After crossing over the Donahue Pass at 11,000 feet and leaving Yosemite behind, the John Muir Trail winds down into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. At this point, you see your next destination ahead: the entire Ritter Range towering over Island Pass and Thousand Island Lake yet to be revealed.

There is a sense that you have crossed over into a new realm – almost a spiritual sea change from the stark granite rocks of Yosemite through the verdant moraine valley and into the towering snow-covered spires.