Sep 16, 2022, Fri — Last couple days in Colorado! So I escaped my computer for the day and made the climb to Hanging Lake. Only one mile, but 1200 feet of vertical gain. OMG, my butt is so sore! Then I came home and played Scrabble with L and ran my letters out three times! I guess I’m having a good day 🙂 

Hanging Lake was so beautiful, a gem hanging onto cliff. And so was the steep trail to get there. It was a CCC project built by the strong young men who were given work during the Depression. Many of those jobs were to make our national parks accessible and also protect them from random footsteps which would quickly destroy these fragile beautiful environments. 

Geology of Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake was formed when the geologic fault that formed Deadhorse Canyon caused the original lake bed to drop away from the valley above, leaving this bowl suspended on the wall of the canyon. The falls of Deadhorse Creek that keep the lake filled are calcium carbonate rich waters from the mineral travertine. So as the water spills over the lip of the bowl and down the cliff, it deposits more travertine. Thus, slowly, over time, the rim of the lake has been added to, thus raising the rim of the lake. 

Such an amazing reason for why this lake exists! And the water is the color of an emerald which is also from the dissolved carbonates. 

I’m also having a good day are because of my wonderful fans on Facebook! I posted when I got home about the win and thanked them for providing the bulk of the qualifying votes. How wonderful to hear their excitement! We were all hoping I’d win, and even believing that I deserved to win, but these things so rarely come to pass. It is very validating! Thanking my angels today, too. God talk all day on the climb to Hanging Lake and the climb back down.