"Climb Hanging Lake Trail Thanksgiving 2012" Trekker

Most of the Summer of 2012, Steve Resotko and I trekked the lakes of Washington County Maine in a motorized canoe or lake boat. I took a trip to Gleenwood Spring over the Thanksgiving weekend. My daughter Meghan encouraged me-persuaded me- pushed me- into running a 5 K race in Gleenwood Springs. The promise from her to me was there were no hills to climb on the course. With two family members Tom C. and Tom E. we headed to the race. "Yep" there were no hills to run. The entire race was all up hill and on a trail. I made it but the urge to get even with her kept me going during the race. The following days a group of us arrived at Hanging Cliff Lake Trail very early in the morning. It was cold and beautiful. From the tarmack follow the signs to the trail head. You can't miss it. "We were cold". This first view of the canyon area was impressive to me.

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I borrowed this map.

The split rail fence boardering the tarmack framed out the view of the cliffs. I have traveled some of the mountians in Acadia National Park- Maine-, but the scenry here  depicted in this photo is breath taking.

The Colorado River tracing I 70 from Denver westward is beautiful, but I admit the green water as seen here seems a miss match...but acceptable. All my photos were taken with a Galaxy S III, giving my Nikon D-200 a rest so to speak.

One member of our climbing group observed that "the water level in the Colorado this years seemed low".
I did notice areas of the river which  looked low.

Nevetheless, it is a picture perfect setting with the river on one side and canyon-cliffs on the other .

Rating the trail now near Christmas not the weekend we climbed it is not complicated.

When we climbed the trail it was hard. Looking back from this moment-now-

 I would add not too hard unless one is out of "shape"

It is rocky in some areas with snake  like crossbacks.

I live to run and do photography, plus a couple of others "things".
Un known to me, Swifts make their nests behind the waterfall at the top of the lake area.

I plan to go back again to photograph them if possible.

I'm proud to say that I climbed the trail. ..but not all the wat to the top.

Moreover a good friend of mine took her baby on the climb.

"Neve"-her duaghter- will not remember her mother climbing the trail with her.

But one day in Neve's teenhood her mom will tell her.

 In my book that will be a special moment for both of them.

Of course there were dogs on the trail. Here you see some of our climbing party making it over the boulders and rocks.

Liz and one of our daughter's friends from Maine make their way up the trail.

Sometimes the  climb was nearly vertical. Alissa in the blue is an ax-woman. Google her name.

She has an all female axe women show

which travels the USA.

See my link in the right margin.

Having crossed a wooden walk way our mountaineer climbers group- mostly from Maine -were spread out.

At this point in the ascent, we have not met anyone coming down the trail. Later we would.

Meghan Palmer top and Alissia Jones "The Axe Woman's Show" gave me an opportunity to take this shot of them hiding in vacant limestone pockets.

Looking at this side trail off the main trail, one would admit that to climb it would take alot of scrambling.

I'm not good at scrambling.

Climbing toward the top, one runs into pockets of snow, then melted snow which has been frozen

making walking slippery. The contrast of snow and rocks can help make a photograph.

Here is a rustic shelter. It could provide a place to be if there was a rain shower. ..but not much protections from the wind.  Looking rustic, I thought it would be a interesting photograph for my friends back in Maine to see.

The names and carvings are not petroglyphs in wood. I'm making fun of my thoughts here.

 I was temped to carve that trekker had visited here from Maine.

Looking off the side of the trail, I captured this photo which has an element of mystery to it 

created by  mist coming off the forest floor and snow.

Coming down the trail, I photographed this bench marker. All blurry. With a Galaxy S III, one needsto enable voice activation of the camera. "Just say click or smile" and the shutter goes click.

Of course I did not do that so the camera moved at tich...thus a blur..

We are going down trail almost to the tarmack.

Our hike is over.

I loved every moment of the climb and decent..

See some of my other trekking on this blog .