"In God's wildness lies the hope of the world - the great, fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness. The galling harness of civilization drops off, and the wounds heal before we are aware!"
The Contemplative John Muir
Yesterday's hike was quite an adventure! When I arrived at the trailhead, it was snowing like crazy. I hiked two miles up to the steep slope above the far end of Emerald Lake, where the visibility was next to nothing. However, a few minutes after I arrived, the snow stopped, the wind died completely down, and the fog cleared. Several hundred feet above the lake, the steep slope became quite slippery, composed of an icy sheet covered with three or four inches of snow. However, I was determined to hike up to treeline.
When I got there, I snapped my photos, and then turned around. The slope was so slick, I had to sit and slide. Fortunately, there were a few stubby trees I was able to grab to arrest my slide. I proceeded to the bottom by sliding a hundred feet, grabbing a tree, and then sliding again. Finally, I made it to the lake!
Photos: Limber Pines and Subalpine Fir above Dream and Emerald Lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, January 19, 2015
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