After the Alabama Hills, I hiked into the John Muir Wilderness. It's a gorgeous place full of alpine lakes, wildflowers, and rushing streams, all set against the stunning backdrop of snowy, jagged peaks. The trailhead is the highest in the Sierra, starting at 10,300 feet.

I hiked alongside sapphire mountain lakes and lush, emerald meadows.

Lakes abound in this granite region, green and blue jewels amid the snowy scenery.

Storm clouds gathered over the peaks, the clouds moving quickly in the high altitude winds. It's a place I've wanted to travel into for a long time, and I was delighted to be there! It's powerful to journey through a road-less area where wildlife roams -- bears, deer, pikas, cougars, even wolverines still live in this remote area. Recent additions to the John Muir Wilderness moved the current wilderness boundary down from the crest of the mountains to the top of the alluvial fan. This change protects the lower elevation habitat and the streams that flow into the valley below.