After zig-zagging up a series of moderately pitched, well-built switchbacks in the Mount of the Holy Cross Wilderness, the Notch Mountain Trail tops out at 13,224 feet, where a stone shelter dating to the 1920s was built for pilgrims who flocked to view the iconic cross-shaped couloir of Mount of the Holy Cross from Notch Mountain’s south summit ridge. The historic structure now serves as a rest stop for experienced and well-equipped endurance hikers who attempt to summit the 14,009-foot peak via the challenging Halo Route, and a landmark for many more who trek here just for the view, especially at dawn, when the rising sun extinguishes stars and sets the couloir ablaze.