So far, the transition from actually living in the mountains to simply looking at them has been easy. But every now and then, I find myself longing to escape to the wilderness and be among the Rocky Mountains.
During the record-setting heat in November, I was not only getting antsy for nature, but for colder weather as well. Luckily, the CU Hiking Club was planning a day hike to Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park.
After sleeping through my alarm and almost missing the departure, a group of 9 strangers and I made it to the trailhead and began our trek. I was immediately relieved to be back at a higher elevation and in the silence of the woods. The 9-mile hike never ceased to amaze me; we passed two waterfalls and two lakes along the way.
I forgot my microspikes, but still somehow managed to make it up the snow-packed trail to the isolated pond at 10,900 feet. I had seen several high-alpine lakes before, but none of them even came close to this frozen wonder.
The Pond was almost entirely surrounded by Patagonia-shaped peaks and lightly covered in ice and snow. It was a cloudy day, only adding to the lure and mysteriousness of the seclusion. I began exploring the area, taking shots all around the Pond's perimeter.
There was a weird feeling between my fellow hikers and I while leaving this little slice of heaven. We continued our journey back to lower elevation, back down the mountain and into civilization.