This grassy bench is at the top of the critical red bands mentioned in earlier photos.
At this point I know I will reach the mesa because my "binocular sessions" had shown
that this bench provided access to the final, easy, slope below the mesa. What a feeling!
For a mountain climber this bench is an easy traverse, in spite of the gradient. I had
to be careful about where to step, and keep my balance, but otherwise it was a nice "walk."
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