is arguably somewhat challenging to get to. It is a plateau at 11,400 feet and it boasts wild storms, 360 views, herds of elk and very little human contact. I first found it on one of our backpacking adventures in 2018. We revisit the San Juan Mountains almost every year to get away and re-find our wild side. It's familiar, if not also incredibly untamed.

We hadn't done a backpacking trip this year, due to a whole lot of other important things (you know, weddings, building underground greenhouses, and other such happenings) distracting us. So, Dad and I schemed a couple weeks ago and planned a rather spontaneous (we hoped not wreckless) three day trip.

It was absolutely everything we all needed. I didn't take Lochlan this time, but I really do think he might be ready for his first backpacking trip next year. Madigan and Kelton won the lottery for this particular trip, so they joined us.

We were planning on staying three full nights, but we caught wind of an impending storm and none of us relished the prospect of packing up our gear in the freezing rain, so we returned home at the end of the third hiking day.

We discovered a trail we had not previously explored and found a huge waterfall at the base of one of the basins tucked between two peaks. The waterfall looks small in these photos, but it is in actuality quite large. This area is a masterpiece. There were stairs built into the trail which were definitely out of the Lord of the Rings, which only intensified the feeling of magic in the air. I think we were all completely mesmerized and I know that I for sure cannot wait to return next year to explore it more thoroughly.

17-ish miles and a whole bunch of elevation, plus a late night drive home left us with a bleary-eyed Monday, but no regrets.