muir_mountain
Wilderness Seeker
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2016
- Messages
- 121
I really, really debated about posting this TR. I wanted to share my wonderful backpacking experience, but I also didn't want anyone finding out about this place. I'm going here again this summer, and much of the appeal is nearly guaranteed solitude... So what to do??
I came up with a compromise. This is going to be different from any other trip report on here, in that I'm not going to mention any landmarks or surrounding areas. This TR is just going to be about the beautiful pictures and spending quality solo time in the mountains; no geographical locations or waypoints to get caught up in. I'm hoping this will inspire you to search out the path less-trodden--For that is where, perhaps, the most beautiful places lie waiting.
It is my opinion that those of you who are interested and really search to find this place truly deserve to go here. It is my hope that you would respect the area and also keep quiet so that others may "discover" it. I hope you can understand that I don't want this area to become the next popular family backpacking destination...
The upper lake is approximately a dozen miles from the "trailhead." The trail ascends from the valley up a ways, where the views really open up. Fantastic country! I was extremely happy to finally be at the place I had been dreaming about the previous winter. I had no idea what to expect, because there were no pictures online of the area; I'm obviously not the only one trying to keep this secret! The weather was perfect; mid-70's with a slight breeze.
There is another lake about half-way up that makes a great place to have a rest and eat lunch. It's a nice payoff for the hard work of the previous 6+ miles, but the real rewards are yet to come.
And yet another beautiful pond in the valley above. I felt fortunate to get a semi-decent reflection shot. Pictures can't capture how pristine and stunning this place is. Although there were a few mosquitoes, repellant wasn't required.
The rest of the hike was fairly uneventful until I reached my ultimate destination: the upper lake. And boy, was I in for a surprise! I've been to many, many stunning lakes since moving to Colorado a few years ago, but nothing prepared me for this. See, the whole time, I was just imagining how stunning this would be, just based off the rough mountain outline of Google Earth. I was only running off of a single, obscure mention in one of my guidebooks. The book said (paraphrased) that it was a hidden and undiscovered spectacle. I was thankful that so little info was available so I could "discover" it myself.
Now, you may ask, why am I posting all these pictures? Wouldn't I want others to experience it in the same way?
Yes, I do. These pictures are absolutely nothing compared to visiting this place, and I guarantee seeing this won't "spoil" any sense of amazement. And besides, I can't stop myself from NOT sharing this with you.
This is my campsite at the lake.
Just me and my little 1-person REI quarter dome (wonderful tent, btw). The night was pretty peaceful, and it surprised me how soothing the white noise of the nearby waterfall was. The next day, without a doubt, was my most enlightening and absolutely sublime day in the mountains of my entire life.
Imagine waking up to this ^^^. And knowing you have it all to yourself!
"The perfect day to just relax and read a fine book!" I thought. I brought with me The Noticer, a book by Andy Andrews. At the time, I knew nothing about it or the author, only that it was highly recommended to me by my mother. Usually I rebel and don't take her suggestions (lol), but she insisted. And I'm very glad she did.
The Noticer is a fictional story about an old man named Jones who helps people see the true nature of things and of themselves. He is sort of an angel on earth, and over the course of the short book, it alludes to him having supernatural powers, yet doesn't explicitly say so. Jones's history is unknown to the people of his community, but he has a knack for meeting people in difficult personal times (in one case, even close to suicide), and sort of mentoring them to see the beauty of this world. The book is from the viewpoint of a handful of people in the town, and their meetings with the wise old man Jones become the positive turning point in all their lives. "Perspective," Jones called it. All we need is a little perspective to see the true beauty we all live in.
As a sat in my camp chair on the lakeside, I couldn't help but feel that my perspective had changed. All my worries melted away. All that mattered was what was real, and that was the most beautiful valley and lake I had ever set eyes on. All that stuff at home? My job? IT DIDN'T MATTER. All that mattered was the current moment. The deep blue water of the lake, the yellow sandy shore glinting like gold, the greenery, the dozens of types of flowers, the dozens of species of critters and mammals, and finally the towering mountains of rock to support it all--it coexisted so beautifully, like how a myriad of precise gears and levers form a watch. Time in the mountains is only told by the movement of the creatures, the blooming and wilting of flowers, the movement of clouds, the gentle ripples or placid calm of a deep blue lake... The mountains themselves are the watch frame; they sit tall, watchful and silent, while all the inner moving parts are bound to them. I believe this is why the mountains are such a vital retreat for us. We are able to slow down to the beat and rhythm of nature, not the speedy artificial timekeeper of society. By the time I finished the book about 3-4 hours later, I felt healed in more ways than one.
That afternoon, I decided to explore the valley a little bit. I went up to the waterfall that aided in my previous night's sleep.
At the base of it, there is a really neat "cave" area, where the cascades fall into a small, rocky pool. It was a fantastic spot to cool off on that hot day.
Still tired from the previous day's journey, I went back to camp to rest and wait for sunset. And what a sunset it was!
Due to the serene calm of the water, I was able to capture the best sunset photos I've ever taken.
The next morning, I decided to hike out earlier than I expected. I just felt I had my fill of the mountains... I wish I would have stayed to explore the higher mountains above the lake, but I guess that gave me a good reason to come back this year! I definitely feel I have a much bigger cup to fill this summer.
To top it all off, I saw a gorgeous rainbow on the drive home, ending right on the horizon at road's end. It really sounds cliche, but I definitely felt I was traveling towards a pot of gold! It was a scene straight out of a fairy tale. However, my perspective changed on this trip. I knew I was actually leaving home, and that I wouldn't truly be living until I was back in the mountains again. It was a sign--a covenant--that I would return someday.
