Mitchell Lake Trail

Yesterday I answered my mountain craving.

Even though we live right at the base of the mountains, 

we don't make the drive up into the hills nearly often enough.

We were treated 

to the very beginnings

of the golden Aspens' seasonal change

as we made our way up to 

Brainard Lake Recreation Area

& the Indian Peak Wilderness.

It was sunny when we started the hike

up to Mitchell Lake, 

but as we ascended, 

the fog met us.

The fog became so dense that we

nearly walked right past the lake

without even noticing it.

It was so beautifully eerie

to be completely enveloped

so that even the horizon is erased,

and to feel like we were the only ones for miles.

The promise of rain 

& the cold seeping into our bones

pushed us back down the path, 

and back down the mountain, 

out of the rain, 

and into our cozy home

to wrap our hands around steaming mugs.

Breaking through the fog

 I know it's no comparison to the heaps of snow

or bone-chilling temperatures many of our 

friends are dealing with right now, 

but winter in the valley

is colder & grayer than I'd anticipated.

For a place that gets above 110 in the summer, 

I admit that I didn't expect to see the 30s in the winter.

Besides the temps, though, there is often a heavy 

blanket of fog/smog, 

and honestly, 

it can be really depressing.

So we try to take advantage of our sunny days.

Below you can see Z & Mr. Wilson

hanging out on the front porch

while Z does a bit of old-fashioned writing.