As the snow clears only the lower altitude areas have new growth.   When we hike higher in the hills we can find mud, snow, or ice, but we can also find drier areas to explore, watching for “curiosities” along the way.

Some of the older big sagebrush has twisty, gnarled wood which will be covered by the new leaf growth later in spring.

A small number of sagebrush buttercups were blooming, mostly in sheltered spots under the sagebrush.

Right after the snow melts, snow mold can be found on damp north-facing slopes. ”

“Snow mold is a type of fungus and a turf disease that damages or kills grass after snow melts, typically in late winter.  Its damage is usually concentrated in circles three to twelve inches in diameter, although yards may have many of these circles, sometimes to the point at which it becomes hard to differentiate between different circles. Snow mold comes in two varieties: pink or gray. While it can affect all types of grasses, Kentucky bluegrass and fescue lawns are least affected by snow mold.”

Also under the shelter of sagebrush were a few boechera infected by the rust fungus (puchinia monoica).    Rust spores invade the tissue of the mustard and gradually sterilizes the plant, then forces the plant to produce pseudo-flowers, leaves made to look like flowers.   Insects are attracted to the sticky yellow ends and inadvertently carry the reproductive cells to new plants.

On wetter, north-facing slopes club lichens (cladonia) can be found in patches.

When ponderosa pines die, the bark peels off over time into shapes resembling puzzle pieces.   We enjoy seeing the colorful puzzle bark.