Centennial

It is incredibly beautiful country.  A lush green valley in a narrow gorge surrounded by confer forests on both sides of a deep, fast river.  The water is gray with granite flour.  The forest fades quickly up the step sides to bare rock capped by glaciers. 

The glaciers are the most fantastic shade of blue and covered in a coating of white, white snow.  Here and there along the way the glaciers send down a raging melt water stream to feed the river. 

That's the two days before the pass.  Once you get up into the pass you are above the treeline and there is only bare granite - like some giant child has tumbled a pile of blocks down the mountainside.

Our reward on the other end at Lake Bennett was sourdough flap jacks made by descendants of the original miners.  Because of the centennial - these lovely ladies made breakfast for every trekker who made it to the lake - truly a trip of a lifetime.