Hanging Lake in Winter
Photographing the same location at different times of the year can bring not only very different images but also lends itself to an entirely new experience of the place. Last summer a couple of my friends led me on a hike up the steep trail to Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Colorado; the day was amazing and it seemed that my shutter never stopped. At every turn there was a new waterfall or fallen tree, gorgeous & interesting landscape to photograph all day! This week as I drove across the country and into Colorado I found myself with an extra day before I had to pick up my friend at the airport in Denver and decided that I would return to Hanging Lake to see what the winter landscape would bring!
I drove the three hours out of Denver, strapped the tripod to my camera backpack and headed up the winding trail leading to the Lake and Sprouting Rock at just over 7,000 ft. I underestimated the Colorado winter and soon realized that I should have had crampons for the ice I would encounter. It was cold, about 29˚ and I saw few other people all day on the trail. What I found at the top was a quiet and tranquil scene unlike the hustle of the many tourists in the summer months. The water from the falls had slowed significantly with the ice and the snow turned this beautiful place into a winter-wonderland. I photographed until well after sunset and with the light of a near full moon I hiked back down the mile and a half trail only falling on the ice twice; a new memory made!