Big Five / Little Five Lakes Loop

Near the pass summit I looked back down the canyon of Cliff Creek. See the trail down there?

The Grind Upward

Big 5, Little 5 Lakes Loop and Sawtooth Pass, August 4th to 7th, 2000.

The seemingly endless trail snaked upward, and at one point it committed to one pass candidate and I finally knew where the pass was for sure. Patience was required for the next section because the shallow switchbacks tracked back and forth without seeming to gain any altitude, and I was almost tempted to march straight up the slope to the pass, but it did not seem worth the effort.

Cliffs and peaks across the canyon of Cliff Creek.

Finally I spotted someone on the pass and some packs, and I knew I had finally made the top, and well before noon at that.