White-tailed ptarmigan name "Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus" by the Arctic explorer John Richardson in 1831. It was later determined that "Lagopus" had sufficient distinguishing features to be regarded as a separate genus and the bird became "Lagopus leucurus". Molecular studies have shown that "Lagopus" is monophyletic, with the rock ptarmigan ("Lagopus muta") and White-tailed ptarmigan being sister species. The position of the willow ptarmigan ("Lagopus lagopus") is less clear cut, it showing some genetic divergence over its wide range. The genus name "Lagopus" is derived from Ancient Greek "lagos" (λαγως), meaning "hare", + "pous" (πους), "foot", in reference to the bird's feathered legs.
Buffalo Mountain Trail the Gore Range. Looking like a fattened herbivore curled on its side beneath a covering of winter snows, Buffalo Mountain overlooks Silverthorne, Dillon, Keystone, and Frisco. Buffalo Mountain Trail ascends through a lodgepole pine forest, past exposed rock formations, into a steep boulder field of krummholz. The trail continues along the east-facing ridge to a nearly flat tundra near the summit. Buffalo Mountain offers views of the Ten Mile Range to the south, Grays Peak, 14,270 feet, and Torreys Peak, 14,267 feet, to the southeast, and the Ptarmigan Wilderness. Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties, a hiking