Solitude Lake, Part I

We were trying to put together a family outing to do some apple picking this Saturday. But the April freeze had hurt a lot of the state's orchards. So then I thought I'd get in a quick photo outing in the morning. As I was looking online at options, Danelle commented that maybe I should just go on a solo day hike. The last lengthy trek I'd done by myself was the Sargent Mountain Loop back in July.

I didn't need to be told twice.  A little shift in my research and I found that the Denver Trail Heads had done Solitude Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park about a month earlier.

Perfect. :)

I was eager to get an early start to take advantage of soft morning light.  So I was on the trailhead by 7:20.  The area still had a lot more moisture than I expected this time of year, including large puddles that reflected the morning sky.

Glacier Creek was still running well.  Every little cascade was a photo waiting to be taken.

My progress was pretty slow with all the picture stops.  But this was exactly what I'd come to see and shoot.

It was nice to see Alberta Falls actually running.  All my previous trips on this trail had been winter snowshoe hikes when the falls were frozen over.

The forecast called for a chance of thunderstorms, so I watched the clouds with some apprehension.

Taylor Peak in the distance, with another group of Denver Trail Heads about to round the bend up ahead.  They were headed to Frozen Lake, and I considered signing up to join them.  But with all the time I spend taking pictures I could never keep up.

More of Glacier Creek.  At the rate I was going -- or not going -- Solitude Lake was seeming farther and farther away.  But with scenery like this, I didn't much mind.

Pine needles were still covered in drops of dew, or possibly overnight rain.

Even at the early hour, the trail was pretty crowded.  Enough traffic passed by this puddle while I was trying to shoot the reflection of the nearby trees that I eventually realized the picture was more interesting with a hiker in it.

Once the clouds dissipated a bit and the sun broke through, the flowing water shots got tougher.  The contrast between sunlit and shaded areas was challenging to work with.

Eventually I neared Mills Lake, which was much easier to find without snow on the ground.

The day was shaping up splendidly.  Thunderstorms no longer seemed like an impending threat, the day was warm without being too hot and the views were spectacular.  Hard to believe I still had three more lakes to get to!

Click here for Part II