#72 Hanging Lake

---

The Maroon Bells in Colorado is supposedly the number one attraction for the state, and Hanging Lake is second. Located a few miles west of Vail on I-70, I have gone past this landmark many times while traveling to Utah without stopping.

While heading for Utah this past year my butt had gone numb from sitting behind the wheel for too many hours, so I decided to pull off I-70 into the parking area for Hanging Lake and stretch a tad. It was a beautiful morning and since I had time to spare I decided to hike the 1.2 mile path up to Hanging Lake. Elevation gain from the parking area to the lake is over one thousand feet, so needless-to-say one is climbing uphill all the way.

I didn't take photo gear because I was not aware at the time this was the second most visited area in the state, but once I reached the top I felt this little lake would be worth a photo. Fortunately the best time to photograph is in the afternoon when reflected light off the mountain behind the lake and to the east bounces beautiful soft light back into the scene.

Coming down was easy and after relaxing in the parking area and a bite to eat, I headed back to the lake for an afternoon shoot. I will visit the area again in Spring of 2007 when the two waterfalls from spring runoff should be at their peak . . . enjoy for now until I produce my spring image!

Back to image | Pricing & print sizes available