Hiking Back from Hanging Lake
Jul. 20th, 2022 09:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerColorado Travelog #38
Glenwood Springs, CO - Friday, 8 Jul 2022, 12pm
When we're not careful the hike back from an amazing place can devolve into putting one foot in front of the other. Our hike down from Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock (previous blogs) was at risk of that happening. Indeed, there were some times on the hike down that we did forget to look around. But often enough we stopped and made ourselves look because there's still so much beauty to see.
This stony lookout (photo above) is just below Hanging Lake, on an extremely steep part of the trail. Noobs might stop here at length on the way up to appreciate the far-off vistas. We knew the lake and falls were even more impressive so we saved it for a stop on the way down. 😅
The other thing that kept us— well, me at least— mindful of the hike back down is that last time we were here, 4 years ago, I wrecked my ankle on the trail. It did get better within a few weeks... though today, as if to remind me to be careful, it started throbbing again. I was careful on the way down. There was no need to rush.
The final leg of the hike is the return along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon. The don't-get-hurt part of my "no need to rush" plan was no longer relevant here on the broad, nearly level paved trail, but I still went slow and walked over to the river multiple times to take pictures. Hawk pressed on ahead. She was ready for lunch. Speaking of which, I'm hungry, too. I think we're about to cause some damage at a restaurant back in Glenwood Springs.
Glenwood Springs, CO - Friday, 8 Jul 2022, 12pm
When we're not careful the hike back from an amazing place can devolve into putting one foot in front of the other. Our hike down from Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock (previous blogs) was at risk of that happening. Indeed, there were some times on the hike down that we did forget to look around. But often enough we stopped and made ourselves look because there's still so much beauty to see.
This stony lookout (photo above) is just below Hanging Lake, on an extremely steep part of the trail. Noobs might stop here at length on the way up to appreciate the far-off vistas. We knew the lake and falls were even more impressive so we saved it for a stop on the way down. 😅
The other thing that kept us— well, me at least— mindful of the hike back down is that last time we were here, 4 years ago, I wrecked my ankle on the trail. It did get better within a few weeks... though today, as if to remind me to be careful, it started throbbing again. I was careful on the way down. There was no need to rush.
The final leg of the hike is the return along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon. The don't-get-hurt part of my "no need to rush" plan was no longer relevant here on the broad, nearly level paved trail, but I still went slow and walked over to the river multiple times to take pictures. Hawk pressed on ahead. She was ready for lunch. Speaking of which, I'm hungry, too. I think we're about to cause some damage at a restaurant back in Glenwood Springs.
