Labor Day is the traditional end of summer. We had a nice long stay in Mineral King leading up to Labor Day, a great time of variety with a sense that there was plenty of time to do everything. (Of course that was a false sense because there is never enough time – new things will always crop up.) 

I painted.

Things definitely slow down as Labor Day approaches. ONE CAR in the parking lot?!

This tree often confounds me when I paint this cabin so I took the opportunity it examine it up close.

I painted some more. What are these pink flowers?

We went exploring.

Look at the blue sky!! And the green ferns! Such bright clean colors after weeks of smoke and months of drought.

The Farmer found a heart-shaped rock.

Trail Guy led us to the old stamp mill site below Timber Gap, where the tram line brought ore from mines on Empire.

We showed our friends where we got married almost 35 years ago.

We saw alpenglow on Empire several evenings.

This is a last hurrah for some flowers at a spring. (Asters and Sierra Gentian, which you can learn from Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names).

Franklin Creek is low, which makes for easy crossing.

The aspens are showing some yellow.

Franklin Creek was perfect for “icing” my knee. (much better, thanks for asking)

Hiking Buddy and I saw this strange sight below the Eagle/Mosquito/White Chief trail. 

These little white daisies (nope, don’t know the name) open in daylight. I photographed them too early in the morning for you to see their charming little faces.

We went for a long hike with neighbors from 3 other cabins. That is a 4-year old, wearing a sparkly skirt with a cat’s tail on the back. She and her 6 year old brother made it the entire 9.5 miles!!

No, really!

It was a very long walk on a trail that is sometimes scary.

This is the place where wildflowers are usually very abundant. On Labor Day weekend after a dry winter, although we had some decent rain during the summer, there is no evidence of any such floral exuberance.

And that is all about Mineral King for a little while. Maybe. More will be revealed in the fullness of time.