Fortune Peak

This past week, the new 2024 interns: Payton, Iris, and Winston took on their first peak. The first 3.5 miles of the trail started at a leisurely pace with slight elevation gain with the last 0.5 mile being a scramble to the alpine area of Fortune Peak. 

Despite windy conditions on the peak, they collected 40 different species. The low species diversity could be due to various factors with one possibility being the time of year the sampling was done. As a result, we hope to resample this peak in future years to uncover any potential missed species. 

The view of Fortune Peak before the 3200 feet of elevation gain to the top.

Anemone drummondii

Androsace nivalis

Polystichum lemmonii

Photographed above are examples of species we observed, collected, and photographed. Can you identify them before hovering over the image to view their corresponding scientific names?

Iris, Winston, and David hiking towards the top of the peak.