The final morning, three of us left the group at 6:00 am for an eleven mile hike to climb 12,180 foot Mount Zirkel.  We hiked up the beautiful Gold Creek basin through slopes of Columbine and other wildflowers, and then climbed up switchbacks to Red Dirt Pass.  From there, we left the trail and ascended towards Zirkel.  At the top, we scrambled up through boulders to one of the high points where we could see the wilderness area in all directions.  On the way back down, we admired the bright Yellow Stonecrop that covered the tundra, along with the multi-colored butterflies that were feeding on the flowers.  After we got back to camp, we still had to carry our heavy packs on a short three-mile descent to the trailhead.  It was the most excruciating easy hike, through wildflowers and by a beautiful creek, that we had ever done.