TEMPLES VEIL

Arriving at the trailhead late in the night, I found myself a bit weary from the long drive and I was just about to embark on a 6.2 mile hike through the late night into the morning in order to arrive at Second Lake by sunrise! The trail was a steady incline and my heart rate began to rise quickly as my pace began to set in. The dark night was slowly beginning to give way to the rising full moon which lit the trail in the soft darkness nicely as I was able to make my way without the aid of light. After several hours, I came to a high granite shoulder that broke way to the lake just as the soft tones of sunrise began to light the scene before me. Temple Crag sat cloaked in a low cloud blanket with waves of fog clinging to its steep spires! Taking the front stage protruding from the darkness was Dark Star Spire. This 2,520 vertical foot granite column rises high into the sky and allows for a magical composition of this enchanting scene among our High Sierras!