Ridge walk (Forgetmenot Ridge, Kananaskis P. P., Alberta)

[Lori S.]

Dryas octopetala and D. integrifolia grow in the same habitat - alpine slopes - and in the same elevations and areas here.  They hybridize, also.
We usually see D. drummondii at lower elevations - for example, forming huge mats on the stabilized gravel bars on the river floodplain at this location, and along gravelly road cuts elsewhere.  Roads into the higher elevations can bring D. drummondii into contact with the white-flowered ones, oddly enough (so I've noted).

I'll wrap this up tomorrow.  Good night!

[RickR]

A fantastic array of photographic candy. 
Thanks, Lori!

[Hoy]

Dryas octopetala and D. integrifolia grow in the same habitat - alpine slopes - and in the same elevations and areas here.  They hybridize, also.
We usually see D. drummondii at lower elevations - for example, forming huge mats on the stabilized gravel bars on the river floodplain at this location, and along gravelly road cuts elsewhere.  Roads into the higher elevations can bring D. drummondii into contact with the white-flowered ones, oddly enough (so I've noted).

I'll wrap this up tomorrow.  Good night!

Thanks.
Good night? You mean Good Morning! Here it is a nice sunny (some clouds) quiet morning. Not a leaf is disturbed by air movements other than that I make when moving!

[Lori S.]

For those who have the endurance to finish this photo marathon...  

1 - 2) I'm puzzled by this one... Erigeron grandiflorus?  From googling... it seems that petal width can vary quite a bit in this species (or among formerly distinct plants that have been lumped into this species).  The non-leafy stems and the furry involucre make me think Erigeron...
3, 4) Leptarrhena pyrolifolia Saxifraga occidentalis
5) Oxytropis podocarpa, with its feathery foliage... the flowers will soon change to showy, red, inflated seedpods
6) Silene uralensis... the leafiest, burliest one I've seen!
7) Smelowskia calycina
A beautiful, if austere, little garden of brilliant Rhodiola integrifolia, Smelowskia and tiny ferns
9) Potentilla ssp.... very common on the ridge... Yeah, I'm not sure what this one is either!
10) Eriogonum ovalifolium, coming out of winter... the next time I show these, they will be beautifully filled-out and in bloom

[Lori S.]

And, finishing up with the absolute stars of this hike (again)...
1) Dryas integrifolia
2) Dryas octopetala
3) And, just for completeness and comparison, from down at river level, Dryas drummondii.

[McDonough]

Great stuff Lori!  Leptarrhena pyrolifolia is a cutie.  Your photos caused me to plunge headlong into a google search on Erigeron grandiflorus.  After doing some research, I feel more confused about it than when I started!  I include some links.  From what I can tell, the species is almost always described as lavender or blue, and only in the Flora of North America is there mention that the flowers are "rarely white".  The species name has also consumed E. simplex, so depending on one's inclination, this is a northern species from Alaska down through "to the summit of the Rocky Mountains", or it includes other taxon thereby extending the range all the way to Mexico. It is also related or conspecific with a couple Russian taxon.

When I look at those photos, particularly the flowers, it looks more like an arctic Chrysanthemum or Leucanthemum to me, reminiscent of L. integrifolium, although that simple-leaf species is way out of your range.  Do you ever find lavender forms of this, or always white?  It is very pretty whatever it is, most likely an Erigeron, and probably grandiflorus as you have it, but it seems the taxonomy is definitely a muddle-puzzle

Erigeron grandiflorus (Synonym: Erigeron simplex)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White%2520Enlarged%2520Photos/7ergr3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White%2520Enlarged%2520Photo%2520Pages/erigeron%2520grandiflorus.htm&usg=__TbrjlmmBjYG3fXaYX0CQJQBDtEI=&h=550&w=520&sz=172&hl=en&start=5&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=3FDxix417XbfmM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Derigeron%2Bgrandiflorus%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

Erigeron grandiforus (fro, Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago). 2 species described, skip by Erigeron compositus ssp. arcticus)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/images/asercot1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/_ca/www/aserco.htm&usg=__lJNRViqE7iddJhZ2eUX6OXgqg5c=&h=492&w=328&sz=106&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=vdWcK1IUrA7e5M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Derigeron%2Bgrandiflorus%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

USDA page:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ERGR3

in Flora of North America:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250066607

[McDonough]

