The 4,682 ft ascent to the top of Mather Pass is filled with challenging switchbacks and breathtaking views of the Sierra. Everyday I wanted to quit the John Muir Trail and then I would climb to the top of these passes and look out in all directions and be completely overwhelmed with how beautiful everything was. Views like this kept me going, and not even a photograph can ever really capture the experience of standing on top of a mountain you just climbed.