'Snow Joke!'

Cremanthodium cf. principis.

If someone told me that I'd rise to over 16,500' repeatedly in these last few years of my life, I'd say fiddlesticks. These pictures were taken July 9 on Mi La (Mi pass)--our last hike on the truly wonderful trip I took last summer to Southwest China and Tibet. The flowers were spectacular that day--but alas, it had snowed the night before, so our views were shrouded, as it were. Had the day been sunny with no snow, I suspect we would still be up there! This stunning alpine daisy was one of the prizes.

Brasssicaceae sp.

Masses of one of the innumerable alpine cresses of the Himalaya...

Corydalis cf. hendersonii

I guess there are at least fifty if not a hundred yellow corydalis in China and Tibet. I think we're close on this name. I want to grow all of them!

Corydalis sp.

This one was apparently described from this spot: I've not been able to trace the species name, but it must be allied to C. calicola--a similar purple species from Yunnan. Oh to have had a sunny, snowless day!

Lamiophlomis rotata

Of course, we'd seen this cute mint repeatedly in both 2018 and last year--the snow did add a fine touch to the rosette!

Meconopsis horridula

We saw many cousins of this further east--but fun to finally see the true species! Which we've grown successfully in Denver, I should add...

A lotta bull

Yak actually--the white silk bandanas are used rather lavishly (and distressingly) for all manner of ceremonial purposes.

Proof that I didn't lie about the altitude!



All those little dots in the snow you see there are alpine flowers in bloom! It would have been stunning on a sunny day (he repeats pitifully). We were lucky to be there at all!

Pedicularis siphonantha

The gorgeous single flowered pedicularis that grows over a wide swath of the Himalaya and neighboring ranges is one of my favorites!

Pedicularis sp.

Another of the innumerable pedicularids...

And finally a buttercup.

All this well above 16,000': Incredibly, none of 20 of us seemed to have any symptoms of altitude sickness. The trip I'll be leading to Sichuan this coming year won't be nearly this high (and isn't apt to have snow) but it's fun to look back at my last high foray into the Himalaya and hope you will join me for the next: Click on this link: Sichuan in 2020 and scroll down to the description of the trip. Better yet, sign up: I've taken many trips too many places--but the Chinese Himalaya have been summit experiences in every sense of the word! I know you'll love it!