ohhhh, the mud... Apparently, we had it pretty good, compared to how the trail could be. The approach to the crux of the circuit hike meanders across an unavoidable and inexplicably boggy hillside. This photo was taken on one of the few oases of dry ground. Legend has it that on a bad day, you can't avoid going in up to your knees in the slime. All in all, we fared really well. The pass was still to come...