"Home is where the heart lies."
I came up with a compromise. This is going to be different from any other trip report on here, in that I'm not going to mention any landmarks or surrounding areas. This TR is just going to be about the beautiful pictures and spending quality solo time in the mountains; no geographical locations or waypoints to get caught up in. I'm hoping this will inspire you to search out the path less-trodden--For that is where, perhaps, the most beautiful places lie waiting.
It is my opinion that those of you who are interested and really search to find this place truly deserve to go here. It is my hope that you would respect the area and also keep quiet so that others may "discover" it. I hope you can understand that I don't want this area to become the next popular family backpacking destination...
The upper lake is approximately a dozen miles from the "trailhead." The trail ascends from the valley up a ways, where the views really open up. Fantastic country! I was extremely happy to finally be at the place I had been dreaming about the previous winter. I had no idea what to expect, because there were no pictures online of the area; I'm obviously not the only one trying to keep this secret! The weather was perfect; mid-70's with a slight breeze.
There is another lake about half-way up that makes a great place to have a rest and eat lunch. It's a nice payoff for the hard work of the previous 6+ miles, but the real rewards are yet to come.
And yet another beautiful pond in the valley above. I felt fortunate to get a semi-decent reflection shot. Pictures can't capture how pristine and stunning this place is. Although there were a few mosquitoes, repellant wasn't required.
The rest of the hike was fairly uneventful until I reached my ultimate destination: the upper lake. And boy, was I in for a surprise! I've been to many, many stunning lakes since moving to Colorado a few years ago, but nothing prepared me for this. See, the whole time, I was just imagining how stunning this would be, just based off the rough mountain outline of Google Earth. I was only running off of a single, obscure mention in one of my guidebooks. The book said (paraphrased) that it was a hidden and undiscovered spectacle. I was thankful that so little info was available so I could "discover" it myself.
Now, you may ask, why am I posting all these pictures? Wouldn't I want others to experience it in the same way?
Yes, I do. These pictures are absolutely nothing compared to visiting this place, and I guarantee seeing this won't "spoil" any sense of amazement. And besides, I can't stop myself from NOT sharing this with you.
This is my campsite at the lake.
Just me and my little 1-person REI quarter dome (wonderful tent, btw). The night was pretty peaceful, and it surprised me how soothing the white noise of the nearby waterfall was. The next day, without a doubt, was my most enlightening and absolutely sublime day in the mountains of my entire life.
Imagine waking up to this ^^^. And knowing you have it all to yourself!
"The perfect day to just relax and read a fine book!" I thought. I brought with me The Noticer, a book by Andy Andrews. At the time, I knew nothing about it or the author, only that it was highly recommended to me by my mother. Usually I rebel and don't take her suggestions (lol), but she insisted. And I'm very glad she did.
The Noticer is a fictional story about an old man named Jones who helps people see the true nature of things and of themselves. He is sort of an angel on earth, and over the course of the short book, it alludes to him having supernatural powers, yet doesn't explicitly say so. Jones's history is unknown to the people of his community, but he has a knack for meeting people in difficult personal times (in one case, even close to suicide), and sort of mentoring them to see the beauty of this world. The book is from the viewpoint of a handful of people in the town, and their meetings with the wise old man Jones become the positive turning point in all their lives. "Perspective," Jones called it. All we need is a little perspective to see the true beauty we all live in.
As a sat in my camp chair on the lakeside, I couldn't help but feel that my perspective had changed. All my worries melted away. All that mattered was what was real, and that was the most beautiful valley and lake I had ever set eyes on. All that stuff at home? My job? IT DIDN'T MATTER. All that mattered was the current moment. The deep blue water of the lake, the yellow sandy shore glinting like gold, the greenery, the dozens of types of flowers, the dozens of species of critters and mammals, and finally the towering mountains of rock to support it all--it coexisted so beautifully, like how a myriad of precise gears and levers form a watch. Time in the mountains is only told by the movement of the creatures, the blooming and wilting of flowers, the movement of clouds, the gentle ripples or placid calm of a deep blue lake... The mountains themselves are the watch frame; they sit tall, watchful and silent, while all the inner moving parts are bound to them. I believe this is why the mountains are such a vital retreat for us. We are able to slow down to the beat and rhythm of nature, not the speedy artificial timekeeper of society. By the time I finished the book about 3-4 hours later, I felt healed in more ways than one.
That afternoon, I decided to explore the valley a little bit. I went up to the waterfall that aided in my previous night's sleep.
At the base of it, there is a really neat "cave" area, where the cascades fall into a small, rocky pool. It was a fantastic spot to cool off on that hot day.
Still tired from the previous day's journey, I went back to camp to rest and wait for sunset. And what a sunset it was!
Due to the serene calm of the water, I was able to capture the best sunset photos I've ever taken.
The next morning, I decided to hike out earlier than I expected. I just felt I had my fill of the mountains... I wish I would have stayed to explore the higher mountains above the lake, but I guess that gave me a good reason to come back this year! I definitely feel I have a much bigger cup to fill this summer.
To top it all off, I saw a gorgeous rainbow on the drive home, ending right on the horizon at road's end. It really sounds cliche, but I definitely felt I was traveling towards a pot of gold! It was a scene straight out of a fairy tale. However, my perspective changed on this trip. I knew I was actually leaving home, and that I wouldn't truly be living until I was back in the mountains again. It was a sign--a covenant--that I would return someday.
"Home is where the heart lies."
