Starting out earlier than my eyes wanted to open, I filled my pack with food, snacks, water, extra layers of clothes, and rain gear. We wanted to get to Paradise, the highest lodge on the mountain while there was still a parking place that mid-August morning. Hiking the Skyline trail through alpine wildflower meadows was something I had dreamed of for several years. I’d seen photographs of the mountain with fields of Lupines and Indian Paintbrush in the foreground, and I longed to experience those lush meadows myself. This was not one of those blue sky mornings where everything seems fresh and clear, invigorating heart and spirit. Instead, clouds hung in close and a light rain fell from the sky. In many ways, the rain was a relief, a break from the dense, smoky air back at home. Breathing was easy. The clean, moist, air felt good in my lungs. A raincoat would help keep me dry and warm. Starting up the trail from the parking lot towards the lodge I found my first flowers