Still enjoying our unseasonably warm and mild weather here in Rocky Mountain National Park. While snow is always welcome and we’ve seen almost none to date, I’m pretty confident that will be changing soon. In the meantime, we still have open water, unfrozen lakes and snow free trails to enjoy for however much longer mother nature wishes it to be.
While the weather has been mild and dry, our typical late fall winds on the Front Range of Colorado have been fairly consistent. So while many of the lakes are ice free or still mostly free of ice on the surfaces, getting a windless morning has been difficult which of course makes catching a reflecting mountaintop in smooth water a challenge.
The rocky confines of Chaos Creek just west of Lake Haiyaha and Hallett Peak can be a good place to find some sheltered breaks and reflections if conditions warrant. The large boulders and rocks will keep the slowly moving stream and its many small pools and nooks calm enough to garner a reflection even on a breezy morning. So was the case on Monday morning when some high clouds caught the early morning glow over Hallett Peak as seen from Chaos Creek.
Who knows how much longer Rocky Mountain National Park will continue to defy late fall and old man winter, but until the weather pattern changes, I’m here for the Chaos and of course the reflections and memories of the summer season.