In 2022, I started a work as a Park Ranger for the US Forest Service (Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District). This was a dream job I had given up on decades ago, but here I was after all, a real life park ranger. I was excited to spend the summer in the mountains, sharing the joy of nature with fellow visitors. For the past several years, my favorite part of exploring the outdoors was observing and then researching every little bit of nature I encountered. This is possible when you spend time in one particular place, which I had done previously in the Ventana Wilderness, Yosemite National Park, and southern Utah.

That summer, I was assigned to be the lead park ranger for Little Cottonwood Canyon, with my main patrol area to be the Albion Basin at the top of the canyon, near the famous ski resort of Alta. Spring comes late to the mountains because of the deep snowpack, so my first day patrolling Albion Basin was July 1st. I wasn’t a flower guy before, I had heard about the wildflower meadows and the wildflower festival, but within my first day I was already hooked.

Spreadsheet: (need to edit and format for public viewing)