Black Lake Hike

Susan, Lauren and Steve at Alberta Falls

Glacier Gorge, in Rocky Mountain National Park, is Mike's favorite area for hiking in Rocky. It has a little something for everyone -- easy hikes to Alberta Falls and Mills Lake, and longer, more challenging hikes to Black Lake and Frozen Lake. 
 

Usually the trail to Black Lake is clear by mid-July, but the winter of 2010-2011 was an exceptional snow year for most of the Colorado Rockies. About a mile before Black Lake, we started to encounter a lot of deep and slushy stuff, but it was worth the extra effort and mosquitoes to get part way up the drainage into Black Lake.

Yellow-bellied Marmot on the trail

One of the highlights of the trip was observing a particularly nonchalant marmot on along the trail between Mills Lake and Black Lake.

Snow on the trail

We especially enjoyed having Steve & Lauren along on this hike. Living in Breckenridge, they are one of the few people we hike with who actually have more oxygen while visiting us in Estes.

Taking a break at "Mike's Rock" in the drainage above Black Lake

 Click here for more pictures from this hike.