Indian Peaks April

Once again, I couldn’t resist the draw of the Indian Peaks wilderness. Something about it calls to me on such a deep level, I cannot explain. Twice I have been there in the summer; absolutely beautiful. Now twice I have been there in the winter; absolutely beautiful in a totally different way. As most of you know, the seasons in the Rockies don’t follow the seasons on a calendar; for winter above 10,000′ lasts well into what we know as summer at the lower altitudes. That is why, on Wednesday this week in April, I refer to this as my second trip to Indian Peaks in the winter. Six feet of soft snow everywhere, snowshoes strapped on, jacket, gloves, wind-proof pants, all the while in Boulder the temps reached into the middle seventies! I love the diversity of climate that living near the mountains offers; something for everyone! I headed out again from the winter trail head about 2 miles below Brainard Lake, and pushed all the way to Isabel Lake, four miles distant, through some mostly un-tracked snowy wilderness; this is the kind of stuff my dreams are made of! What a feeling to be one of a very few to venture this way during the snowy season. Anyway, my thoughts of it are totally incoherent, so here are the photos!