Late May, Mill Creek comes down loud out of the snowfields and the ground behind Lionshead is still cold and soaked. Oasis Irrigation Company picks the lawns up from there — the first cut of the year, borders cleaned along walks and drives, matted winter grass raked out so the crown can breathe again. By August the sun at this altitude turns fierce and those same lawns want closer attention: mowing at a height that keeps roots shaded, trimming around rock and stair, aeration so water sinks in rather than running off. It is a short arc from meltwater to dust, and the work follows it week by week. A lawn carried green through that stretch is worth slowing down for.