Skyline Trail Loop, Golden Gate — Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023

I've been trying to catch sunrise at Paradise forever. The Perseid meteor shower was blitzing up the sky and obliterating the parking on the mountain. I arrived at 4 a.m. and missed most of the show, but there were stil a few streaks in the sky. Going clockwise meant an easy (because of the paved trail), steep traverse in the dark. At one poine there was a large dark fleece blanket that was left on the trail. Let me tell you how hard it was to determine it was not an animal. Headlamps can only do so much. I'll have to come back for the flowers since I didn't get to see much until Panorama Point when the sky lit up. I went down Golden Gate. I was just up there Monday, but it was misty and moody, and seemed much more colorful than today's first morning light display. If you're out for flowers, Golden Gate isn't going to give you that treat right now, maybe not this summer. The drive up and down had the best display. So, so pretty! I wanted to hit more trails since it was still early, but the smoky haze was doing a number on my ashtma, so I had to call it a day. Oh, last thing, I fianlly came across a marmot. It's been wildlife lite this summer. I was going down Golden Gate just asking where the heck were the animals when a light colored marmot popped out of the shrubbery (pronounced like they say it in Monte Python and the Holy Grail). I was up on my toes. Then it started toward me and I was not on my toes. But then it took a languid stretch, reaching out and opening its mouth. So dang awesome. Happy trekking!