Weekly Gardening Thread – 2009 Vol.10

If you are asking about the Coors plant in Golden, no. I have a mountain over 10,000 ft blocking the view to the SE toward Golden and I am at about 8,500 ft elev. There is also a Budweiser brewery up I-25, I think around Ft. Collins. I can't see that either. I can not see to the N, S or E very far due to mountain ridges. I can see West very, very well. I can see the mountain range that forms the continental divide from James Peak in the South to the Mummy Range in the North part of Rocky Mountain National Park, though the divide turns more West in RMNP. I can probably see 40-60 miles of the range that forms the divide to the West, still with much snow on them right now. I have climbed most of the peaks I can see from my living room as well as most of the 14,000 ft peaks in the lower 48 states. I have also climbed many times in the Alps, Andes and Himalaya mountain ranges. The highest mountain I have summited was Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes by the Polish Glacier Route which is fairly difficult.

I was also on a failed attempt on Cho Oyu in the Himalayas just West of Everest. We did not lose anyone on our team, but the team just ahead of us lost 2. We did have tents that were anchored down that blew off the mountain in approx 150 mph wind, but no one was in them at the time. Living up high just helps the acclimation process, but I don't think I will be trying another 8,000 meter peak like Cho Oyu again! I also taught mountaineering for many years, part-time. Besides the peaks, I can see the ski slopes of Eldora Resort, the last privately owned ski resort left in Colorado.

I have tried to grow apple trees and plum trees in the past, probably 5 total, and all died. I prepared the soil and watered during summer. At first I thought it was cold weather, but now I think it was fire blight. I am trying again with apples that are blight resistant and some plums that I will trim properly if I see signs of blight.

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