Behind us was the lush tree ringed tranquility of Kennedy Meadows in the High Sierras. With packs on our backs and a series of steep switchbacks under foot, we ascended to the baren rocky slopes of the Immigrant Pass. We couldn't anticipate the beauty of our next rest stop - a true alpine oasis. A sharp turn in a small mountain stream had eroded the bank and created this limpid emerald pool. Looking down through the crystal clear water and across the shadowed surface of this High Sierra pond made it one of the most memorable rest stops I've ever experienced in all of 'God's country'.