Global warming: Forest timberline impacts not so clear

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Local factors, including geology and topography, play a critical role

Will global warming push forests up into this alpine tundra around Guanella Pass, in Clear Creek County, Colorado?

Will global warming push forests up into this alpine tundra around Guanella Pass, in Clear Creek County, Colorado?

Colorado recorded the greatest increase in average maximum temperatures — between .7 and .9 degrees — from the old normals, compiled between 1971 and 2000, and the new normals, which are based on temperature readings between 1981 and 2010. On average across the U.S., the new average temperatures are about .5 degrees warmer.

Colorado recorded the greatest increase in average maximum temperatures — between .7 and .9 degrees — from the old normals, compiled between 1971 and 2000, and the new normals, which are based on temperature readings between 1981 and 2010. On average across the U.S., the new average temperatures are about .5 degrees warmer.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — For residents of high-elevation regions, including Colorado — the impacts of global warming include a potentially radical change in the composition of plant communities. In mountainous areas, the distribution of many species is limited by factors related to elevation, including temperature.

With warmer and drier conditions potentially limiting growth at lower elevations, scientists have already documented the treeline creeping upward in some areas, but there are additional factors to consider, according to a new study from the University of Calgary.

Even in a warmer world, local conditions, including slope steepness, exposure and soil depth – will limit trees being established and growing on mountainsides, the research found. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forests, global warming | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning Photo: Oh, Colorado!

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Eyecandy

A winter full moon rising over Grays and Torreys, two 14ers along the Continental Divide in Summit County, Colorado.

A winter full moon rising over Grays and Torreys, two 14ers along the Continental Divide in Summit County, Colorado.

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Copper Condos supports Summit Voice.

FRISCO —After a day filled with brown grass and gray skies, I wanted a little color, so I scanned the Summit Voice archives to find some of my all-time favorite mountain shots, starting with an amazing full moon rising over Dillon Reservoir and the Continental Divide. To the casual observer, the moon doesn’t seem to move much in the sky, but when you’re fumbling with two cameras and frozen fingers, that orb pops up pretty quickly, and when there are layers of clouds in the mix, it makes it all the more interesting. If you like these shots, visit our online FineArt America gallery, where there’s a nice selection of Summit County and Colorado images, available as prints or greeting cards. It’s a great way to support independent online journalism.
(more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: The Divide

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Spine of the continent

Alpenglow kisses the highest peaks of the Continental Divide in Summit County, Colorado.

Alpenglow kisses the highest peaks of the Continental Divide in Summit County, Colorado.

FRISCO — Last night’s shot (above) of the alpenglow on Grays and Torreys inspired me to sift through the archives and look for more shots of the Continental Divide. My first thought was to choose shots from different times of the year showing how different the light can be, but as I scrolled back I found a half-dozen images from just the last three months, all with incredibly different lighting, sometimes on the same day or even within the span of a half hour (shots four and five). Along with that, it also makes me realize how cool it is to live so close to the place where the rivers divide. Hiking or skiing up around Loveland Pass, for example, you can see North Fork running down toward the Blue, then to the Colorado and ultimately into the Gulf of California. Just on the other side of the ridge, Clear Creek will eventually mingle with the Atlantic Ocean.

If you like the images in this post, please visit our online gallery at FineArt America for more Summit County images, available as prints and greeting cards. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning photo: Snow scenes …

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Mid-winter bliss

Dillon Reservoir, Summit County Colorado

A mellow sunset along the shore of Dillon Reservoir, near Frisco, Colorado.

FRISCO —After a few weeks of focusing on river and frost scenes, I turned my attention back to the landscapes along the shores of Dillon Reservoir. Before the last little snowstorm around Christmas, it was getting a little depressing to watch the water receded amidst piles of bare earth and gravel. But coated with a nice new blanket of white, the scene is more tolerable. Plus, after weeks of super-clear evening skies, we finally started getting a bit more atmospheric action, which means color and texture in the sky. These shots were taken Monday around Frisco, Colorado. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Saturday set

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Snowless Summit …

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Painting with car headlights.

FRISCO — OK, so it’s a little depressing, this business of no snow going into December, but I’ve been singing “White Christmas” the Bing Crosby way almost incessantly the past three days, and that’s never failed before. In the meantime, we’re still having fun with our morning and afternoon photo shoots. In the murky Saturday morning light, I used the car headlights to illuminate the foreground, making for a nice contrast with the moody blue skies. And even without snow, the early light up on the Tenderfoot trail is always worthwhile. The last couple of hours of sunlight Saturday felt like early autumn rather than the first of December; it was nearly shirtsleeve weather when we took the dogs for a walk near Heaton Bay. Crazy, but that’s way it is …

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Early morning light.

(more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Morning photo, photography, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Peaks

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Reaching for the sky …

A classic Patagonia skyline features some of the craggiest peaks in the world.

FRISCO — I missed my favorite Twitter chat last week, but got all giddy when I saw this week’s #FriFotos theme — peaks. I live amidst the splendor of the Rocky Mountains, and at least a third of the pictures in my ever-growing photo archives features peaks in all shapes and sizes. I’m looking forward to seeing great images of mountains from around the world. It’s easy to join the fun. Just upload your own favorite peak pictures, tag then with #FriFotos and post them to Twitter, share and comment.

The M/V Professor Molchanov at anchor near a remote peak in Antarctica.

(more…)

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Morning photo: Fire and ice

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Early in the morning …

Frost crystals grow along the Snake River in Summit County, Colorado.

FRISCO — You know what they say about the early bird, right? Well, the same holds true for photography. Sometimes you have to get up early to get the good shots, like the delicate frost crystals that bloom as water evaporating from the river turns directly to ice, without ever going through a liquid stage, or being in just the right spot when the sunrise glow illuminates the clouds from below. (more…)

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Morning photo: Best of October

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Transitions …

Early morning glow against a dark sky during an October sunrise.

FRISCO — Not a lot of words about October except to say it was an absolutely incredible month for photography in Summit County. Yes, most of the leaves were gone by early in the month, but autumn light more than made up for it, not to mention a few early snow storms that provided a taste of winter. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Day by day …

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

In the cool of the morning

Red-tailed hawk.

FRISCO —Every day brings another surprise, like this red-tailed hawk that landed on a scraggly lodgepole pine right beside Dillon Dam Road, then sat and posed until I got out of the car and rested the camera on the roof to get a good steady handed shot. Before that, I had hiked out to one of the points around Heaton Bay, not knowing how the sunrise would turn out. The clouds were a bit thick in the east, which sometimes obscures any colors, but on this day, they lifted. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: November calendar pics

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A chill is in the air

A November wave cloud hangs low over the Continental Divide.

FRISCO — Winding down to the last couple of months of calendar polls, I was curious to see what I’d find in the November archive. It wasn’t a big snow month, so I wasn’t expecting to see many wintry shots. What I did find were some nice ice abstracts and a few other images that represent that late autumn feeling that the world is gradually freezing up. Please vote in the poll and help us choose the November image for the 2013 Summit Voice calendar.

(more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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