Utah wildflowers and beaver dams

4.28.13  On a 6.25 mile hike at 5500 - 6000 feet elevation where the snow has just melted, we found the green grass filled with Glacier lilies, Spring beauties, Fritillaria and yellow Nuttall violets.  Low showy Larkspur is just starting to open their delphinium blue blossoms; Mountain Pepperplant with ball-shaped clusters of 4-petalled white flowers on 5-inch stems; Humble Buttercup (aka Unattractive Buttercup); and Dwarf Waterleaf with its lavender ball of bloom resting on the ground filled in spaces.  
We came upon a shallow stream that beavers were attempting to dam up.  Beavers in an arid land seemed to lack experience: they had placed a primary dam across the stream, but they seemed unsure what to do when they were met with more success than they'd planned and water started spilling out at the side.  Their solution was to build another dam, corral-like along the side and added a short V-shaped connection to meet the primary dam.   One can see why they may have chosen the site - lots of building material is nearby, and the view can't be beat!