The day dawned softly. Pastel tones of pink, orange and gold breathed a lifelike vibrancy ever so briefly into the expanse of clouds keeping watch over adjacent mountain peaks. A rather small group of mountains, downright tiny compared to the Wind Rivers I hail from, this mass of rock protruding from the desert floor makes up for diminutive size with absolute upthrust. I thought to myself, “I could make the summit in less than an hour here”… a very, very strenuous hour.