July 13 Women's hike

 Water and wildflowers. 

Only 5 people came. Three dogs. LOTS of smoke in the air from a new fire near Cedar City down by Shirts Canyon. 

Cascade Falls. Gail and her kids were just there yesterday morning! No smoke then. 

Normally, one can see Zion out that way.

 Then we drove through Cedar Breaks to the Rattlesnake Creek Trailhead /Ashdown Gorge Wilderness Area and walked down that trail for a mile or so to an overlook of Cedar Breaks National Monument. 

Trees, smoke, clouds, wildflowers and biting flies.

Look! A Butterfly!

Purples and whites and yellows.

Brian Head Peak in the distance. It wasn't quite as smokey up here.

A Lady Bug on Yarrow plant. Yes, she is upside down. I couldn't talk her into a better pose.

I was always way behind the group, as they had dogs pulling them along and I was lollygagging along, snapping photos.

It might seem like a lot of dead trees at first glance. And it's true, there ARE many dead trees. However, there are many young and healthy trees among the old dead ones, too. 

This little tree was saying, "I want to be the fence post...I will BE the fence post... I AM the fence post." Someday, Dear One. 

And here was the view that greeted us. 

That IS a smokey haze in the distance.

Liz, Jessica, Penny.

Some more wild flowers.

Columbine. It was near the overlook area.

Yarrow in bloom.

Symmetry in the forest. 

Yellow, purple, white.

Lots of Yarrow was growing in this area.

Baby trees and teen-aged trees.

Heading back to the highway. Us and the dogs. For as crowded as the small roadside parking area was, we did not encounter that many people on the trail.

Pick me! Pick me! Pick me to be your Christmas Tree!!