Mountain Stream

There is a very popular hike near Glenwood Springs called Hanging Lake. It’s 1.2 miles long, and climbs 1020 feet. It was definitely a stretch goal for Danita, but she wanted to try it. The trail goes up the side of a canyon, following a mountain stream in a wooded area. There are plenty of places where one can see water falls. There are also plenty of places where one can see the shear rock walls of the canyon.

Hanging Lake

The weather was perfect — mostly sunny. Temperatures were a little cool, ideal for climbing. Our pace was slow, but we were making steady progress. It took us about 3 hours to climb. A person in good shape should be able to do the round trip in 3 hours. Upon reaching the top, one is rewarded with a beautiful lake. The water is green and clear. Two high waterfalls fill the lake. There is a small cave behind one of the water falls.

Hanging Lake

After enjoying the lake, I wanted to walk an additional short but steep trail to Spouting Rock. I asked Danita if she wanted to rest at the lake. She decided to join me. It was a large amount of water coming out of a single hole in the canyon wall. Behind the water spout was a way cool large cave. We had a good time walking around and checking out the area.

Spouting Rock

Coming back down was less pleasant for Danita. She had a hard time keeping her balance coming down the steep trail with its uneven rocks. Small showers were coming through. We aren’t familiar with the weather patterns in this area. It didn’t seem that any heavy rain was immanent, but we didn’t want to delay our return to the car. The entire trip took us 5 hours. A picnic lunch and some Aleve helped Danita a little. It was a 90-minute drive to our hotel. Fortunately, the hotel’s pool is indoors and in service. Some time in the pool did wonders for Danita. I don’t think we will attempt any challenging hikes tomorrow.