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In this article the author presents her experience of a visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to see the alpine tundra flower. At first glance it looked like Mars, rocky and barren. Biologically adapted to protect themselves from the bitter winds, these low, hardy plants were protected by the park's signs, which cautioned visitors not to tread on the tundra, since some of these plants would flower only after years of protected growth. In today's cold climate of flawed, scientifically based practice, these alpine flowers are struggling to survive in an inhospitable landscape.