From the south summit slopes of Little Giant Peak, we look south into the Needles and Grenadiers in the southern San Juan mountains. In the center top of the photo is the Highlands, the great snowshed of the range that supplies both the Animas and Rio Grande Rivers. In the lower foreground is Dives Basin, the approach for climbing Little Giant Peak. This area was heavily mined at the beginning of the 20th century and is hazardous. Note the two large sinkholes at the bottom of the picture, caused by mining tunnels caving in over the past 100 years. For your safety, avoid these and all mining affected areas.

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Dives Basin Route on Little Giant, San Juan Mountains, Fall, 2006.

Digital photo by Aaron Johnson