The ridge between unnamed peaks is reflected in the waters of Upper Baron Lake.
A good night’s sleep made the difference. As the ninth day on the trail began, to a nice sunrise, I felt refreshed, but also a tad bit sad. There would likely be just one more night on the trail. I finished short of where I needed to be — the Baron Lakes — in order to have much of a chance of completing the route I’d drawn up. Today’s hike had two distinct parts: a 900-foot climb to Baron Divide, then a 3,600-foot descent to the junction of Baron Creek and its north fork. At that point, I’d have one final choice to press on, or return to the trailhead.
Far fewer fish were dancing this morning as the sky gradually brightened. The peaks surrounding the lake began to glow pink as the unseen sun rose. I scrambled across a makeshift log bridge and hopped over boggy areas to reach a good vantage point across from my campsite. From there, I watched morning come, first to the high peaks, then to the forest, and finally to the lake.
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The South Rim 