We made camp near White Rock Lakes on a platform looking across a valley to the terrain we would have to negotiate next. It was our practice to select sites where people had camped before, trying not to kill any more of the flora than necessary. At every campsite, we used our gas stoves to cook – there is little or no wood to burn in these areas. When we did find a place people had made a fire, we added our trash to what was left of their mess, burned it and packed up the remains to carry out. Then we tried to remove all traces of the camp fire in hopes others would not be tempted to burn what few gnarled, beautiful scraps of wood were to be found.

This photo is a great example of how beautiful the area is. Outside Magazine refers to it as “The Country’s Most Beautiful Mountaineering Route.” The article, published 23 August 2017, starts with a photo taken from a few feet from here.