We pause briefly at nearly the same spot where we had run into the 'Rocky Mountain Barking Spider' man the previous day to enjoy the scenery. The trail follows a convex ridge providing a spectacular panoramic view overlooking the Cascade Valley 2000 feet below and the mountain range on the other side. The valley was etched out of granite over many thousands of years by the lowly sounding but now respected Fish Creek.

The photo below looks over to Long Canyon where the Long Canyon Creek plummets to the valley below in a thunderous waterfall. One of our optional routes would have had us climbing up that canyon, but now that will have to wait for a future trip. We quicky press on as the sky again begins to darken.