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Albion Basin
July 26, 1986
On Saturday, July 26, fifty members of the Utah Nature Study Society,
under the direction of Janet Williams, met for a hike to study wild
flowers at Albion Basin, near Alta, Utah. Janet had prepared a helpful
handout which included a checklist of Albion Basin birds and plants (with
their family, common name, and genus). Jean White gave us a drawing
of plant parts and stem growth patterns.
The late snows delayed blossoms for some flowers, but it wasn't obvious
to the untrained eye. The fields of color made the hike uplifting to the
eye and to the heart. We all thrilled when, after some degree of searching,
we finally found shooting star, marsh marigold, bog orchid, elephant head,
and veronica. Other plants identified were wild forget-me-not, mountain
bluebells, mountain lover, columbine, pennyroyal, heartleaf bittercress,
tansy mustard, wallflower, spring beauty, ivesia, brook saxifrage, wild
coral bells, senecio, pussy toes, gooseberry, Jacob's ladder, edible
valerian, wild heliotrope, sage, cinquefoil, wild geranium (both white
and pink), and androsace.
At Cecret Lake (spelled that way by the early miners) we saw the effects
of our hard Utah winter. An avalanche had rolled down into the lake and
further, leaving a mass of pushed over trees and shrubs. The lake is low
and full of debris and silt.
After a very pleasant walk, the hikers were returning to their cars when
someone discovered a real treat. One single showy green gentian plant
was waiting to say, "This excursion was worth it all just to see me."
-- by Linda Rose and Arlene Miller
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