Curious about where Kananaskis, near Calgary, Alberta Canada is, I was playing around with Google Maps, one of my favorite pastimes.  Googled the area, turn on Terrain to get a 3D sense of where you are... fun to explore.  Google Maps is great, but doesn't label many point of interest, such as the various peaks, and for some reason, rarely labels rivers and bodies of water (why not?).  So, in the Kananaskis area, I can see various mountain ridges, but they're unlabeled; Lori, can you indicate which is Forgetmenot Ridge, or indicate the path you hiked.  Panning around on Google Maps, I see other amusingly named mountains; Mt. Turbulent, Mt. Inflexible

Not sure on which side of Kananaskis your hike was, but I think the terrain map I show here (just to show what these 3D terrian maps look like) is the wrong side, north of where you were hiking. After making the first 2 screen captures, I found Nihahi Ridge (red X marks the spot in the third map), so if you could see that, Forgetmenot Ridge must not be too far to the north of Nihahi Ridge.

[McDonough]

Found Forgetmenot Mountain, here's a Google terrain map.

[Lori S.]

... Mt. Indefatigable, Disappointment Ridge, etc..

You've pretty much got it there with your last screen capture, Mark.  I was going to attach a piece of a topo map, with my guess as to the route... contour interval = 25m... but I can't get the file down small enough to attach.
EDIT: Okay, I think I figured it out - see attachment.


If you look at this site, the third photo also marks the route on a 3-D topographic view.  
http://hikealberta.com/hike/forgetmenot-ridge
The "end" of that route, in red, is just one of many options... we usually continue SE along the ridge, which is much more interesting, out toward and onto Forgetmenot Mountain.  Of course, once you're up there, you can go any which way you want - the ridge has several fingers to be explored.  

[McDonough]

Cool!  I used the link you suggested, which has a Google earth KMZ file; if one has the free Google Earth Plugin in their web browser, it'll launch Google to that bookmarked location.  Then one can zoom in and out, and "orbit" in any direction and elevation.  I saved off three views, the second and third views are lower in the horizon, to get a better sense of the mountain relief, the last view looking in the opposite direction towards the valley floor.

[Hoy]

I have to wait till I get home to amuse myself with this. Haven't enough bandwidth with my cellphone.

[Lori S.]

That's very neat, Mark! 

[Spiegel]

For those who have the endurance to finish this photo marathon...  

1 - 2) I'm puzzled by this one... Erigeron grandiflorus?  From googling... it seems that petal width can vary quite a bit in this species (or among formerly distinct plants that have been lumped into this species).  The non-leafy stems and the furry involucre make me think Erigeron...
3, 4) Leptarrhena pyrolifolia
5) Oxytropis podocarpa, with its feathery foliage... the flowers will soon change to showy, red, inflated seedpods
6) Silene uralensis... the leafiest, burliest one I've seen!
7) Smelowskia calycina
A beautiful, if austere, little garden of brilliant Rhodiola integrifolia, Smelowskia and tiny ferns
9) Potentilla ssp.... very common on the ridge... Yeah, I'm not sure what this one is either!
10) Eriogonum ovalifolium, coming out of winter... the next time I show these, they will be beautifully filled-out and in bloom

Lori,  the pictures are wonderful.  Is the Silene uralensis the same as Silene/Lychnis apetala?  I've seen it both ways and never knew which was correct.  This little plant is one of my favorites in Colorado - found high up in the Mosquito Range and not very plentiful.  Do you grow this one?  Is it rare in your area?  The Dryas pictures are superb.

[McDonough]

6) Silene uralensis... the leafiest, burliest one I've seen!

Lori,  the pictures are wonderful.  Is the Silene uralensis the same as Silene/Lychnis apetala?  I've seen it both ways and never knew which was correct.  This little plant is one of my favorites in Colorado - found high up in the Mosquito Range and not very plentiful.  Do you grow this one?  Is it rare in your area?  The Dryas pictures are superb.

Anne, Lori and I did some sleuthing on the confusing nomenclature of Silene uralensis here : 
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=79.msg554#msg554

[Spiegel]

Lori and Mark, whaat a pair of sleuths!  Unfortunately, I'm still a bit confused.  The pictures certainly look like the plant I saw twice (Mt. Monroe, Colorado, close to 13,000').  I thought it was a charmer but the weather was terrible and the slide was poor.  It was the only plant I found and I looked for others for some time.  So I'll look for seed of all the names mentioned.  One of them must be the right one. Many thanks for all the information.