View east (and down!) from the summit: the glacier is gone, and Emerald Lake has shrunken. Aspen Grove looks safe.
Terry tells me she just got off the phone with the forest service in Heber. They have assured her that the fire is staying well east of Aspen Grove and is not threatening any part of the Alpine Loop. The road remains open, and they do not anticipate closing it. They tell her I will be fine to return to my car.
Of course, this is the same group that set the blaze in the first place. But they will have the best information. Also, from my new vantage point at the top of the mountain I can see even more of the fire. I'm a few hundred feet higher than I was when I first saw the fire. More importantly I have shifted south, and my view is no longer blocked by the shoulder of Timp or by Robert's Horn. From the summit I can see that the fire is further east than I'd first feared. And its path seems to be mostly north, rather than west. I can see that Aspen Grove is well clear of the fire's current position. I calm down. I thank Terry, tell her I love her. I assure her I'll be careful and remain safe. I warn her that it will still be many hours before I'm off the mountain. After all, I've only reached the halfway mark on my trip. It's now three o'clock in the afternoon, and I have many miles to retrace before my adventure ends.