Alpine hike

K and I had a glorious hike up high yesterday, reaching the thin air over 12,000'! Below the true tundra, the grass still glowed green and flowers bloomed. Alas, only a few bedraggled Columbines remained but the world still radiated beauty and peace.

Storm clouds circled us throughout the hike, creating magical light in which the grass beamed green and K glowed red.

Many crevices of the mountains held snow that doubtless will last until the first snow falls sometime in the next month.

K and I climbed up and up. This is one of the easiest routes to the Continental Divide.

As we crested the Pass, we paused, and I gazed down into the valley that we'd started from.

K looked happy but hot! The heat of the summer even reached the high altitude area where we hiked.

Up on the saddle, the arrival of fall was undeniable. Look at the autumn color of the low plants and grass.

One of the great parts of this hike is that it has amazing views of the surrounding mountain ranges and a lake for K to swim.

She romped with abandon!

It's a gorgeous lake that's still fed by snowfields nestled in the north-facing nooks of the mountain walls. We lingered for a long time by the lake, hiking around it and exploring its shores and scents.

I think that the lake was K's favorite part of the whole day!

On the way down, we stopped for a joint photo with angry storm clouds gathering behind us. I'm not hiding behind K - I'm whispering secrets in her ear!

 

Here's to more summer adventures before the snow flies! Our motto is "Carpe Diem"!