No smoke over Mt Hood today though you can't even see it from Sandy. The main flower show is done but it's still well worth it for the next week or so, probably not much longer than that. I'm sure some people got the lucky days but it seems like the prime flower show came under smoky/cloudy sky and now that the sky was blue the flower show has waned. Everything below the loop trail is pretty much done. The best areas are the main hillside at the loop trail junction and anywhere that still has water flowing nearby. I didn't see anyone on the trail and only maybe half a dozen groups of people in the meadows. Photo descriptions will be here in a bit http://picasaweb.google.com/pdxgene/ParadisePark25 For comparison to last year change the 25 to a 24 for Aug30th which was peak bloom last year and to 23 for Aug 2nd which was way too early last year. I actually had other plans today but they fell through so this made a pretty nice backup plan 
A couple notes... by the time I got back to the car I was ready to kiss the (level) ground. With the wandering around the meadows this probably ends up about 15 miles and is close to my limit I think. Unless it's something flat like a double loop of Timothy Lake. I did make it from the trailhead to the PCT junction in just under two hours, it took longer to come down. But guys ( and the ladies that do it too) like Sean, or Don, or Mayhem or any of the rest, I don't know how you do it. You sure have my respect, though possibly not always for judgment in picking those trips
Anyway, what a great day!Bunches of flowers this way...
