We have over 10 acres of forested property at 8,150 feet in Colorado. The majority of our trees are ponderosa pines with douglas fir also being fairly abundant, especially on the west facing slopes. We have a few Rocky Mountain juniper, Colorado blue spruce and aspen scattered about.
One of the first aspects of the western mountain forest that struck me when I moved here from Maryland is the lack of underbrush. I can look through our forest and see the slope of the land, even in summer. Bushes that grow here are mountain mahogany, kinnikinnick, and a creeping juniper.
During the winter, our evergreens do not loose their needles in winter and provide a uniform appearance as contrasted to the variability of an eastern hardwood forest. The reddish hue of ponderosa pine trunks and their green needles highlighted by a freshly fallen snow is truly beautiful.
We attempt to keep our forest in prime condition using thinning techniques. The open and grassy character of our forest attracts deer and elk in abundance and minimizes fire danger.
Click on the topics in the left column to see how we maintain our beautiful forest.")