Flag Tree

Flag Tree, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Rocky Mountain National Park, the fringe between the subalpine 
and alpine life zones is the kruppelholz or krummholz 
(German for crooked or bent wood). 
This area is where spruce and fir trees are stunted and shaped 
by fierce winds, creating elfin trees or in this case, a flag tree.
You can tell the predominant direction of the winds by the pointing limbs.