Then the Goethe Lakes, Goethe Peak and what's left of the Goethe Glacier. This is the Glacial Divide, beyond which lies Evolution Valley, where I hiked as a 20-something on the John Muir Trail - a blissful 26 days beyond the range of communication, during which we carried everything we needed on our backs, along with a few things we didn't really need but wanted anyway. No one had cellphones back then.
The decision by the Vermilion Valley Resort staff to leave cabin doors unlocked during winter may have been crucial in saving Tiffany Slaton's life. After being reported missing by her parents on April 29, Tiffany, a 27-year-old from Georgia, went missing for almost three weeks in the unforgiving wilderness. The unlocked cabins provided a vital refuge during the severe mountain snowstorms that often swept through the area.