Description

Lean In – Avalanche Lily, Lewis Lake, WY
20×16 oil on canvas

Inspired by a picnic with friends on the banks of Lewis Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

This Flower, although not unknown in these parts, was a new discovery for me, which is always nice.

Collected during the Lewis and Clark exposition, the lily is often mentioned in Lewis’s journal in the spring of 1806. He thought the lily could be used as a botanical calendar, to help track the onset of spring, as it is often the first flower to bloom after snow melt.

According to the US Forest Service, “Yellow avalanche-lily is a favorite food of grizzly bears and black bears, which use their claws to comb through the soil unearthing the nutritious bulbs. Elk and deer relish the foliage. Native Americans would harvest the bulbs which could be boiled or dried and used in stews or other dishes.”

Remember, when you are picnicking in bear country, you may not be the only one.

Hey Bear!!!