As the colder weather sets in,  bunchgrass, thread-and-needle grass, and rough fescue have grown to their full height and  the wildfflowers of spring are long past.   I hiked for 6.4 km through the middle grasslands enjoying this unique ecosystem.

In a few disturbed spots some invasive plants have established like mullein (verbascum thapsus),   This hairy perennial can grow to 2 m.   Mullein grows from a taproot.   The base has a rosette of hairy leaves.   Stems rise with alternate diminishing leaves but in this image, the stems will emerge next year.

Some frost-tinged toadflax flowers were still in bloom.   The inflorescences are terminal yellow clusters with orange bands.

On one small rocky barren south-facing hillock, prickly pear cactus (opuntia fragilis) flourished on this small island or open ground in a sea of grass.   The plant tends to form prostate mats of spiny, fleshy stem segments.

A few junipers survived in the open grasslands, most on west-facing slopes.

In gritty soils pussytoes (antennaria) formed hairy mats of short stems and leaves on open ground.

Three carnation plants were spotted among the native vegetation of the area.   These cultivars were probably escapees from area flower gardens.

Geum triflorum (old man’s whiskers) had active green leaves still supporting growth.   The divided harit leaves  were rowing along short prostate stems.

On the side of the trail Isabella Tiger Moths (pyrrharctia isabella) were on the ground.   They emerge from eggs in the fall and overwinter as caterpillars.  They literally freeze solid but use a cryotprotectant to protect their tissues and thaw in the spring.

We will cover this same terrain in winter, snowshoeing over the grassland hills.