The trail to Wedgemount Lake starts just a few minutes from my house, and I look out at Wedge from our deck drinking my coffee in the morning. Being so close, I feel like's in kind of in the backyard. 

I've been training my knees for a huge trip in the fall, so this steep rocky trail is just what the doctor ordered. Last week I wrote about the parks being overcrowded, and Wedge is no exception, although the more challenging terrain does limit who comes up here. On this adventure I was treated to a nice bit of alone time with the beautiful glacier all to myself. 

It was a stormy day and the sun was lighting up little sections of the ice one by one, with the peak in a deep purple cloud. I think it's one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Showing photos after the fact doesn't really do it justice, but here they are anyhow. 

The scale for the photo above is: the vertical part of the ice you see on the toe of the glacier (the slice-like part) is several times my height. The icebergs are maybe 6 feet across.

I also saw some strange + beautiful Thistles that looked like mutations, unless it's some strain that I don't know of or haven't seen (let me know in the comment area what it is!). There were only 5 of them, and were over waist high, with giant hot pink flowers and dozens of bumble bees on each one. Monkey flowers are in the background.

All in all, another day in mountain paradise.