Hanging Lake, Colorado

Just outside of Glenwood Springs, CO is a great hiking trail up into the mountains to Hanging Lake. When we got there very early in the morning, we debated on doing the hike because it was raining, alternating between very light to moderately. My wife wanted to continue on. The teenager was adamant about not wanting to. And I was on the fence. Having hiked it, and coming back drenched in rain and sweat, my daughter and I renamed it "Hanging Mom Lake."

It was a one-hour all uphill climb (about 1,000 feet), about 2.5 miles. But it was the Rockies, so it was dry air (except for that rain), and gorgeous scenery at every turn. The trail up zigzagged with a stream with many falls and pools the whole way. The hike was worth the effort - the turquoise colors of the lake are from carbonate minerals that dissolved in the water. The water is absolutely clear.

It was early morning,
so the fog was still lifting.

The lake gets its name from the the plants and mosses that hang over the falls' precipice, as well as the exposed roots of those plants. They are growing with both areoponics and hydroponics naturally.

Normally a very crowded trail, there were very few other hikers because of the weather. We climbed down, taking just under an hour and headed back for breakfast and a swim in the world's largest thermal pool – one immense pool at 98º and another large pool that is 104º year round.

That's how you end a hike!

 

The end - the world's largest thermal spring fed pool(s) at Glenwood Springs, CO.