“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”
~Albert Einstein
I remember when I first moved to Colorado and I was browsing the web for a mountain themed wallpaper for my laptop. (This was well before my photography days) I came across this stunning royal blue and turquoise lake, lined with bright pink wildflowers. The mountain peaks surrounding the lake were painted vibrant orange and green. It was like nothing I’d even seen before! After all, I was just a girl from Ohio that had never stepped foot in the mountains before. I didn’t have the opportunity to travel growing up, so moving to the mountains was a real treat for me! Since that day, I have never taken this beautiful state for granted. I knew I would climb this gorgeous trail someday. It was the first hike I had researched when I moved out west, so it just had some sort of special meaning to me. Not to mention the pictures looked unreal! So when I finally found my lifelong adventure partner, I wanted to share this meaningful hike with him…easy enough, right!?
After two failed attempts, I was starting to think this hike was cursed! We decided to explore for 10 days through Southern Colorado and Utah right after our wedding. I was so excited to add this hike to our list of explorations! Attempt number one, winter decided to come early. Two feet of snow had fallen, making the road unreachable. Gotta love Colorado’s unpredictable weather! We decided to head back next summer and try again. Aaaand now its next summer. My only birthday wish this year was to nab this hike! My birthday weekend rolls around and the San Juan Forest closed for the first time in history due to the devastating wildfires. What the luck! So months later, we set out again to conquer this bucket list hike that I’ve been yearning to complete for so many years!
Third times a charm! We FINALLY made it!! It may sound silly but as we approached this maginificant lake…I had tears in my eyes. My cheeks hurt from smiling so big. Talk about a Rocky Mountain high! It was absolutely breathtaking. Hello Ice Lakes, you good looking son of a bitch! I have never seen a lake so beautiful. The water was so blue, it was almost unbelievable. Moments like these….. its what life is all about. 8 miles of strenuous climbs, raging waterfalls, purple rock formations, and panoramic views all around you. Go see it for yourself… get out there and “elevate your happiness” my friends. Happy Trails!
(Trail information for Ice Lakes coming soon under our “Trail Finder” tab on the home page, stay tuned!!)
