Notes and photos from Alison M. on some of the first flowers blooming in the subalpine and other observations, distributed to the Botany Group on June 13. Click a photo to enlarge it.
We were up at Paradise Meadows last Friday (June 4th) on an overcast cool day, and while the Meadows were open (photo #1), about half of the boardwalk still had crusty old snow that softens during the day, especially when it rains (photo #2) This wet weather may help to clear away the snow – so perhaps by the end of next week.
(1) Paradise Meadows on June 4 
(2) Paradise Meadows boardwalk on June 4
The most exciting thing was the eerie “winnowing” of several Wilson’s snipe, around the ponds and in the area of Paradise Creek.
On the floral front, there were lots of Caltha leptosepala (white marsh-marigold) in bloom amid the streams of snow melt-water (photos #3 and #4) .
(3) White marsh-marigold 
(4) Whte marsh-marigold flowers
In sheltered south-facing spots the Kalmia microphylla (western bog-laurel) was not quite open (photo #5).
Finally, to my embarrassment, a lonely sign [a plant identification sign placed by Alison in her work for the Strathcona Wilderness Institute], quite near the trail-head, had survived the heavy snow-pack!
