The Colorado Trail/Taylor Lake – July 15, 2018

Molly picked a hike for today that she felt I would enjoy…where there would be no sheep.  Lol

The Colorado Trail goes from Durango to Denver.  We entered it at the top of La Plata Canyon.

 We made our way on the narrow dirt path surrounded by tall green plants, purple flowers, and endless evergreens.  Our view of the mountains was breathtaking.

When we got to the lake about a mile out, we met a young dad with his two young children, two grown dogs, and one six-week-old puppy, Oswald. I immediately fell in love with this little guy and told Scott he was the one.

The owner said that his brother and sister were still available at the shelter…😔… not gonna happen today.  After I got enough kisses from Oswald and conversation from the 3-1/2 boy and 5-1/2 year old girl, we said goodbye and began our ascent.

The wildflowers were stunning, and we even caught a marmot sprawled out on a rock in the background. Zoom in and look dead center for a glimpse of our furry mountain friend.

Time for a selfie with Taylor Lake below.

We continued upward and noticed some dark clouds forming above.  I was a little bit behind Scott and Molly, and wasn’t sure if I wanted to go up any higher. It wasn’t raining yet, but we knew it was imminent.

Since I had gone this far, I decided to join them at the peak.  Then it occurred to me that scott and I hadn’t had a summit selfie in a long time.

It had started to rain, and Molly  had begun her descent just ahead of us.

Within no time, it began to hail so we quickly picked up our pace.  I just had to stop to capture a picture of Taylor Lake again.  This could be my favorite shot of the day.

I also got one snapshot of Scott coming down the trail behind me before the sky really opened up again.

Molly had taken my set of keys and ran ahead of us.  She didn’t have rain gear on like we did and we weren’t about to run all the way to the car.  I wanted to take a picture of the newly transformed dirt path that had now become a muddy, flowing stream.  Navigating that terrain without slipping or falling, coupled with the hail falling and the thunder cracking, made for another first for me.  I was a little nervous but I have to say it was exciting at the same time.  I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I didn’t have rain gear on.

I do believe that I am better prepared for the next episode that might take my breath away.   As Molly said, “It’s not about the situation you find yourself in but how you react to the situation.”