Quaking Aspen Profile

This cache celebrates one of the most important plants in Staunton State Park, and the most widely distributed tree in North America. The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) provides the most dramatic fall color seen in Colorado’s high country (7,000 to 11,000 feet elevation). It stands out among the dark green conifers that grow in this region, with bright green leaves in the summer, which turn gold as freezing weather stresses them in the fall.

The easiest way to access this site is via the Davis Ponds trail, starting from either trailhead. The distance is about 3/4 mile either way. It is recommended that you leave the trail near the trail junction to access the cache with relative privacy.

The summary above is the superficial view that many people have of this species. However, there are many more interesting things about the aspen, and a deeper understanding will help you appreciate its role in this environment. The reason for the “quaking” description is caused by a very slender and flexible petiole, the attachment between the leaf and the branch. The nearly circular leaf is wider than long, and the slightest breeze will cause the leaf to rock back and forth on the pivot of the petiole. This will alert you to the breeze at the treetop level, one you cannot feel on the ground.

The bark of the aspen has several interesting features. The outer bark has a white color, which helps the tree avoid damage from the strong high-altitude sunlight in the winter months when it doesn’t have leaves for sun protection. This white bark is fairly thin and easily damaged by impact or animal browsing. The next layer of bark appears greenish, and this is more visible in some trees, and on the south side of the trees, and indicates that the bark contains chlorophyll. We know this is the chemical in the leaves that turns sunlight into food for the tree through the photosynthesis process. But having it in the inner bark allows the aspen to produce about 2% of the maximum food resource without leaves, and this allows it to continue growing and provide healing energy during the winter.

But why do the animals (particularly elk) eat the bark, and leave the black marks on the trunk as far up as they can reach on their hind legs? When there is deep snow on the ground, the elk cannot find their normal food resources, and the aspen bark provides some nutrition when they are desperate. Deer and moose are known to eat the foliage off the new sprouts. Beavers are also known to use aspen trees for their dams and homes, and the gnawing on the wood helps keep their teeth sharp and worn down (since they are continually growing). Mice, hares, and porcupines are also known to eat the bark in winter.

Aspen reproduce primarily by vegetative means, via new shoots from an extensive underground root system. The new shoots are limited by a hormone generated in the upper branches, but after a fire or other disturbance, the new shoots emerge in great numbers, and the trees thrive in the newly opened area. They are clones of each other, and survive through their underground connections as a very large organism that may be thousands of years in age. Aspens also produce seeds, and can reproduce in the sexual way, but this has a low success rate in the relatively dry soils of the Western U.S. The male and female trees are separate, with the female trees producing flowers called catkins (like their willow cousins), which are fertilized by pollen carried by the wind from the male trees. The resulting seeds are small, and although they can germinate very quickly, do not survive well unless they fall onto a relatively wet, clay-type soil. Shoots from the existing root system are better able to survive animal browsing and dry periods.

Native Americans made a tea from the bark, which contains salicin, the active ingredient in aspirin, and they used it to fight fever from infections or to manage pain.

Aspen are attacked by a variety of insects and fungal diseases, and the trees typically live around 75-100 years unless damaged or diseased. While they rapidly form a stand after a fire or clear cutting, they are eventually shaded out by conifer species, and cannot get enough sunlight to continue to produce enough food. But the underground structure survives to produce more trees into the future. While alive, an aspen grove provides a rich nutrient soil where many types of grasses and wildflowers thrive, and it is a comfortable place for animals and birds to live. Humans also enjoy the aspen environment and its wonderful display of fall color. (Photos by Staunton State Park Volunteers)

This cache is located within Staunton State Park, which has one public entrance along S. Elk Creek Road, six miles west of Conifer, about 1.5 miles off U.S. Highway 285. Parking along either side of S. Elk Creek Road and Upper Ranch Road adjacent to the park boundary is prohibited. All vehicles entering the park must have a daily park pass ($7) or a CO state park annual or special pass.

Hours of operation vary by season, and no overnight parking is currently permitted. A walk-in campground is anticipated to open in summer 2018. During summer weekends, the park may reach capacity, and cars are allowed to enter only if a parking space is available. Horse trailers are admitted if space is available for parking trailers. Information about the park can be found at http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/staunton

All visitors must follow park rules and regulations. These include dogs on leash at all times, clean up after pets, travel on developed trails to the extent feasible, no fires away from the developed area, leave no trace, respect areas closed for resource management, and be careful around wildlife (especially mountain lions, coyotes, and black bears). No motorized vehicles are allowed on trails within the Park. Pack your own trash out of the back country, and trash receptacles are located near the parking areas. Also, be prepared for changing weather, bring adequate water and footwear, and trails may be snow-covered or icy in winter.

Additional Waypoints

GT5P64P - Upper Davis Ponds Trailhead
N 39° 29.997 W 105° 22.787
Davis Ponds Trailhead near Group Picnic Area (currently available and near upper parking lots)
MT5P64P - Lower Davis Ponds Trailhead
N 39° 29.890 W 105° 22.892
Davis Ponds Trailhead near Visitor's Center (unavailable until Visitor's Center construction is complete in Summer 2018)
R15P64P - Trail Junction
N 39° 30.055 W 105° 23.211
Pookah Loop of DP trail junction with Waterhole Loop