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The Summit (pg. 4) |
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by Jerry Cates |
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One of the important rituals every hiker should carry out on the Longs Peak summit is to sign the register. It used to be kept in a brass cylinder, but is now tucked inside a piece of PVC pipe with caps on both ends. The fellow in the photo on the left is affixing his name to the register, which he had withdrawn from the gray PVC pipe on the rock just below and forward of his knee.
At this height, there is precious little vegetation growing in the soil. You might expect that animals would not be found up here, either. If you thought that, you would be wrong. A yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) kept the hikers entertained on the summit, while it darted about begging for a hand-out (center of right photo, above). These animals are found at all elevations in the Rocky Mountain National Park and have become conditioned to rely on food supplied by hikers and campers. Biologists analyzing soil samples from Longs Peak have identified a wide variety of species of nematodes that reside there. The fauna on top of Longs is indeed diverse. Next: The Home-Stretch, Going Down... Longs Peak Menu ... Bugsinthenews ... Books About Longs Peak |
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