Sentinel Pass (snow free edition)

One more time....

I couldn't resist checking on the Moraine Lake shuttle for the last weekend of August and sure enough I got 2 spots on the 6:30am.  This time however it was still pitch dark and only 4° when we arrived in the car park.  The sun rose as we approached Moraine on the bus.  By the time we got there it looked absolutely beautiful.   The smoke haze is still around.

On the way up we saw a mama grizzly with her 2 cubs, this is a photo of where they were seconds before I took the picture.  Brilliant.  There are so many people on the trail we just formed a clump until she moved on.

I think it is looking like Fall today, but as you can see Sentinel Pass is snow free and that's the first time I've seen that so I'm excited.

The Pass reflected in Upper Minnestimma Lake.  Also snow free.

I love the way the views open up as you climb, this is Lower Minnestimma reflecting the sun.

I like to take a lot of photos as it gives a person breaks.

The trail is much wider in the absence of snow patches, it's actually a lovely wide trail all the way up.  

This little thing squeaked very loudly just to the side of me so of course I took a pic.  A pika pic.  I usually end up with random photos of rocks since they are very tiny and very hard to spot through the camera.  

Near the top of the switchbacks.

Looking to Mount Temple, which we are not attempting.

There are views for days, it is also quite cold with the wind.  Looking back into Larch Valley and the 10 Peaks.

Perching above Paradise Valley and The Sentinel.

The view without me in the way.

It's quite windy and also busy at the top so we headed down to be welcomed by this cute marmot.

You can always count on Moraine Lake to be gorgeous.  So Fragile So Blue (© William Shatner).