On sunlit days, it's no wonder how these sawtooths earned their collective name—the snowy mountaintops take on an aureate glow, with rivers of gold slithering down the crags like glistening lava. The bright colors stand out against the larger backdrop of rich green forestry, which deepens and darkens toward the foothills. In these cool, deep shadows between the mountains, predator and prey alike prowl quietly in the dusky, lush surroundings. Still, the greater adventures can be found on higher grounds, in the light—whether you want to take a daring climb along a ridge as dangerous and prickly as its name implies or take a more leisurely stroll up the staircase to the sunniest summit of all.