What's with the dirt
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What's with the dirt
Question for the geologists out there - I've walked all over the Colorado mountains and almost everywhere above treeline in grassy/soily areas I come across small piles of soft, loamy dirt like fire ant hills (if you've ever seen them in the South), but there are no ants. What causes this? The internet is no help.
- BillMiddlebrook
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Re: What's with the dirt
Think Caddy Shack
"When I go out, I become more alive. I just love skiing. The gravitational pull. When you ski steep terrain... you can almost get a feeling of flying." -Doug Coombs
- BillMiddlebrook
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Re: What's with the dirt
Those gophers are active making tunnels before the sun comes up.
"When I go out, I become more alive. I just love skiing. The gravitational pull. When you ski steep terrain... you can almost get a feeling of flying." -Doug Coombs
Re: What's with the dirt
There's also an effect that comes from freeze-thaw with undergroundwater that can push up bits of soil. It doesn't look like a mound but it does look like small speed bumps criss-crossing a mountain slope.
- Christian Nunes
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Re: What's with the dirt
As Bill implies, you're seeing the mounds of Northern Pocket Gophers (Thomomys talpoides). There are several other species that can be found at lower elevations, but Northern is the only species that occurs in the alpine tundra of CO. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/44066- ... -talpoides
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Re: What's with the dirt
Carl Spackler: Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers they'll lock me up and throw away the key. Sandy: Not golfers, you great fool. Gophers.
Re: What's with the dirt
In Alaska, these are created by burrowing whales. I postholed in some of these bigger soft patches and mounds this past weekend.
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"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going."
"Bushwhacking is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get."
"Don't give up on your dreams, stay asleep"
- greenonion
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Re: What's with the dirt
Total consciousness on your deathbed.
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Re: What's with the dirt
I'm not sure if this is all gopher related.
i have developed my own theory on some of these - especially where you see bands of loose dirt.
that's the retreating edge of the previous winter's snowpack!
i have developed my own theory on some of these - especially where you see bands of loose dirt.
that's the retreating edge of the previous winter's snowpack!
Keep looking up - Jack Horkheimer
- mtree
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Re: What's with the dirt
Think "Tremors".
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