Rinker Peak Gold

Rinker Peak (13,783 ft) rises high above the Twin Lakes area at the gateway to Independence Pass. Stormy clouds greeted my dawn climb over the Pass from Aspen Colorado. As I drove down from the treeless summit, breaks in the clouds spotlighted groves of golden Aspens. I pulled over at a view area near the town of Twin Lakes and set up for an hour catching spots of light. Eventually the clouds became too thick again; so I drove on to Highway 24 and south for breakfast in Buena Vista. Mt Hope can be seen behind to the left of Rinker Peak.