Hike to Isabelle Lake

This was my first hike of the season (mid-July) at altitude high enough to get above timberline.  Isabelle Lake is one of the trails in the Brainard Lake area of Indian Peaks, much of which is a wilderness.  I was actually able to get a parking space.  Even though I was there early, it was almost the last one.  And this was a weekday.  This is one of the many places I avoid now on weekends.  A notice at the start of the trail warned hikers of water and mud on the trail and to not enlarge the trail by trying to avoid it.  I charged on as my new light weight hiking boots are water proof, but my feet got somewhat wet, as there was lots of snow, mud and water out there.  But it wasn't cold, and good, layered socks pay off.

The first part of the hike is mostly level along a path with great views of Long Lake.  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that lake, maybe thinking I couldn't show it all.  But the next picture shows the typical view along the side.

At a junction people were evidently blocking the sign directing to Isabelle Lake and actually blocking a clear view of a trail, and I went the wrong way.  This was not a bad thing, the trail was pleasant, especially along another lake.  After clambering through a giant snow drift, I met another hiker.  By then I was suspicious of the direction the trail was mostly headed, and he did confirm that my path was taking me to the other shore of Long Lake.  That would have been OK, as I had been that way before and knew where it would bring me back to the parking lot.  But I wanted to get above timber line, so headed back to see what was wrong.  Without a group congregated at the correct turn, it was easy to see the narrow, rocky uphill trail and to also know how far to the lake.  

On this relatively steep trail gaining altitude results in more and more snow.  What a lovely clear, blue sky we had.  I chatted with a hiker who remarked that our pictures would look like we had photo shopped them.

Note the trail across the snow field.  This was actually a lot of snow, but the picture doesn't do it justice.

Holes in the snow several feet deep made one extra cautious in making sure enough support was still there.  The mud and debris is from lots and lots of muddy boots.

This was a steep, long hill over the snow field going up to the lake.  The timber line is obvious on the other side of the trees on the lake shore.

There is a hiker checking out the waterfall to one side of the snow field.  I later talked with him while lunching by the lake.  He was from Wisconsin and had been feeling quite a bit of altitude sickness.  After inquiring how long he had been in Colorado, he replied just one day.  Well, friends, that is probably not enough to avoid altitude sickness for most people, especially that high.

Here is the reward and time for a break and light lunch.  Note how much ice is still on the lake.

I could tell by muddy tracks that some hikers were avoiding the steep part of the snow field going down and was able to negotiate that easier route.  Down is almost always the more difficult part of a hike, even though breathing is much easier.  I couldn't even begin to do a hike like this without the snow/hiking poles.

Alas, due to the late snow melt, wild flowers were few and far between.  But later hikes (see Diamond Lake) made up for that.