Life at 12,000 feet moves at a frantic pace and can be tiring before the snow sets in. Watch this resilient American pika race across the high-alpine talus slopes, gathering and stacking a massive mouthful of mountain grasses for its winter hay pile. This footage offers a rare, close-up look at one of the hardest-working survivors of the rocky peaks.
Pure, unfiltered joy of newly hatched ducklings as they instinctively preen their freshly formed feathers while resting on a weathered water-soaked log at the edge of a mountain lake. This lighthearted, scenic field footage captures the ultimate charm and lively energy of early spring in the wetlands.