Welcome to a remarkable, increasingly rare high-country summer. For the last 40 days Ouray and its surroundings have been warm and wet. Mushrooms sprout in mountains and lawns, sunny mornings yield to thundery afternoons, streets flood. Bears explore backyards, snacking on cherries and breaking trees — off to an early start on their fall feeding frenzy.

Maybe we should have seen this verdant weather coming, but it’s hard to imagine another future when you’re struggling to keep plants al...