(In the Summer of 2000 Mike decided to climb Mount Dana in Yosemite National Park.)
Mike had thought at the outset of his hike that he’d reach the summit by, at least, 11 AM. Maybe, even, 10 AM. Actually, the summit is finally reached at 12 noon. Hardly any time at all is spent there: Mike still has concerns about the weather. (As it turns out, the clouds never do coalesce into anything serious.) The views are actually somewhat unsettling: vast incomprehensible panoramas of snow-capped mountains and the Mono Basin as interpreted by an altitude-befogged brain. (The summit altitude is 13,050 ft.) The obligatory "I Was There" photos are taken. Also proving to be an excellent subject is the marmot that had raced to the top just ahead of Mike and was doing backflips and handstands (almost!) in a vain effort to divest him of some of his food. Mike eats a few left-over peanut M & M's, has some water from his canteen, and the descent begins.
Photo: Marmot, Mono Lake—Sierra Nevada, 2000
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