Jewel Lake is further up the gorge from Mills Lake -- almost at the top, just before you jump off onto the rocky alpine on the way to Longs Peak, which is the highest mountain peak in the park. Jewel Lake is a real gem -- pun intended.
The path between Mills Lake and Jewel Lake goes through some pretty wet alpine marsh. To avoid bogging down in the mud, the park service has provided walking boards. They are quite narrow, and take a lot of balance. Fortunately, people who make it this far up the trail can negotiate such narrow footings. The boards can't be more than about 10 inches wide.
The views up here are more spiritually refreshing as any celestial room I've ever been in.
The tops of the mountains on both sides of the gorge are still snow-covered. The meltwater runs down and makes cascades and waterfalls into the lakes.
Remember to click on the images for larger, prettier versions. Below is where I ate lunch. I then hiked another quarter mile towards Longs Peak just to see what the trail was like out on the rocky tundra before turning around and heading back down.
Below, a stellar's jay is on the rock, enjoying the view. I didn't mind sharing the scenery with him.
On the way back down, I snapped this photo of a broken pine tree on the shore of Mills Lake. It's a lot prettier in the bigger version.
The path between Mills Lake and Jewel Lake goes through some pretty wet alpine marsh. To avoid bogging down in the mud, the park service has provided walking boards. They are quite narrow, and take a lot of balance. Fortunately, people who make it this far up the trail can negotiate such narrow footings. The boards can't be more than about 10 inches wide.
The views up here are more spiritually refreshing as any celestial room I've ever been in.
The tops of the mountains on both sides of the gorge are still snow-covered. The meltwater runs down and makes cascades and waterfalls into the lakes.
Remember to click on the images for larger, prettier versions. Below is where I ate lunch. I then hiked another quarter mile towards Longs Peak just to see what the trail was like out on the rocky tundra before turning around and heading back down.
Below, a stellar's jay is on the rock, enjoying the view. I didn't mind sharing the scenery with him.
On the way back down, I snapped this photo of a broken pine tree on the shore of Mills Lake. It's a lot prettier in the bigger version.
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