Day Two, Part Two: The Crossing The climb off the beach and over the dunes was fairly gentle, and as the journey towards the lakes progressed the crew were rewarded with beautiful views all round. Coniferous trees were spotted to the north and west, and the mountains that had first been sighted almost due west gradually moved further southward. The landscape was far from flat, but in general the grades were slight and for the most part the craft coasted unpowered with a touch on the brakes