Last October, two weeks after returning from my last cross-country trip, I was reading about hiking up to Sky Pond and the Lake of Glass, and I got those chills again. The Subject Line of my email to Doug and Mia (in Estes Park!) was "My eyes are tearing up reading about The Lake of Glass and Sky Pond!"
So it is GREAT that this day can roll around, and it can really happen!
Up and at 'em nice and early (43º F at 6am) - into Rocky Mountain National Park soon after 8am:
Unfortunately, there were no parking spaces at the three trailheads, so I parked at the park-and-ride, which was fine. I started hiking around 10am:
It is a nice 0.8 mile hike (one-way) to Alberta Falls, which are ROARING because of all the snow/rain (everything is very green around Estes Park, as well):
The views are GREAT:
For a sense of scale, here are the hikers:
Two miles farther up the trail is Loch Lake:
Although it is a Thursday in early August, the people really thin out once you get beyond Alberta Falls.
Um, especially when you take a little side trail up Andrews Creek
to a beautiful secluded area 1/2 mile up this side trail:
Back down to the main trail:
It was hot, so I had my lunch in the red circle, on a rock in the shade. I need some rest before tackling the "Waterfall That Is The Trail" (the blue circle):
The view from my lunch spot - cliffs above to my left:
and the view looking forward:
After lunch, I tackled scrambling up the waterfall. It wasn't too difficult - just one step at a time. You quickly come to Lake of Glass:
which wasn't very "glassy" due to the windy day.
A little twisting-and-turning on the trail takes you up to Sky Pond, with me and my cute little marmot friend:
Shark Tooth on the north side of the pond:
I didn't hike around-and-up to get the "overview", but here's an internet image of Sky Pond beneath the Shark Tooth formation:
(I sure do like seeing these high-alpine lakes!)
AMAZING VIEW coming back down, with Lake of Glass in the distance:
Loch Vale on the way down:
Just below Alberta Falls, I saw an elk:
Finished the hike at 3, bus back to my car, drove back to town (fill up with gas & buy postcards), and ended the day with a wonderful dinnertime with Doug and Mia! Thank you God for this wonderful "Rocky Mountain" day!
Only Music for today was was a "new Music" album from my orange nano:
alt-j - An Awesome Wave, 2012 first album
I figured that unfamiliar music would not distract me from the beauty of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
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