I started early in the morning on this exposed trail from Fourth of July Creek to Icicle Ridge for a relentlessly steep climb up to the ridge.  Ascending through forest, fields and burn areas, there is a colorfully diverse array of wildflowers.  The snow covered ridge was chilly compared to the sun warmed slopes below.  

A rain shadow created a contrast between sunny and cloudy areas at times, with a rainbow arcing through the surrounding Stuart Mountain Range.

Sighted flowers included thimbleberry, balsamroot, lupine, hoods phlox, snowbrush, columbia lily, woods rose, paintbrush, penstemon, false solomons seal, larkspur, sandwort, salal, and glacier lily.