Saturday & Sunday, September 14-15, 2024
This weekend Diane and I headed up into the San Juan Mountains so we could spend an easy and relaxing overnight camping trip together since we aren’t going to be seeing a lot of each other over the next couple of weeks. We slept in later than usual on Saturday morning before leaving home and then made our way over the Dallas Divide and past Telluride to just shy of Lizard Head Pass where we found a very nice campsite right next to Priest Lake. After setting up camp we continued up the Lake Fork to the trailhead for the Hope Lake Trail, which we planned to hike this afternoon since there were no storms predicted at all for today. This is a hike we’ve been meaning to do ever since we first tried hiking to Lake Hope seven years ago from the South Fork of Mineral Creek on the other side of the pass, but that time we were stopped by a snow drift and had to turn around. We were looking forward to finally making it up to the lake this afternoon!
Starting our hike from the Hope Lake Trailhead shortly before noon.
Looking up Poverty Gulch as we crossed the rocky creek.
The weather forecast was calling for clear skies all day, but thankfully some nice clouds started to appear as we climbed higer.
Looking back to Yellow Mountain as some clouds started to show up in the sky.
Vermilion Peak was a constant companion throughout the hike and was looking very nice from this side.
Fuller Peak
Vermilion Peak & Fuller Peak
After we crossed over the final little saddle we reached the shore of Lake Hope.
The blue color of the lake was impressive when the sun struck the water.
Diane found a place to sit and relax next to the lake while I continued up to the pass.
There were great views of Lake Hope as I hiked higher into the basin.
It wasn’t long until I reached Hope Lake Pass.
From the pass I could see down into the South Fork of Mineral Creek with the Twin Sister and Rolling Mountain towering above.
I enjoyed the views for a little bit and then started heading back down the trail.
San Miguel Peak
I left the trail partway down so I could visit the southern end of the lake on my way back.
Lake Hope & Vermilion Peak
I followed the shore around and met back up with Diane.
We rested next to the lake for a while, but it was really chilly out when the sun was hidden behind the clouds.
Before staring our hike back down, I walked around the east side of the lake to get a better view of the dam. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dam this size made of wood before?
It was a beautiful afternoon as we started making our way down the trail.
Yellow Mountain
Here’s one last look at Vermilion Peak, which seemed to constantly change color as the light changed throughout the aftertnoon.
Hiking down the steep trail into the Lake Fork of the San Miguel River.
Almost back to the trailhead…
We returned to camp, ate dinner and then spent the rest of the evening just relaxing next to Priest Lake. Diane also got to finally try out her new hammock for the first time, which I think she liked.
Priest Lake
On Sunday morning we slept in until sunrise and then woke up to a mostly cloudy and overcast sky. Although the temperature out was not too cold, there would be no sunrise this morning. We took our time packing up camp and watching the ducks on Priest Lake and eventually the sun did make a brief appearance through a hole in the clouds. After the sun disappeared it stared to drizzle a little as we got into the Jeep and started our drive back home.
Priest Lake Reflection
PT 11302
Morning at Priest Lake
Gotta get to the San Juans sometime! Were these taken with the new Sony? I have both DSLR and mirrorless m4/3 systems, but often I find myself simply packing along a Panasonic LX 10, which has a 1″ sensor. I’m very happy with it, but it’s getting long in the tooth and I wonder what route I would go if I need to replace it, as I’ve owned a number of higher end compacts (Canon S 90, Panasonic LX 5), and it seems they all eventually suffer from “lens error”. Will be interested in hearing your ongoing thoughts on the Sony.
Yes, all of these photos were taken with the new Sony. So far I am liking it.