Tortured Shapes
As you walk through this
part of the trail, you may
notice a lot of aspen that
are bent or broken. What
may have caused this?
Small aspen are
often flattened by
heavy winter snow
drifts that are pushed
along by strong winds.
Heavy wet snow that falls
when there are still leaves on the
trees can also bend and break aspen. Often
the trees retain these bends as they grow.
FOOTNOTE Question: Aphids, which are
small sucking insects, are sometimes found feeding
on aspen twigs and leaves. What insect protects
aphids and "milks" them of excess sugar?
