Tenaya

Near the top of the world as I know it, there is a hike to a point called Cloud’s Rest. Whoever named the trail deserves all credit for conjuring up the beauty and power of a mostly vertical stack of switchbacks that teeters up a mountain. What surprised me after the thrill of cresting that precarious viewpoint is the clear alpine lake greeting you after you stumble down the mountain. The lake appears off a spur from the main route. After eight hours spent sweating off layers of sunscreen, bracing to sleep in a tent without showering, nothing looks better than sliding into the icy cold lake for the few moments the body can stand it.