Posts Tagged ‘Hanging Lakes’

Fantastic Hike – Hanging Lakes

Before we get into the ski season, I’d like to back peddle a bit and share some of my experiences of this summer. 

Virgin Trip ~ this was my first time at Hanging Lakes on September 1^st.  I have always had a dog so I wasn’t able to take this hike before this year.  I know many of you have been there and most likely had the same reaction I did. ~ WOW ~ planning on a quick hike and ended up spending most of the day there, it was so beautiful.  Amazing gems we have here in Colorado.

Hanging Lake ~ This 1.5 Acre Lake was formed by a geologic fault which caused the lake bed to drop away from the valley floor above. Water flows into the lake over Bridal Veil Falls. The lake edge has built up from dissolved carbonates which are deposited on the shore as the water flows over. Swimming is prohibited because body oils in the water stop this deposition. Trout are visible in the lake, but fishing is not permitted.

Sprouting Rock ~ for centuries, water has dissolved a passage through the limestone to exit out of a sheer cliff wall as a spectacular waterfall.

No dogs are allowed on this trail because of its resource impact (swimming), debris on trail (that some won’t pick up), and wildlife disturbance … Over 60,000 people visit Hanging Lake each year.

About the trail: This short, steep, scenic trail travels from the bottom of Glenwood Canyon up through Dead horse Creek Canyon to Hanging Lake. What I liked about this trail is the water was along the trail for most of the hike, with mini waterfalls and several places to stop and rest (if you wanted to).

The hike is up through Dead horse Creek Canyon, a passage through millions of years of geologic history. At the bottom there is Precambrian metamorphic greenstone, schist and feldspar. Then there are layers of sedimentary sandstones deposited during a period of ancient seas. The upper portion of the trail is dominated by gray and white limestone’s also laid down by early seas.

The trail begins in oak brush, Pinion pine and juniper, and then enters a Douglas fir forest with serviceberry and cottonwoods. The trail is well-maintained with many switchbacks to accommodate the rise in elevation. Cutting the switchbacks promotes severe trail erosion. There are several rest stops along the way. Some parts of the trail are rocky, especially in the beginning and at the end where the trail has steep stairs carved into the canyon cliff rock.

The trail ends on a boardwalk around the lake. It is important not to walk off this boardwalk, because the fragile shoreline breaks easily; allowing more of the lake’s water to flow away.

There is a short offshoot from the trail, just before the boardwalk, which leads to Spouting Rock. This was fantastic also. I hope it was ok for impact reasons that I found a place to hang my hammock. It was by far the best hammock spot I have ever found.

* Information above provided by the Forest Service

http://hikingincolorado.org/hang.html I like this information from Steve Fry

Information from White River Ranger District: http://tinyurl.com/yealfjg