Stop and Smell the Silene acaulis

Day three of mountain climbing. The plan: up the backside of Flattop to Peak 2, Peak 3 and beyond. It wasn't long into the climb up that the wildflowers started to pop up here, there, everywhere. My climbing pace slowed to a standstill and out came the camera. I do not think I have ever seen such a  wide variety of wildflowers in one place. My pace slowed to five steps, SNAP! Three steps, SNAP! One step at a time, off trail, climbing up and down, which ever direction  to get the photo. Up was no longer important. Color kept catching my eye and my pace went to hell. Some flowers I had never seen before...

Alp Lily

And others I knew like the back of my hand...

Alpine azalea

Arctic Willow

I snapped 115 photos and made it to the top of Flattop in just shy of 80 minutes. No record there.

Bud stage Alpine Arnica I am guessing.

Blueberry blossoms

Dwarf Dogwood

Grove Sandwort

Hairy Arctic Milk Vetch

Kamchatka Rockcress

I noticed 25 types of wildflowers.

Many I knew, like Kinnikinnick

Low-bush cranberry

Moss Heather

Moss Campion

 Mountain Avens

But others I still can't identify.

Now I can.

Draba stenopetala

Narcisscus-flowered Anenome

Purple Oxytrope

Pussy toes

Yellow-Spotted Saxifrage

Rosewort

Short-Stalk Sedge

Starflower

Wooly Lousewort

Lapland Diapensia...

and again, higher up, not in bloom.

Snow Potentilla

Avens and Azalea

After awhile I just got giddy in flowers and saw beautiful combinations of flowers growing side by side. By this time I am sure I was audibly gasping and talking out loud with emphasis.

Avens and Blueberry blossoms

Avens with a view

Cinquefoil (snow potentilla) with a view.

Avens and Moss Campion

I think Mac Davis sang it best in his ever-so-famous song, "Stop and Smell the Roses,"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3a5vN4tUl4

"Hey Mister
Where you going in such a hurry
Don't you think it's time you realized
There's a whole lot more to life than work and worry
The sweetest things in life are free
And there right before your eyes"