On June 21, 2026, we set out to climb Joe Devel Peak, camping at the lovely meadow area just before Soldier Lake—complete with a convenient bear box. The next morning, we pushed for the summit via Rock Creek. It was a long day, but the climb remained a manageable Class 2. Although our original plan was to traverse over to Mount Pickering, one look at the ridgeline from the summit of Joe Devel made it clear that we'd run out of daylight and energy. We decided to call it and headed back down, enjoying a relaxing late evening at camp.
Sunset at the meadow near Soldier Lake