Nothing like a hike in the Colorado Wilderness!

Jason and I chose to do a hike this past Saturday about an hour drive from our home. He had done about 3 previous hikes this summer in the same area so he mentioned I would love the area and so we picked Lake Isabelle Glacier hike in Nederland. I knew it was going to be a long hike, longer than any I had done before, but didn't realize how hard it would turn out to be.

The hike was about 8.75 miles round trip and the hike to get to Lake Isabelle is just beautiful and a fairly easy hike. Once you continue onward to get the the glacier is when things started to hurt. There is about a mile of rock fields to get to the glacier and I knew, as I was about to hike up that coming down was not going to be fun. I figured I had my boots on and I have done plenty of other 14ers with more rock fields than this, I would be fine.

Unfortunately not so, coming down and than having another 7+ miles to go to get to the truck was brutal. I came to the conclusion about 2 miles left to go there was just no way I would be able to hike another 14er, 13er or anything with rock fields. There were moments I was literally crying from the pain in my ankles as we continued to the truck, but I pushed through and Jason encouraged me the rest of the way till we made it. So I have been in recovery mode with ankle braces on and taking it easy. I also know I can't not get back into being active on them because that won't help get them stronger either. So I will continue to hike, but again only trails that are clearly marked without rocks to climb over, up and then down and much shorter than close to 9 miles.

Here are some amazing views, pictures from this hike. I would certainly do it again but I would stop at Lake Isabelle rather than travel on.

Lake Isabelle is where we could have stopped but we continued on.


Oh yea we were in the Wilderness


We started on the trail around 7:00 am and it was only around 42 degrees so there was still frost on some of the wood trail.


The Mountain/Rock ahead is our destination.


Great streams along the whole hike.


A small lake nestled in the trees.


Stone walkway along our trail.


Love all the pretty yellow flowers along the trail.


The river is just flowing through the snow.


This is Lake Isabelle. We have no idea what happened to the Lake, but it is usually full and stunning. At least from other pictures I have seen.


Jason with some pretty great rocks behind him.


Yep that is me.


Jason pointed out - look at the ripples through the sand. It must be raging to cut those out. Pretty cool.


I just loved the beauty of it all.


God's great creation is all around us.


A beautiful river before getting to the more difficult stuff.


Here it is...the ROCK FIELD!


Once we made it to the top this was the glacier.


Jason taking it all in down near that glacier.


Since he was down below this is the picture he took looking up.


On the way to the rock field you see this pond, but its not till you are up in the rock field and on our way down that we saw how blue it was. Very pretty.


View on the way back, you get to see this nice view.


One of my favorite shots of the day. Great little river flowing and all the wild flowers around just made me want to sit and enjoy the moment.


Oh yes, had to stop to rest and this is about the point where the pain was getting worse.


One last look before we headed away from the Lake.