Getting ready to shed it's leaves.

High in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico is this small clump of aspens turning yellow for fall.  There is a large Ponderosa Pine in the background.  

These open grown aspen get hit by a lot of sunlight which is why the trunks are so white.

This pine is growing at the very top of Sandia Crest at 10,600 feet above sea level.  The wind blows almost all the time and you can see how the branches on the right side have been killed back by the harsh weather.  This is called flagging and is common in harsh environments like this.  G

Growth is very slow under these conditions.  My guess is this tree is well over 100 years old.

Moving from the harsh alpine world of the bristlecone pine to the well watered lushness of the forests in the Eastern United States.  This Maple was allowed to grow in the pasture (now regularly mowed) .