Winter holds a strong grip on the Chinook Pass area, where blasting winds and more than eight months of snow make the subalpine landscape seem inhospitable to plant life. During a compressed growing season, wildflowers transform the scene around Tipsoo Lake. Meadow plants here are adapted to the short growing season: thick leaves with tiny hairs help retain heat and moisture, and some plants grow in clusters that create their own windbreaks. Western anemone and magenta Indian paintbrush are among the subalpine wildflowers found in bloom here. The fragile meadows are protected by asking visitors to stay on trails.