Spring came early this year on the mountain slopes near Crested Butte. David Inouye has monitored the blooming of wildflowers there during the last 55 years.

David Inouye has monitored the blooming of wildflowers there during the last 55 years. This was not a record year, he reported in May, but it was remarkably different from just a few decades ago.

August takes command of summer with many high-temperature days and much less rain than preceding months. The collective effect calms the wildflower season to such a degree that many people who ...