Although the sky seemed hazy/smoky most everywhere Elk Meadows was close enough this one day for some nice blue sky.
A lone yellow monkeyflower remained standing guard at the Newton Creek crossing..
The first big meadow approaching the shelter was in its final stages..
Mt Hood and some of the wildflowers..
And some of that deep blue sky..
One of the meadow areas looking away from the mountain..
Looking back at the Elk Meadows shelter hiding in the shade..
Some more of the flowers and Mt Hood..
We're almost positive that white stuff is not a cloud. Possibly a rockfall or slide of some kind on the other side of the mountain. There wasn't a single cloud all day and this disappeared quickly...
And there it goes..
It was too hot to climb any further and too early to come back to the heat down here so it was on to Trillium Lake for a couple hours..
Thus ending my sixth straight hike to a 5,000' elevation or higher. Gotta love mid-summer..
Though I could do without the 100 degree heat inside my upstairs apartment. Oh well, at least there's a pool down there that I will be in momentarily. And it's not heated. But that's ok. The lakes aren't either and they're fine to swim in now.