Breath deep; the mountain air is thin yet it fills the lungs and brain to capacity. Heavy boots fly weary bones to the pass between two ragged peaks overlooking 11,000 feet of rock, wildflowers, and air.

Take the dusty steep trail down to a pool of sapphire crystal. The edges of the glassy water so perfectly fit within the frame of the shore; nature’s glazier has created shapes and colors which shine in the light of the bright sun.

Smell the wildflowers, take in the scent of the earthy sweetness, which attracts busy flights of pollinators and the fluffy feet of Pika, who gather the bounty to line their homes of stone.

Hear the jewel colored bodies of rainbow trout splash out of the water, creating concentric rings of electric blue as they hunt for lace winged prey.

See the sun set over the drab grey towers of rock, changing them into a slow moving kaleidoscopes of color. First yellow, then rose gold which deepens into vibrate shades of red before becoming a dull purple that slowly dissipates into the dark hold of nightfall.