Deer Mountain - Spring 2011

Part of the Highlander Clan has visited Deer Mountain.  They returned with such glowing reports (just click to read them!) we decided we should see for ourselves.  Unfortunately, threatening weather kept us from summiting - well, actually we started too late in the morning.  Everyone knows you should plan to be down from the mountains by early afternoon! We hiked far enough, though, to realize that the claims are true.  The views are Gorgeous all along the way and some of the best are in the first mile!

Even our beloved Y of the Rockies

...... and some of the beautiful flowers for which Deer Mtn. is known

LILY LAKE - Spring 2011

I had never really liked Lily Lake.  It looked so hot - no trees to shade the stroll.  Besides, it looked so small and was right by the highway!  All these judgements were made from the car, dropping off and picking up fishermen.  And, they were reinforced on all thousand trips to Bald Pate Inn.  Boy, have I changed my tune!  My first real visit was June 1, 2011, and I've been back on every visit to Colorado since.  There is so much more than just a hot, sunny walk around a small little lake!


The first draw is the majestic presence of Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak to the South.

The Twin Sisters, their rocky escarpments skirted in scenic woodlands, lie to the East and Lily Mt.,with it spectacular stone-crowned peak, dominates the North side of Lily Lake.

Lily Lake is a spring fed lake and is the origin of Fish Creek (think Beavers!) which flows north into Estes Park.  It is home to the Colorado State Fish, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.   Thus, Lily Lake is very popular with the anglers!

Photo by Anders Halverson

We like to hike the Lily Lake Trail by going South toward Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak.  On the South side are wetlands where we are greeted by the croaking songs of thousands of inch long striped Boreal Chorus Frogs.  A large variety of water fowl can also be found here, as well as many varieties of birds and wild flowers.  This wetland area is certainly a source of much entertainment for the hiker!

Continuing along the South side to the West, one begins to meander through meadow and open forest while the North side path winds along the base of Lily Mt.  We enjoy entering the Lily Ridge Trail from the West side of the Lake.  This Trail is a gentle climb up above the Lake Trail and follows it on the North side of the lake.

The Lily Ridge Trail allows one to forget that Hwy. 7 is nearby and even provides trees for shade.  (Actually, the visitor really forgets the highway as soon as he enters the Lily Lake Trail!  The Lake and Trail seem to be lower than the highway.)  More important than forgetting Hwy. 7 though, the views from Lily Ridge are GORGEOUS!

Spring 2011 - More Snow and Roaring Rapids

We continued to enjoy the snow and its resulting fast moving rivers. A drive up Trail Ridge Road (TRR) did not disappoint even though it was still closed, unusually late for June 2.

We weren't the only tourists mesmerized by all the snow! (Hope he wasn't from Texas too!)

One of my favorite views from TRR - and look how full the Sheep Lakes are! In fact, I'd never really noticed there was more than one swampy body of water. These are so blue and clear and gorgeous!

Stopping by Moraine Park to figure out the new fencing proved to be the most beautiful scenery of the day!  So much snow on the mountains and such full and fast streams running through the Park! We found the fencing as expected; it is there to keep the elk out, not the humans! Very important to know since hiking to Moraine Park is a Number One activity for our Highlander Clan!

A drive into town (Estes Park, that is!) provided even more exciting views of water. Look at the Big Thompson!  It was roaring through town!

It made our Poppy's pizza right by the river even more enjoyable. (It wasn't necessary, though, as this was my favorite pizza I've ever eaten! The caramelized onions are to die for!)

The Big Thompson was so high with much more snow to melt that there were predictions of flooding.  Thankfully, they did not materialize.  (We certainly remembered the problems caused by the previous year's flood.) Merchants along the River Walk were prepared though.