Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers

As we all know, its easy to get intense about an objective in the mountains. Hard chargers in the Tetons are a great example of that with the speed records and trifectas going down constantly. Now that summertime is full on it’s great to stop and smell the flowers from time to time to add a little perspective to your day.   Richard Smith of Gossamer Wings represents the perfect example of doing just that. He’ll come visit the Tetons and have his head stuck in a bush for an hour just a few hundred feet from a trailhead. He won’t even acknowledge that some sick route exists above that he has to get to as quickly as humanly possible……pretty crazy huh?  So sit back, relax, and learn something a little different about what’s up in those Tetons.

Words by: Richard Smith

Walking back from the climbs? Resting the pack? Take a break and check out the small things around you. There’s a lot there, and each has a story. Alas, you see the fritillary butterfly, its checkered pattern named after the fritillus, an ancient Roman dice box with the very same surface design. This one is the “Callippe” Fritillary, the name is a variation of Calliope, the daughter of Zeus and the muse of epic poetry.

That brilliant blue piece of glitter on the flower is the Blue Copper, remarkably the only blue member of its clan in the region.

The Indian Paintbrush flower is no less breathtaking in its psychedelic red.

but what are those crimson jewel-like trumpet flowers? Behold, it’s the Scarlet Gilia. “Gilia” is from Hebrew, meaning “eternal joy.” The finer objects of nature are endless.

Shots of several other engaging subjects are shown below, all taken within easy sight of the Grand Tetons.

Tags: blue copper, butterflies, callippe fritillary, flowers, Gossamer Wings, indian paintbrush, Nature Walks, Richard Smith, scarlet gilia, Stop and Smell the Flowers, Tetons, variable checkerspot

Category: Mission