Nature's resiliency?

I took a hike this week on one of my favorite trails in the mountains west of Boulder. The region has seen above average rainfall during the last two months and I'd heard that it's an exceptional year for wildflowers. Furthermore, mushrooms have been reported earlier in the season than usual - thanks to the moisture.

I was not disappointed.

I even found a few mushrooms hiding among the flowers.

I felt exhilarated by the resiliency of nature: the ability of rain to restore the potential of the flower seeds and mushrooms spores lying dormant in the soil, just waiting for the right combination of temperature and precipitation to burst into bloom. The rivers and streams too are running higher than usual, with flowers adorning their banks.

All felt right in the world.

Until I reached the end of the trail and found that the glacier for which the trail is named has almost completely melted away. Hiking to the end of this trail used to involve crossing a slippery ice field - of which very little remains. And the river used to flow out from under a huge ice shelf. No longer.

The glacier used to cover the entire rocky area

Finally, I was dismayed to find the glacier lake is 40 percent smaller and 10 feet lower than it was just one year ago. A reminder of the short term benefits of rainfall, but the long term effects of the warming of the planet.

Most of these rocks were submerged just one year ago.