Here is a section of the cross country route up to Ontario Peak. With a number of observations to read what the mountain says. It speaks to you if you listen. If you observe with humility. This gentle ridge to the summit gives a way to read the force of wind from West to East. Look at the shape of the branches on the worn trees. One side of the ridge was consumed by fire, the other side was defended or survived. Strong winds contribute to the erosion and shape of the Western slope. There isn’t much undergrowth at this elevation at about 8,700 feet. Arid exposure damage on one side with a lower thermal gradient on the other. What the wilderness says is what it is willing to speak to anyone who would listen. Visual observation and by what you feel, hear, smell, and touch. The more you abide in its presence, the more it changes you.
