Our plan was to take a last-morning, long hike. But with about 12+ hours of pouring rain, the conditions, although sunny, were less than stellar. On the trail, any non-mucky surface would be slick rock and every tree or bush a dosing of water waiting to happy. oI’ve been horseback riding in those conditions and a heavy-duty slicker is a must if you don’t want to send up soaked and shivering. We didn’t have slickers, so after a leisurely early morning, we packed up and started to leave.
I say “started” because the beauty we saw that morning made me say/yell “Pull over whenever you can” at almost every turnout. The clouds were hanging low, new snow dusted peaks, and the air was crisp. What a farewell to a most gorgeous place!