The alpine tundra is arguably the harshest environment that supports life in the world. An extremely cold, dry environment, the land is consistently showered with intense sunlight and pummeled by high winds. Only living things with highly specialized adaptations exist. This is most obvious during the eight months of alpine winter. Mammals like Yellow-bellied Marmots hibernate, Pikas tolerate by staying active and Bighorn Sheep migrate to lower elevations.
Alpine wildflowers have a variety of cold weather adaptations. The leaves of Alpine Avens contain anthocyanin, an antifreeze-like pigment that converts sunlight to heat. You will want to have a jacket on hand most days on the Mount Evans summit.