Lily Lake

I had such a hard time getting motivated for my day off.  I woke up early as always, but went back to sleep for at least another hour.  I had no idea what I wanted to do.  A part of me just wanted to be lazy and not leave the room, but I had to do something.  I went to breakfast and decided to go to lily lake.  It is about 7 miles south of Estes.  It is a short trail around the lake.  I took a book, my journal and the camera and that is how I spent my morning.

Alberta Falls... Alberta Falls...

That Thursday, the other hike I did was to Alberta Falls.  I left from the Glacier Gorge trailhead; not far from Bear Lake.  I was warned by the park service (volunteer??) that the whole trail was still covered in snow.  I wasn't too concerned as it a short hike only .6 miles in and .6 miles out... actually I think it was closer to .9 in and out.  Their signs were sending me mixed messages.  The first .3 miles was pretty dry, and as I came to a bridge over a raging stream I noticed it was snow covered.

Bear Lake

I had Thursday off and I got up early and did some easy hiking.  I first went to Bear Lake, and then to Alberta Falls.  So June in Rocky Mountain is still pretty snowy.  And in some places it hasn't melted yet, and both of my destinations were such places.  Bear Lake was mostly frozen still and the path still covered in snow.  It made for some unique hiking.

Bear Lake is an incredibly short nature walk, though due to the snow, I only walked around half of the lake and went back the way I had come.  I just wasn't feeling to secure in snow.  I am not always the graceful sort and the last thing I wanted on my day off was to tumble into freezing cold waters.  But it was such a pretty day that it was totally worth it.  I love the drive to the lake and the walk was so much fun, and it was gorgeous anyways.  Win-Win!

Water Along the Gorge

I was going through some pictures last night, and chatting with a new friend online about some, and he mentioned Multnomah Falls.  I've posted a bit on waterfalls before, but haven't really given the Columbia Gorge its due.  Fall 2009, I road tripped through Oregon and our last leg in Oregon was The Gorge.  We were really just passing through, but we made sure that we took the Columbia River Highway.  It is amazing, the views, the waterfalls, Vista House, it was so much fun to drive.

Come Hell or High Water!

View from Science Museum in St. Paul

So the Mississippi is rising!  Not that is anything new, but it is always an exciting, tense time along The River.  The Mississippi is amazing.  I don't know how to explain the hold it has.  It is fun to watch the cycles, how it lives and breathes.  The frozen winter fishermen, the eagles and ice chunks in the early spring, the flooding of spring and summer, the low water of the fall.  Never ending cycle.  Always fun to watch.

It was a wet summer, fall, and winter.  Needless to say this ended up with some massive flooding in the following spring.  Which came early (or so it seems).  But it is not fully here yet, there is still some possible snow a coming.  It kinda snuck up on me, the flooding did.  You expect the river to rise in the spring, you count on it, you comment and you move on.  But every 8 or so years you get a big one.  1993, 2001... and we've had some good ones for the last few summers.  This last set of pictures is crappy cell phone ones cause I hadn't planned on heading down to the river.

Riverside Park La Crosse Wi

The grade between La Crescent and La Crosse