The slog down from the summit of Royce Peak to our campsite at Royce Lake No. 2 was brutal. The cumulative effect of two hard days, coming from sea level to 13,000, and the intense sunshine whipped me. Statistically, this day was not that hard, maybe 8 miles 3,500 feet, but it felt like I had been hiking 50 miles by the time I rolled into camp. The sun just killed us, and there was no place to hide above treeline, there were no trees for miles and miles. When we finally arrived in camp, both Brad and I curled up under a rock to escape the sun.