By Karen Risch

It’s amazing to observe what grows in Ouray, a city of just a thousand people, living and working at an elevation of 7,500 – 8,400 feet. This hardy town lies in a sloping mountain bowl at lat/long 38°1′24″N 107°40′20″W, its citizens’ living experience enhanced by numerous hot springs, a river that never freezes, and warm pink and purple sedimentary cliffs.
In a cool, snowy spring like this one, many species of bushes, trees and vines flourish and flower in local...