In late July 2020 Kristen and I walked up to Thousand Island Lake in the phenomenal Ansel Adams Wilderness. As we progressed from fragrant Sagebrush and Junipers of the Eastern slope, to the heart of the Sierra Nevada, we felt as though every step was taking us to a different world. When we rounded a corner on the John Muir Trail and the first glimpses of Thousand Island Lake came into view, it was so beautiful it was surreal. Banner Peak soars over 3000 feet above the basin and makes a sublime back drop to Thousand Island Lake.