Elk's Lip

This may look like a daisy, but in reality it's a Marsh Marigold, familiarly known as an Elk's Lip. They are said to bloom on the edges of snowbanks, and in fact these ladies were blooming about two feet from said snowbank.

At 10,300 feet in elevation, snow is still very much in evidence, so much so that earlier this week I bought my first pair of crampons, the aptly named "Slide Stoppers." Using these wicked, grippy teeth keeps me standing, instead of doing a butt-scootin' boogie down the ice banks.