For the life of me, I cannot remember why or how I got up by 6:20 in the morning, they way I felt the night before, but there I am, bleary-eyed but fully dressed. The morning ritual of oatmeal and tea prepared me for another day of elevation gain.

Moving up into Upper Paradise valley, the granite gets ever more impressive. Window Peak dominates the area for miles around, until Castle Domes come into view. It's hot, and it's arduous, but with views like this, you don't even feel it. It's a constant temptation to throw down the pack and scramble down from the trail into the pure, cold Wood's creek.