At 9500+ feet elevation, Albion Basin above Alta, Utah in Little Cottonwood Canyon offers a beautiful respite from the summer heat in the Salt Lake Valley below the canyon.  In late summer, when the snows clear, the wildflowers put on a colorful display.  In August of 2011, following the record snowfall of the previous winter, the wildflower bloom was one of the most spectacular in years.

Here in a meadow along the trail to Cecret Lake, you can see the red paintbrush, purple lupine, blue forget-me-not, brown coneflower, and white yarrow just to name a few.  Lower on the trail, yellow balsamroot blankets the hillside.  Colorado Columbine cluster among the white pines.  Bluebells grow along boggy snow-melt streams.  Over 120 species of wildflower attract bees and hikers alike for a summertime show.