While on a solo backpacking trip in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park, cold and rainy weather almost kept me tent-bound on this late September morning. Fortunately, I was able to muster enough motivation to leave the cozy confines of my sleeping bag and hit the trail up to Numa Pass, where I was greeted with even colder and windier weather than back at camp. Once I got to the pass and turned around, however, any grumbling about the weather immediately ceased, as I was stopped in my tracks by one of the most stunning mountain vistas I've ever seen. A fresh snowfall from the night before graced the jagged spires of the Rockwall, which towered over Floe Lake so much that the lake seemed like a mere puddle from this vantage point. As if this wasn't dramatic enough, larch trees at the pass showed off their bright golden autumn color and provided a splash of color to the moody scene. Sunlight filtered in and out of the ominous sky, and I was able to capture this photo when a small break in the clouds provided just enough light to make this glorious scene come to life.