. Our day time highs should once again tap the 60s today. Guests should come ready with layers for staying dry and warm in the evenings.

Many of the fruit bearing plants are beginning to ripen along the trails, the most common among them being the blackberries. In a handful of places the purple flowering raspberries can be found as well. Berries and nuts that turn out in late summer and autumn are a crucial food source for a great many critters in these mountains, ranging in size from birds to bears. It’s been a few years, but the Mountain Ash trees that grow among the spruces and firs around the lodge can produce fruit as well. If it’s a good crop, bears have been know to climb the tees and snap the limbs off to gain easier access to the berries.