cairn substitute

A few rock cairns mark the route up the south ridge of Mt. Silverheels across the valley between points 12,282 and 13,004. On the day I hiked to the summit, clouds and thick mist rolled in obscuring not only the upper ridge and peak , but also limiting visibility in the valley. I began making GPS waypoints at available rock cairns. This flowering thistle served as a good substitute marker for the return trip. On the way back down the clouds had lifted, photo captured. 9-7-07