It was one of those warm, fall days when you have a very strong urge to skip the dentist's appointment and head for the hills. But I dutifully keep my 10 o'clock appointment with Dr. Hasegawa and and hour and a half later decide to explore the trail that splits off to the north from the trail I and the boys had recently followed in our trip to Rampart Lakes. My maps indicated that this trail would put me on the ridge running up to Alta Mountain and that became my goal.

I knew I would really have to move to get up and back down Alta before dark but I was going to give it a go. I remember that afternoon as one of the best fall days of hiking in my memory... and the colors were as warm as the sun as it sank toward the west. I will have some pictures for you later.

And the 'rest of the story'.