Hedysarum alpinum on the Cardinal Divide

This is a view on the Cardinal Divide West looking north. While exploring with some other botanists I discovered a snowmelt dip in the subalpine landscape. 

The Cardinal Divide is a beautiful ridge found near Cadomin, Alberta, on the east slopes of the Rockies. It is thought that glaciers have sculpted some of this land, while other higher nearby mountains remained unglaciated. The flora of the high, glacier free mountains preserved many rare species throughout the last Ice Age. 

I loved this dipping area where snow lingers in the spring. It was a microhabitat, moister and more protected from wind, where the growth was lush with different species. Hedysarum alpinum alpine sweet-vetch and Erigeron peregrinus subalpine fleabane grow in abundance across these meadows. Bears commonly eat Hedysarum roots.

Watercolour

22x30" unframed dimensions, 27.5x29.5" framed dimensions