Tall Deciduous Tree High Up in Big Horns

[MarkGraham]

This tall deciduous tree sits right at the crest of Shell Falls at 6400 foot elevation along Highway 14. The trees in the area are all pine and fir other than right along Shell Creek.

I believe this is a plains cottonwood, the state tree of Wyoming. Is my identification correct? For sure this one is not on the Plains.

The Falls were roaring with the water working working its way through receding ice.

[Don]

Nice photo!
Zoomed in on base, and besides the abundance of available water, I have to say that tree is a survivor, having signs of numerous skirmishes with rocks, logs and other disturbances at high water. Definitely worth the stop to capture the image!

[KoutaR]

Why not Populus balsamifera?

[Erik Danielsen]

It would seem that black cottonwood, P. trichocarpa, would also be a candidate? Unfortunately from the photo available it's hard to say much further than that it's definitely a western Populus.

[KoutaR]

If I understand the location correctly, P. trichocarpa is not native there.
http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/little/

[Erik Danielsen]

You're right, I glanced too quick at the range maps... looks like it's a bit past the easternmost extent of trichocarpa.

[Don]

I love seeing surviving islands of vegetation, especially in view of the forces that spring thaws can bring about...that bastion of a rock immediately upstream of the cottonwood, has been a very strong ally! Even in the relative low flow in the photo, I can imagine the noisy rush of water cascading by. And the roar of the seasonal torrents that must on occasion challenge the bouldered streambed~~~

[wisconsitom]

That tree does not say balsam poplar to me. I'd go more with one or the other cottonwood. And I will admit, I say this partly out of location, balsam poplar being such a characteristic denizen of low, floodplain and outright swamp forests. Anything is possible, but that's the way it looks to me. And I've got a woods full of Populus balsamea, among other things.