Mount Warren

The day after Mount Dana, I hiked Mount Warren — a completely different experience despite being right next door. There's no maintained trail to the summit, just an old use-path that fades out above treeline into a long, rocky talus field. This was one of my first real off-trail peaks, and I remember being struck by how remote it felt — I didn't see another hiker all day.

The rock underfoot never let up; it felt like picking my way across a giant pile of loose stone for most of the climb. Near the top there's a small radio tower or piece of old equipment, an odd, out-of-place sight at 12,327 feet with absolutely nobody else around. The view made up for all of it — Mono Lake laid out directly below, and Mount Dana's reddish ridge visible right across the canyon from where I'd stood the day before.