Snowy Mountains - day three
Or when seen from the distance of a neighbouring hill. This is such a good time to see the hills with the spring flower growth emerging as the snow shinks away.
It was good to walk freely over the mounatins, treading delicately across the gravel in a mountain stream. Aware not to even leave footprints. And pick up other peoples' litter.
Alpine flora are delicate and need our protetction. The first flowers were coming out, not long after the snow had melted. It is such a short growing season up there.
Buds were swelling on the heaths, like this plant spreading over a boulder to hug the sun's warmth trapped by the rock.
Lots of snow-melt had formed a moat around this castellated tor.
A fallen spire, split by its own force. But when did it fall? Probably in the last ice-age when these tors were formed. 10-12,000 years ago.
A more recent annual fall of snow was now rapidly melting.
The melt-water running down under the snow-patches and out of tunnels at their lower edge.
Water released by those snows with give so much life all the way down the Snowy River and beyond.
The snows are a precious resource.
