Summit Lake Region

; The road from Prince George to Summit Lake, a distance of 32
miles, ascends the Salmon River valley then crosses the divide
separating the Pacific and Arctic drainage systems. Much of the
district has been burned-over and is now in the aspen stage of re-
forestation In the valley are several large farms and numerous
smaller holdings, some with rich fields of alsike clover. In late
June roadsides and meadows were covered with blossoming buttercups
Ranunculus acris and ox-eye daisies Chrysanthemum leucanthemum.

Summit Lake, the headwaters of Crooked River, is embarkation
and shipping point for a number of northern trading posts. In
early summer it is headquarters for trappers engaged in shipping
their winter supplies down the river in flat boats. This seemed a
favourable opportunity to obtain information regarding wildlife in
the northern districts, consequently I spent eight days there and
in that time interviewed a number of trappers, most of whom readily
answered my questions.

Summit Lake: 7 miles long, 1/2 to 1 1/4 miles wide, altitude 2,400
feet, is included within the boundaries of Summit Lake Park. It,is
surrounded by a rough, heavily forested terrain of which the highest
point, Teapot Mountain, is 2,967 feet altitude. Green coniferous -
forest is continuous except in swampy draws; none has been burned.
Engelmann spruce, many of large size, predominate; alpine fir is
next and Douglas fir third in abundance. Lodgepole pine is not
plentiful near the lake. In places where the land slopes somewhat
steeply from the shore the lower branches of the conifers for 20

to 30 feet above the ground are dead and hung with tree moss, Usnea
sp.» Many spruces have a diameter of 16 inches and more, and the
fewer Douglas fir are larger still. The stump of one that had been
felled measured 38 inches in diameter.

The forest floor in late June was carpeted with a variety of
flowering plants, amongst them twinflower Linnaeus borealis, bunch-
berry, mitrewort Mitella pentandra, pale corydalis Corydalis
sempervirens, Indian helebore and false Solomon's seal. Ferns, cow
parsnip, horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum, devil's club Fatsia horrida,
skunk cabbage Lysichiton americanum, rein orchid dabenaria dilatata
and ladies' tresses Spiranthes sp. are prominent items in the vegeta-
tion covering moist depressions. In open drier places grow red colum-
bine Aquilegia formosa, self-heal Prunella vulgaris, yarrow Achillea
sp-. avens Geum macrophyllum, Indian paint brush Castilleja sp , fire-
weed Epilobium Sp , chickweed Stellaria longipes, bracken Pteris
aquilina, wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha and P. secunda, and cow wheat
Melampyrum lineare One clump of juniper Juniper communis, was
observed.

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