On cold winter nights, how do we stay warm and dry? Outside, depending on the weather, we wear layers of warm clothing such as fleece and down, thermal underwear, thick socks and a waterproof but breathable outer layer. At home, we keep windows closed, and ensure windows are well insulated and doors have weather stripping. 

What if I’m not a human, and I don’t have an insulated house to keep me warm? If you are a full-time resident up above timberline, you must have a plan long before January. How do these species adapt and survive for many years?

Will you grow your own layers to wear all winter long? Will you make a warm den? Above timberline, plants and animals have adapted to the harsh winter environment, including extreme cold and high winds. Where is my shelter? Is it safe during this upcoming storm? 

At high elevations, staying close to the ground can be a survival technique for animals as well as plants. If you are waiting for your friend in the wind, hunker down close to the ground like a lichen and avoid the worst of the freezing winds.  

Many high-elevation plants are in a state of dormancy during the winter months, using minimal energy and saving their growing for summertime. Wearing many layers is essential for human survival in winter conditions. Alpine plants wear hairy or waxy leaves all winter to reduce water loss and protect against injury from the cold, while trapping warmth from the sun.

Our fellow warm-blooded mammals also gain layers to help survive our winters. To conserve body heat, mountain goats, elk, foxes and bighorn sheep all have thick fur specially grown during the autumn months to prepare for winter.  

Elk, for example, develop a two-layered coat: a dense undercoat along with long, thin guard hairs that look like a honeycomb inside. These guard hairs trap thousands of tiny air pockets, making them warm and waterproof and causing snow to not melt onto an elk’s back.

Mammals also develop fat layers by eating more in the autumn months. Black bears preparing for hibernation, known as torpor, increase their fall consumption by 10 times. All our high-altitude mammals eat more to get layers of fat on the body before the coldest months. 

Many winter denizens, such as pikas, store food all summer long for the winter months. 

How do I keep my feet warm? I have boots with insulating layers and good soles for stable stepping into snow and not slipping. I wish I could walk around on my toes like an ungulate.

Ungulates, like deer, elk, moose and bighorn sheep, primarily keep their feet warm by having hooves that act as an insulating layer between their body and the cold ground. Hooves don’t require a large blood supply, which helps minimize heat loss to the environment. When resting, they often curl their legs underneath their body to retain heat from their core. Ungulates can walk on the tips of their toes. Their hooves have hard, flexible coverings made of keratin. This provides a strong insensitive surface to handle their body weight.  The term ungulate comes from the Latin word “ungulatus,” which means “hoofed”. 

Many larger mammals, like elk, goats and deer, move to lower elevations for the winter months. Most of us stay at lower elevations, not skiing from the tops of the 14ers, although some people are convinced they have to try that in the winter, too. 

The high-altitude environment in Colorado is harsh, but these adaptive strategies allow life to persist even in this challenging environment. 

Karn Stiegelmeier is a volunteer wilderness ranger for the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance, an all-volunteer nonprofit that helps the U.S. Forest Service protect and preserve the wilderness areas in Eagle and Summit counties. For more information, visit Wild4Eswa.org