Ben, Michael and I, ready to start the hike!
Goin up fast!
A couple difficulties, easily figured out at the beginning. This was all three of their first backpacking trip (Michael, Darcy and their dog Sam)!
Ben and Lisa, enjoying the hike after a summer of injury
Crossing one of many streams
Looking up toward Arapaho Pass
Looking back from where we came from...the color of the sky was amazing, let alone the aspens changing!
A close up of the aspens
Taking a break for a snack
Break time
Darcy, doing extremely well for her first time!
It gets SUPER windy through this valley, as evidenced on the trees
All three pups and Michael enjoying the hike
Looking toward Arapaho Pass....part of the Continental Divide
Still happy!
We made it to the pass! This being the continental divide means water runs away from this point
Our destination....Lake Dorothy. We would camp there for the night since fires were allowed on that side of the Divide. Doesn't look too far away huh?
Ben on top of the Pass
The Velasquez's on top of the pass
We finally made it to the Lake! It ended up adding another 5.5 miles to the trip....oops! Sorry Michael and Darcy for the miscalculation!! :)
Enjoying the lake
The steep mountain we just had switchbacked down.
A beautiful place!
Setting up the homes for the night.
Michael and Sam
Relaxing in our favorite thermarest camp chairs
Cookin up some dinner, we were starving!
As soon as the sun went down, it got super chilly, thankfully there was a little fire pit with some left over dry wood.
Michael coming out of the tent the next morning, after a LOOONNNGG night....a bull elk had come through the camp in the night and bugled - Michael and Darcy had never heard that noise before and though someone was being murdered :) Too funny, got some good laughs from that!
The sunrise the next morning
Darcy doing a little First Aid, she got a few blisters
Beautiful fall colors!
The clouds were rolling in, a cold front was expected to pass through later that day - we started our hike back out pretty quick to avoid it.
Ready for the ~6 mile hike back out!
The real steep section to get out of the lake valley - Darcy slipped a little right after this and got all our hearts goin!
Michael and Darcy on another steep section
We made it up to the Pass! What you can't see in this picture, is that the wind was blowing at 40 mph and it was a wind chill of 22 degrees!!!! (I brought my Kestral weather monitor with me, yep, gotta be a nerd!)
Thankfully this wind break had been built here so we could get a break from the wind, it was hard to take this picture
My turn to be in the pic! Michael braved the wind and cold to get this one.
Some more fall colors on the way back down
A picturesque drive out of the mountains!
