Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Pink snow field?

i don't recall seeing this before and i am curious.

i saw pink snow 7.24.09 near trailside meadow.

a search of this forum only reveals this:

"as long as you dont eat pink snow...the side effect is similar to food poisoning."

what is the cause of the pink-tinged snow?

is it toxic in some manner?

The simple answer is algae.

Here's a more detailed answer:

Red snow is caused by the presence mainly of Chlamydomonas nivalis, a species of green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) in addition to chlorophyll. Unlike most species of fresh-water algae, it is cryophilic (cold-loving) and thrives in freezing water. Its specific epithet, nivalis, is from Latin and refers to snow.

It is sometimes nicknamed "watermelon algae" which refers to it's scent resembling watermelon. I've never eaten it but I understand it can give you diarrhea.

The detailed answer above I copied off of this site.

I hope that helps!

Now, what about yellow snow?

Don't eat it, either...

kurt,

thank you so much!

From the old Frank Zappa song...

Dreamed I was an eskimo
Frozen wind began to blow
Under my boots and around my toes
The frost that bit the ground below
It was a hundred degrees below zero...

And my mama cried
And my mama cried
Nanook, a-no-no
Nanook, a-no-no
Dont be a naughty eskimo
Save your money, dont go to the show

Well I turned around and I said oh, oh oh
Well I turned around and I said oh, oh oh
Well I turned around and I said ho, ho
And the northern lights commenced to glow
And she said, with a tear in her eye
Watch out where the huskies go, and dont you eat that yellow snow
Watch out where the huskies go, and dont you eat that yellow snow

Kurt Wedberg brings Frank Zappa onto the WPS Board. My day is complete. Perfection!