Birch Mountain on the left; The Thumb is the small pointy peak to the right of Birch. Photo from trailhead. Photos by Richard Stover.

Grizzly Bear cactus gets its name from its long claw-like spines.

Fragrant lupine blanketed the hillsides.

Our camp at Birch Lake, June 10, 2006.

We climbed up the snow-covered moraine on the left.

The Thumb in the middle distance with the Palisades behind it. Photo taken from Birch.

Anderson’s thistle seen on the hike out.

I am not sure what delphinium this is.

The delicate and unusual Mountain Jewel Flower can be three feet high.