Walking through the dim forest the approach to Goodale Pass started before Mike was aware of it. Suddenly he realized that the packed dirt trail had started to switchback, though only fragmentary glimpses of the Silver Divide were visible through the foliage.
Adding to the overall interest was the cloud cover that kept advancing, clearing, and then advancing once again. (This turned out to be a bit of luck, keeping the temperature down as Mike ascended.) Finally: into the granite, heart pounding, breath short, pace down to a crawl. And then, Goodale Pass and lunch.
After a short rest, he hoisted his bulky Gregory backpack onto his shoulders and started down the other side. At once he noticed the change: the landscape drier, more open and granitic. Mike decided to look for a campsite at Papoose Lake, directly below him.
Photos: Silver Divide—Sierra Nevada, 2008; Mike at Goodale Pass—Sierra Nevada, 2008; Papoose Lake—Sierra Nevada, 2008
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