This morning we didn't want to leave camp because it was so pretty. As our trip went on we realized that the high route passes through so many incredible remote locations, each worth spending days exploring if only we had the time. I thought to myself, let me never become numb to the beauty of these mountains, so that I can return one day and share them with my friends and family on future trips.

The day started by locating Conness pass. Unlike previous passes, our vantage point did not allow us to see the correct pass until we got much closer. Once we had it in our line of sight, we veered right into a beautiful lakes basin, aiming for a class 2 looking slab. We crossed the outlet and started up a steep series of ledges.

The view of the turquoise Conness lakes only improved as we climbed. This pass posed no difficulty except for a small snow gully we had to avoid. We did end up taking a different line than Andrew Skurka and going far right of the line on GPS.Once atop the pass, we followed the ridgeline down a bit and turned right into a canyon before reaching the lowest point of the saddle. There were so many wildflowers here! When the gentle slope ended, we were once again faced with scree. But the scree did not last long and pretty soon we had reached a beautiful meadow area with even more wildflowers.We were all feeling pretty good at this point so we decided push forward to Spuller lake for lunch. During our meadow frolicking I suddenly became very hungry. On the way from Maul lake to Spuller lake we finally ran into some hikers with their dogs. This area is just outside Yosemite so pets are allowed.At Spuller lake I became ravenous and ate a lot of food while Isabel and Emma swam. Unlike them, I had not properly fueled myself in the morning.

All of a sudden, we heard thunder and rain came sprinkling down. It was now too cold to swim so we quickly packed up our stuff and donned rain gear. Our goal for the night was to reach an abandoned mine site. I only had a cheap plastic poncho which I hoped would be enough for the trip.

As it turned out, the poncho did very little in keeping me dry. Rain came down harder and harder but it made the next section of routefinding more epic. We half-traversed, half-climbed up a steep rocky hillside, aiming toward Mt Dana.

After a while we came to a snowfield that looked way too steep and melty to traverse. I was not willing to go first and suggested climbing down a few hundred feet to avoid it. Emma, however, thought about it for a minute and volunteered to test the snowfield. She delicately stepped across the ice and made her way across.

When we reached the other side we realized how thin the ice was, melted out from the bottom. This brave move by Emma saved us a ton of time as the rain continued to pour. Finally we crested the hill and came to an area of reddish rock which we identified as the Great Sierra Mine. Several broken down old stone cabins and mine shafts were scattered on the hill.When we arrived at the edge of the mine, we decided to camp because Yosemite was just ahead and we were uncertain about wilderness camping regulations in the national park.

Like days before, we hid in our tents until the rain stopped. The best part about these summer storms is the incredible sunsets that come afterward. As we dried our soaked clothes on a tree, we all agreed that this had been the most fun day so far.

Cascade Lakes to Great Sierra Mine - 6.6 mi and 2972 ft gained.