Читать книгу Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. Must-Do Hikes for Everyone онлайн

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Above the upper montane zone, the subalpine zone begins around 8,000 feet and continues upward to timberline, which, depending on a number of variables, starts anywhere from 9,000 to 10,000 feet in the Tahoe Sierra. With characteristically poor soils and a harsh climate, where snow covers the ground for nine months of the year, the prolific forests below give way to isolated stands of conifers and the open terrain of meadows and talus slides. Red firs, lodgepole pines, and junipers may extend into this zone in some areas, with lodgepole pines often rimming the shoreline of subalpine lakes. Despite the sporadic appearance of these trees from the lower realm, the two conifer species most closely associated with the subalpine zone are mountain hemlock and whitebark pine. Nearing timberline, dwarfed and wind-battered whitebark pines become the only conifers able to survive the conditions of this harsh environment. Shrubs and plants in this zone also take on a diminished stature, hugging the ground in order to eke out an existence. Common plants include heathers and laurels. Where seeps and rivulets provide moist soils, a short-lived but stunning display of colorful wildflowers delights passersby. Rock outcrops may provide equally delightful displays of plants and flowers.