Wasatch wildflower hikes - Wasatch Range, Utah

Sunset, June, 1988

Wasatch wildflower hikes

Here are guided day and half-day outings offered by three Salt Lake groups Rising 6,000 feet above the Salt Lake Valley, Utah's Wasatch Range celebrates spring in topographic stages. The first buds appear in April on the valley floor and spread to the middle and upper elevations through summer. Bloom should peak in late June, though highest elevations will still have color through early August. You'll find the usual flowers--Indian paintbrush, fireweed, and penstemon--and the unusual--white bog orchids and pink elephant heads. Because winter precipitation defines the mercurial mountain-flower season, hikers must be flexible in planning summer outings. For a weekly report April through October on what's blooming where, call the state arboretum's Wildflower Hotline recording at (801) 581-4969. Organizations listed here can help you find this month's flowers. Their naturalists lead half- and full-day hikes on the trails with the best flower displays, and describe the plants, other wildlife, and geology. Hikes are free except where noted; you provide your own transportation to the trailhead, and bring water and lunch. Outings vary from 1-mile strolls to 14-mile expeditions, so check with the organizers for distances and difficulty. Mountain weather can change fast; dress in layers and bring a rain poncho. Norwegian School of Nature Life. Offers a variety of guided trips. Guides can tailor a tour to your interests and schedule. Prices range from $25 for a day-hike (with lunch) to $95 for a three-day trek (includes food and equipment). For reservations from outside Utah, call (800) 648-1217; in the state, call 649-1217. State Arboretum of Utah. Full-day hike into the Albion Basin on July 30. Cost is $6 for members, $7 for nonmembers. Call 581-5322 for details. Wasatch Mountain Club. Several hikes for different skill levels are offered each weekend; call 531-6339 for a schedule or to get a copy of The Rambler, WMC's monthly newspaper. Hikes are open to nonmembers if space allows. Call for membership information.

PHOTO : They're ankle-deep in summer blossoms on a trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon

PHOTO : Commonest blooms in the Wasatch are these little sunflowers and other membersof the daisy

PHOTO : family

PHOTO : Even boulders sprout wildflowers at Lake Mary in the Albion Basin, where hikers stop for

PHOTO : lunch