re: #9 jaunte

Not much mountain left for those little guys.

Pika, that is.

Indeed. I’ve seen it, in a lifetime of hiking the Rockies. Treeline is also migrating upslope, though since trees take a very long time to grow at treeline, the progression is slower.

Mountains that used to be windbreaker plus sweater jobs are now sometimes shirtsleeve mountains. (They seem steeper and taller, too, but maybe that’s just me.)

:-)

Mornings that used to require a fire, or some sort of heat, are now just a respite from the 90 degree temperatures that build up in the PM when down around 8000 feet.

Whole forests are dying of pine beetle disease. With winters as cold as winters normally were, the beetles would not survive the harsher ones. With summers as moderate as summers normally were, the trees could manufacture enough sap. Not now.

There is going to be a firestorm in Rocky Mountain National Park one of these days. Too much fuel is building up. If nothing else provides the spark, lightning will.